This article is about the Twelve in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For wider use in the Latter Day Saint movement, see Quorum of the Twelve.
The First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in September 1898[1]
The quorum was first organized in 1835 and designated as a body of "traveling councilors" with jurisdiction outside areas where the church was formally organized, equal in authority to the First Presidency, the Seventy, the standing Presiding High Council, and the high councils of the various stakes.[2] The jurisdiction of the Twelve was originally limited to areas of the world outside Zion or its stakes. After the apostles returned from their missions to England, Joseph Smith altered the responsibilities of the quorum: it was given charge of the affairs of the church, under direction of the First Presidency.[3][4][5]
The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles claims a leadership role second only to that of the First Presidency. At the time of the death of Joseph Smith, the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was Brigham Young. Young emphasized what he said was Smith's authorization that the Quorum of the Twelve should be the central governing body of the church after Smith's death.[7] In 1847, the Twelve reorganized the First Presidency with Young as church president, and the Twelve took on a supporting role within a chain of command under the First Presidency,[8] a role that continues to the present.
The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the LDS Church has some general similarities to the College of Cardinals of the Catholic Church, primarily in its duty to choose a successor upon the death of a church president.[9] There are differences, due in part to the President and the Twelve having life tenure, which may lead to an older or infirm President of the Church, but also provides considerable training of apostles to take over the office of the Presidency:[10]
Church policy decisions are made unanimously, with consultation among the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve, and where appropriate, the Seventy, each of which has its own responsibility. Effort is made to ensure that the organizations are united in purpose and policy.
Each member of the quorum is accepted by the church as an apostle, as well as a "prophet, seer, and revelator." Thus, each apostle is considered to hold the "keys of the priesthood", "the rights of presidency, or the power given to man by God to direct, control, and govern God's priesthood on earth."[11] Individually and collectively, the Twelve Apostles hold the keys and have conferred the authority to exercise all of the keys upon the President of the Church. Thus, as outlined in the Doctrine and Covenants, only the President of the Church is entitled to receive revelation or dictate policy for the church.
A major role of the Twelve is to appoint a successor when the President of the Church dies. Shortly after this occurs, the apostles meet in a room of the Salt Lake Temple to appoint a successor. Invariably the successor has been the most senior member of the Twelve, with seniority determined by the longest continuous duration of service. The apostles lay their hands on his head and ordain him and set him apart as President of the Church. The president then chooses two counselors in the First Presidency, who are high priests (usually apostles). The second most senior surviving apostle becomes the President of the Quorum of the Twelve. In cases when the President of the Quorum is simultaneously called to be a counselor in the First Presidency, or is unable to serve due to health considerations, an Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is called to fill the position. This has invariably been the most senior member of the quorum who is not a member of the First Presidency.
As vacancies arise within the quorum, the Twelve and counselors in the First Presidency are invited to meet and counsel together in prayer in order to recommend to the President of the Church whom will be called to fill the vacancy. The final decision rests with the President of the Church, but is formally voted on by the Twelve and the counselors in the First Presidency. The chosen man is generally ordained an apostle by the President of the Church, a counselor in the First Presidency, or the President of the Twelve. Depending on circumstances, this may occur before or after a sustaining vote is held at a church general conference. Any Melchizedek priesthood holder is eligible to be called as an apostle. Generally, new apostles have considerable experience in church government and have served faithfully as bishops, stake presidents, mission presidents, or seventies.
As a matter of policy, apostles are generally asked to retire from their professional careers and devote themselves to full-time church service, including memberships of boards and professional organizations. Some apostles receive assignments to become members of boards of church-owned for-profit corporations and trustees of the church's educational institutions. (Some exceptions have been made to this rule, as when quorum member Ezra Taft Benson was permitted to serve as United States Secretary of Agriculture from 1953 to 1961 and when quorum member Reed Smoot was permitted to serve in the United States Senate from 1903 to 1933.) The calling of an apostle is typically a lifetime calling.
Current members
As of December 2023, the current members of the quorum are:
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, January 2, 2018 (2018-01-02) – present Second Counselor in the First Presidency, called by Thomas S. Monson, February 3, 2008 (2008-02-03) – January 2, 2018 (2018-01-02) Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, called by Gordon B. Hinckley, October 2, 2004 (2004-10-02) – February 3, 2008 (2008-02-03) LDS ChurchApostle, called by Gordon B. Hinckley, October 7, 2004 (2004-10-07) Presidency of the Seventy, called by Gordon B. Hinckley, 15 August 2002 (2002-08-15) – 2 October 2004 (2004-10-02) First Quorum of the Seventy, called by Gordon B. Hinckley, April 7, 1996 (1996-04-07) – October 2, 2004 (2004-10-02) Second Quorum of the Seventy, called by Ezra Taft Benson, April 2, 1994 (1994-04-02) – April 7, 1996 (1996-04-07)
Notes:
The eleventh apostle to be born outside the United States.[12]
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, called by Gordon B. Hinckley, October 2, 2004 (2004-10-02) LDS ChurchApostle, called by Gordon B. Hinckley, October 7, 2004 (2004-10-07)
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, called by Thomas S. Monson, October 3, 2015 (2015-10-03) LDS ChurchApostle, called by Thomas S. Monson, October 8, 2015 (2015-10-08) Presiding Bishop, called by Thomas S. Monson, March 31, 2012 (2012-03-31) – October 9, 2015 (2015-10-09) First Quorum of the Seventy, called by Thomas S. Monson, April 5, 2008 (2008-04-05) – March 31, 2012 (2012-03-31)
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, called by Thomas S. Monson, October 3, 2015 (2015-10-03) LDS ChurchApostle, called by Thomas S. Monson, October 8, 2015 (2015-10-08) First Quorum of the Seventy, called by Thomas S. Monson, April 4, 2009 (2009-04-04) – October 3, 2015 (2015-10-03)
^As seen in this photograph, in September 1898 there were only 11 members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (shown here with the three members of the First Presidency). Church president Wilford Woodruff had recently died and Lorenzo Snow left the Quorum to assume the presidency. Rudger Clawson would be called the next month, in October 1898, to complete the Quorum.
^Concurrent with his service as Second Counselor in the First Presidency to Thomas S. Monson between 2008-2018, he also served as Second Vice Chairman of the CES Board.
Bushman, Richard Lyman (2008), "Chapter 4: Priesthood: How the Mormon priesthood is both hierarchical and democratic", Mormonism: a very short introduction, Oxford University Press, pp. 49–63, ISBN978-0-19-531030-6, OCLC179802646.
Ehat, Andrew F. (1982). Joseph Smith's Introduction of Temple Ordinances and the 1844 Mormon Succession Question (MA thesis). Department of History, Brigham Young University. OCLC9417550.
Ehat, Andy (November 9, 2012), "The Date and Meaning of Joseph Smith's 'Last Charge'", FAQ's, josephsmithjr.org, Joseph Smith Jr. and Emma Hale Smith Historical Society (JSEHS), retrieved November 12, 2012[permanent dead link]
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