Chronology of the First Presidency (LDS Church)

What follows is a chronological table that sets out the changes in the composition of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) through time.^[1]

Date range	President of the Church (and Assistant Presidents)	First Counselor	Second Counselor	Other Counselors (3C = Third Counselor) C = Counselor AC = Assistant Counselor)	Change from previous organization
8 March 1832 – 3 December 1832	Joseph Smith, Jr.	Jesse Gause[2]	Sidney Rigdon[2]		Initial organization of First Presidency[2]
3 December 1832 – 18 March 1833					Jesse Gause excommunicated
18 March 1833 – 5 December 1834		Sidney Rigdon	Frederick G. Williams		Sidney Rigdon called as First Counselor; Frederick G. Williams called as Second Counselor
5 December 1834 – 3 September 1837	Joseph Smith, Jr. (Oliver Cowdery)				Oliver Cowdery called as Assistant President of the Church
3 September 1837 – 7 November 1837				Oliver Cowdery (AC) Hyrum Smith (AC) John Smith (AC) Joseph Smith, Sr. (AC)	Hyrum Smith, John Smith and Joseph Smith, Sr. called as Assistant Counselors; Oliver Cowdery also given the title of Assistant Counselor
7 November 1837 – 11 April 1838			Hyrum Smith	Oliver Cowdery (AC) Joseph Smith, Sr. (AC) John Smith (AC)	Frederick G. Williams rejected as Second Counselor at church conference; Hyrum Smith called as Second Counselor
11 April 1838 – 14 September 1840	Joseph Smith, Jr.			Joseph Smith, Sr. (AC) John Smith (AC)	Oliver Cowdery excommunicated
14 September 1840 – 24 January 1841				John Smith (AC)	Death of Joseph Smith, Sr.
24 January 1841 – 8 April 1841	Joseph Smith, Jr. (Hyrum Smith)		William Law		Hyrum Smith called as Assistant President of the Church; William Law replaces Hyrum Smith as Second Counselor
8 April 1841 – 25 May 1842	Joseph Smith, Jr. (Hyrum Smith) (John C. Bennett)[3]				John C. Bennett called as Assistant President[3]
25 May 1842 – 4 February 1843	Joseph Smith, Jr. (Hyrum Smith)				John C. Bennett disfellowshipped
4 February 1843 – 18 April 1844				John Smith (AC) Amasa M. Lyman (C)	Amasa M. Lyman called as Counselor
18 April 1844 – 27 June 1844					Apostasy of William Law
27 June 1844 – 27 December 1847	No organized First Presidency				Death of Joseph Smith, Jr. and Hyrum Smith; dissolution of First Presidency
27 December 1847 – 11 March 1854	Brigham Young	Heber C. Kimball	Willard Richards		First Presidency reorganized after deaths of Joseph Smith, Jr. and Hyrum Smith
11 March 1854 – 7 April 1854					Death of Willard Richards
7 April 1854 – 1 December 1856			Jedediah M. Grant		Jedediah M. Grant called as Second Counselor
1 December 1856 – 4 January 1857					Death of Jedediah M. Grant
4 January 1857 – 1 July 1866			Daniel H. Wells		Daniel H. Wells called as Second Counselor
1 July 1866 – 22 June 1868				Joseph F. Smith (C)	Joseph F. Smith called as Counselor
22 June 1868 – 7 October 1868					Death of Heber C. Kimball
7 October 1868 – 8 April 1873		George A. Smith			George A. Smith called as First Counselor
8 April 1873 – 9 May 1874				Joseph F. Smith (C) John Willard Young (C) George Q. Cannon (C) Brigham Young, Jr. (C) Lorenzo Snow (C) Albert Carrington (C)	John Willard Young, George Q. Cannon, Brigham Young, Jr., Lorenzo Snow, and Albert Carrington called as Counselors
9 May 1874 – 1 September 1875				Joseph F. Smith (C) John Willard Young (AC) George Q. Cannon (AC) Brigham Young, Jr. (AC) Lorenzo Snow (AC) Albert Carrington (AC)	Titles of all additional counselors (except Joseph F. Smith) changed from Counselor to Assistant Counselor
1 September 1875 – 8 October 1876				Joseph F. Smith (C) John Willard Young (AC) George Q. Cannon (AC) Brigham Young, Jr. (AC) Lorenzo Snow (AC) Albert Carrington (AC)	Death of George A. Smith
8 October 1876 – 29 August 1877		John Willard Young		Joseph F. Smith (C) George Q. Cannon (AC) Brigham Young, Jr. (AC) Lorenzo Snow (AC) Albert Carrington (AC)	John Willard Young called as First Counselor
29 August 1877 – 10 October 1880	No organized First Presidency				Death of Brigham Young; dissolution of First Presidency
10 October 1880 – 25 July 1887	John Taylor	George Q. Cannon	Joseph F. Smith		First Presidency reorganized after death of Brigham Young
25 July 1887 – 7 April 1889	No organized First Presidency				Death of John Taylor; dissolution of First Presidency
7 April 1889 – 2 September 1898	Wilford Woodruff	George Q. Cannon	Joseph F. Smith		First Presidency reorganized after death of John Taylor
2 September 1898 – 13 September 1898	No organized First Presidency				Death of Wilford Woodruff; dissolution of First Presidency
13 September 1898 – 21 April 1901	Lorenzo Snow	George Q. Cannon	Joseph F. Smith		First Presidency reorganized after death of Wilford Woodruff
21 April 1901 – 6 October 1901					Death of George Q. Cannon
6 October 1901 – 10 October 1901		Joseph F. Smith	Rudger Clawson		Joseph F. Smith called as First Counselor; Rudger Clawson called as Second Counselor. NOTE: These counselors were sustained but not set apart due to the death of Snow 4 days later
10 October 1901 – 17 October 1901	No organized First Presidency				Death of Lorenzo Snow; dissolution of First Presidency
17 October 1901 – 27 March 1910	Joseph F. Smith	John R. Winder	Anthon H. Lund		Reorganization of First Presidency after death of Lorenzo Snow
27 March 1910 – 7 April 1910					Death of John R. Winder
