President of the Quorum of the Twelve (also President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, President of the Council of Twelve Apostles, and President of the Twelve) is a leadership position that exists in some of the churches of the

Latter Day Saint movement The Latter Day Saint movement (also called the LDS movement, LDS restorationist movement, or Smith–Rigdon movement) is the collection of independent church groups that trace their origins to a Christian Restorationist movement founded by Jo ...

. In these churches, the President is the head of the

Quorum of the Twelve In the Latter Day Saint movement, the Quorum of the Twelve (also known as the Council of the Twelve, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Council of the Twelve Apostles, or the Twelve) is one of the governing bodies or ( quorums) of the church hie ...

Position in the original Latter Day Saint church

When

Joseph Smith Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader and founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. When he was 24, Smith published the Book of Mormon. By the time of his death, 14 years later, he ...

organized the first

of the Church of the Latter Day Saints in 1835, he ranked the members in order of seniority, by age.

(

B. H. Roberts Brigham Henry Roberts (March 13, 1857 – September 27, 1933) was a historian, politician, and leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He edited the seven-volume ''History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...

ed.), '' History of the Church'' 2:219–20. The oldest—and therefore most senior—member was believed to be

Thomas B. Marsh Thomas Baldwin Marsh (November 1, 1800 – January 1866) was an early leader in the Latter-day Saint movement and an original member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who served as the quorum's first president in the Church of the Latter Day ...

; he was designated by Smith as the quorum president. When new members were added to the quorum due to vacancies caused by death, apostasy, or excommunication, the new member was received as the junior member of the quorum, regardless of their age. The principle was established that the senior member of the quorum was to be its president. When Marsh was excommunicated from the church in 1839,

Brigham Young Brigham Young (; June 1, 1801August 29, 1877) was an American religious leader and politician. He was the second President of the Church (LDS Church), president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), from 1847 until his ...

was the senior member of the quorum, and he therefore became the President of the Quorum. Young still held this position when Smith was killed in 1844. As President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles,

claimed the authority to lead the church after Joseph Smith's death. The majority of Latter Day Saints endorsed Young's leadership; the church Young and his followers continued is today

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

(LDS Church). Other Latter Day Saint denominations were formed by Latter Day Saints who dissented from Young's leadership over the church.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

In the LDS Church, the President of the Quorum heads the

Quorum of the Twelve Apostles A quorum is the minimum number of members of a deliberative assembly (a body that uses parliamentary procedure, such as a legislature) necessary to conduct the business of that group. According to ''Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised'', the ...

, the second-highest leadership body in the church. The identity of the quorum president is determined by apostolic seniority: the member of the quorum who has been an

apostle An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...

for the longest period of time is the president of the quorum. When the

President of the Church In the Latter Day Saint movement, the President of the Church is generally considered to be the highest office of the church. It was the office held by Joseph Smith, founder of the movement, and the office assumed by many of Smith's claimed succe ...

dies, the highest-governing body, the

First Presidency Among many churches in the Latter Day Saint movement, the First Presidency (also known as the Quorum of the Presidency of the Church) is the highest presiding or governing body. Present-day denominations of the movement led by a First Presidency ...

, is dissolved and the Quorum of the Twelve becomes the governing body of the church. In every instance, the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has been selected by the Quorum as the next President of the Church. Therefore, the senior apostle in the LDS Church is the President of the Church, and the second-most senior apostle is the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is set apart to the position and exercises priesthood "keys" of

quorum A quorum is the minimum number of members of a deliberative assembly (a body that uses parliamentary procedure, such as a legislature) necessary to conduct the business of that group. According to ''Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised'', the ...

presidency. The president conducts Quorum meetings and otherwise acts as administrative leader of the apostles. Due to the death of

Boyd K. Packer Boyd Kenneth Packer (September 10, 1924 – July 3, 2015) was an American religious leader and educator who served as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church), president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jes ...

on July 3, 2015,

Russell M. Nelson Russell Marion Nelson Sr. (born September 9, 1924) is an American religious leader and retired surgeon who is the 17th and current president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Nelson was a member of the LDS Church ...

became the new quorum president.

Community of Christ

In the Community of Christ, the President of the Council of Twelve Apostles is the head of the church's

Council of Twelve Apostles In the Latter Day Saint movement, the Quorum of the Twelve (also known as the Council of the Twelve, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Council of the Twelve Apostles, or the Twelve) is one of the governing bodies or ( quorums) of the church hie ...

, the second-highest leadership body of the church. The quorum president is recommended by the

and is formally elected by the World Conference. The position is not based on seniority in the Council. As of 2014, the President of the Council of Twelve Apostles is

Linda L. Booth Linda L. Booth is a former apostle (Latter Day Saints), apostle in the Council of Twelve Apostles (Community of Christ), Council of Twelve Apostles of Community of Christ beginning March 31, 1998. Along with Gail E. Mengel, Booth was one of the fi ...

; she is the first woman to serve in this position.

The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite)

The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite) The Church of Jesus Christ is an international Christian religious denomination headquartered in Monongahela, Pennsylvania, United States.Quorum of Twelve Apostles A quorum is the minimum number of members of a deliberative assembly (a body that uses parliamentary procedure, such as a legislature) necessary to conduct the business of that group. According to ''Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised'', the ...

and is selected from its membership. The President of the Church is also selected from the membership of the Quorum and remains a member of the Quorum during his presidency.

Notes

{{reflist Latter Day Saint hierarchy Religious organizations established in 1835 Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints) *