First Presidency

Grampa Bill's General Authority Pages

The First Presidency

    The 107th Section of The Doctrine and Covenants gives the pattern of Presidency in the Priesthood, namely a Presiding High Priest and two Counselors. This pattern holds true in Wards, Stakes, Missions, Areas, and Temples. Further, the D&C reveals that this has been the pattern of Presidency since ancient times. It is not surprising, then, that, with some notable exceptions, this same pattern holds true in the Highest Quorum in the Church, The Quorum of the First Presidency.
    The President of the Church holds all Priesthood powers, authorities, and keys which have been granted to mortal man. His counselors share in these under his direction. The three are sustained as Prophets, Seers, and Revelators. They commune with Christ and direct His Church by the spirit and power of Revelation.
    The calling of President of the Church is a lifetime appointment. Although Counselors in the First Presidency share in the Priesthood power of the President, they do not survive his death in their positions. Rather, on the death of the President, they return to the Quorum from which they were called unless called again by the new President.
    Presidents of the Church must be Apostles. Indeed, the President of the Church is the senior living Apostle on earth. Although his counselors are generally called from the Quorum of the Twelve, this need not be so, and several Counselors were not Apostles.
    The index below lists the Presidents of the Church along with the men who counseled them. The years denote their terms of service.

NAMES

The Prophet Joseph Smith, 1830-1844

Assistant President
John C. Bennett (1841-1842)

    First Counselor
       Jesse Gause, 1832
       Sidney Rigdon, 1833-1844

    Second Counselor
        Sidney Rigdon, 1832
        Frederick G. Williams, 1833-1837
        Hyrum Smith, 1837-1841
        William Law, 1841-1844

Counselor to the First Presidency
Amasa M. Lyman (1843-1844)

   Assistant Counselor in the First Presidency
        Oliver Cowdery, (1837-1838)
        Joseph Smith, Sr. (1837-1840)
        Hyrum Smith, (1837)
        John Smith, (1837-1844)

Apostolic Interregnum, 1844-1847

President Brigham Young, 1847-1877

    First Counselor
        Heber C. Kimball, 1847-1868
        George A. Smith, 1868-1875
        John Willard Young 1876-1877

    Second Counselor
        Willard Richards, 1847-1854
        Jedediah M. Grant, 1854-1856
        Daniel H. Wells, 1857-1877

    Counselor to the First Presidency
        Joseph F. Smith, 1866-1877
        John Willard Young, 1873-1874
        George Q. Cannon, 1873-1877
        Brigham Young, Jr., 1873-1877
        Albert Carrington, 1873-1877

Assistant Counselor to President Young
John Willard Young, 1874-1876

Apostolic Interregnum, 1877-1880

President John Taylor, 1880-1887

First Counselor
George Q. Cannon, 1880-1887

Second Counselor
Joseph F. Smith, 1880-1887

Apostolic Interegnum, 1887-1889

President Wilford Woodruff, 1889-1898

First Counselor
George Q. Cannon, 1889-1898

Second Counselor
Joseph F. Smith, 1889-1898

President Lorenzo Snow, 1898-1901

    First Counselor
        George Q. Cannon, 1898 -1901
        Joseph F. Smith, 1901

    Second Counselor
        Joseph F. Smith, 1898-1901
        Rudger Clawson, 1901

President Joseph F. Smith, 1901-1918

    First Counselor
        John R. Winder, 1901-1910
        Anthon H. Lund, 1910-1918

    Second Counselor
        Anthon H. Lund, 1901-1910
        John Henry Smith, 1910-1911
        Charles W. Penrose, 1911-1918

President Heber J. Grant, 1918-1945

    First Counselor
        Anthon H. Lund, 1918-1921
        Charles W. Penrose, 1921-1925
        A. W. Ivins, 1925-1934
        J. Reuben Clark, Jr., 1934-1945
    Second Counselor
        Charles W. Penrose, 1919-1921
        A. W. Ivins, 1921-1925
        C. W. Nibley, 1925-1931
        J. Reuben Clark, Jr., 1933-1934
        David O. McKay, 1934-1945

President George Albert Smith, 1945-1951

First Counselor
J. Reuben Clark, Jr., 1945-1951

Second Counselor
David O. McKay, 1945-1951

President David O. McKay, 1951-1970

    First Counselor
        Stephen L. Richards, 1951-1959
        J. Reuben Clark, Jr., 1959-1961
        Henry D. Moyle, 1961-1963
        Hugh B. Brown 1963-1970

    Second Counselor
        J. Reuben Clark, Jr., 1951-1959
        Henry D. Moyle, 1959-1961
        Hugh B. Brown, 1961-1963
        Nathan Eldon Tanner, 1963-1970

Third Counselor
Hugh B. Brown, a four month period in 1961

    Counselor
        Joseph Fielding Smith, 1965-1970
        Thorpe B. Isaacson, 1965-1970
        Alvin Rulon Dyer, 1968-1970

President Joseph Fielding Smith, 1970-1972

First Counselor
Harold B. Lee, 1970-1972

Second Counselor
N. Eldon Tanner, 1970-1972

President Harold B. Lee, 1972-1973

First Counselor
N. Eldon Tanner, 1972-1973

Second Counselor
Marion G. Romney, 1972-1973

President Spencer W. Kimball, 1973-1985

    First Counselor
        N. Eldon Tanner , -1982
        Marion G. Romney, 1982-1985

    Second Counselor
        Marion G. Romney,   -1982
        Gordon B. Hinckley, 1982-1985

Counselor
Gordon B. Hinckley, 1981-1982

President Ezra Taft Benson, 1985-1994

    First Counselor
        Gordon B. Hinckley, 1985-1994
    Second Counselor
        Thomas S. Monson, 1985-1994

President Howard W. Hunter, 1994-1995

First Counselor
Gordon B. Hinckley, 1994-1995

Second Counselor
Thomas S. Monson, 1994-1995

President Gordon B. Hinckley, 1995-2008

First Counselor
Thomas S. Monson, 1995-2008

    Second Counselor
        James E. Faust, 1995-2007
        Henry B. Eyring, 2007-2008

President Thomas S. Monson, 2008-Present

First Counselor
Henry B. Eyring, 2008-Present

Second Counselor
Dieter F. Uchtdorf, 2008-Present

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