Called by Spencer W. Kimball Children 6 Spouse(s) Nair Belmira de Bouvea | End reason Honorably released Called by Ezra Taft Benson Name Helio Camargo | |
End reason Transferred to Second Quorum of the Seventy Full Name Helio da Rocha Camargo Born 1 February 1926 (age 98)
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ( 1926-02-01 ) | ||
Helio da Rocha Camargo (born 1 February 1926) was the first Brazilian general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He was called to the First Quorum of the Seventy in 1985 and served there for four years. In 1989, he was transferred, along with other limited-term members of the First Quorum of the Seventy to the newly created Second Quorum of the Seventy. Camargo was released as a general authority in 1990.
Camargo was born in Rio de Janeiro. He entered a military academy in 1943 and he advanced to the rank of captain in the Brazilian military before his retirement.
Camargo married Nair Belmira de Bouvea and they had six children. Nair served as temple matron of the São Paulo Brazil Temple when her husband was the temple's president. She was also as an area representative for the church's auxiliary boards.
After leaving the military, Camargo moved to São Paulo where he became a banker and also entered a Methodist seminary. Camargo was ordained a Methodist minister but was later expelled from the seminary because he opposed infant baptism. He was one of three ministers expelled at that point, the other two were Saul Messias de Oliveira and Walter Guedes de Queiroz, who also later joined the LDS Church.
Camargo read literature he had previously received from the Mormon missionaries and then started attending meetings of the LDS Church. His conversion was helped by hearing the testimony of a young lady on the power of the law of chastity. He was baptized in 1957.
Camargo served as the first president of the São Paulo East Stake when it was organized in November 1968.
Camargo also served as a bishop, counselor to a mission president, and as a mission president.