So, my first thought upon hearing the news that Elder Uchtdorf had been called to the First Presidency was, “Wow, he isn’t a U.S. national! Cool! Oh, and I once read a story about how he and his wife like to bicycle. Double cool!”
In an attempt to learn something more, I present an almost certainly incomplete bibliography of Elder Uchtdorf’s LDS-related publications. I’m only including the stuff for grown-up audiences here; Elder Uchtdorf has also published several articles in the Friend, the New Era, and the children’s section of the Liahona, as well as a children’s picture book. Help me out, folks; I’m sure there’s more which should be included here. Please list anything you find in the comments.
The Fruits of the First Vision
By Common Consent, a Mormon Blog 
The children’s book is worth buying:
http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=2765
Thanks, Julie – I found it on Deseret Book, but I’ve never seen the text.
I followed one of your links and was kinda struck by the footnotes:
1. See Tom D. Crouch, The Bishop’s Boys: A Life of Wilbur and Orville Wright (1989), 166.
2. The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci, ed. Irma A. Richter (1980), 261.
3. The Miracle of Forgiveness (1969), 235.
4. Nicomachean Ethics, trans. W. D. Ross, book 3, chapter 5 (see Internet, http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/nicomachaen.3.iii.html).
5. Stand Ye in Holy Places (1974), 318.
6. History of the Church, 4:555.
7. Key to the Science of Theology, 9th ed. (1965), 101.
8. In Conference Report, Oct. 1961, 60–61.
9. History of the Church, 3:381.
I went and searched all his talks since being called to be an Apostle, hope this helps. I also hope they link up here, I’m not sure how the links transfer to the blogs:
http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-775-7,00.html Oct. 2007: General Conference address
http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-690-36,00.html April 2007: Point of Safe Return talk in General Conference
http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-646-15,00.html October 2006: the Power of a Personal Testimony, in General Conference
http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-602-15,00.html April 2006: See the End from the Beginning (in the Priesthood session)
http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-559-33,00.html October 2005: Christlike Attributes, the Wings Beneath Our Wings, in General Conference
http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-520-14,00.html April 2005: the Fruits of the First Vision, in General Conference
http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-479-23,00.html October 2004: the Opportunity to Testify
~that talk mentions the Sister Eternal story, the lady who helped his family learn of the gospel.
~also for those who may be new in the Church and may have not heard this, I recall in his interview after being called to the Quorum of the 12, he had said something about how his 15 year old grandson was stunned and wondered if there was another Dieter F. Uchtdorf when he was sustained! I thought that was cute!
Here is a good article about him that was written by Elder Holland:
http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=0eb1d326b221c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1
The appointment of a non-North American in President Uchtdorf, while welcome, does raise the question once again of whether an excellent command of the English language is a necessity in the Lord’s eyes in appointing a GA. Are there any GA’s with poor English skills? Historically, were there ever any?
Jon M., there was Heber C. Kimball. I don’t speak in jest, or to mock the man. He was a dynamo, but his English skills — although it was his native tongue — were poorer than most modern Mormons would be comfortable with in a top church leader.
More directly on point for your intended question, I guess, there have been a collection of 70s over the last few decades who have barely spoken English. Considering the current and future demographics of the church, though, I think the probably more important question today — and certainly in 30 years — is: “How good is their French and Spanish?”
Nita, thank you. I had some trouble with the lds.org Gospel Library search engine – this is very helpful.
Was Elder Uchtdorf the one who used a Harry Potter example in a speech at BYU, thus making Harry Potter part of Mormon quasi-scripture? (Along with Pres. Monson’s general conference mentions of Field of Dreams and Home Alone.)
Is the speech that includes the Harry Potter reference published anywhere?
It was Elder Uchtdorf (news article).
A few other speeches can be accessed by running a search for his last name here.
A very helpful post — thanks, Taryn — and nita, too!
Taryn, I’m glad it worked. I think some of the Gospel Library features haven’t been working right for the last week or so, I found the articles just by clicking on “General Conference” and then searching by each session. You can still search topics at lds.org but something has been messed up if you just search via “magazine”- somehow those searches aren’t working right.
Nita, ah, see, I’m too lazy for all that work :).
As to Authorities needing to have a command of the English language…My German teacher in college always told me German was the language they spoke in Heaven. In jest of course.
But being of German descent it is neat to see a member of the 12, and possibly, someday, the President of the church, come from the land of Beethoven and Mann.