7 April 1910 – 13 October 1911		Anthon H. Lund	John Henry Smith		Anthon H. Lund called as First Counselor; John Henry Smith called as Second Counselor
13 October 1911 – 7 December 1911					Death of John Henry Smith
7 December 1911 – 19 November 1918			Charles W. Penrose		Charles W. Penrose called as Second Counselor
19 November 1918 – 23 November 1918	No organized First Presidency				Death of Joseph F. Smith; dissolution of First Presidency
23 November 1918 – 2 March 1921	Heber J. Grant	Anthon H. Lund	Charles W. Penrose		Reorganization of First Presidency after death of Joseph F. Smith
2 March 1921 – 10 March 1921					Death of Anthon H. Lund
10 March 1921 – 16 May 1925		Charles W. Penrose	Anthony W. Ivins		Charles W. Penrose called as First Counselor; Anthony W. Ivins called as Second Counselor
16 May 1925 – 28 May 1925					Death of Charles W. Penrose
28 May 1925 – 11 December 1931		Anthony W. Ivins	Charles W. Nibley		Anthony W. Ivins called as First Counselor; Charles W. Nibley called as Second Counselor
11 December 1931 – 6 April 1933					Death of Charles W. Nibley
6 April 1933 – 23 September 1934			J. Reuben Clark, Jr.		J. Reuben Clark, Jr. called as Second Counselor
23 September 1934 – 11 October 1934					Death of Anthony W. Ivins
11 October 1934 – 14 May 1945		J. Reuben Clark, Jr.	David O. McKay		J. Reuben Clark, Jr. called as First Counselor; David O. McKay called as Second Counselor
14 May 1945 – 21 May 1945	No organized First Presidency				Death of Heber J. Grant; dissolution of First Presidency
21 May 1945 – 4 April 1951	George Albert Smith	J. Reuben Clark, Jr.	David O. McKay		Reorganization of First Presidency after death of Heber J. Grant
4 April 1951 – 9 April 1951	No organized First Presidency				Death of George Albert Smith; dissolution of First Presidency
9 April 1951 – 19 May 1959	David O. McKay	Stephen L Richards	J. Reuben Clark, Jr.		Reorganization of First Presidency after death of George Albert Smith
19 May 1959 – 12 June 1959					Death of Stephen L Richards
12 June 1959 – 22 June 1961		J. Reuben Clark, Jr.	Henry D. Moyle		J. Reuben Clark, Jr. called as First Counselor; Henry D. Moyle called as Second Counselor
22 June 1961 – 6 October 1961				Hugh B. Brown (3C)	Hugh B. Brown called as Third Counselor
6 October 1961 – 12 October 1961					Death of J. Reuben Clark, Jr.
12 October 1961 – 18 September 1963		Henry D. Moyle	Hugh B. Brown		Henry D. Moyle called as First Counselor; Hugh B. Brown called as Second Counselor
18 September 1963 – 4 October 1963					Death of Henry D. Moyle
4 October 1963 – 28 October 1965		Hugh B. Brown	N. Eldon Tanner		Hugh B. Brown called as First Counselor; N. Eldon Tanner called as Second Counselor
28 October 1965 – 29 October 1965				Thorpe B. Isaacson (C)	Thorpe B. Isaacson called as Counselor
29 October 1965 – 6 April 1968				Thorpe B. Isaacson (C) Joseph Fielding Smith (C)	Joseph Fielding Smith called as Counselor
6 April 1968 – 18 January 1970				Thorpe B. Isaacson (C) Joseph Fielding Smith (C) Alvin R. Dyer (C)	Alvin R. Dyer called as Counselor
18 January 1970 – 23 January 1970	No organized First Presidency				Death of David O. McKay; dissolution of First Presidency
23 January 1970 – 2 July 1972	Joseph Fielding Smith	Harold B. Lee	N. Eldon Tanner		Reorganization of First Presidency after death of David O. McKay
2 July 1972 – 7 July 1972	No organized First Presidency				Death of Joseph Fielding Smith; dissolution of First Presidency
7 July 1972 – 26 December 1973	Harold B. Lee	N. Eldon Tanner	Marion G. Romney		Reorganization of First Presidency after death of Joseph Fielding Smith
26 December 1973 – 30 December 1973	No organized First Presidency				Death of Harold B. Lee; dissolution of First Presidency
30 December 1973 – 23 July 1981	Spencer W. Kimball	N. Eldon Tanner	Marion G. Romney		Reorganization of First Presidency after death of Harold B. Lee
23 July 1981 – 27 November 1982				Gordon B. Hinckley (C)	Gordon B. Hinckley called as Counselor
27 November 1982 – 2 December 1982					Death of N. Eldon Tanner
2 December 1982 – 5 November 1985		Marion G. Romney	Gordon B. Hinckley		Marion G. Romney called as First Counselor; Gordon B. Hinckley called as Second Counselor
5 November 1985 – 10 November 1985	No organized First Presidency				Death of Spencer W. Kimball; dissolution of First Presidency
10 November 1985 – 30 May 1994	Ezra Taft Benson	Gordon B. Hinckley	Thomas S. Monson		Reorganization of First Presidency after death of Spencer W. Kimball
30 May 1994 – 5 June 1994	No organized First Presidency				Death of Ezra Taft Benson; dissolution of First Presidency
5 June 1994 – 3 March 1995	Howard W. Hunter	Gordon B. Hinckley	Thomas S. Monson		Reorganization of First Presidency after death of Ezra Taft Benson
3 March 1995 – 12 March 1995	No organized First Presidency				Death of Howard W. Hunter; dissolution of First Presidency
12 March 1995 – 10 August 2007	Gordon B. Hinckley	Thomas S. Monson	James E. Faust		Reorganization of First Presidency after death of Howard W. Hunter
10 August 2007 – 6 October 2007					Death of James E. Faust[4]
6 October 2007 – 27 January 2008			Henry B. Eyring		Henry B. Eyring called as Second Counselor
27 January 2008 – 3 February 2008	No organized First Presidency				Death of Gordon B. Hinckley; dissolution of First Presidency
3 February 2008 –	Thomas S. Monson	Henry B. Eyring	Dieter F. Uchtdorf		Reorganization of First Presidency after death of Gordon B. Hinckley[5]

