Chronology_of_the_Quorum_of_the_Twelve_Apostles_(LDS_Church)

Chronology of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church)

Chronology of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church)

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What follows is a list of events in chronological order that affected the membership of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

1830s

14 February 1835
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is organized. Oliver Cowdery, Martin Harris, and David Whitmer choose the first 12 members. Lyman E. Johnson, Brigham Young, and Heber C. Kimball ordained.
15 February 1835
Orson Hyde, David W. Patten, Luke S. Johnson, William E. McLellin, John F. Boynton, and William Smith ordained.
21 February 1835
Parley P. Pratt ordained.
25 April 1835
Thomas B. Marsh ordained.
26 April 1835
Orson Pratt ordained.
2 May 1835
Thomas B. Marsh sustained as President of the Quorum of the Twelve
3 September 1837
John F. Boynton disfellowshipped. He was excommunicated later that year.
13 April 1838
Lyman E. Johnson and his brother, Luke S. Johnson excommunicated.
11 May 1838
William E. McLellin excommunicated.
25 October 1838
David W. Patten killed in Battle of Crooked River.
19 December 1838
John E. Page and John Taylor ordained.
17 March 1839
Thomas B. Marsh excommunicated.
26 April 1839
Wilford Woodruff and George A. Smith ordained.
4 May 1839
William Smith and Orson Hyde removed from the Quorum by vote of the church.
25 May 1839
William Smith restored to Quorum by vote of the Church.
27 June 1839
Orson Hyde restored to the Quorum by vote of the church.

1840s

14 April 1840
Willard Richards ordained in England. Also the first occasion where Brigham Young was formally sustained President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
8 April 1841
Lyman Wight ordained.
20 August 1842
Orson Pratt excommunicated. Amasa M. Lyman ordained.
20 January 1843
Orson Pratt rebaptized and restored to former office in the Quorum. Amasa M. Lyman replaced.
4 February 1843
Amasa M. Lyman made a Counselor to First Presidency.
27 June 1844
Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith martyred. Amasa M. Lyman retires from First Presidency.
12 August 1844
Amasa M. Lyman returned to the Quorum.
6 October 1845
William Smith dropped from Quorum. He was excommunicated 19 October 1845.
9 February 1846
John E. Page disfellowshipped. He was excommunicated on 27 June 1846
16 July 1846
Ezra T. Benson ordained.
27 December 1847
The First Presidency is reorganized, with Brigham Young President, Heber C. Kimball First Counselor, and Willard Richards Second Counselor. Orson Hyde becomes President of the Quorum.
3 December 1848
Lyman Wight excommunicated.
12 February 1849
Charles C. Rich, Lorenzo Snow, Erastus Snow, and Franklin D. Richards ordained.

1850s

11 March 1854
Willard Richards dies.
7 April 1854
Jedediah M. Grant ordained an Apostle and set apart as a counselor to Brigham Young.
1 December 1856
Jedediah M. Grant dies.
4 January 1857
Daniel H. Wells ordained an apostle and set apart as a counsellor to Brigham Young.
13 May 1857
Parley P. Pratt is assassinated.

1860s

26 August 1860
George Q. Cannon ordained.
4 February 1864
Brigham Young, Jr. ordained an apostle, but not a member of the Quorum.
John Willard Young ordained an apostle, but not a member of the Quorum. (Set apart as counselor to Brigham Young in 1867, and to Twelve in 1877.)
Joseph Angell Young ordained an apostle, but not a member of the Quorum.
1 July 1866
Joseph F. Smith ordained and simultaneously set apart Counselor to President Brigham Young.
6 October 1867
Amasa M. Lyman deprived of apostleship. He was excommunicated on 12 May 1870.
8 October 1867
Joseph F. Smith was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve. (He was previously ordained an apostle.)
22 June 1868
Heber C. Kimball dies.
7 October 1868
George A. Smith set apart First Counselor to President Brigham Young.
9 October 1868
Brigham Young, Jr. sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve. (He was previously ordained an apostle.)
April 1869
Brigham Young, Jr. moved ahead Joseph F. Smith in seniority. (He was previously the junior member of the quorum.)
3 September 1869
Ezra T. Benson dies.

