Grampa Bill's General Authority Pages
Boyd K. Packer Presidents

of the

Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
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    These are the men who sit a heartbeat away from the Presidency of the Church. When the President of the Church dies, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles becomes the presiding quorum of the Priesthood and thus of the Church. When the Lord so moves the Quorum, it acts to reconstitute the First Presidency by setting apart the Senior Apostle in all the world as the new President of the Church.

    The next senior Apostle becomes the President of the Quorum of the Twelve. If that person is also called as a Counselor to the President, the Apostle who is third in seniority becomes the Acting President of the Twelve. Acting Presidents are not shown in this listing.

    Twenty-six men have served as Presidents of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Of these, fifteen have succeeded to the office of President of the Church; eight have died in office; one was removed from office because of apostasy and excommunication; one was removed from office because of a reordering of seniority within the Twelve; and one is currently serving.

NO NAME FROM TO EVENTUALLY...
1 Thomas B. Marsh 1835 1838 Failed to succeed Joseph Smith because of apostasy and subsequent excommunication in 1838
2 Brigham Young 1838 1847 Succeeded Joseph Smith in 1847 to become second President of the Church.
3 Heber C. Kimball 1847 1868 Died in office, while also serving as First Counselor to Brigham Young.
4 Orson Hyde 1868 1875 Order of seniority revised in 1875, removing him as president of the Twelve
5 John Taylor 1875 1880 Succeeded Brigham Young in 1880 to become Third President of the Church
6 Wilford Woodruff 1880 1889 Succeeded John Taylor in 1889 to become Fourth President of the Church
7 Lorenzo Snow 1889 1898 Succeeded Wilford Woodruff in 1898 to become Fifth President of the Church
8 Franklin Dewey Richards 1898 1899 Died in Office
9 Joseph F. Smith 1899 1901 Succeeded Lorenzo Snow in 1901 to become Sixth President of the Church
10 Brigham Young, Junior 1901 1903 Died in office
11 Francis Marion Lyman 1903 1916 Died in office
12 Heber J. Grant 1916 1918 Succeeded Joseph F. Smith in 1918 to become Seventh President of the Church
13 Anthon Hendrik Lund 1918 1921 Died in office
14 Rudger Judd Clawson 1921 1943 Died in office
15 George Albert Smith 1943 1945 Succeeded Heber J. Grant in 1945 to become Eighth President of the Church
16 George F. Richards 1945 1950 Died in office
17 David O. McKay 1950 1951 Succeeded George Albert Smith in 1951 to become Ninth President of the Church
18 Joseph Fielding Smith 1951 1970 Succeeded David O. McKay in 1970 to become Tenth President of the Church
19 Harold B. Lee 1970 1972 Succeeded Joseph Fielding Smith in 1972 to become Eleventh President of the Church
20 Spencer W. Kimball 1972 1973 Succeeded Harold B. Lee in 1973 to become Twelfth President of the Church
21 Ezra Taft Benson 1973 1985 Succeeded Spencer W. Kimball in 1985 to become Thirteenth President of the Church
22 Marion George Romney 1985 1988 Died in office
23 Howard W. Hunter 1988 1994 Succeeded Ezra Taft Benson in 1994 to become Fourteenth President of the Church
24 Gordon B. Hinckley 1994 1995 Succeeded Howard W. Hunter in 1995 to become Fifteenth President of the Church
25 Thomas S. Monson 1995 2008 Suceeded Gordon B. Hinckley in 2008 to become Sixteenth President of the Church
26 Boyd K. Packer 2008 Present Currently serving as President of the Twelve

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