LDS Apostles Part 2
Apostles of the LDS Church
Current Apostles
Here’s the rest of the apostles! One last thing we noticed with the information we gleaned was the emphasis of how successful these men were/are in their professional lives. We’re sure that if you delve into each one individually there is more to their stories, but we found it interesting as Melissa pointed out the other day that none have been noted for miracles or going out to preach the word without purse or script.
The dominating storyline seemed to be the extent of your education and not so much about your love for the Lord.
Every move they make is methodically planned out and meticulously performed. One recent article from the Church’s website went so far as to tell members not to approach the General Authorities – they want people to understand the GA’s aren’t there to sign autographs or have conversations with those around them.
They seem to parade these men in white coats around to give the impression to the audiences that they’re unreachable, just like their god. It all goes back to the wizard behind the curtain in the Wizard of Oz. Pay no mind to what’s going on back there…
Name | Born | Dates Served | Notes |
Boyd K.Packer | 1924 | 1970 – | Mission president of NewEngland states, became apostleunder Joseph Fielding Smith. |
L. Tom Perry | 1922 | 1974 – | Became GA in 1972;3rd in line for Seniority |
Russell M. Nelson | 1924 | 1984 – | CES Board Member & Chairman,Exec. Committee; Boards ofTrustees/Education of theChurch Educational System |
Dallin H.Oaks | 1932 | 1984 – | Professor, Univ. Chicago Law School;Pres. BYU, former justice UtahSupreme Court; CES Board Member;Exec. Committee; Boards of Trustees/Education of Church Education
System |
M. Russell Ballard | 1928 | 1985 – | 1stQuorum of the Seventy; Grandsonof both Hyrum Mack Smith &Melvin J. Ballard; direct descendentof Joseph F. Smith & Hyrum Smith;CES Board Member; Boards of
Trustees/Education of the Church Educational System |
Richard G.Scott | 1928 | 1988 – | Presidency of 1stQuorum of the Seventy;called by Ezra Taft Benson to apostle;worked on design for top secret nuclearproject Nautilus. |
Robert D.Hales | 1932 | 1994 – | Exec. w/ Gillette Co.; Pres. Papermate;VP of Max Factor; headed HugesTelevision Network; Air Force Pilot;MBA from Harvard;Pres. Chesebrough-Pond’s. |
Jeffrey R. Holland | 1940 | 1994 – | PhD in American Studies from Yale;Comm. Church Ed. System; Pres. BYU;Founder of BYU Jerusalem Center |
David A. Bednar | 1952 | 2004 – | Bishop; 2x Stake Pres; Regional Repof the Twelve; area 70; Assoc. Deanof Ricks College; Doctorate Organ.Behavior from Purdue; Ass. ProfessorSam Walton College of Business;
Assist. Prof Management Texas Tech; Pres. Ricks College |
Quentin L. Cook | 1940 | 2007 – | Served mission w/ Hollandin England; Grad. Stanford w/Law degree; corporate attyfor 27 yrs in San Francisco;Pres./CEO Calif. Healthcare System |
D. Todd Christofferson | 1945 | 2008 – | Served mission in Argentinaunder Richard Scott;Grad. BYU & Duke Univ.School of Law; law clerk for JudgeJohn Sinca during Watergate;
Exec Dir Family & Church History; involved in negotiations w/ Jewish leaders on baptizing Holocaust victims |
Neil L. Anderson | 1951 | 2009 – | Harvard MBA Grad; VP MortonPlant Health System; LDS GA,Exec. Dir. Audio/Visual Dept.;Assist. Exec. Dir. of PriesthoodDept; Gen. Pres. Sunday School;
Oversaw activities of the 70’s |
19th Century LDS (Mormon) Apostles
Name | Born/Died | Dates Served | Notes |
John Page | 1799/1867 | 1838 –1846 | Ex-communicated for apostasy |
John Taylor | 1808/1887 | 1838 –18801 | Third Prophet of LDS Church |
