Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

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Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is a priesthood calling in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).

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Generally, the position of Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is filled when the president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is called as a counselor in the First Presidency of the church. In such instances, the man who holds this calling is the most senior apostle who is not serving in the First Presidency. Additionally, a person may be called as the acting president when the president of the Quorum is unable to perform his duties due to ill health or other incapacitation.

The formal calling of Acting President of the Quorum has been held eight times by seven men: Rudger Clawson, Joseph Fielding Smith, Spencer W. Kimball, Howard W. Hunter, Boyd K. Packer, M. Russell Ballard, and Jeffrey R. Holland. Additionally, two earlier apostles—Orson Hyde and Brigham Young Jr.—have acted as President of the Quorum when they were not the second-most senior apostle in the church, and therefore may be said to have played the role of an acting president of the Quorum before this specific title was created by the church.

Duties

As the acting president of the Quorum, the person with this calling performs all of the duties that would normally be performed by the president of the Quorum. Primarily, these duties consist of presiding at and conducting the weekly meetings of the Quorum in the Salt Lake Temple; making decisions about the particular assignments to be made to the members of the Quorum; and acting as a liaison in coordinating the work of the Quorum with the First Presidency, the Quorums of the Seventy, and the Presiding Bishopric.

When adherents refer to the acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve, his name is usually prefaced by the honorific title "President".

List of acting presidents

Acting PresidentPresidentDatesJustificationReason tenure ended
Rudgerclawson.gif Rudger Clawson Anthon H. Lund 23 November 1918 – 17 March 1921Quorum president Lund became a counselor in the First Presidency to Heber J. Grant Death of Lund
Joseph Fielding Smith.jpg Joseph Fielding Smith David O. McKay 8 August 1950 – 4 April 1951Quorum president George F. Richards died, and new quorum president McKay was a counselor in the First Presidency to George Albert Smith Death of George Albert Smith and dissolution of the First Presidency, which resulted in McKay returning to the Quorum
Spencer W. Kimball3.JPG Spencer W. Kimball Harold B. Lee 23 January 1970 – 2 July 1972Quorum president Lee became a counselor in the First Presidency to Joseph Fielding Smith Death of Joseph Fielding Smith and dissolution of the First Presidency, which resulted in Lee returning to the Quorum
Howard W. Hunter.JPG Howard W. Hunter Marion G. Romney 10 November 1985 – 20 May 1988Quorum president Ezra Taft Benson became President of the Church, and new quorum president Romney was unable to serve due to ill health. Hunter is the only Acting President to serve while the actual president was still a member of the quorum.Death of Romney
Boyd K. Packer.jpg Boyd K. Packer Gordon B. Hinckley 5 June 1994 – 3 March 1995Quorum president Hinckley and second in seniority, Thomas S. Monson, became counselors in the First Presidency to Howard W. Hunter.Death of Hunter and dissolution of the First Presidency, which resulted in Hinckley returning to the Quorum.
Thomas S. Monson 12 March 1995 – 27 January 2008Quorum president Monson became a counselor in the First Presidency to Hinckley. Packer is the only person to serve two separated terms as Acting President.Death of Hinckley and dissolution of the First Presidency, which resulted in Monson returning to the Quorum.
M. Russell Ballard.jpg M. Russell Ballard Dallin H. Oaks 14 January 2018 – 12 November 2023Quorum president Oaks is a counselor in the First Presidency to Russell M. Nelson.His death
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland (41220443464).jpg Jeffrey R. Holland 15 November 2023 [1] present

Pre-1918 acting presidents

Orson Hyde.jpg
Orson Hyde
Brigham Young, Jr.jpg
Brigham Young, Jr.

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References

  1. "Jeffrey R. Holland: New Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles". newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org. 2023-11-16. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  2. Compton, Todd, "John Willard Young, Brigham Young, and the Development of Presidential Succession in the LDS Church" Archived 2012-05-09 at the Wayback Machine , Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 35.4 (winter 2002): 111–34 at pp. 12829.