Julio E. Dávila

Who is Julio E. Dávila?

Julio Enrique Dávila was a member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1991 to 1996. He was the first person from Colombia to be a general authority of the LDS Church.

Dávila was born in Bucaramanga, Colombia. Dávila was raised primarily in Cartagena. After graduating from college, he moved to Bogotá where he met Mary Zapata, whom he married in 1958. They became the parents of two daughters.

Dávila joined the LDS Church at the age of 36 in 1968. Dávila served as a branch president, and in district presidencies. On 23 May 1977, Dávila became the first president of the Bogotá Stake—the first stake of the LDS Church in Colombia.

In 1972, Dávila began working for the Church Educational System. He became a full-time employee of CES in 1973. From 1981 to 1984, Dávila served as president of the Colombia Cali Mission of the church. Dávila was the first Colombian to serve as a mission president in the church.

Dávila served twice as a regional representative, which calling he held when he was called to the Second Quorum of the Seventy. He was called to the Second Quorum of the Seventy in 1991, where he served for five years. Released in 1996, he spent most of his service as a general authority in Latin America. For part of this time, he was in the presidency of the South America North Area of the church.