1870s

3 July 1870
Albert Carrington ordained.
8 April 1873
Brigham Young, Jr., Albert Carrington, John Willard Young and George Q. Cannon set apart as Counselors to President Brigham Young.
9 May 1874
George Q. Cannon set apart Assistant Counselor to President Brigham Young. Albert Carrington set apart Counselor to President Brigham Young.
10 April 1875
Orson Hyde and Orson Pratt are moved down in seniority in the Quorum due to earlier apostasy, putting them in the places they would be had they entered the Quorum at the time of their reinstatements. John Taylor becomes President of the Quorum.
5 August 1875
Joseph Angell Young dies. He had never been a member of the First Presidency and was never added to the Quorum of the Twelve.
1 September 1875
George A. Smith dies.
8 October 1876
John Willard Young set apart as First Counselor to Brigham Young.
29 August 1877
Brigham Young dies.
28 November 1878
Orson Hyde dies.
7 April 1879
Moses Thatcher ordained.

1880s

10 October 1880
The First Presidency is reorganized with John Taylor President, George Q. Cannon First Counselor, and Joseph F. Smith Second Counselor. Wilford Woodruff becomes President of the Quorum.
27 October 1880
Francis M. Lyman and John Henry Smith ordained.
3 October 1881
Orson Pratt, the last surviving member of the original quorum, dies.
16 October 1882
George Teasdale and Heber J. Grant ordained.
17 November 1883
Charles C. Rich dies.
9 April 1884
John W. Taylor ordained.
7 November 1885
Albert Carrington excommunicated.
25 July 1887
John Taylor dies.
27 May 1888
Erastus Snow dies.
7 April 1889
The First Presidency is reorganized with Wilford Woodruff President, George Q. Cannon First Counselor, and Joseph F. Smith Second Counselor. Lorenzo Snow becomes President of the Quorum.
7 October 1889
Marriner W. Merrill, Anthon H. Lund, and Abraham H. Cannon ordained.

1890s

13 November 1893
William Smith dies.
6 April 1896
Moses Thatcher is not sustained by the church and dropped from the Quorum.
19 July 1896
Abraham H. Cannon dies.
7 October 1896
Matthias F. Cowley and Abraham O. Woodruff ordained.[1]
2 September 1898
Wilford Woodruff dies.
13 September 1898
The First Presidency is reorganized with Lorenzo Snow President, George Q. Cannon First Counselor, and Joseph F. Smith Second Counselor. Franklin D. Richards becomes President of the Quorum.
10 October 1898
Rudger Clawson ordained.
9 December 1899
Franklin D. Richards dies. Brigham Young Jr. becomes de facto President of the Quorum, but not published or presented to the church.

1900s

31 March 1900
In a meeting of the First Presidency, George Q. Cannon is given the opportunity to choose between remaining in the First Presidency, or being released and becoming President of the Quorum of the Twelve. He chooses to stay in the First Presidency, leaving the question of seniority between Brigham Young Jr. and Joseph F. Smith unresolved until the following day.[2]
1 April 1900
In a combined meeting of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, seniority is unanimously changed to be based on entry into the Quorum of the Twelve instead of date of ordination, ensuring George Q. Cannon and Joseph F. Smith's seniority to Brigham Young Jr.[2]
8 April 1900
Reed Smoot ordained.
12 April 1901
George Q. Cannon dies.
10 October 1901
Lorenzo Snow dies. Joseph F. Smith becomes President of the Quorum.
17 October 1901
The First Presidency is reorganized with Joseph F. Smith as president, John R. Winder as First Counselor, and Anthon H. Lund Second Counselor. Brigham Young, Jr. becomes quorum president.
24 October 1901
Hyrum M. Smith ordained.
January 1903
Reed Smoot elected to the U.S. Senate.
11 April 1903
Brigham Young, Jr. dies. Francis M. Lyman becomes President of the Quorum.
8 October 1903
George Albert Smith ordained.
20 June 1904
Abraham O. Woodruff dies.
7 July 1904
Charles W. Penrose ordained.
28 October 1905
John W. Taylor and Matthias F. Cowley resign.
6 February 1906
Marriner W. Merrill dies.
9 April 1906
George F. Richards, Orson F. Whitney, and David O. McKay ordained.
20 February 1907
A motion to remove Reed Smoot from the U.S. Senate is defeated. (See Smoot Hearings)
9 June 1907
George Teasdale dies.
6 October 1907
Anthony W. Ivins ordained.
21 August 1909
Moses Thatcher dies.

