Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church)

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (also known as the Quorum of the Twelve, the Council of the Twelve Apostles, or simply the Twelve) is one of the governing bodies in the church hierarchy. Members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are apostles, with the calling to be prophets, seers, and revelators, evangelical ambassadors, and special witnesses of Jesus Christ.

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 as well as to the Seventy, the standing Presiding High Council, and the High Councils of the various stakes (Doctrine & Covenants 107:25-27, 36-37). The jurisdiction of the Twelve was originally limited to areas of the world outside of Zion or its stakes. After the Apostles returned from England, Joseph Smith altered the responsibilities of the quorum. They were given charge of the affairs of the church, under direction of the First Presidency.

Role of the quorum in the LDS Church

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles claims a leadership role second only to that of the First Presidency. After the death of Joseph Smith, Jr., the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was Brigham Young. Assuming control of the church, Young emphasized what he said was Joseph Smith's authorization that the Quorum of the Twelve should be the church's central governing body of the church after Smith's death. Then in 1847, the Twelve reorganized the First Presidency with Young as President, and the Twelve took on a supporting role within a chain of command under the First Presidency, a role that continues to the present.

Church policy decisions are made unanimously, with consultation among the Presidency, the Seventy, and the Quorum of the Twelve, each of which has its own responsibility. A great deal of 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 rights ("keys of the Priesthood") to use all powers granted by God to the church. 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, the one man who is to preside over 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 entire church.

A major role of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles 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 this has been the most senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, 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, who are high priests (usually apostles). The second most senior surviving apostle becomes the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. In cases when the President of the Quorum is simultaneously called to be a counselor in the First Presidency, an acting president of the quorum is called in his stead 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 the Presidency meet to pray and come to a unanimous decision as to whom will be called to fill the vacancy. 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 general conference of the church, which is traditionally the occasion for the new apostle to be publicly announced and sustained by church members. Any faithful Melchizedek priesthood holder is eligible to be called as an apostle. Generally, new apostles have considerable experience in church government and have served faithfully in positions 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. Even members of boards and professional organizations are asked to resign those positions. (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

Presently, the members of the quorum are as follows:

*President Boyd K. Packer (b. 1924), called 1970, Acting President 1994–2008, President 2008–
*Elder L. Tom Perry (b. 1922), called 1974
*Elder Russell M. Nelson (b. 1924), called 1984
*Elder Dallin H. Oaks (b. 1932), called 1984
*Elder M. Russell Ballard (b. 1928), called 1985
*Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin (b. 1917), called 1986
*Elder Richard G. Scott (b. 1928), called 1988
*Elder Robert D. Hales (b. 1932), called 1994
*Elder Jeffrey R. Holland (b. 1940), called 1994
*Elder David A. Bednar (b. 1952), called 2004
*Elder Quentin L. Cook (b. 1940), called 2007
*Elder D. Todd Christofferson (b. 1945), called 2008

Apostles who were never members of the Quorum of the Twelve

The following men were ordained to the priesthood office of Apostle but were never members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Some, but not all, served in the First Presidency of the LDS Church.
*Joseph Smith, Jr.
*Oliver Cowdery
*David Whitmer
*Martin Harris
*Hyrum Smith
*Jedediah M. Grant
*Daniel H. Wells
*John Willard Young
*Joseph Angell Young
*Alvin R. Dyer

In addition, J. Reuben Clark was only a member of the Quorum of the Twelve for one week in 1945 and six days in 1951, which were periods of time when the First Presidency was dissolved due to the death of the President of the Church.

ee also

*List of Members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church)
*Chronology of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church)
*Twelve Apostles
*Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
*Regional Representative of the Twelve
*General authority
*Presiding Bishop (LDS Church)
*Council on the Disposition of the Tithes
*Council of the Church

References

*Citation
last=Bergera
first=Gary James
title=Seniority in the Twelve: The 1875 Realignment of Orson Pratt
journal=Journal of Mormon History
volume=18
issue=1
year=1992
pages=19–58
url=http://content.lib.utah.edu/u?/jmh,14720 .

External links

* [http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_2421062 "Salt Lake Tribune" article on new apostles being added in 2004]
* [http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,595081177,00.html "Deseret News" article on procedures for filling vacancies, 2004]
* [http://www.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=67509c643826e010VgnVCM1000004e94610aRCRD LDS Newsroom: Official biographies for leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] : biographical sketches of current members of the Quorum
* [http://gapages.com/q12.htm Grampa Bill's G.A. Pages: Quorum of the Twelve Apostles] : biographical sketches of all past and present members of the Quorum