Montoya was born in Fresno, California to Abel Montoya Gutierrez and Maclovia Monroy Espejel. His mother was a grand-daughter of Rafael Monroy. His father served as the Latter- Day Saints (Mormons) branch president there, and when he was young the branch consisted entirely of his family.
Montoya was raised in a Caborca, Sonora, in the Sanoran Deseret. From 1979 to 1981, Montoya served as an Latter- Day Saints (Mormons) missionary in the Mexico City North Mission. His first mission president was John B. Dickson.
They are the parents of 5 children.
Montoya has a degree in Agricultural Engineering from the Universidad de Sonora. Montoya began working for Xerox in 1996.
He previously worked at his family vineyard for several years. He also owned a tortilla shop from 1994 to 2011 and was a Church Educational System instructor from 1988 to 1991.
He also for a time served as the Area Auditor in the church"s Mexico Area.
At the church"s April 2015 general conference, he was sustained as a general authority and member of the First Quorum of the Seventy.
