Jorge A. Rojas
Encyclopedia
Jorge Alfonso Rojas Ornelas (born 27 September 1940) was a general authority
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1991 to 1996.
Rojas was born in Delicias
, Chihuahua, Mexico
. He was raised in Chihuahua City
. Rojas convinced his parents, though none of them were Latter-day Saints, to send him to the LDS Church-owned Academia Juárez
in Colonia Juárez so he could learn English. 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
a member of the LDS Church in 1959. he received degrees in education and physical education from the University of Chihuahua and also studied at New Mexico State University
.
Rojas was a teacher at the LDS Church-owned Benermerito School in Mexico City
when it opened in 1964. Rojas married Marcella Burgos, a recent Benemerito graduate, in 1969 in the Mesa Arizona Temple
.
Rojas continued to work for the Church Educational System
and later in area
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.
Rojas served on two occasions as a stake president of the LDS Church. He also served two terms as a Regional Representative
. Rojas was president
of the Mexico Guadalajara
Mission
.
Rojas became a member of the church's Second Quorum of the Seventy 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 of the church in 2004. He has since served in the presidency of the Mexico North Area of the church. In 2008, Rojas was made the president
of the Guayaquil Ecuador Temple
.
General authority
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a general authority is a member of certain leadership organizations who are given administrative and ecclesiastical authority over the church...
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1991 to 1996.
Rojas was born in Delicias
Delicias, Chihuahua
Delicias is a city in the Mexican state of Chihuahua and serves as the seat of the municipality of the same name. It is located southeast of the state capital, Chihuahua. Delicias was declared an official municipality of the state of Chihuahua on January 7, 1935...
, Chihuahua, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. He was raised in Chihuahua City
Chihuahua, Chihuahua
The city of Chihuahua is the state capital of the Mexican state of Chihuahua. It has a population of about 825,327. The predominant activity is industry, including domestic heavy, light industries, consumer goods production, and to a smaller extent maquiladoras.-History:It has been said that the...
. Rojas convinced his parents, though none of them were Latter-day Saints, to send him to the LDS Church-owned Academia Juárez
Academia Juárez
Founded in 1897, The Juarez Stake Academy or Academia Juárez, located in Colonia Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, is the oldest private high school owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that follows a dual-language program that is unique in the country. During the 2008-2009 school...
in Colonia Juárez so he could learn English. 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
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
a member of the LDS Church in 1959. he received degrees in education and physical education from the University of Chihuahua and also studied at New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University at Las Cruces , is a major land-grant university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States...
.
Rojas was a teacher at the LDS Church-owned Benermerito School in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
when it opened in 1964. Rojas married Marcella Burgos, a recent Benemerito graduate, in 1969 in the Mesa Arizona Temple
Mesa Arizona Temple
The Mesa Arizona Temple is the seventh operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Located in the city of Mesa, Arizona, it is the first of five LDS temples built or planned in the state.-History:...
.
Rojas continued to work for the Church Educational System
Church Educational System
The Church Educational System of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints consists of several institutions that provide religious and secular education for both Latter-day Saint and non-Latter-day Saint elementary, secondary, and post-secondary students and adult learners...
and later in area
Area (LDS Church)
An area is an administrative unit of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which typically is composed of multiple stakes and missions...
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.
Rojas served on two occasions as a stake president of the LDS Church. He also served two terms as a Regional Representative
Regional representative of the Twelve
Regional representative of the Twelve, commonly shorted to regional representative or regional rep, was a priesthood calling in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1968 and 1995...
. Rojas was president
Mission president
Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . A mission president presides over a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission...
of the Mexico Guadalajara
Guadalajara, Jalisco
Guadalajara is the capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco, and the seat of the municipality of Guadalajara. The city is located in the central region of Jalisco in the western-pacific area of Mexico. With a population of 1,564,514 it is Mexico's second most populous municipality...
Mission
Mission (LDS Church)
A mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative area to which church missionaries are assigned. Almost all areas of the world are within the boundaries of an LDS Church mission, whether or not Mormon missionaries live or proselytize in the area...
.
Rojas became a member of the church's Second Quorum of the Seventy 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 of the church in 2004. He has since served in the presidency of the Mexico North Area of the church. In 2008, Rojas was made the president
Temple President
Temple president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A temple president's primary responsibility is to supervise the affairs of an LDS temple in both an administrative and spiritual capacity....
of the Guayaquil Ecuador Temple
Guayaquil Ecuador Temple
The Guayaquil Ecuador Temple is the 58th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.In 1982, President Spencer W. Kimball, then President of the LDS Church, announced that there would be a Mormon temple built in Ecuador...
.