Three New Apostles Called

All three of the new Apostles come across as good men who will be positive influences and leaders in the Church for the next three decades.

The last time there were three Apostles called in one General Conference was 1906. That time they had George F. Richards (45), Orson F. Whitney (50), and David O. McKay (32). I haven't been able to find why Richards had seniority over Whitney, but there was precedent to seniority not being determined by age when more than one Apostle is called at the same time. Now every time there's been two Apostles called, their seniority has been determined by age. (Kimball-Benson, Nelson-Oaks, Uchtdorf-Bednar).

This time the three Apostles called are Ronald A. Rasband, Gary E. Stevenson, and Dale G. Renlund. Stevenson is the youngest of the three, and my guess as to why Stevenson has seniority over Renlund is that Rasband and Stevenson were going to be the two new Apostles, but then the death of Richard G. Scott meant Pres. Monson wanted to find the third Apostle before General Conference. Or it could be deferrence to their previous Priesthood offices.

RONALD A. RASBAND (64) - He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. He served his mission in the Eastern States and attended the University of Utah. LeGrand Richards performed the marriage sealing for him and his wife Melanie. (LeGrand was her great-uncle; the previously mentioned apostle George F. Richards was her great-grandfather.)

Rasband became friends with Jon Huntsman Sr. and worked for him at his company. He eventually became the President/COO of Huntsman Chemical. He retired to serve as mission president of the New York New York North mission. He was called to the Seventy in 2000, and for the past ten years, he's been serving in the Presidency of the Seventy.

GARY E. STEVENSON (60) - He was born and raised in Ogden, Utah. He served his mission to Japan. He graduated from USU. He co-founded Icon Health & Fitness, the most successful manufacturer of gym and fitness equipment in the world. He later served as a mission president in Japan. He was called to the Seventy at Pres. Monson's first General Conference as prophet, and Stevenson was assigned to the Asia North area. He became the Presiding Bishop in 2012.

DALE G. RENLUND (62) - He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. His father was from Finland and his mother was from Sweden, and they emigrated to Utah so they could be marry in a temple. For three of his teen years, he moved with his parents back to Sweden. Later he was called to serve a mission in Sweden. He got a bachelor's in chemistry and an MD from University of Utah, then did his medical residency at Johns Hopkins University. he moved back to Utah to be the medical director for the Utah Transplantation Affiliated Hospitals Cardiac Transplant Program.

He married Ruth Lybbert, daughter of former Seventy Merlin R. Lybbert. She worked full-time as an attorney. When he was called to the First Quorum of the Seventy in 2009, they were assigned to South Africa.

He's someone who can talk heart-transplant shop with Pres. Nelson or chemistry with Pres. Eyring. His talk also reflected that he'll be someone who can pick up the empathy gauntlet left by Elder Scott.

I will say that I was disappointed that all three Apostles were wealthy white men born in Utah, and I know that I am not alone. If you'd taken any of these two men and had the third be someone from South America or Africa or Asia, the world would be buzzing. I think the prophet takes certain people under consideration and prays about them and makes sure they would be good. I can only speculate that maybe if he'd prayed more about non-white and/or foreign-born considerations, maybe one of the three would be different. 60% of the membership of the LDS Church live outside of the United States, and I pray that eventually we'll see more diversity in the Brethren.

Guessing the Next Three Apostles

I've done my pieces on guessing the next apostle after Elder Perry died, and guessing the next two after Pres. Packer died, but now that Elder Scott has died, Pres. Monson will now have the opportunity to call three Apostles at once, something that hasn't happened since Joseph F. Smith did so in 1906.

The decision is up to Pres. Monson, but he will have help/advice/suggestions from his counselors in the First Presidency as well as the other apostles. It's unclear at this point just how far along his dementia is, but you could tell at this weekend's Women's Session of Conference that he has a handler who is on him at all times to walk him where he needs to go.

As we're only a few days away, I'm going to give my best guesses as to who they'll be. I've given my analysis on most of them in previous posts, and here's my participation in a TribTalk interview with the Salt Lake Tribune's Jennifer Napier-Pearce and Peggy Fletcher Stack, Mormon Matters' Dan Wotherspoon, and A Thoughtful Faith's Gina Colvin.

