FAQ: Passing of Mormon Prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley

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Mormon Prophet Dies

Gordon B. Hinckley, Prophet and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, passed away on Sunday evening, January 27, 2008, surrounded by loved ones. An outpouring of love and expressions of sweet sorrow enveloped the Salt Lake City environs, and extended to the islands of the sea, as a result of the death of the longest-living Prophet of our gospel dispensation. President Hinckley was pragmatic and visionary; bold and brilliant; tender and tenacious in his testimony and leadership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Schooled by the Master, tutored by the Spirit, chiseled by divine circumstances, he leaves behind a monument of faith, a legacy of temples dotting the globe, a trail of hope and encouragement for the world—a world enmeshed in all the glorious and formidable foretold events of the latter-days. But while he has passed through the portal of death, and joined hands with his beloved wife, the unbroken chain of divinely-bestowed priesthood authority remains on the earth.

What Happens When a Mormon Prophet Dies? Who's in Charge?

When a Mormon prophet dies, the priesthood keys and authority held by the First Presidency—the highest presiding council of The Church of Jesus Christ—rest within The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the second highest presiding council of the Church. The remaining counselors in the First Presidency resume their positions, in seniority, within the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, which becomes the governing body of the Church until the new First Presidency is called and sustained.

After funeral services are held in honor of President Gordon B. Hinckley, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will meet in a solemn assembly in the Salt Lake Temple to reorganize the First Presidency, in the manner prescribed by the Lord.

What Is the Order of Succession? Who Becomes the Next Prophet?

In a solemn assembly, or sacred meeting, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the new President of the Church is called and unanimously sustained. This process takes place prayerfully, without pomp or posturing, through divine revelation. The newly chosen Prophet is selected from the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. To this point in our dispensation, the prophetic call has been issued to the senior member of the Twelve, though this may be excepted through divine revelation. Once the Prophet is called and set apart as the President of the Church, he similarly calls his two counselors, who are ordained and set apart to their respective, sacred callings. This is the pattern which existed in the meridian of time, as the Savior organized His church and ordained his original apostles.

There is no reservation in sustaining whom the Lord appoints as his modern mouthpiece, knowing that the leader so called has been foreordained by God, prepared, and brought forth to serve according to the process established by Jesus Christ Himself. Individual members of the Church sustain each member of the new First Presidency in the subsequent bi-annual meeting of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known as General Conference.

What Is the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles?

The Quorum of the Twelve apostles is comprised of twelve men called by the Lord Jesus Christ to bear apostolic witness to the world of His birth, atonement, and resurrection. They likewise administer in all the affairs of the worldwide organization of the Church.

These men are literally apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ, special witnesses of the divine mission of the Savior. They are individually and collectively recognized as "prophets, seers, and revelators," serving unitedly to carry out the will of God during this epoch of world and Church history.

Presently, the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are as follows:

Who Is the Leading Apostle of the Quorum of the Twelve?

Thomas S. Monson, First Counselor to Gordon B. Hinckley since 1995, is the senior member and presiding officer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. President Monson served as second counselor in the First Presidency during President Spencer W. Kimball and Ezra Taft Benson’s leadership as prophet, seer, and revelator of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Additional Resources

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