April 2, 2026
Elder Clark G. Gilbert of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Post contributed by
Eastin Hartzell
Parents: Paul and Susan Gilbert
Education: Received a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University, a master’s degree from Stanford University, and a doctorate from Harvard University
Wife: Christine Calder
Married: Feb. 5, 1994 — Salt Lake Temple
Children: 8 children
Young mission: Japan Kobe Mission 1989 to 1991
Callings: President of BYU Pathway Worldwide, Church Commissioner of Education, Area Seventy, counselor in a stake presidency, bishop, counselor in a stake Young Men presidency, Sunday School teacher, elders quorum president and full-time missionary in the Japan Kobe Mission.
Sustained: Will be sustained on April 4th, 2026
Member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Elder Clark G. Gilbert was set apart as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on February 12, 2026 by President Dallin H. Oaks. At the time of his call, he was serving as the Church's Commissioner of Education and a General Authority Seventy.
Early Life and Education
Born on June 18, 1970, in Oakland, California, Elder Gilbert grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. He served a full-time mission in the Japan Kobe Mission, an experience that solidified his testimony of the universal power of the Atonement.1
Elder Gilbert is an academic at heart, holding a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Brigham Young University, a master’s degree from Stanford University, and a doctorate in business administration from Harvard Business School. He married Christine Calder in 1994 in the Salt Lake Temple; they are the parents of eight children.2
Professional Career
Before his full-time Church service, Elder Gilbert was a professor of entrepreneurial management at Harvard Business School.3 He also led a number of large organizations:
Deseret Management Corporation: He served as CEO of Deseret Digital Media and president of the Deseret News.
BYU–Idaho: He served as the university's 16th president.
BYU–Pathway Worldwide: In 2017, he was named the inaugural president of the Church's global online schooling initiative.
Teachings
Many know Elder Gilbert for his October 2021 general conference talk about the parable of the slope. Recently, though, Elder Gilbert has taught about being deliberate and the family.
In an August 25, 2025, devotional at Brigham Young University, Elder Gilbert taught: "Being a light to others requires that we simultaneously pursue excellence even as we maintain our spiritual integrity."4
On the 30th anniversary of The Family: A Proclamation to the World, Elder and Sister Gilbert were assigned by President Russell M. Nelson to speak to BYU-Idaho students about the family. At the conclusion of that talk, he testified of Jesus Christ's role in the family:
"Jesus is the Christ. He is central to the plan and the proclamation. He will make all right as we look to Him. Find the Savior in the family proclamation. Our Father loves you. He sent us His son because He loves you. And through the Savior, we can find joy, connection, and belonging in God’s family."5
- 1. https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders/2026/02/12/elder-clark-g-gilbert-called-as-new-apostle/;
- 2. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/learn/clark-g-gilbert?lang=eng
- 3. https://www.deseret.com/2015/1/28/20557318/clark-gilbert-named-new-president-of-byu-idaho/
- 4. https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/clark-g-gilbert/being-deliberate-in-the-second-half-of-the-second-century-of-brigham-young-university/
- 5. https://www.byui.edu/speeches/devotionals/clark-g-christine-c-gilbert/finding-the-savior-in-the-proclamation-september-2025