AMERICAN

FAVORITES

James J. Hamula

1. Ronald A. Rasband - 2/6/51 (64) - He's been in the Presidency of the Seventy the longest. He's a few months older than Neil L. Andersen.
2. James J. Hamula - 11/20/57 (57) - I base this on confirmation from a Reddit user who claims that he works in the Church Office Building, and indeed, Rasband and Hamula are the top two Americans on the list, which coincides from what I've heard from others in the COB.
3. David F. Evans - 8/11/51 (64) - He's been a General Authority for ten years. He's a former stake president, mission president, and his mother was once a counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency. His background is law, and he once worked for the prominent Utah firm Durham, Jones & Pinegar.
4. Gary E. Stevenson - 8/5/55 (60) - Current Presiding Bishop.

MAYBES

Larry J. Echo Hawk

5. Larry J. Echo Hawk - 8/2/48 (67) - I'm sensing increased interest in him. He's Native American (Pawnee), and he'd therefore be the first non-white Apostle in LDS history. He's Democrat, and so it would therefore indicate more diversity in the quorum, which has been a model of uniformity as of late.
6. Gerrit W. Gong - 12/23/53 (61) - He's Chinese, so he'd also be the first non-white Apostle in LDS history, should it happen. He's been an employee for the US State Department and worked in the US Embassy in China. He's worked as a professor at Georgetown and Johns Hopkins before working at BYU. He served his mission in Taiwan and has been a bishop and stake president before becoming a Seventy.
7. Michael T. Ringwood - 2/14/58 (57) - He worked at Huntsman Chemical with Rasband, so I think that there's no way both could be called, but if Rasband is not one of the three, I could Ringwood sliding in there. Plus he's Russell M. Nelson's son-in-law, and family relations have rarely hurt a GA's chances of becoming an Apostle.
8. L. Whitney Clayton - 2/24/50 (65) - I get the feeling if it was up to a couple of the senior Apostles, Clayton would be a shoo-in, but I think there's enough red flags against him that he won't be called. But I mention him because he is in such prime position.
9. Kevin R. Duncan - 10/6/60 (54) - He served his mission in Chile and later went back to be a mission president in Chile. He knows adversity; his first wife died in a car accident when they'd only been married for two years, leaving him with a baby to riase by himself. He remarried and became a lawyer. He's one of the youngest Americans in the Seventy.
10. David L. Beck - 4/12/53 (62) - Recently released as Young Men's General President, he has a lot of experience in Brazil. He lived there for a few years as a child while his dad was a mission president there. When he was 19, he was called to serve his mission in Brazil. Later, he would serve as a mission president in Brazil.

I would be remiss if I did not also mention Donald L. Hallstrom, Richard J. Maynes, Craig C. Christensen, and Lynn G. Robbins as possibilities. I'll also keep the names of Steven E. Snow, Tad R. Callister, Shayne M. Bowen, Allen F. Packer, Hugo Montoya, Scott D. Whiting, and Kent F. Richards out there.

NON-AMERICAN

HEAVY FAVORITES

I'm less confident in making these guesses, because deep down, I know there's a good chance all three new Apostles could still be American. Nevertheless, I hope at least one is not.

Ulisses Soares

1. Ulisses Soares - 10/2/58 (56) - Brazil - Being part of the Presidency of the Seventy is a big plus for him.
2. Claudio R.M. Costa - 3/25/49 (66) - Brazil - Had a stint in the Presidency of the Seventy, and his talks have had a more conservative bent, which might make him ideal to fit right into the Quorum and continue their uniformity.
3. Walter F. Gonzalez - 11/18/52 (62) - Uruguay - Another who had some years in the Presidency of the Seventy. Raised Catholic, he converted to the LDS church when he was 21. He was a mission president in Ecuador, and he worked for CES in Ecuador.
4. Joseph W. Sitati - 5/16/52 (63) - Kenya - He was the first Black African to become a member of the First Quorum of Seventy, and I could see his milestone-making with this calling. His last General Conference talk on eternal marriage signified he would continue the current trajectory of the Q12.

