Jorge Alfonso Rojas Ornelas (born 27 September 1940) was a general authority of

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...

(LDS Church) from 1991 to 1996. Rojas was born in Delicias, Chihuahua,

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. He was raised in

Chihuahua City The city of Chihuahua or Chihuahua City ( ; Lipan language, Lipan: ) is the state capital of the Mexican state of Chihuahua (state), Chihuahua. , the city of Chihuahua had a population of 925,762 inhabitants. while the metropolitan area had a popu ...

. Rojas convinced his parents, though none of them were

Latter-day Saint The Latter Day Saint movement (also called the LDS movement, LDS restorationist movement, or Smith–Rigdon movement) is the collection of independent church groups that trace their origins to a Christian Restorationist movement founded b ...

s, to send him to the LDS Church-owned

Academia Juárez Academia Juárez, previously known as Juarez Stake Academy, is the oldest private high school owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and is located in Colonia Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico. Academia Juárez opened on S ...

in Colonia Juárez so he could learn

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

. Rojas lived with Willard and Bertha Shupe while in Colonia Juárez, and they convinced him to attend English-language LDS Church meetings in order to assist him in learning English. Rojas was

baptized Baptism (from ) is a Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by sprinkling or pouring water on the head, or by immersing in water either partially or completely, traditionally three ...

a member of the LDS Church in 1959. he received degrees in education and physical education from the

University of Chihuahua The Autonomous University of Chihuahua (in ) is a Mexican public university based in the city of Chihuahua, Chihuahua, but with several campuses across the state. In December 8, 1954, the State Legislature, with Governor Oscar Soto Maynez, iss ...

and also studied at

New Mexico State University New Mexico State University (NMSU or NM State) is a public, land-grant, research university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States. Founded in 1888, it is the state's oldest public institution of higher education, and was the original land-g ...

. Rojas was a teacher at the LDS Church-owned Benermerito School in

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

when it opened in 1964. Rojas married Marcella Burgos, a recent Benemerito graduate, in 1969 in the

Mesa Arizona Temple The Mesa Arizona Temple (formerly the Arizona Temple; nicknamed the ''Lamanite Temple'') is the seventh operating Temple (LDS Church), temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The intent to build the temple was announced on Oct ...

. Rojas continued to work for the

Church Educational System The Church Educational System (CES) of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) consists of several institutions that provide religious and secular education for both Latter-day Saint and non–Latter-day Saint elementary, sec ...

and later in the

area Area is the measure of a region's size on a surface. The area of a plane region or ''plane area'' refers to the area of a shape or planar lamina, while '' surface area'' refers to the area of an open surface or the boundary of a three-di ...

administrative offices. In 1988, Rojas and his wife set up a business translating technical manuals from English for American companies with factories in Mexico. Rojas and his wife Marcella have five children. When Rojas moved to Mexico City in 1964 he was immediately called as stake superintendent of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association, a calling equivalent to stake young men president in the current system of the LDS Church. Among other callings over the years he served as a branch president, a member of the stake high council and as a counselor in a stake presidency. Rojas served on two occasions as a

stake president A stake is an administrative unit composed of multiple congregations in certain denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement. The name "stake" derives from the Book of Isaiah: "enlarge the place of thy tent; stretch forth the curtains of thine ha ...

of the LDS Church. He also served two terms as a Regional Representative. Rojas was

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

of the Mexico

Guadalajara Guadalajara ( ; ) is the capital and the most populous city in the western Mexican List of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco, as well as the most densely populated municipality in Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population ...

Mission Mission (from Latin 'the act of sending out'), Missions or The Mission may refer to: Geography Australia *Mission River (Queensland) Canada *Mission, British Columbia, a district municipality * Mission, Calgary, Alberta, a neighbourhood * ...

from 1981-1984. Rojas became a member of the church's

Second Quorum of the Seventy Seventy is a priesthood office in the Melchizedek priesthood of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Traditionally, a church member holding this priesthood office is a "traveling minister" and an "especial witness" of J ...

in 1991. He was released as a member of the quorum and as a general authority of the church in October 1996. Rojas was called as an

Area Seventy Seventy is a priesthood office in the Melchizedek priesthood of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Traditionally, a church member holding this priesthood office is a "traveling minister" and an "especial witness" of J ...

of the church in 2004. He has since served in the presidency of the Mexico North Area of the church. From 2008 to 2011, Rojas was the

of the Guayaquil Ecuador Temple."Guayaquil Ecuador Temple: Presidents"
ldschurchtemples.com.

Notes

References

“Elder Jorge A. Rojas of the Seventy,”
''

Ensign Ensign most often refers to: * Ensign (flag), a flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality * Ensign (rank), a navy (and former army) officer rank Ensign or The Ensign may also refer to: Places * Ensign, Alberta, Alberta, Canada * Ensign, Ka ...

'', May 1991, p. 101

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rojas, Jorge A. 1940 births Church Educational System instructors Converts to Mormonism Living people Members of the Second Quorum of the Seventy (LDS Church) Mexican general authorities (LDS Church) Mexican Mormon missionaries Mission presidents (LDS Church) Mormon missionaries in Mexico New Mexico State University alumni People from Chihuahua City Autonomous University of Chihuahua alumni Regional representatives of the Twelve Temple presidents and matrons (LDS Church) Area seventies (LDS Church) 20th-century Mormon missionaries People from Colonia Juárez, Chihuahua Mexican expatriates in Ecuador Mexican expatriates in the United States People from Delicias, Chihuahua