1910s

27 March 1910
John R. Winder, First Counselor in the First Presidency, dies.
7 April 1910
Joseph F. Smith reorganizes First Presidency. Anthon H. Lund set apart as First Counselor, and John Henry Smith as Second Counselor. Joseph Fielding Smith ordained.
13 October 1911
John Henry Smith dies.
7 December 1911
Charles W. Penrose set apart as Second Counselor to President Joseph F. Smith.
8 December 1911
James E. Talmage ordained.
18 November 1916
Francis M. Lyman dies.
23 November 1916
Heber J. Grant becomes President of the Quorum.
18 January 1917
Stephen L Richards ordained.
23 January 1918
Hyrum M. Smith dies.
7 April 1918
Richard R. Lyman ordained.
19 November 1918
Joseph F. Smith dies.
23 November 1918
The First Presidency is reorganized, with Heber J. Grant President, Anthon H. Lund First Counselor, and Charles W. Penrose Second Counselor. Lund becomes President of the Quorum.
7 January 1919
Melvin J. Ballard ordained.

1920s

2 March 1921
Anthon H. Lund dies. Rudger Clawson becomes President of the Quorum.
10 March 1921
Charles W. Penrose set apart as First Counselor in the First Presidency, Anthony W. Ivins as Second Counselor to Heber J. Grant.
17 March 1921
John A. Widtsoe ordained.
16 May 1925
Charles W. Penrose dies.
28 May 1925
Anthony W. Ivins set apart as First Counselor to Heber J. Grant, with Charles W. Nibley as Second Counselor.

1930s

16 May 1931
Orson F. Whitney dies.
8 October 1931
Joseph F. Merrill ordained.
11 December 1931
Charles W. Nibley dies.
1932
Reed Smoot loses the election for the U.S. Senate.
6 April 1933
J. Reuben Clark called as Second Counselor in the First Presidency to Heber J. Grant, but is not an apostle.
27 July 1933
James E. Talmage dies.
12 October 1933
Charles A. Callis ordained.
23 September 1934
Anthony W. Ivins dies.
11 October 1934
J. Reuben Clark and Alonzo A. Hinckley ordained. Clark set apart as First Counselor, with David O. McKay as Second Counselor in the First Presidency to Heber J. Grant.
22 December 1936
Alonzo A. Hinckley dies.
8 April 1937
Albert E. Bowen ordained.
6 April 1938
Sylvester Q. Cannon ordained an apostle, and set apart as an Associate to the Twelve.
30 July 1939
Melvin J. Ballard dies.
6 October 1939
Sylvester Q. Cannon becomes a member of the Quorum.

1940s

9 February 1941
Reed Smoot dies.
10 April 1941
Harold B. Lee ordained.
29 May 1943
Sylvester Q. Cannon dies.
21 June 1943
Rudger Clawson dies. George Albert Smith becomes President of the Quorum.
7 October 1943
Spencer W. Kimball and Ezra Taft Benson ordained.
12 November 1943
Richard R. Lyman excommunicated.
20 April 1944
Mark E. Petersen ordained.
14 May 1945
Heber J. Grant dies.
21 May 1945
The First Presidency is reorganized, with George Albert Smith as president, J. Reuben Clark as First Counselor, and David O. McKay as Second Counselor. George F. Richards becomes President of the Quorum.
11 October 1945
Matthew Cowley ordained.
21 January 1947
Charles A. Callis dies.
10 April 1947
Henry D. Moyle ordained.