MAYBES

Edward Dube

5. Edward Dube - 5/12/62 (53) - Zimbabwe - The other Black African in the 1st Quorum of Seventy, I could see his youth and charisma being a good addition to the Q12. With Africa one of the fastest-growing continents for church membership, it'd be a good move.
6. Marcos A. Aidukaitis - 8/30/59 (56) - Brazil - He has a background in mechanical engineering, and he's been key in expanding the church in Brazil, serving as the first stake president for two newly organized stakes. He also served as mission president there. Pres. Monson called him to the 1st Quorum of Seventy his first General Conference as prophet.
7. Gerald Causee - 5/20/63 (52) - France - He was the first GA from France, and if called, he'd only be the fourth Apostle in LDS history where English was not his first language (behind Anthon Lund, John A. Widtsoe, and Dieter F. Uchtdorf).
8. Chi Hong (Sam) Wong - 5/25/62 (53) - China - China is the most populous country in the world, and having someone like him as an Apostle/ambassador would do wonders for future church growth there, should religious restrictions ease up.
9. Michael John U. Teh - 6/25/65 (50) - Philippines - The Philippines is another populous country that has seen significant growth as of late. Teh has been a church employee most of his career before becoming a GA, so he's had a chance to work with many Apostles.
10. Rafael E. Pino - 10/27/55 (59) - Venezuela - He served his mission in Venezuela and was a mission president in Argentina. He's also worked most of his career as a church employee.

Other names I could see them considering are Ian S. Ardern, Benjamin De Hoyos, Yoon Hwan Choi, Carlos A. Godoy, Jorg Klebingat, Jose A. Teixeira, and Juan A. Uceda.

So my final guess for the three: Ronald A. Rasband, James J. Hamula, and Ulisses Soares.

Guessing the Next Apostle

There's some other sites who have been good at projecting who the next Apostles will be, but I'm going to try my own hand. First, let's look at the likely candidates. Things I will take into account:

A. The age of the Apostle. The youngest Apostle is David A. Bednar, who turns 63 in a couple weeks. Any Apostle they call that's younger than him, they're calling with the knowledge that the likelihood's increased that this man could be a future President of the Church. No man has been President of the Church who wasn't an Apostle by the age of 51. Monson was 36. I should mention the ages when called of Oaks (51), Holland (53), and Bednar (52).

B. The length and position of service. They'd want someone who's been a General Authority for a while, with a preference for those in the Presidency of the Seventy. Six of the last ten Apostles called had been in the Presidency of the Seventy.

C. Race. The Church just feels way overdue for a non-white Apostle. It's never had one. Other than Dieter F. Uchtdorf, there's hasn't been a non-American Apostle since the days of Pres. Heber J. Grant, when he called John A. Widtsoe (Norway) and Charles A. Callis (Ireland).

D. The condition of Pres. Monson. Pres. Monson has been showing the signs of his age (he turns 88 in August) and there've been rumors for a while he's suffering from dementia. He was able to give his talks at General Conference, but he only spoke twice, and we're just seeing him in his final days. By final days, I mean it could be years, but he isn't as energetic as he used to be. Pres. Monson will have the final say, but his counselors (Eyring, Uchtdorf) will have heavy sway, as will the senior apostles (Packer, Nelson, Oaks, Ballard).

E. I'm not considering former presidents of BYU or BYU-Idaho. They already have Oaks, Holland, Eyring and Bednar in there. Adding a fifth would just be too much.

F. I'm assuming that Packer and Scott and everyone else is still alive in October. If there were 2 or 3 Apostles that needed to be called in October, that would change a few considerations.

G. Bottom line - it's up to the Lord.

So, bearing that in mind, I'm going to look at the non-American candidates first and then the Americans.

The non-Americans

1. ULISSES SOARES - I do think the next Apostle will be non-American, so this Brazilian seems like the ideal choice. He's in the Presidency of the Seventy, a position that has yielded many an Apostle. He's been a General Authority since 2005. His age is in the right range; he will have just celebrated his 57th birthday when October's General Conference hits.

