President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church) facts for kids

The President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is an important leadership role in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This person is usually the most senior apostle in the church, right after the President of the Church. When the Church President passes away, the President of the Quorum of the Twelve usually becomes the new Church President. So far, 27 men have held this position. Sixteen of them later became the President of the Church. Since January 2018, Dallin H. Oaks has been the President of the Quorum of the Twelve. Because he also serves as a counselor in the First Presidency, Jeffrey R. Holland became the acting president on November 15, 2023, after M. Russell Ballard passed away.

How the Quorum President is Chosen

When the President of the Church dies, the First Presidency, which is the top leadership group, automatically ends. At this point, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles becomes the highest leadership body. Their president becomes the most senior leader of the church.

Early Leadership Changes

After the death of Church President Joseph Smith in 1844, Brigham Young was the Quorum President. He convinced most church members that he, as Quorum President, was the senior leader. This was instead of Sidney Rigdon, who had been a counselor to Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith had reportedly taught that "Where I am not, there is no First Presidency over the Twelve."

In 1847, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles formed the First Presidency again, with Brigham Young as the new Church President. During Young's time as president, a clear rule was set for who was "senior" in the Quorum of the Twelve. It meant the apostle with the longest continuous service since being ordained. Before this, apostles were ranked by age.

New Rules for Succession

After President Young died, John Taylor led the church. First, he was the Quorum President, and then in 1880, he became the Church President. Wilford Woodruff then became President of the Twelve.

When President Taylor died in 1887, President Woodruff waited until 1889 to reorganize the First Presidency. However, before he died in 1898, he told the Quorum of the Twelve that in the future, when a Church President died, the First Presidency should be reorganized quickly. Since then, the time between a Church President's death and the new president's ordination has been less than two weeks. This allows time for funeral services and for the Quorum of the Twelve to choose and support the President of the Twelve as the new Church President. When the President of the Twelve becomes the Church President, the next most senior apostle becomes the new President of the Twelve.

What the Quorum President Does

The President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is the leader of the members of the quorum. All members of the quorum report directly to him.

Key Responsibilities

The president's main duties include:

• Leading and running the weekly meetings of the quorum in the Salt Lake Temple.
• Deciding on specific assignments for the quorum members.
• Speaking for the quorum to church members and the news media.
• Scheduling twice-a-year conferences for each stake and district in the church.
• Working with the First Presidency, the Quorums of the Seventy, and the Presiding Bishopric to coordinate the church's work.

When people talk about the President of the Quorum of the Twelve, they usually use the title "President" before his name.

What is an Acting President?

Sometimes, the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles also serves as a counselor in the First Presidency. When this happens, he keeps his title as President of the Quorum, but he is not counted among the twelve apostles. The most senior apostle who is not in the First Presidency is then named as the Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

The acting president takes on all the duties that the regular Quorum President would normally have. The title of Acting President was first used in 1918 for Rudger Clawson. This position has also been used when a Quorum President was too ill to perform his duties. For example, Howard W. Hunter was Acting President for Marion G. Romney from 1985 to 1988 because Romney was ill.

Boyd K. Packer was the acting president from 1994 to 2008. This was when Gordon B. Hinckley and Thomas S. Monson were presidents of the quorum but were serving in the First Presidency.

On January 16, 2018, the church announced that M. Russell Ballard would serve as Acting President because Dallin H. Oaks was called as a counselor in the First Presidency. After Ballard's death on November 12, 2023, Jeffrey R. Holland was chosen as the new acting president on November 15, 2023.