1950s

8 August 1950
George F. Richards dies. David O. McKay becomes President of the Quorum.
5 October 1950
Delbert L. Stapley ordained.
4 April 1951
George Albert Smith dies.
9 April 1951
The First Presidency is reorganized, with David O. McKay as president, Stephen L Richards as First Counselor, and J. Reuben Clark as Second Counselor. Joseph Fielding Smith becomes President of the Quorum.
11 October 1951
Marion G. Romney ordained.
3 February 1952
Joseph F. Merrill dies.
10 April 1952
LeGrand Richards ordained.
29 November 1952
John A. Widtsoe dies.
9 April 1953
Adam S. Bennion ordained.
15 July 1953
Albert E. Bowen dies.
8 October 1953
Richard L. Evans ordained.
13 December 1953
Matthew Cowley dies.
8 April 1954
George Q. Morris ordained.
11 February 1958
Adam S. Bennion dies.
10 April 1958
Hugh B. Brown ordained.
19 May 1959
Stephen L Richards dies.
12 June 1959
J. Reuben Clark is called as First Counselor to David O. McKay. Henry D. Moyle is called as Second Counselor.
15 October 1959
Howard W. Hunter ordained.

1960s

22 June 1961
Hugh B. Brown set apart as an additional counselor in the First Presidency to David O. McKay.
5 October 1961
Gordon B. Hinckley added to the Quorum.
6 October 1961
J. Reuben Clark dies.
12 October 1961
Henry D. Moyle set apart as First Counselor in the First Presidency, with Hugh B. Brown as Second Counselor to David O. McKay.
23 April 1962
George Q. Morris dies.
11 October 1962
N. Eldon Tanner ordained.
18 September 1963
Henry D. Moyle dies.
4 October 1963
Hugh B. Brown sustained as First Counselor in the First Presidency, with N. Eldon Tanner as Second Counselor to David O. McKay.
4 October 1963
Thomas S. Monson added to the Quorum.
28 October 1965
Thorpe B. Isaacson called as an additional counselor in the First Presidency to David O. McKay.
29 October 1965
Joseph Fielding Smith called as an additional counselor in the First Presidency to David O. McKay.
5 October 1967
Alvin R. Dyer ordained but not added to Quorum.
6 April 1968
Alvin R. Dyer called as an additional counselor in the First Presidency to David O. McKay.

1970s

18 January 1970
David O. McKay dies.
23 January 1970
The First Presidency is reorganized, with Joseph Fielding Smith as president, Harold B. Lee as First Counselor, and N. Eldon Tanner as Second Counselor. Lee becomes President of the Quorum, with Spencer W. Kimball as Acting President.
6 April 1970
Boyd K. Packer added to the Quorum.
1 November 1971
Richard L. Evans dies.
2 December 1971
Marvin J. Ashton ordained and added to the Quorum.
2 July 1972
Joseph Fielding Smith dies.
7 July 1972
The First Presidency is reorganized, with Harold B. Lee as president, N. Eldon Tanner as First Counselor, and Marion G. Romney as Second Counselor. Spencer W. Kimball becomes President of the Quorum.
12 October 1972
Bruce R. McConkie added to the Quorum.
26 December 1973
Harold B. Lee dies.
30 December 1973
The First Presidency is reorganized, with Spencer W. Kimball as president, N. Eldon Tanner as First Counselor, and Marion G. Romney as Second Counselor. Ezra Taft Benson becomes President of the Quorum.
6 April 1974
L. Tom Perry added to the Quorum.
2 December 1975
Hugh B. Brown dies.
8 January 1976
David B. Haight ordained.
5 March 1977
Alvin R. Dyer dies. Although Dyer was an ordained Apostle, he was never a member of the Quorum.
19 August 1978
Delbert L. Stapley dies.
30 September 1978
James E. Faust added to the Quorum.

