Elder Ulisses Soares and Sister Rosana Soares

Elder Ulisses Soares and Sister Rosana Soares were both born in São Paulo, Brazil. Elder Soares’ parents joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when he was a young child, and Sister Soares attended church from her childhood and finally received permission from her parents to be baptized when she was 17 years old.

Elder and Sister Soares served missions in the Brazil Rio de Janeiro Mission at the same time. While they did not know each other very well while serving as missionaries, they happened to attend the same stake dance and reconnect months following their return from their missions. They laughed and reminisced, sharing memories of their missions together and quickly realized there just might be something there! They married in October of 1982 in the São Paulo, Brazil Temple. Elder and Sister Soares are the parents of one son and two daughters, and they have five grandchildren.

Even after they married and started a family, Elder and Sister Soares prioritized their education. Sister Soares received a bachelor’s degree of arts in Literature from Moema University in São Paulo. Elder Soares received a bachelor’s degree from Pontifical Catholic University in accounting and economics, followed by an MBA. Elder Soares began his career as an auditor for an international corporation, and then joined Church employment in the Brazil Area Office in 1986. He worked as an assistant to the Director of Temporal Affairs, and then as Director of Temporal Affairs.

Sister Soares has served in many callings, including Relief Society president, Primary president, Gospel Principles teacher, Young Women president, Relief Society teacher, and temple worker. She and Elder Soares both had the opportunity to serve as mission leadership over the Portugal Porto Mission from 2000-2003.

Elder Soares has served in a number of leadership callings and was called as a General Authority in April 2005. He served as a General Authority Seventy (including a call to the Presidency of the Seventy) until March 2018, when he was called as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

In their service, Elder and Sister Soares are unfailingly dedicated to the Lord and to each other. They strive to be disciples of Jesus Christ in all that they do, and they love others with their whole heart. Their faith in the Lord is steady and unshaken, as demonstrated by their motto as Mission Leadership in the Portugal Porto Mission: “Tudo vai dar certo” (Everything will work out). 

Elder and Sister Soares enjoy a variety of hobbies and pastimes. They are appreciators of the arts and they enjoy attending plays and musical events. They love cooking a variety of cuisines together and entertaining family and close friends in their home. They love to travel, especially if that travel includes a beautiful beach in a warm location – they are Brazilians, after all! Most of all, they love spending time together with their children and grandchildren.