He was the first resident of the United Kingdom to be called as an LDS Church general authority.

He was trained in the Japanese language and was a member of the Royal Air Force (RAF).

He received a degree in law and economics and then worked for a major chemical company.

[1] Cuthbert helped establish Deseret Enterprises, an agency that directed the distribution of materials for the LDS Church in Britain and on the European continent.

From 1988 until 1991, Cuthbert served as a counselor to Robert L. Simpson, and then Hugh W. Pinnock in the General Presidency of the church's Sunday School.