President Timothy L. Farnes and his counselors, Brother David J. Wunderli and Brother Sean R. Dixon officially began their service as the new Young Men general presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Friday, Aug. 1.
They were sustained as such on April 5, after President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency of the church, announced their calls during the Saturday morning session of April 2025 general conference.
With their calls now in effect, the new Young Men general presidency has succeeded former Young Men General President Steven J. Lund and his counselors, Brother Bradley R. Wilcox and Brother Michael T. Nelson, in leading the church’s Young Men organization.
A recent release on ChurchofJesusChrist.org states that as the new presidency, President Farnes and his counselors will serve to support young men ages 12 to 18, visiting them in their areas and using technology to strengthen and minister to them, their parents and local leaders.
Below is a brief look at the new presidency, as well as a few parting words from former President Lund.
Timothy L. Farnes
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, on June 29, 1969, President Farnes moved to Utah with his family as a young child. There, he grew up as the oldest of seven children.
Now, President Farnes works as a self-employed investor and advisor, and lives in Bountiful, Utah, with his wife, Linsey Anne Farnes. The two married in the Salt Lake Temple on Aug. 27, 1992, and have built a family of five children and six grandchildren.
Speaking with the Church News shortly after he was sustained this April, President Farnes shared he desires to help the youth of the church, through his service, find belonging in the “family of Christ.”
“They’re children of God and children of the covenant,” he said, “and they can become that disciple of Jesus Christ if they’ll accept Him, accept the gift that is theirs because of His Atonement.”
Prior to his call to the Young Men general presidency, President Farnes served in a variety of church assignments, including stake president, stake presidency counselor, high councilor, bishop, young single adult bishop and bishopric counselor. He and his wife also served as mission leaders in the Brazil São Paulo North Mission from 2014 to 2017.
David J. Wunderli
Brother Wunderli, first counselor, told the Church News in April he has always had a testimony of Jesus Christ.
“I was blessed to feel his presence for as long as I can remember,” he said. And even with life’s challenges, he explained his “ponderings have always leaned” to knowing God has answers for him.
Brother Wunderli was born in Salt Lake City on June 22, 1961. As a young man, he served in the Brazil Rio de Janeiro Mission and later married Diane Robins in the Salt Lake Temple in 1984. The two met after she moved from Canada to his church congregation. Together, they have raised four children living in California and then Alpine, Utah.
Having studied accounting and Portuguese at the University of Utah, Brother Wunderli has worked as an executive at Easton Sports and president of OGIO International, according to the Church News. He has also served on multiple corporate and philanthropic boards.
Yet, as a new member of the Young Men general presidency, Brother Wunderli said he wants the youth to feel a sense of belonging, to know Christ knows them personally and to know “they have teammates in every country.”
Brother Wunderli’s previous church assignments include serving on the Young Men general advisory council and as a young single adult stake president and bishop, branch presidency counselor in a missionary training center and ward Young Men president. He and his wife also served as mission leaders in the Cape Verde Praia Mission from 2020 to 2023.
Sean R. Dixon
With three decades of experience guiding young Latter-day Saints through various assignments in Seminaries and Institutes of Religion, Brother Dixon, second counselor, is aware of the competing influences in young people’s lives.
Yet, he hopes the youth will look to today’s prophets and apostles with trust and a desire to follow their counsel.
“They’ll lead them to Jesus Christ,” he told the Church News in April. “It’s not the prophet (President Russell M. Nelson) that’s the end goal, it’s the Savior. But the prophet is very much faced toward the Savior, and if they follow Him, they’ll be prepared for what they’re going to face in their lives.”
Throughout his career, Brother Dixon — who holds degrees in family science and education — has worked in various capacities, including as a seminary teacher in Utah County and the director of the Utah Valley Institute of Religion. Currently, he works as the director of the Utah South Institute Region, which involves overseeing institutes of religion from Orem to St. George.
Brother Dixon was born May 5, 1970, in Provo, Utah. He married M’Shelle Lundquist in the Salt Lake Temple on May 14, 1992. Together, they had five children and now live in Spanish Fork.
Prior to being in the Young Men general presidency, Brother Dixon’s service in the church included serving as stake president, stake presidency counselor, bishop, bishopric counselor and ward Young Men president. He and his wife also led the California Redlands Mission from 2016 to 2019.
‘One last thing’
“It’s kind of an ominous thing to be asked, ‘If you could say one last thing, what would that important thing be?” said former President Lund, addressing youth and viewers around the world in a video posted to Young Men Worldwide.
“There is no one last thing,” he continued, “but there is this thing, the most important thing for us to know. And that is there is a God in heaven.”
President Lund’s July 30 post was made just days before he and his counselors were released from serving in the Young Men general presidency. President Lund and Brother Wilcox had served in the presidency since 2020 and Brother Nelson since 2023.
In his video message, President Lund affirmed God’s reality, as well as the real love God and his son Jesus Christ have for all of their children.
“Jesus proved to us that He loved us in dramatic, unfathomable ways,” he said. “He proved to us that He loves us. Our job now is just to love him back.”
President Lund taught Christ’s to followers love him back by keeping his commandments and trusting him enough to repent when they make mistakes.
“These are true principles. This is reality. This is the cosmology of the universe. There’s a God in heaven. He has a son. He loves us and we need to love him back.”