SALT LAKE CITY – A former Utah Supreme Court justice is expected to be named the next president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints following the death of President Russell M. Nelson.
Announcing his successor – Dallin H. Oaks – is largely a formality because the church has a well-defined leadership hierarchy in place for decades. Leadership changes will occur after Nelson’s Oct. 7 funeral.
Here’s a closer look at how the leadership structure is arranged and how new members are chosen:
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the Mormon church, is led by a president and two top counselors, forming the First Presidency. They typically come from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, a governing body just below the First Presidency that helps set church policy and oversees the faith’s business interests.
Together, these 15 top officials are all men, in accordance with the church’s all-male priesthood.
The longest-tenured member of the Quorum of the Twelve becomes the new president, a tradition established more than a century ago to ensure a smooth transition and prevent internal or public lobbying.
The succession plan was created in 1889 after nearly two years of debate and politicking among the apostles following the death of the faith’s third president, John Taylor. Since then, it has been followed without exception.
Nelson, the faith’s oldest-ever president, died Saturday at age 101. Per protocol, his successor won’t be formally announced until after his funeral. With his death, the First Presidency automatically dissolved, and his two counselors rejoined the Quorum, bringing its number to 14.
Until a new president is named, the Quorum – now led by Oaks – is in charge as the Utah-based faith prepares for its twice-annual general conference in Salt Lake City this weekend.
He is considered a prophet, seer and revelator who leads the church through divine revelation from God, along with two counselors and members of the Quorum of the Twelve. He sets policy, interprets doctrine and manages church programs.
The president also oversees the church’s business ventures, which include real estate, farms, publishing, life insurance, nonprofits, universities, a Polynesian cultural center in Hawaii and an upscale open-air shopping mall in Salt Lake City.
The church doesn’t disclose or discuss its finances, but the latest filings from its investment arm, Ensign Peak Advisors, Inc., value its portfolio at $58 billion.
Presidents serve until death, so tenure lengths vary.
The longest was Brigham Young, who served nearly 30 years in the mid- to late 1800s. Other lengthy tenures include Heber J. Grant (nearly 27 years, 1918–1945) and David O. McKay (nearly 19 years, 1951–1970).
The shortest was Howard H. Hunter, who served only nine months from 1994 to 1995. Three other presidents served less than five years, including Harold B. Lee, who held the role for 18 months from 1972 to 1973.
Nelson served more than seven years. His predecessors, Thomas S. Monson and Gordon B. Hinckley, had relatively long terms – nearly 10 and 13 years, respectively.
A new president typically selects counselors from the Quorum of the Twelve. Sometimes, they are the same men who served the previous president. If different, the former counselors return to the Quorum.
Nelson retained Henry B. Eyring as a counselor and elevated Oaks as the other.
Serving as a counselor doesn’t place someone ahead in the line of succession. The longest-tenured Quorum member still becomes president.
Oaks is next in line. The 93-year-old joined the Quorum in May 1984, around the same time as Nelson.
Jeffrey R. Holland, 84, has the next highest seniority after Oaks.
They can come from various backgrounds. In recent history, most were already serving in lower-tier leadership councils.
Apostles tend to be older men with successful careers outside the church. The last three chosen were a U.S. State Department official, an accountant for multinational corporations, and a board member of charities, schools and an enterprise agency.
Under Nelson, the church added diversity to its previously all-white leadership by selecting the first Latin American apostle and the first apostle of Asian ancestry. These appointments energized members who had long hoped for leadership more representative of a religion with over half its 17 million members living outside the U.S.
Once Oaks becomes president and selects his two counselors, the Quorum will likely have one vacancy for him to fill – one way church presidents can leave their imprint.
Nine highest-ranking women in the church oversee three organizations that run programs for women and girls. These councils sit below several layers of male-only leadership groups.
The president and two counselors who lead the Relief Society – which organizes activities for women – are considered the top female leaders based on the organization’s historical significance.
