D. Todd Christofferson

Last updated
D. Todd Christofferson
D. Todd Christofferson (26735635918).jpg
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
April 5, 2008 (2008-04-05)
LDS Church Apostle
April 10, 2008 (2008-04-10)
ReasonDeath of Gordon B. Hinckley; reorganization of First Presidency
Presidency of the Seventy
August 15, 1998 (1998-08-15) – April 5, 2008 (2008-04-05)
End reasonCalled to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
First Quorum of the Seventy
April 3, 1993 (1993-04-03) – April 5, 2008 (2008-04-05)
End reasonCalled to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Personal details
BornDavid Todd Christofferson
(1945-01-24) January 24, 1945 (age 79)
American Fork, Utah, U.S.
Education Brigham Young University (BA)
Duke University (JD)
Spouse(s)
Katherine Jacob
​
(m. 1968)​
Children5

David Todd Christofferson (born January 24, 1945) is an American religious leader and former lawyer who serves as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He has been a general authority of the church since 1993. Currently, he is the eighth most senior apostle in the church. [1]

Contents

Christofferson grew up in Utah and New Jersey, and after high school served as an LDS missionary in Argentina. He then studied English literature at Brigham Young University (BYU) before attending law school at Duke University. After graduating from law school in 1972, Christofferson clerked for Judge John Sirica on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia while Sirica presided over much of the legal proceedings stemming from the Watergate scandal. Christofferson then entered private practice, and eventually became an in-house lawyer for NationsBank (now part of Bank of America).

Early life

Christofferson was born in American Fork, Utah, and raised in Pleasant Grove, Utah; Lindon, Utah; and Somerset, New Jersey. As a young man, he served a two-year LDS mission in Argentina. His mission president was Richard G. Scott, who would already be a member of the Quorum of the Twelve when Christofferson was called to the same quorum. After his mission, he earned a bachelor's degree from BYU in English and international relations in 1969, followed by a J.D. from Duke University School of Law in 1972. [2]

Christofferson began his legal career as a law clerk to Judge John J. Sirica of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia from 1972 to 1974. Shortly after Christofferson began clerking, Sirica was assigned to preside over the Watergate legal proceedings. [3]

After his work as a judicial clerk, Christofferson was an active member of the US military and then served in the reserves for eight years. [4]

Career and family

As a lawyer, Christofferson worked in Washington, D.C.; Nashville, Tennessee; Herndon, Virginia; and Charlotte, North Carolina. [5] Christofferson was the associate general counsel for NationsBank in Charlotte and was the volunteer chairman of Affordable Housing of Nashville, Tennessee. [6]

Christofferson clerked for Judge John J. Sirica during the Watergate trials. Together they were the first outside the White House to hear the Nixon White House tapes. "Judge Sirica and I were shocked as we heard Nixon calmly ask" how much money it would take to keep the Watergate burglars quiet, Christofferson said in a June 2017 address to faculty and students at Christ Church College in Oxford, England. "The judge and I couldn't believe, didn't want to believe what we were hearing … He passed me a note suggesting we rewind the tape and listen again. Up to this point we both still hoped that the president [of the United States] was not really involved, but this was indisputable." [7]

Christofferson married Katherine Jacob in the Salt Lake Temple on May 28, 1968. [2] They are the parents of five children. [5]

LDS Church service

Prior to becoming a general authority, Christofferson served in the LDS Church as a bishop, stake president, and regional representative. [5] At the church's April 1993 general conference, Christofferson was called as a general authority and member of the First Quorum of the Seventy. [8] In August 1998, Christofferson became a member of the Presidency of the Seventy. [9]

As a seventy, Christofferson served as the executive director of the church's Family and Church History Department. While in this position he was involved in negotiations with Jewish leaders on policies on temple work for Holocaust victims, which concluded with the church stating that its members should only do such temple work for family members. He also was in charge of the department when the church completed the Freedman's Savings Bank Records project. [3]

On April 5, 2008, during the solemn assembly session of the church's general conference when Thomas S. Monson was sustained as church president, Christofferson was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. [10] As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Christofferson is regarded by church members as a prophet, seer, and revelator.

Works

Articles

Honors

Notes

  1. ↑ Apostolic seniority is generally understood to include all ordained apostles (including the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Seniority is determined by date of ordination, not by age or other factors. If two apostles are ordained on the same day, the older of the two is typically ordained first. See Succession to the presidency and Heath, Steven H. (Summer 1987). "Notes on Apostolic Succession" (PDF). Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought. 20 (2): 44–56..
  2. 1 2 Cook, Quentin L. (August 2008), "Elder D. Todd Christofferson: Prepared to Serve the Lord", Liahona : 8–13
  3. 1 2 Dethman, Leigh (2008-04-05), "Elder D. Todd Christofferson named new apostle; other leaders called", Deseret Morning News
  4. ↑ "D. Todd Christofferson Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles". ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 "Elder D. Todd Christofferson Of the Seventy", Ensign : 99, May 1993
  6. ↑ 2005 Deseret News Church Almanac (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret News, 2004) p. 29
  7. ↑ Walch, Tad (15 June 2017). "Mormon apostle at Oxford: Lessons learned from Watergate scandal". Deseret News . Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  8. ↑ Monson, Thomas S. (May 1993), "The Sustaining of Church Officers", Ensign : 21
  9. ↑ "Three called to the Presidency of Seventy", Church News , 1998-08-29
  10. ↑ "First Presidency Sustained, New Apostle and Other Leaders Named", Newsroom, LDS Church, 5 April 2008
  11. ↑ Walch, Tad (14 August 2017). "World Peace Prize presented in India to Mormon leader". Deseret News . Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  12. ↑ "Saint Dnyaneshwara World Peace Prize to Christofferson". The Times of India . August 5, 2017. Retrieved 15 August 2017.

