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List of presidents of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This page lists all the presidents of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often called the LDS Church. Each person on this list has served as the President of the Church. Members of the church also consider their president to be a prophet, seer, and revelator, which means they believe he is a spiritual guide for the church.

What Does the President of the Church Do?

The President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the highest leader for millions of members all over the world. He leads the church with the help of two counselors, and together they are called the First Presidency.

When a president passes away, the senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles becomes the next president. This group of leaders helps guide the church. This process ensures there is always a clear leader.

Presidents of the Church

Here is a list of the men who have served as president of the church since it was started in 1830.

No. Portrait President Born Became President Died Time as President
1
Joseph Smith, Jr. portrait owned by Joseph Smith III.jpg
Joseph Smith December 23, 1805 April 6, 1830 June 27, 1844(1844-06-27) (aged 38) 14 years, 2 months
The church was led by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, with Brigham Young as its president. 3 years, 6 months
2
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Brigham Young June 1, 1801 December 27, 1847 August 29, 1877(1877-08-29) (aged 76) 29 years, 8 months
The church was led by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, with John Taylor as its president. 3 years, 1 month
3
John Taylor seated in chair.jpg
John Taylor November 1, 1808 October 10, 1880 July 25, 1887(1887-07-25) (aged 78) 6 years, 9 months
The church was led by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, with Wilford Woodruff as its president. 1 year, 8 months
4
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Wilford Woodruff March 1, 1807 April 7, 1889 September 2, 1898(1898-09-02) (aged 91) 9 years, 4 months
5
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Lorenzo Snow April 3, 1814 September 13, 1898 October 10, 1901(1901-10-10) (aged 87) 3 years, 1 month
6
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Joseph F. Smith November 13, 1838 October 17, 1901 November 19, 1918(1918-11-19) (aged 80) 17 years, 1 month
7
Heber J Grant.jpg
Heber J. Grant November 22, 1856 November 23, 1918 May 14, 1945(1945-05-14) (aged 88) 26 years, 5 months
8
George Albert Smith.jpg
George Albert Smith April 4, 1870 May 21, 1945 April 4, 1951(1951-04-04) (aged 81) 5 years, 10 months
9
David O. McKay.jpg
David O. McKay September 8, 1873 April 9, 1951 January 18, 1970(1970-01-18) (aged 96) 18 years, 9 months
10
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Joseph Fielding Smith July 19, 1876 January 23, 1970 July 2, 1972(1972-07-02) (aged 95) 2 years, 5 months
11
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Harold B. Lee March 28, 1899 July 7, 1972 December 26, 1973(1973-12-26) (aged 74) 1 year, 5 months
12
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Spencer W. Kimball March 28, 1895 December 30, 1973 November 5, 1985(1985-11-05) (aged 90) 11 years, 10 months
13
Ezra Taft Benson.jpg
Ezra Taft Benson August 4, 1899 November 10, 1895 May 30, 1994(1994-05-30) (aged 94) 8 years, 6 months
14
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Howard W. Hunter November 14, 1907 June 5, 1994 March 3, 1995(1995-03-03) (aged 87) 9 months
15
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Gordon B. Hinckley June 23, 1910 March 12, 1995 January 27, 2008(2008-01-27) (aged 97) 12 years, 10 months
16
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Thomas S. Monson August 21, 1927 February 3, 2008 January 2, 2018(2018-01-02) (aged 90) 9 years, 11 months
17
Russell M Nelson (cropped2).jpg
Russell M. Nelson September 9, 1924 January 14, 2018 September 27, 2025(2025-09-27) (aged 101) 7 years, 8 months
After President Nelson's passing, the church was led by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Current

Timeline of Leadership

This timeline shows how long each president lived and how long they led the church.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Anexo:Presidentes de La Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Últimos Días para niños

  • Chronology of the First Presidency (LDS Church)
  • Chronology of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church)
  • List of members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church)
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List of presidents of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.