M. Dallas Burnett, “David M. Kennedy: Ambassador for the Kingdom,” Ensign, Jun 1986, 42

In 1974, David M. Kennedy was called personal representative of the First Presidency and as ambassador-at-large for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His assignments have taken him to nearly every corner of the globe, to help open doors for missionary work, gain official recognition for the Church, and prepare the way for area conferences.

Brother Kennedy has served as ambassador-at-large for the Church since 1974.

Before the call to his present position came, David Kennedy had filled a variety of prestigious business and government roles. He had been president and chairman of the board of a major international bank, secretary of the treasury of the United States, U.S. ambassador-at-large, and U.S. ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Brother Kennedy was with President Spencer W. Kimball and other Church leaders at an area conference in Sweden in 1974 when, without advance warning, President Kimball asked him to go to Portugal to “get the Church recognized.”

“Although Portugal had been discussed before,” Brother Kennedy recalls, “this was not the sort of thing you did without all kinds of preparation. Besides, the Portuguese military had just overthrown a long-time dictatorship and most of my contacts in government were no longer in power. The timing did not seem right at all.” Nevertheless, he responded to the prophet’s request.

When Brother Kennedy arrived in Portugal, he discovered that the United States ambassador was not in the country. However, the U.S. charge d’affaires told him the timing was perfect to request recognition of the Church because the military government was eager to move toward democracy. As Brother Kennedy worked with the head of the Portuguese Department of Justice, things fell into place as if the whole matter had been planned for months. With official recognition granted, a mission was established in December 1974 and meetings began in January 1975.

From the Church News, May 27, 2006: excerpts from a talk from Julie Bangerter Beck:

Delivering her address in Portuguese, Sister Beck, who lived in Brazil as a girl and learned of the history of Portugal in school, said that her family began to be closely connected in 1973 with the history of the Church in Portugal and Spain.

"When President Spencer W. Kimball was sustained as the president of the Church in 1973 he gave a prophetic message to the General Authorities. He said that the Lord was going to work a miracle in opening the doors of more nations in the world for the preaching of the gospel. The first country to open doors after that message was Portugal."

In November of that year, her father, William Grant Bangerter, was called to serve as the first mission president in Portugal. (Elder Bangerter later served as a member of the Seventy and in the Presidency of the Seventy.) Three of her brothers served as missionaries in Portugal, one served in Spain and another served as a counselor in the first stake presidency in Portugal.

"I have heard many stories about the faith of the members in Portugal and Spain," Sister Beck said. "My family was in Sintra the day President Thomas S. Monson dedicated the country of Portugal for the preaching of the gospel. It was an historic day in April 1974. I have read the account of that day and also the prayer that was given by President Monson, and it is a prophetic prayer. I know that the prayer to dedicate the country of Spain was also inspired."