Elder Robert R. Steuer, of the Second Quorum of the Seventy is one of the rareties,
an American convert General Authority. Elder Steuer, whose name is pronounced Stoy-er, was born December
6, 1943 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Fritz Steuer and Hulda Hanel. The family moved to Salt Lake City when
he was two, and though his parents never joined the Church, young Robert was raised within the
boundaries and influence of the Grandview Ward. His young friends were members and he learned from them.
He began attending Primary regularly and when his friends reached the age of accountability and began to
be baptized, Robert did not want to be left out. His parents, seeing that the Church and its members
provided a good influence on Robert, did not object and he was baptized at the age of nine. "This really
began my association with teachers, bishops, quorum advisors, and others who just always seemed to be
there for me, helping me to develop a stronger and stronger testimony," he said to Church News
staff writer R. Scott Lloyd (Church News; June 9, 2001)
The family remained in Salt Lake until Robert was thirteen, at which time they
moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. Two years later, following his mother's death, they moved to Minneapolis,
Minnesota. Struggling with the decisions which are common to youth, Robert was advised by his priests
quorum advisor to study the Book of Mormon on Sunday rather than his school work. "He promised that if
I did so, my grades would greatly improve and that I would gain a testimony of the Prophet Joseph
Smith. And that really did come true. It was excititing to see that challenge bear fruit." His senior
companion in home teaching, a man in his eighties, was more likely to teach by example. "His idea of
hometeaching was to go out and paint the widow's porch and house." Thus Robert learned by both precept
and example.
With the foundation of a strong testimony of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon,
and a well developed ethic of working in the Church, Robert had little dificulty opting for a mission
call rather than playing baseball for the University of Minnesota. He labored in the Brazil Mission,
where his testimony further intensified under the tutelage of a loving mission president.
Returning from his mission, Robert resumed his studies at the University of
Minnesota, taking both his Baccalaureate in Chemistry and his Medical Doctorate there. It was during a
three month summer sabatical that Robert met Margaret Black. He was attending a student ward in the
Bay Area of California, while she taught elementary school in the same area. "Literally the minute I
walked into the meeting hall, I said, 'Oh, there she is.' I had a feeling and hope that something
could work out."
It did work out. Robert and Margaret were married for time and all eternity in
the Logan Utah Temple June 21, 1971. They have five children. The Steuers are a tight-knot family,
maintaining closeness through sharing Gospel ideals, and a love of family sporting events.
With medical degree in hand, Robert was prepared to pursue his career. He spent
his internship at the Santa Clara County Hospital in California and his residency at the University of
Utah Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Along the course of his medical stidies and research, he
decided on Medical Diagnostics as a specialty. After practicing medicine four years, he began research
on the development of electronic diagnostic devices. He later founded and became Chairman of the Board
of HemaMetrics, Inc., an inline diagnostics firm.
The Lord had many other calls for Robert R. Steuer. When called as a bishop at
the age of thirty-three, he had never even attended an LDS funeral. But within a few days, two (!!!)
ward members had died. It was sink or swim. Obviously, he learned to swim very quickly. He has also
served as the Elders Quorum President, the Stake Mission President, on the Stake High Council, and
as an Institute of Religion instructor.
In 1984, Elder Steuer was called to return to Brazil to serve as President of
the Brazil Sao Paulo North Mission. He served there for three years, returning home in 1987. He and,
indeed, his entire family, enjoyed many faith-promoting experiences while thus serving the Lord. "It
was an adventure for the children," Sister Steuer reflected. "They loved it and we thought it was a
great opportunity for them to be in that mission home with us. I wish that all could experience that
opportunity, because they loved everything about it."
Upon being released as mission preident,Elder Steuer might have expected a quiet
respite from intensive church service, and, indeed, that seemed to be the case as he was called as
Ward Mission Leader in his home ward at Pleasant View, Utah. But the Lord still had additional labors
for Elder Steuer to perform. In April of 2001, he was called into the Second Quorum of the Seventy and
took his place among the General Authorities. He served in the Second Quorum of Seventy until his release
in October of 2008.