2. EDWARD DUBE - The 53-year-old Zimbabwe native would make headlines. Good speaker, youthful energy and enthusiasm. He's only been in the 1st Quorum of the Seventy since 2013, but he was an Area Authority before that. He's also a convert, having joined the church in 1984. To have a black Apostle would send a wonderful signal for a church that banned blacks from having the priesthood less than forty years ago.

3. GERALD CAUSSE - He's been in the Presiding Bishopric since 2012, which is another body that's produced its share of Apostles. He's young (51) and while he's from France, he's more Mediterranean than Uchtdorf.

4. CLAUDIO R.M. COSTA - Another Brazilian, he might be seen as a safe pick since he's a little older (66), but he's been a G.A. since 2001 and he had a stint in the Presidency of the Seventy.

5. BENJAMIN DE HOYOS - He hails from Mexico. He's 62, about eight months younger than Bednar. He's been in the First Quorum of Seventy since 2005.

Other possibles: Carlos A. Godoy (54-Brazil), Walter F. Gonzalez (62-Uruguay), Jorg Klebingat (47-Germany), Joseph W. Sitati (63-Kenya), Michael John U. Teh (49-Philippines), Terrence M. Vinson (64-Australia), Chi Hong "Sam" Wong (53-China), Kazuhiko Yamashita (61-Japan).

The Americans

1. CRAIG C. CHRISTENSEN - He's been in the Presidency of the Seventy since 2012 and a G.A. since 2002. Before that he served as a mission president in Mexico City. He's 59, the youngest of the Americans in the Presidency. He's another Utah man, but if they stick with another American, it doesn't really matter what state he's from.

2. HUGO MONTOYA - He's 55, born and raised in California, but he is Latino and so would still be a historic calling. He's one of the youngest Americans in the 1st or 2nd Quorum of Seventy.

3. SHANE M. BOWEN - He's a young 60. The native Idahoan has been a General Authority since 2006. He served his mission in Chile and was briefly imprisoned under the Pinochet regime under suspicion of espionage until they realized he was just a missionary. He was president of the Spain Barcelona Mission in 2000-2003. He was the president of Bowen Insurance.

4. L. WHITNEY CLAYTON - He's also in the Presidency of the Seventy, but his name is in the mix because he's a fiercely loyal bulldog for the Q12. He helped coordinate the excommunications of Kate Kelly and John Dehlin, so if he's selected, that sends a signal that the church is going to stay the course with how it deals with its critics. He's also a lawyer.

5. ALLAN F. PACKER - Yes, he's Boyd's son, but don't expect Boyd 2.0. We are a Church of legacy. There have been several father-son Apostles in church history. Both of M. Russell Ballard's grandfathers were Apostles. Packer will turn 67 in July, so he's another one where they're not positioning him to be the next prophet, but from what I've heard of those who've worked with Allan Packer personally, he's a very empathetic man, and he's a good speaker.

Other possibilities: James R. Martino (54), Gifford Nielsen (60), Anthony D. Perkins (54), Ronald Rasband (64), Lynn G. Robbins (62), Gary E. Stevenson (59), W. Christopher Waddell (55), Scott D. Whiting (54).

Current LDS General Authorities & Auxiliary Leaders

GENERAL AUTHORITIES

Thomas S. Monson

First Presidency
(1)  1963-(DOM)-Thomas S. Monson - 8/21/1927 - 87 - USA-Utah
(10) 1995-(GBH)-Henry B. Eyring - 5/31/1933 - 81 - USA-New Jersey
(11) 2004-(GBH)-Dieter F. Uchtdorf - 11/6/1940 - 74 - Czechoslovakia (German)