George A. Smith | 1817/1875 | 1839 –1875 | His grandson George Albert SmithBecame Prophet in 1945 |
Wilford Woodruff | 1807/1898 | 1839 –1889 | Fourth Prophet of LDS Church |
Willard Richards | 1804/1854 | 1840 –1854 | In Carthage jail w/ Smith brothersand John Taylor when Josephand Hyrum were killed |
Lyman Wight | 1796/1858 | 1841 –1848 | Ex-communicated for apostasy |
Amasa Lyman | 1813/1877 | 1842 –1867 | Ex-communicated for apostasy |
Ezra T. Benson | 1811/1869 | 1846 –1869 | Great-grandfather of thirteenthLDS prophet, Ezra Taft Benson |
Charles C. Rich | 1809/1883 | 1849 –1883 | Also a member of the Council of Fifty |
Franklin D. Richards | 1821/1899 | 1849 –1899 | Missionary in England; editor ofMillennial Star; Director PerpetualEmigrating Funds Operations;Church Historian |
Erastus Snow | 1818/1888 | 1849 –1888 | Also a member of theCouncil of the Fifty |
Lorenzo Snow | 1814/1901 | 1877 –1898 | Fifth Prophet of LDS ChurchBrother-in-law of Joseph Smith, Jr.and Brigham Young throughEliza R. Snow |
George Q. Cannon | 1827/1901 | 1860 –1901 | Convicted of unlawful cohabitation in 1886, imprisoned for 6 months |
Joseph F. Smith | 1838/1918 | 1866 –1918 | Sixth Prophet of theLDS Church; son of Hyrum Smith;Nephew of Joseph Smith, Jr. |
Brigham Young, Jr. | 1836/1903 | 1864 –1903 | Son of Brigham Young; called to theApostleship in ’64 but didn’t startuntil 1868; served several terms inUtah Territorial Legislature |
Albert Carrington | 1813/1889 | 1870 –1885 | Church Historian; Council of Fifty;Utah Territorial Legislature;ex-communicated for adultery 1885 but later re-baptized, not reinstatedas apostle or GA |
Moses Thatcher | 1842/1909 | 1879 –1909 | Council of Fifty; at April 1896 GChe was dropped from Quorum of theTwelve; not excommunicated & heldoffice of apostle until death |
Francis M. Lyman | 1840/1916 | 1880 –1916 | Council of Fifty;Son of Amasa M. Lyman |
John Henry Smith | 1848/1911 | 1880 –1911 | Son of George A. Smith;elected member Utah TerritorialLegislature 1882; he playedimportant role for Utah totransition from territory to state |
Heber J. Grant | 1856/1945 | 1882 –1945 | Seventh Prophet of LDS Church;he became prophet in Nov. 1918but not sustained till June 1919due to influenza pandemic. |
George Teasdale | 1831/1907 | 1882 –1907 | Member of Council of Fifty |
Abraham Cannon | 1859/1896 | 1889 –1896 | First 7 Presidents of the 70; memberOf Council of Fifty; sonof apostle George Q. Cannon |
Anthon H. Lund | 1844/1921 | 1889 –1921 | Church Historian; Utah TerritorialLegislature; credited w/ start of UtahState University because heIntroduced legislation to start it. |
Marriner W. Merrill | 1832/1906 | 1889 –1906 | Postmaster of Richmond; countySelectman; member ofTerritorial legislature for 2 terms |
Matthias F. Cowley | 1858/1940 | 1896 –1911 | Cowley, WY named after him;resigned from Quorum 1905. Remained ordained apostle until Priesthood suspended in 1911 and later restored in 1936 |
Abraham O. Woodruff | 1872/1904 | 1896 –1904 | Called by his father into theapostleship died at23 from smallpox |
Rudger Clawson | 1857/1943 | 1898 –1943 | Utah town of Clawsonnamed after him |
20th Century LDS (Mormon) Apostles
Name | Born/Died | DatesServed | Notes |
Reed Smoot | 1862/1941 | 1900 –1941 | U.S.Senator1902-1932 |
Hyrum M. Smith | 1872/1918 | 1901 –1918 | Brother ofJoseph FieldingSmith; son ofJoseph F. Smith;grandson of
Hyrum Smith |
George AlbertSmith | 1870/1951 | 1903 –1951 | Eighth ProphetOf LDS Church;Son of JohnHenry Smith &grandson of
George A. Smith |
Charles W. Penrose | 1832/1925 | 1904 –1925 | Prof. Theology, BYU |
