Read or listen to Stephanie Natalo’s full oral history. Available in English.
The appointment of Soares and Gong, as members of the Quorum, I think has brought a new perspective on church leadership at its higher levels. These two men, one being the first Latin-American and the first member of Asian heritage, I believe to be part of the twelve is amazing because previously it was an all-white leadership which made church policy. And I remember that this made headlines and it caused real excitement because I guess, well members from around the world were hoping for a change in leadership and being more representative of a religion that, has millions of members outside of the US.
Yes, there’s a greater diversity of cultures and languages of members in my ward and stake. Previously when I was younger, it was predominantly Anglo-Saxon and all you could hear was English. But now, through the corridors you can hear different languages spoken. And moreover, with the youth serving missions in different countries, they bring back with them different languages, customs, and cultures, and that really enriches our wards and our members for the better.