Quorum of Twelve Apostles
(2)  1970-(JFS)-Boyd K. Packer - 9/10/1924 - 90 - USA-Utah
(3)  1974-(SWK)-L. Tom Perry - 8/5/1922 - 92 - USA-Utah
(4)  1984-(SWK)-Russell M. Nelson - 9/9/1924 - 90 - USA-Utah
(5)  1984-(SWK)-Dallin H. Oaks - 8/12/1932 - 82 - USA-Utah
(6)  1985-(SWK)-M. Russell Ballard - 10/8/1928 - 86 - USA-Utah
(7)  1988-(ETB)-Richard G. Scott - 11/7/1928 - 86 - USA-Idaho
(8)  1994-(ETB)-Robert D. Hales - 8/24/1932 - 82 - USA-New York
(9)  1994-(HWH)-Jeffrey R. Holland - 12/3/1940 - 74 - USA-Utah
(12) 2004-(GBH)-David A. Bednar - 6/15/1952 - 62 - USA-California
(13) 2007-(GBH)-Quentin L. Cook - 9/8/1940 - 74 - USA-Utah
(14) 2008-(TSM)-D. Todd Christofferson - 1/24/1945 - 70 - USA-Utah
(15) 2009-(TSM)-Neil L. Andersen - 8/9/1951 - 63 - USA-Utah

Ronald A. Rasband

Presidency of the Seventy
2000-(2005)-Ronald A. Rasband - 2/6/1951 - 64 - USA-Utah
2001-(2008)-L. Whitney Clayton - 2/24/1950 - 64 - USA-Utah
2000-(2009)-Donald L. Hallstrom - 7/27/1949 - 65 - USA-Hawaii
2001-(2012)-Richard J. Maynes - 10/29/1950 - 64 - USA-California
2002-(2012)-Craig C. Christensen - 3/18/1956 - 58 - USA-Utah
2005-(2013)-Ulisses Soares ------ 10/2/1958 - 56 - Brazil
1997-(2014)-Lynn G. Robbins - 10/27/1952 - 62 - USA-Utah

First Quorum of the Seventy
2005 - Marcos A. Aidukaitis - 8/30/1959 - 55 - Brazil
2011 - Jose L. Alonso - 11/17/1958 - 56 - Mexico
2011 - Ian S. Ardern - 2/28/1954 - 60 - New Zealand
2003 - Marvyn B. Arnold - 7/19/1948 - 66 - USA-Utah
2006 - David S. Baxter - 2/7/1955 - 60 - United Kingdom
2006 - Shayne M. Bowen - 8/29/1954 - 60 - USA-Idaho
2006 - Craig A. Cardon - 12/30/1948 - 66 - USA-Arizona
2009 - Yoon Hwan Choi - 5/18/1957 - 57 - South Korea
2006 - Don R. Clarke - 12/11/1945 - 69 - USA-Idaho
2011 - Carl B. Cook - 10/15/1957 - 57 - USA-Utah
2008 - Lawrence E. Corbridge - 4/6/1949 - 65 - USA-Idaho
2001 - Claudio R.M. Costa - 3/25/1949 - 65 - Brazil

