Walter F. González

Walter Fermín González Núñez (born 18 November 1952), has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since 2001.

González was born in Montevideo, Uruguay in a Roman Catholic family. He converted to the LDS Church in 1973. González married Zulma Anahir Núñez in 1975 and they are the parents of four children. They were later sealed in the Washington D.C. Temple.

González earned a law degree from the University of the Republic in Montevideo and later studied economics at the Universidad de las Fraternidades y Agrupaciones Santo Tomás de Aquino in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He also earned a business administration degree from Instituto CEMLAD in Ecuador and a distance learning degree from Indiana University.

González began employment with the LDS Church Educational System (CES) in 1975. He served in a variety of assignments, including CES associate area director for Ecuador and a CES area director.

González has previously served in the LDS Church as a high councilor, stake president, and regional representative. He was also president of the Ecuador Guayaquil Mission of the church from 1989 to 1991. During his tenure, the mission was divided, and González served until 1992 as the president of the Ecuador Guayaquil South Mission.

In 1995, González became an area authority and as an area seventy served as second counselor in the presidency of the church's South America North Area. In 2001, he became a general authority and a member of the First Quorum of Seventy. He served again as a counselor in the South America North Area, then later as a counselor and as president of the Brazil North Area, then as president of the South America West Area.

In October 2007, González became a member of the Presidency of the Seventy, replacing Quentin L. Cook, who was called as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. In this capacity, González was responsible for the work of the church in the North America Southeast Area.

On November 14, 2012, the church announced that, effective January 6, 2013, González would be released from the Presidency of the Seventy and become president of the South America South Area, succeeding Mervyn B. Arnold. González was succeeded in the Presidency of the Seventy by Ulisses Soares. He served in this assignment until August 2016, when he became president of the church's Caribbean Area.