See also

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

Notes

1. ^ For purposes of this chart, the First Presidency of the LDS Church is assumed to be a continuation of the First Presidency established by Joseph Smith in 1832.
2. ^ ^{a b c} Gause and Rigdon were never formally designated as "first" and "second" counselor. However, one researcher has provided several pieces of circumstantial evidence which suggest that Gause could be regarded in today's terms as Smith's "first" counselor. See Quinn, D. Michael (1983). "Jesse Gause: Joseph's Smith's Little Known Counselor". BYU Studies 23 (4): 487–493 at 489–490. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Smith appointed Bennett to serve "as Assistant President until President [Sidney] Rigdon's health should be restored.": History of the Church, 4:341. However, since Rigdon was a member of the First Presidency but not the Assistant President, many have speculated that Bennett's intended role was as a fill-in for Rigdon as a counselor in the First Presidency. Unlike both Oliver Cowdery and Hyrum Smith, Bennett was not ordained to the priesthood office of apostle and he was not given all of the keys of the priesthood. Therefore, it appears that Bennett's status as "Assistant President" may not have been commensurate with the position held by Cowdery and Hyrum Smith.
4. ^ "President James E. Faust dies at age 87". Deseret Morning News. 2007-08-10. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695199591,00.html. Retrieved 2007-08-10. 
5. ^ "LDS President Gordon B. Hinckley dies at age 97". Deseret Morning News. 2008-01-27. http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695247765,00.html. Retrieved 2008-01-27.