Edward Dube

2011 - LeGrand R. Curtis - 8/1/1952 - 62 - USA-Utah
2005 - Benjamin De Hoyos - 2/20/1953 - 62 - Mexico
2013 - Edward Dube - 5/12/1962 - 52 - Zimbabwe
2010 - Kevin R. Duncan - 10/6/1960 - 54 - USA-Utah
2012 - Larry J. Echo Hawk - 8/2/1948 - 66 - USA-Wyoming (Pawnee)
2012 - Stanley G. Ellis - 1/22/1947 - 68 - USA-Idaho
2005 - David F. Evans - 8/11/1951 - 63 - USA-Utah
2007 - Enrique R. Falabella - 5/1/1950 - 64 - Guatemala
2008 - Eduardo Gavarrett - 5/11/1956 - 58 - Uruguay
2012 - Robert C. Gay - 9/1/1951 - 63 - USA-California
2008 - Carlos A. Godoy - 2/4/1961 - 54 - Brazil
2001 - Christoffel Golden - 6/1/1952 - 62 - South Africa
2010 - Gerrit W. Gong - 12/23/1953 - 61 - USA-California (Chinese)
2001 - Walter F. Gonzalez - 11/18/1952 - 62 - Uruguay
2005 - C. Scott Grow - 5/1/1948 - 66 - USA-Idaho
2008 - James J. Hamula - 11/20/1957 - 56 - USA-California
2006 - Daniel L. Johnson - 12/15/1946 - 68 - Mexico
2005 - Paul V. Johnson - 6/24/1954 - 60 - USA-Florida
2010 - Patrick Kearon - 7/18/1961 - 53 - United Kingdom
2014 - Jorg Klebingat - 12/19/1967 - 47 - Germany
2007 - Erich W. Kopischke - 10/20/1956 - 58 - Germany
2006 - Marcus B. Nash - 3/26/1957 - 57 - USA-Washington
2013 - S. Gifford Nielsen - 10/25/1954 - 60 - USA-Utah
2009 - Brent H. Nielson - 12/8/1954 - 60 - USA-Idaho
2008 - Allan F. Packer - 7/7/1948 - 66 - USA-Utah
2008 - Kevin W. Pearson - 4/10/1957 - 57 - USA-Utah
2006 - Anthony D. Perkins - 7/22/1960 - 54 - USA-Colorado
2005 - Paul B. Pieper - 10/7/1957 - 57 - USA-Idaho
2008 - Rafael E. Pino - 10/27/1955 - 59 - Venezuela
1995 - Bruce D. Porter - 9/18/1952 - 62 - USA-New Mexico
2009 - Dale G. Renlund - 11/1/1952 - 62 - USA-Utah
2009 - Michael T. Ringwood - 2/14/1958 - 57 - USA-Utah
2009 - Joseph W. Sitati - 5/16/1952 - 62 - Kenya
2001 - Steven E. Snow - 11/23/1949 - 65 - USA-Utah
2007 - Michael John U. Teh - 6/25/1965 - 49 - Philippines
2008 - Jose A. Teixeira - 2/24/1961 - 54 - Portugal
2010 - Juan A. Uceda - 7/10/1953 - 61 - Peru
2013 - Arnulfo Valenzuela - 5/1/1959 - 55 - Mexico
1996 - Francisco J. Vinas - 12/28/1946 - 68 - Spain
2011 - W. Christopher Waddell - 6/28/1959 - 55 - USA-California
2012 - Scott D. Whiting - 4/1/1961 - 53 - USA-Utah
2014 - Chi Hong (Sam) Wong - 5/25/1962 - 52 - China
2011 - Kazuhiko Yamashita - 9/1/1953 - 61 - Japan
2008 - Jorge F. Zeballos - 7/19/1955 - 59 - Chile
2007 - Claudio D. Zivic - 12/19/1948 - 66 - Argentina
1995 - W. Craig Zwick - 6/30/1947 - 67 - USA-Utah

Second Quorum of Seventy
2009 - Wilford W. Andersen - 8/22/1949 - 65 - USA-Arizona
2009 - Koichi Aoyagi - 3/24/1945 - 69 - Japan
2011 - Randall K. Bennett - 6/1/1955 - 59 - Canada
2009 - Bruce A. Carlson - 10/3/1949 - 65 - USA-Minnesota
2011 - J. Devn Cornish - 4/12/1951 - 63 - USA-Utah

O. Vincent Haleck

2013 - Timothy J. Dyches - 1/1/1951 - 64 - USA-Utah
2009 - Bradley D. Foster - 1/1/1949 - 66 - USA-Idaho
2013 - Randy D. Funk - 8/1/1952 - 62 - USA-Utah
2011 - O. Vincent Haleck - 1/1/1949 - 66 - Samoa
2013 - Kevin S. Hamilton - 3/1/1955 - 59 - USA-Washington
2014 - Larry S. Kacher - 2/12/1952 - 63 - USA-Minnesota
2010 - Larry R. Lawrence - 8/25/1947 - 67 - USA-Maryland
2010 - Per G. Malm - 9/12/1948 - 66 - Sweden
2014 - Hugo E. Martinez - 1/10/1957 - 58 - Puerto Rico
2009 - James R. Martino - 3/28/1951 - 53 - USA-Texas (Latino)
2010 - Jairo Mazzagardi - 4/10/1947 - 67 - Brazil
2013 - Adrian Ochoa - 3/3/1954 - 60 - USA-California (Latino)
2009 - Kent F. Richards - 2/25/1946 - 69 - USA-Utah
2009 - Gregory A. Schwitzer - 4/2/1948 - 66 - USA-Utah
2013 - Terence M. Vinson - 5/1/1951 - 63 - Australia
2011 - Larry Y. Wilson - 12/31/1949 - 65 - USA-Utah

