Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is a priesthood office in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The leadership position is only filled when the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is called as a counselor in the First Presidency. If the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is one of the counselors in the First Presidency, he retains that title, but is not numbered among the Twelve. The most senior Apostle not serving in the First Presidency is then named Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve.
For example, Dallin H. Oaks is currently the First Counselor in the First Presidency. By seniority, he is President of the Quorum of the Twelve and retains that title and priesthood office; consequently, M. Russell Ballard filled the position of Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve and carried out the duties and responsibilities of that office until his death on November 12, 2023. At that time, a new Acting President of the Quorum was appointed.
In addition to M. Russell Ballard (January 14, 2018–November 12, 2023), five other men have held this calling:
- Rudger Clawson (November 23, 1918–March 17, 1921)
- Joseph Fielding Smith (August 8, 1950–April 4, 1951)
- Spencer W. Kimball (January 23, 1970–July 2, 1972)
- Howard W. Hunter (November 1985–May 20, 1988
- Boyd K. Packer (June 5, 1994–March 3, 1995)
Both Orson Hyde (December 27, 1847) and Brigham Young, Jr. (December 9, 1899–October 10, 1901) were designated President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, although they were not the second-most senior Apostle in the Church. In current-day terms, they were filling the office of Acting President of the Quorum, although that title had not yet been used.
