Who stands at the head of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, otherwise known as the Mormons? This almost seems like a trick question right now, but the answer is actually quite simple.
Our beloved prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley, who passed from this life on January 27, previously explained the answer to us:
“The head of the Church is the Lord Jesus Christ. It is His Church. But the earthly head is our prophet. Prophets are men who are endowed with a divine calling. Notwithstanding the divinity of that calling, they are human. They are subject to the problems of mortality.” (Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Church Is on Course,” Ensign, Nov 1992, 53)
And so it was with President Hinckley and our other beloved prophets who have gone on before him. Prophets are human, subject to illness and death. But the Lord Jesus Christ stands at the head of the Church.
Now the question that many people will have right now, after the passing of President Hinckley and before the sustaining of a new prophet, is there a mortal leader of the Mormon Church right now?
The answer is yes.
While there is a man serving as the prophet of the Church, he typically has two counselors that serve with him in what is called the First Presidency. The body of leadership directly under them is the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Just as they were in Christ’s day, these men are special witnesses of Jesus Christ and they hold the keys of the priesthood. The senior member of the Twelve is set apart as the President of the Quorum of the Twelve. Members of the First Presidency usually come from the Quorum of the Twelve and hold the same keys of authority.
This next part may seem confusing. But the Lord’s house is a house of order, and there is a very orderly way that Church leadership functions upon the death of the prophet.
When the man who is the prophet dies, the First Presidency is dissolved. Those who had been serving as his counselors return to their original positions of seniority within the Quorum of the Twelve. These positions are determined by the dates that they were formally called into the Quorum. If two apostles join the quorum on the same day, the older one has seniority over the younger one.
The counselors to President Hinckley, Thomas S. Monson and Henry B. Eyring, have returned to their positions in the Twelve. President Monson, having been called as an apostle in 1963, is the senior member of the Twelve. In fact, throughout President Hinckley’s service as the prophet, President Monson has been the President of the Quorum of the Twelve. However, due to his status as a counselor in the First Presidency, the apostle next in line has been serving as Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve. This is Boyd K. Packer, who was ordained in 1970.
President Eyring was called to the Twelve in 1995, and his position of seniority is directly after Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. Upon the passing of any member of the Twelve, when a new apostle is called he takes his place last in line and the others “move up” in position. The Quorum of the Twelve, then, currently stands as follows:
Thomas S. Monson
Boyd K. Packer
L. Tom Perry
Russell M. Nelson
Dallin H. Oaks
M. Russell Ballard
Joseph B. Wirthlin
Richard G. Scott
Robert D. Hales
Jeffrey R. Holland
Henry B. Eyring
Dieter F. Uchtdorf
David A. Bednar
Quentin L. Cook
Now upon the passing of the prophet and the dissolving of the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve is the presiding body of the Church. The senior apostle of that quorum, then, in a very real sense, is the presiding officer of the Church. And that individual right now is Thomas S. Monson.
Following the funeral services for President Hinckley, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (currently with fourteen members) will meet together, pray for guidance, and make a unanimous decision whether to sustain a new prophet and reorganize the First Presidency, or to do so at a later time. It is expected that President Monson will be sustained as the new prophet and a new First Presidency will be organized soon.
But as members of the Church, we do not need to fear during this time without a formally sustained prophet. For, whether the First Presidency is formally organized or not, Christ stands at the head of the Church and the Quorum of the Twelve holds all the keys and authority necessary to lead the Church on the earth.
