Called by Gordon B. Hinckley Name Francisco Vinas | Called by Gordon B. Hinckley | |
End reason Transferred to First Quorum of the Seventy Full Name Francisco Jose Vinas Born 28 December 1946 (age 77)
Seville, Spain ( 1946-12-28 ) | ||
Elder Francisco J. Viñas (german) Was die Rechtschaffenheit betrifft
Francisco José Viñas (born 28 December 1946) has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since 1996. He is the first general authority of the LDS Church to have been born in Spain.
Viñas was born in Seville, Spain, but immigrated with his parents to Paraguay in 1948. His parents were baptized into the LDS Church in Paraguay and in 1950 the family settled in Montevideo, Uruguay.
Viñas was employed by Bayer and the LDS Church's Church Educational System (CES), working as a director of an Institute of Religion in Uruguay and as the country director in Spain. Viñas was also employed by the LDS Church's finance department in Uruguay.
Prior to his call as a general authority, Viñas was a bishop, stake president, regional representative of the Twelve (three times), and an area seventy in the church. He was also president of the Argentina Salta Mission (1988–90). In 1996, Viñas became a member of the Second Quorum of Seventy, and in 1998, he was transferred to the First Quorum of Seventy. Among his assignments as a general authority, he served as both a counselor and as president of the church's Chile Area, as a counselor in the Europe West Area, then later as a counselor and as president of the Caribbean Area. In October 2016, he was released as a General Authority Seventy and designated as an emeritus general authority.
Viñas is married to Cristina Gaminara and they are the parents of three children.