September 8th, 2025, 12:05am MDT
Elder Quentin L. Cook was born on September 8, 1940 in Logan, Utah. He served as an apostle from October 6, 2007. He served as a young full-time missionary on the British mission on November 30, 1962, and married Mary Gaddy at Logan Utah Temple. They have three children.
Elder Cook, a professional lawyer, graduated from Utah State University in 1963 and from Stanford Law School in 1966. He also worked as president and CEO of California Healthcare Systems and vice-chairman of Sutter Health Systems.
Elder Cook is serving in the Philippine presidency, serving as president of the Pacific Islands and Northwest North American, as executive director of the Missionary Bureau.
In honor of his 85th birthday today, there are nine quotes from Elder Cook over the past year.
1. Personal peace
“In a world without peace, I bless you with having personal peace. Peace that passes through understanding because you know the Savior.”
– Provinces of Korea and Japan, September 18, 2024
2. The Holy Bible
“The sacred Bible and the living prophet are the main way that our beloved Heavenly Father makes all his children available to use the plan of happiness.”
– “The Sacred Bible – The Fundamentals of Faith,” October 2024 General Meeting
3. Serve the responsibility that has been appointed sacredly
“To fulfill our sacredly appointed responsibilities based on justice, unity and equality before the Lord brings personal happiness and peace to this world, and prepares us for the eternal life of the world to come. It prepares us to meet God.”
– Casper Wyoming Temple’s Devotion, November 24, 2024
4. “He’s our example.”
“He is our example – the defender with the Father – and he has achieved everything we need to return to the Father and Son. We would be wise to follow Jesus Christ and receive the gifts he has offered.”
– First Presidency Christmas Prayer, December 8, 2024
5. Guidance from the Prophet
“In a world of fuss and conflict, there are kind and decisive prophets close to the Lord who give us the guidance we need for the day.”
– Ministry of Asia, March 5, 2025
6. Save the storm of life
“In the world of great beauty, there is also a great challenge. If we look to Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World, he will follow the Father’s plan to save us from the storm of life through his tone sin.”
– “The tone sin of Jesus Christ provides the ultimate rescue” April 2025 General Meeting
7. Safety when walking with Jesus
“Our doctrine is clear. We are to cheer and cheer. We emphasize faith, not fear. We are pleased with His assurance that He stands by us and gives guidance and direction. We are safe when we walk with Jesus.”
– Brigham Young University Women’s Conference, May 2, 2025
8. I’m hurrying his job
“We see his work rushing faster than we ever saw. The Savior has achieved everything he needed to return to his Heavenly Father.”
– Visit to Birmingham England, May 27, 2025
9. Doing good in the world
“It is what we do to do in the world, because we love our Savior and follow him.”
– Meeting with the President of Argentina, August 28, 2025