1980s

23 July 1981
Gordon B. Hinckley called as an additional counselor in the First Presidency. Neal A. Maxwell ordained.
27 November 1982
N. Eldon Tanner dies.
2 December 1982
Marion G. Romney set apart as First Counselor in the First Presidency. Gordon B. Hinckley set apart as Second Counselor.
11 January 1983
LeGrand Richards dies.
11 January 1984
Mark E. Petersen dies.
12 April 1984
Russell M. Nelson ordained.
3 May 1984
Dallin H. Oaks ordained.
19 April 1985
Bruce R. McConkie dies.
10 October 1985
M. Russell Ballard ordained.
5 November 1985
Spencer W. Kimball dies.
10 November 1985
The First Presidency is reorganized, with Ezra Taft Benson as president, Gordon B. Hinckley as First Counselor, and Thomas S. Monson as Second Counselor. Marion G. Romney becomes President of the Quorum, but due to suffering from health and age difficulties, Howard W. Hunter was set apart as Acting President of the Quorum.
9 October 1986
Joseph B. Wirthlin ordained.
20 May 1988
Marion G. Romney dies. Howard W. Hunter becomes President of the Quorum.
6 October 1988
Richard G. Scott ordained.

1990s

25 February 1994
Marvin J. Ashton dies.
2 April 1994
Robert D. Hales added to the Quorum.
30 May 1994
Ezra Taft Benson dies.
5 June 1994
The First Presidency is reorganized, with Howard W. Hunter as president, Gordon B. Hinckley as First Counselor, and Thomas S. Monson as Second Counselor. Hinckley becomes President of the Quorum, with Boyd K. Packer as Acting President.
23 June 1994
Jeffrey R. Holland added to the Quorum and ordained.
3 March 1995
Howard W. Hunter dies.
12 March 1995
The First Presidency is reorganized, with Gordon B. Hinckley as president, Thomas S. Monson as First Counselor, and James E. Faust as Second Counselor. Monson becomes President of the Quorum, with Boyd K. Packer as Acting President.
1 April 1995
Henry B. Eyring added to the Quorum.

2000s

21 July 2004
Neal A. Maxwell dies.
31 July 2004
David B. Haight dies.
2 October 2004
Dieter F. Uchtdorf and David A. Bednar added to Quorum.
10 August 2007
James E. Faust dies.
6 October 2007
Henry B. Eyring sustained as Second Counselor in the First Presidency; Quentin L. Cook added to Quorum
27 January 2008
Gordon B. Hinckley dies.
3 February 2008
The First Presidency is reorganized, with Thomas S. Monson as President, Henry B. Eyring as First Counselor, and Dieter F. Uchtdorf as Second Counselor. Boyd K. Packer becomes President of the Quorum.
5 April 2008
D. Todd Christofferson added to Quorum.
1 December 2008
Joseph B. Wirthlin dies.
4 April 2009
Neil L. Andersen added to Quorum.

2010s

30 May 2015
L. Tom Perry dies.
3 July 2015
Boyd K. Packer dies. Russell M. Nelson becomes President of the Quorum (set apart on 15 July[3]).
22 September 2015
Richard G. Scott dies.
3 October 2015
Ronald A. Rasband, Gary E. Stevenson, and Dale G. Renlund added to Quorum.
1 October 2017
Robert D. Hales dies.
2 January 2018
Thomas S. Monson dies.
14 January 2018
The First Presidency is reorganized, with Russell M. Nelson as President, Dallin H. Oaks as First Counselor, and Henry B. Eyring as Second Counselor. Oaks is set apart as President of the Quorum, with M. Russell Ballard as Acting President.
31 March 2018
Gerrit W. Gong and Ulisses Soares added to the Quorum.