David O. McKay | 1873/1970 | 1906 –1970 | Ninth Prophetof LDS Church |
George F. Richards | 1861/1950 | 1906 –1950 | Son ofFranklin D.Richards |
Orson F. Whitney | 1855/1931 | 1906 –1931 | Grandson of bothNewel K.Whitney & HeberC. Kimball |
Anthony W. Ivins | 1852/1934 | 1907 –1934 | Part ofexploratory comm.to colonize Mormonsin Mexico |
Joseph FieldingSmith | 1876/1972 | 1910 –1972 | Tenth Prophet ofLDS Church |
James Talmage | 1862/1933 | 1911 –1933 | Pres. Univ.of Utah |
Stephen L. Richards | 1879/1859 | 1917 –1959 | Grandson ofWillard Richards |
Richard R. Lyman | 1870/1963 | 1918 –1943 | Was apostle untilHe began a polygamousrelationship w/outthe knowledge of his wife.Excommunicated 11/1943 |
Melvin J. Ballard | 1873/1939 | 1919 –1939 | His grandson M. RussellBallard is also anApostle |
John A. Widtsoe | 1872/1952 | 1921 –1952 | Pres. Utah StateUniv. & Univ. of Utah |
Joseph F. Merrill | 1868/1952 | 1931 –1952 | Son of MarrinerW. Merrill |
Charles A. Callis | 1865/1947 | 1933 –1947 | Elected to UtahHouse & 2nd UtahState Legislature. Hiswife Grace was grand-daughter of John Pack,
pictured on “This is the Place Monument” |
J. Reuben Clark | 1871/1961 | 1934 –1961 | US Under SecretaryOf State & USAmbassador toMexico |
Alonzo A. Hinckley | 1870/1936 | 1934 –1936 | Uncle of Gordon B.Hinckley |
Albert E. Bowen | 1875/1953 | 1937 –1953 | Law degree fromUniv. Chicago; Gen.Board of Deseret SundaySchool Union |
Sylvester Q. Cannon | 1877/1943 | 1938 –1943 | Son of George Q,Cannon |
Harold B. Lee | 1899/1973 | 1941 –1973 | Eleventh Prophet ofLDS Church |
Spencer W. Kimball | 1895/1985 | 1943 –1985 | Twelfth Prophet ofLDS Church; grandsonof Heber C. Kimball |
Ezra Taft Benson | 1899/1994 | 1943 –1985 | Thirteenth Prophet ofLDS Church; Great-grandson of Ezra T. Benson;US Sec. of Agriculture |
Mark E. Petersen | 1900/1984 | 1944 –1984 | Filled vacancy of excommunicatedLyman; managing editor ofDeseret News; delivered racistspeech, Race Problems asThey Affect the Church |
Matthew Cowley | 1897/1953 | 1845 –1853 | Son of Matthias Cowley;his father resigned overChurch’s decision to excommunicateactive polygamists; translated BoM,D&C, PoGP into Maori language. Studied
under Reed Smoot, law degree from George Washington Univ. Law School |
Henry D. Moyle | 1889/1963 | 1947 –1963 | Served in WW1; Attended Harvard Law,Mines in Freiburg, Germany and wasUS atty for state of Utah |
Delbert L. Stapley | 1896/1978 | 1950 –1978 | As a youth rejected playing MB sohe could serve mission;wrote letter to then Michigan governorGeorge Romney to back awayfrom favoring civil rights to
blacks; later sustained the prophecy of 1978. |
Marion G. Romney | 1897/1988 | 1951 –1972 | One of five chosen as Assistantsto the Quorum of the 12 Apostles;served in that capacity from 1941-1951. |
LeGrand Richards | 1886/1983 | 1952 –1983 | Presiding Bishop in 1938; Son ofGeorge F. Richards; grandson ofFranklin D. Richards & nephewof Willard Richards |
Adam S. Bennion | 1886/1958 | 1953 –1958 | Teacher @ LDS High School; Master’sFrom Columbia; Gen. Board of DeseretSunday School Union;faculty @ UofU; director ofRio Grande Railroad |
Richard L. Evans | 1906/1971 | 1953 –1971 | Announcer for Music & theSpoken Word 1930-1971 |
George Q. Morris | 1874/1962 | 1954 –1962 | Oldest person in church history tobe ordained an apostle |
Hugh B. Brown | 1883/1975 | 1958 –1975 | Prof. of religion @ BYU |
Howard H. Hunter | 1907/1995 | 1959 –1995 | Fourteenth Prophet ofLDS Church |
Gordon B. Hinckley | 1910/2008 | 1961 –2008 | Fifteenth Prophet ofLDS Church |