Related Research Articles

In the Latter Day Saint movement, an apostle is a "special witness of the name of Jesus Christ who is sent to teach the principles of salvation to others." In many Latter Day Saint churches, an apostle is a priesthood office of high authority within the church hierarchy. In many churches, apostles may be members of the Quorum of the Twelve and First Presidency of the church. In most Latter Day Saint churches, modern-day apostles are considered to have the same status and authority as the Biblical apostles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church)</span> Governing body of LDS Church

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is one of the governing bodies in the church hierarchy. Members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are apostles, with the calling to be prophets, seers, and revelators, evangelical ambassadors, and special witnesses of Jesus Christ.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeffrey R. Holland</span> American educator and religious leader (born 1940)

Jeffrey Roy Holland is an American educator and religious leader. He served as the ninth President of Brigham Young University (BYU) and is the acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Holland is accepted by the church as a prophet, seer, and revelator. Currently, he is the third most senior apostle in the church.

Robert Dean Hales was an American businessman and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1994 until his death. As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Hales was accepted by the church as a prophet, seer, and revelator. At the time of his death he was the fifth most senior apostle in the church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard G. Scott</span>

Richard Gordon Scott was an American scientist and religious leader who served as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M. Russell Ballard</span> American businessman and religious leader (1928–2023)

Melvin Russell Ballard Jr. was an American businessman and religious leader who served as the Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 2018 until his death in 2023. He had been a member of the church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles since 1985. As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Ballard was accepted by church members as a prophet, seer, and revelator. At the time of his death, he was the third most senior apostle in the church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russell M. Nelson</span> President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Russell Marion Nelson Sr. is an American religious leader and retired surgeon who is the 17th and current president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Nelson was a member of the LDS Church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for nearly 34 years, and was the quorum president from 2015 to 2018. As church president, Nelson is recognized by the church as a prophet, seer, and revelator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">L. Tom Perry</span> American religious leader

Lowell Tom Perry was an American businessman and religious leader who was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1974 until his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alvin R. Dyer</span> American Mormon leader (1903–1977)

Alvin Rulon Dyer was an apostle in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served as a member of the church's First Presidency from 1968 to 1970.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ronald A. Rasband</span> American religious leader (born 1951)

Ronald Anderson Rasband is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has been a general authority of the church since 2000. Currently, he is the tenth most senior apostle in the church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neil L. Andersen</span> American Latter-day Saint leader (born 1951)

Neil Linden Andersen is an American religious leader and former business executive who serves as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was sustained by church membership as an apostle on April 4, 2009, during the church's General Conference. At the time of his call to the Twelve, Andersen had been serving as an LDS general authority since 1993, including service in the Presidency of the Seventy from 2005 to 2009. Currently, he is the ninth apostle in order of seniority in the church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. Thomas Fyans</span> American Mormon leader

John Thomas Fyans was a general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1974 until his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marion D. Hanks</span> American lawyer

Marion Duff Hanks was a general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1953 until his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Grant Bangerter</span> American Mormon leader (1918–2010)

William Grant Bangerter was a general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1975 until his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ulisses Soares</span> Brazilian Apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Ulisses Soares is a Brazilian religious leader and former businessman who serves as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has been a general authority since 2005 and served as a member of the church's Presidency of the Seventy from January 2013 until his calling to the Quorum of the Twelve in March 2018. He is the LDS Church's first apostle from South America. As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Soares is accepted by the LDS Church as a prophet, seer, and revelator. Currently, he is the fourteenth most senior apostle in the church.

Lynn Grant Robbins is a co-founder of Franklin Quest Company and has been a general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1997. He was a member of the church's Presidency of the Seventy from 2014 to 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary E. Stevenson</span> American religious leader (born 1955)

Gary Evan Stevenson is an American religious leader and former businessman who is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served previously as the church's Presiding Bishop and was the fourteenth man to serve in that position. He has been a general authority of the church since 2008. Stevenson was appointed to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in October 2015. Currently, he is the eleventh most senior apostle in the church.

James Joseph Hamula is an American attorney and former general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerrit W. Gong</span> Leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, first leader of Asian descent

Gerrit Walter Gong is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has been a general authority since 2010 and served as a member of the church's Presidency of the Seventy from October 2015 until his calling to the Quorum of the Twelve in March 2018. He is the LDS Church's first apostle of Asian descent. Prior to becoming a general authority, he served as assistant to the president of Brigham Young University (BYU) for planning and assessment. As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Gong is accepted by the church as a prophet, seer, and revelator. Currently, he is the thirteenth most senior apostle in the church.

References

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints titles
Preceded by Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
April 5, 2008 –		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.