2020s

12 November 2023
M. Russell Ballard dies.
15 November 2023
Jeffrey R. Holland becomes Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.[4]
7 December 2023
Patrick Kearon added to the Quorum.[5]

Chart

More information Dates, President of the Quorum andActing President of the Quorum (if any) Note : "(de facto)" means he was not formally set apart as Quorum President during this time, though he was widely accepted as President of the Quorum ...

Timeline

See also

Notes

  1. [1]
    Jenson, Andrew (1901). Latter-day Saint biographical encyclopedia: A compilation of biographical sketches of prominent men and women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Vol. 1. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Andrew Jenson History Company (Printed by The Deseret News Press). p. 174. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  2. [2]
    Journal History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 5 April 1900, Church History Library
  3. [3]
    The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Temples
  4. [4]
    As verified here
  5. [5]
    Fletcher Stack, Peggy. "Latter-day Saint leader known for his compassion is faith's newest apostle". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  6. [6]
    Smith was never a member of the Quorum of the Twelve.
  7. [7]
    Although he was ordained to the office of Apostle, Cowdery was never a member of the Quorum of the Twelve.
  8. [8]
    Although early church documents state that Whitmer, like Smith and Cowdery, was ordained to the priesthood office of Apostle, see, e.g., Doctrine and Covenants, Covenant 18:9, there is no record of this ordination, and Whitmer was never a member of the Quorum of the Twelve.
  9. [9]
    Some church leaders have stated that Harris was an ordained Apostle; see, e.g., Heber C. Kimball, Journal of Discourses 6:29[permanent dead link]; however, there is no record of the ordination and Harris was never a member of the Quorum of the Twelve.
  10. [10]
    Grant was never a member of the Quorum of the Twelve.
  11. [11]
    John Willard Young was never a member of the Quorum of the Twelve.
  12. [12]
    Wells was never a member of the Quorum of the Twelve.
  13. [13]
    Joseph Angell Young was never a member of the Quorum of the Twelve or the First Presidency.
  14. [14]
    Patrick A. Bishop, “The Apostolic Succession of Joseph F. Smith,” in Joseph F. Smith: Reflections on the Man and His Times, ed. Craig K. Manscill, Brian D. Reeves, Guy L. Dorius, and J. B. Haws (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2013), 249–64
  15. [15]
    During the weekend of General Conference in which Smoot was sustained, the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve deliberated the issue of apostolic seniority. The determination was made that Brigham Young Jr., who had been listed as the senior apostle to Joseph F. Smith since April of 1869 (likely in view of his having been ordained an apostle earlier), should definitively be considered the junior apostle to Joseph F. Smith. But since Smith was then serving in the First Presidency, Young continued as Quorum President until Snow's passing.
  16. [16]
    Winder was never ordained to the office of Apostle.
  17. [17]
    Nibley was never ordained to the office of Apostle.
  18. [18]
    Although Joseph Fielding Smith was made a counselor in the First Presidency on 29 October 1965, he remained President of the Quorum and a member of the Quorum until 23 January 1970, when he became President of the Church. See "General Authorities of the Church", Conference Report, April 1966, page 9.
  19. [19]
    Alvin R. Dyer was sustained as a counselor in the First Presidency on 6 April 1968. See "General Authorities and General Officers of the Church", Conference Report, April 1968, page 70.
  20. [20]
    Dyer was never a member of the Quorum of the Twelve.
  21. [21]
    Though Dallin H. Oaks was presented as an apostle on 7 April 1984, he was not ordained until 3 May 1984, due to his need to finish some obligations in his capacity as a justice of the Utah Supreme Court. See this article for details.
  22. [22]
    Though Packer's passing left Nelson, the next senior apostle as the de facto Quorum President, he was not officially set apart until 12 days later, on 15 July.
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