Nathan Eldon Tanner | 1898/1982 | 1962 –1982 | Was Speaker of theLegislative Assembly of Alberta |
Thomas S. Monson | 1927 – | 1963 – | Sixteenth Prophet ofLDS Church |
Marvin J. Ashton | 1915/1994 | 1971 –1994 | Utah State Senate; Pres. Deseret Book;Managing director LDS SocialServices |
Boyd K. Packer | 1924/ | 1970 – | Mission president of NewEngland states, became apostleunder Joseph Fielding Smith. |
Bruce R. McConkie | 1915/1985 | 1972 –1985 | Wrote Mormon Doctrine;Son-in-law of Joseph Fielding Smith |
David B. Haight | 1906/2004 | 1976 –2004 | Longest lived quorum member;Grandfather to Jon Huntsman,former gov. of Utah(running for POTUS 2012);mayor of Palo Alto, CA |
L. Tom Perry | 1922/ | 1974 – | Became GA in 1972;3rd in line for Seniority |
James E. Faust | 1920/2007 | 1978 –2007 | Served in WW2; graduated UofUw/ BA & Juris Doctor;pres. Utah Bar Assoc; House of RepUtah State Legislature |
Neal A. Maxwell | 1926/2004 | 1981 –2004 | Served in WW2; earned bachelors &Masters from UoU; worked as asst. toSen. Wallace Bennett;wrote Eternal Man; “Suicideis just a change of scenery” |
Russell M. Nelson | 1924/ | 1984 – | CES Board Member & Chairman,Exec. Committee; Boards ofTrustees/Education of theChurch Educational System |
Dallin H. Oaks | 1932/ | 1984 – | Professor, Univ. Chicago Law School;Pres. BYU, former justice UtahSupreme Court; CES Board Member;Exec. Committee; Boards of Trustees/Education of Church Education
System |
M. Russell Ballard | 1928/ | 1985 – | 1stQuorum of the Seventy; Grandsonof both Hyrum Mack Smith &Melvin J. Ballard; direct descendent ofJoseph F. Smith & Hyrum Smith;CES Board Member;
Boards of Trustees/Education of the Church Educational System |
Joseph B. Wirthlin | 1917/2008 | 1986 –2008 | Cousin of Gordon Hinckley; pres. ofa trade assoc. in Utah |
Richard G. Scott | 1928/ | 1988 – | Presidency of 1stQuorum ofthe Seventy; called by Ezra Taft Bensonto apostle; worked on design fortop secret nuclear project Nautilus. |
Robert D. Hales | 1932/ | 1994 – | Exec. w/ Gillette Co.; Pres. Papermate;VP of Max Factor; Headed HugesTelevision Network; Air Force Pilot; MBAFrom Harvard; Pres. Chesebrough-Pond’s. |
Jeffrey R. Holland | 1940/ | 1994 – | PhD in American Studies from Yale; Comm.Church Ed. System; Pres. BYU;Founder of BYU Jerusalem Center |
Henry B. Eyring | 1933/ | 1995 –2007 | Pres. Ricks College; 1stVice Chairman,Boards of Trustees/Education ofChurch Educational System |
21st Century LDS Apostles
Name | Born/Died | YearsServed | Notes |
Dieter F. Uchtdorf | 1940/ | 2004 – | Earned wings w/ bothAmerican and German govern-ments; 1st German bornapostle; |
David A. Bednar | 1952/ | 2004 – | Pres. Ricks College &BYU-Idaho; Bishop; 2x Stake Pres;Regional Rep of the Twelve;area 70; Assoc. Dean ofRicks College; Doctorate Organ.
Behavior from Purdue; Ass. Professor Sam Walton College of Business; Assist. Prof Management Texas Tech |
Quentin L. Cook | 1940/ | 2007 – | Served mission w/ Hollandin England; Grad. Stanford w/Law degree; corporate attyfor 27 yrs in San Francisco;Pres./CEO Calif. Healthcare System |
D. Todd Christofferson | 1945/ | 2008 – | Served mission in Argentinaunder Richard Scott;Grad. BYU & Duke Univ.School of Law;law clerk for Judge John Sinca
during Watergate; Exec Dir Family & Church History; involved in negotiations w/ Jewish leaders on baptizing Holocaust victims |
Neil L. Andersen | 1951/ | 2009 – | Harvard MBA Grad; VP MortonPlant Health System;LDS GA, Exec. Dir.Audio/Visual Dept.;Assist. Exec. Dir. of Priesthood
Dept; Gen. Pres. Sunday School; Oversaw activities of the 70’s |
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