List of Presidents of the Quorum of the Twelve

No.	Portrait	Name	Time in Office (reason for end)	Notes
1		Thomas B. Marsh	14 February 1835 – 17 March 1839 (excommunicated)	He was removed from the church.
2		Brigham Young	17 March 1839 – 27 December 1847 (became Church president)	Young was formally set apart as Quorum president on April 14, 1840. He became the church leader in 1844 and formally became Church President in 1847.
3		Orson Hyde	27 December 1847 – 10 April 1875 (change in seniority)	Hyde was Quorum president because Heber C. Kimball, who was more senior, was in the First Presidency. (Today, Hyde would have been Acting President until Kimball's death in 1868.) In 1875, Church President Brigham Young changed the rule for seniority. The senior member became the one with the longest uninterrupted service in the Quorum. Hyde's seniority was reduced because he had been briefly removed from the church in 1839 and 1846.
4		John Taylor	10 April 1875 – 10 October 1880 (became Church president)	He became Quorum President when President Young changed the seniority rule. Taylor was formally set apart on October 6, 1877. His time as Quorum president ended when he became Church President in 1880.
5		Wilford Woodruff	10 October 1880 – 7 April 1889 (became Church president)	It is not clear if he was ever formally set apart as Quorum president.
6		Lorenzo Snow	7 April 1889 – 13 September 1898 (became Church president)
7		Franklin D. Richards	13 September 1898 – 9 December 1899 (died)
8		Brigham Young, Jr.	9 December 1899 – 10 October 1901	He served as Quorum President because the more senior apostles, George Q. Cannon and Joseph F. Smith, were in the First Presidency (1898-1901). (Today, Young would have been Acting President.) When Church President Lorenzo Snow died in 1901, Joseph F. Smith returned to the Quorum of the Twelve as its President.
9		Joseph F. Smith	10 October 1901 – 17 October 1901 (became Church president)	Smith had the shortest time as Quorum President. It is unclear if he was formally set apart.
10		Brigham Young, Jr.	17 October 1901 – 11 April 1903 (died)	Young had been Quorum President before (1898-1901) until Joseph F. Smith returned to the Quorum. When Smith became Church President, Young became Quorum President again. He is the only Quorum President to serve two terms that were not back-to-back.
11		Francis M. Lyman	11 April 1903 – 18 November 1916 (died)	Lyman was not officially set apart as Quorum President until October 6, 1903.
12		Heber J. Grant	18 November 1916 – 23 November 1918 (became Church president)
13		Anthon H. Lund	23 November 1918 – 2 March 1921 (died)	Lund was a member of the First Presidency during his entire time as Quorum President. Rudger Clawson served as Acting President during that time.
14		Rudger Clawson	2 March 1921 – 21 June 1943 (died)	He served the longest time as Quorum President. He was Acting President while Anthon H. Lund was in the First Presidency (1918-1921).
15		George Albert Smith	21 June 1943 – 21 May 1945 (became Church president)
16		George F. Richards	21 May 1945 – 8 August 1950 (died)
17		David O. McKay	8 August 1950 – 9 April 1951 (became Church president)	He was a member of the First Presidency until April 4, 1951. Joseph Fielding Smith served as Acting President during that time.
18		Joseph Fielding Smith	9 April 1951 – 23 January 1970 (became Church president)	He was a member of the First Presidency until January 8, 1970, but remained in the Quorum of the Twelve. He was Acting President while David O. McKay was in the First Presidency (1950-1951).
19		Harold B. Lee	23 January 1970 – 7 July 1972 (became Church president)	He was a member of the First Presidency until July 2, 1972. Spencer W. Kimball served as Acting President during that time.
20		Spencer W. Kimball	7 July 1972 – 30 December 1973 (became Church president)	He was Acting President while Harold B. Lee was in the First Presidency (1970-1972).
21		Ezra Taft Benson	30 December 1973 – 10 November 1985 (became Church president)
22		Marion G. Romney	10 November 1985 – 20 May 1988 (died)	Because Romney was ill, Howard W. Hunter served as Acting President for his entire time as Quorum President.
23		Howard W. Hunter	20 May 1988 – 5 June 1994 (became Church president)	He was Acting President due to Marion G. Romney's illness and became Quorum President after Romney's death. Hunter was officially set apart on June 2, 1988.
24		Gordon B. Hinckley	5 June 1994 – 12 March 1995 (became Church president)	He was a member of the First Presidency until March 3, 1995. Boyd K. Packer served as Acting President during that time.
25		Thomas S. Monson	12 March 1995 – 3 February 2008 (became Church president)	He was a member of the First Presidency until January 27, 2008. Boyd K. Packer served as Acting President during that time.
26		Boyd K. Packer	3 February 2008 – 3 July 2015 (died)	He was Acting President when the more senior apostles, Gordon B. Hinckley (1994-1995) and Thomas S. Monson (1995-2008), were in the First Presidency.
27		Russell M. Nelson	3 July 2015 – 14 January 2018 (became Church president)	Nelson was the second most senior apostle when Boyd K. Packer died. He became Quorum President and was formally set apart on July 15, 2015.
28		Dallin H. Oaks	14 January 2018 – present	He has been a member of the First Presidency during his time as Quorum President. M. Russell Ballard served as Acting President from January 14, 2018, until his death on November 12, 2023. Jeffrey R. Holland has been Acting President since November 15, 2023.