Presiding Bishopric
2012 - Gary E. Stevenson - 59 - USA-Utah
2012 - Gerald Causee - 51 - France
2012 - Dean Davies - 64 - USA-Utah

GENERAL AUXILIARIES

Linda K. Burton

Relief Society General Presidency
2012 - Linda K. Burton - 62 - USA-Utah
2012 - Carole M. Stephens - 57 - USA-Utah
2012 - Linda S. Reeves - 63 - USA-California

Young Mens General Presidency
2009 - David L. Beck - 61 - USA-Utah
2009 - Larry M. Gibson - 67 - USA-Nevada
2009 - Randall L. Ridd - 62 - USA-Utah

Young Womens General Presidency
2013 - Bonnie L. Oscarson - 64 - USA-Utah
2013 - Carol F. McConkie - 62 - USA-Washington
2013 - Neill F. Marriott - 67 - USA-Louisiana

Primary General Presidency
2010 - Rosemary M. Wixom - 66 - USA-Utah
2010 - Jean A. Stevens - 63 - USA-Utah
2010 - Cheryl A. Esplin - 70 - USA-Wyoming

Sunday School General Presidency
2014 - Tad R. Callister - 69 - USA-California
2014 - John S. Tanner - 64 - USA-Utah
2014 - Devin G. Durrant - 54 - USA-Utah

The Aging of the Apostles

Elder Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles

I've been talking about this for a while, but I thought I'd do an actual post on it. As President Monson's health has forced him to slow down his schedule, there's this growing sense that we don't know how much longer he'll be able to lead the church. Not that he's on death's door or anything, but there's been growing speculation he's suffering from dementia and needs more help whereever he goes. The most recent General Conference felt like a real tribute to him, where those who've served beside him for decades were seeing the beginning of the end, and they wanted him to know how much they and we love him.

It isn't unusual for the Prophet's health to hinder his ability to lead. Ezra Taft Benson, Spencer W. Kimball, David O. McKay, and Heber J. Grant were rarely seen in public or able to speak in Conference their last few years. Pres. Benson was president of the church for nine years, but really only was able to lead the first four.

Age in leadership is becoming an issue for the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve, and it may be time to implement a policy change to reflect this. Medical advancements means the average person lives longer, and right now if the Prophet dies, the most senior Apostle assumes the mantle. But by using this "divine right of kings" style of succession since the days of Brigham Young means that as long as this system continues, the next Prophet will never be younger than his mid-80's when he starts the job. Keep in mind, the average age of the Brethren is right now the highest it's ever been.

My proposal for Apostles would be similar to what they do for the Seventy. In the Quorum of the Seventy, when they hit age 70, they get released and designated emeritus. For Apostles, I'd recommend they have a system where we can have emeritus Apostles, say at age 90.

The first century or two, this system worked because Apostles would resign or be excommunicated or die young. It's also good that this happened, because there seemed to be numerous attempts to stack the deck in the Quorum of the Twelve with relatives. Joseph Smith insisted his brother William be an Apostle when the Three Witnesses, whom Joseph has commissioned to select the original Twelve, were all against it. Brigham Young selected three of his sons to be Apostles (though two of them never actually joined the Q12). John Taylor called one of his sons; Wilford Woodruff called one of his sons; Joseph F. Smith called two of his sons, one of whom (Joseph Fielding Smith) eventually became the Prophet. There are also numerous examples of sons or grandsons of Apostles also becoming Apostles (see Smith, Richards, Lyman, Cannon, Grant, Whitney, Merrill, Cowley, Kimball, and Ballard).

It's been over 70 years since an Apostle resigned or was excommunicated, so the only other way of getting new blood in the Quorum is due to illness or natural causes affecting a current member. Age has therefore been a factor in governance of the church, most famously when Gordon B. Hinckley was made Third Counselor in the First Presidency because Pres. Kimball and his first two counselors were too infirm to do their jobs.

Right now of the 15 Brethren, 2 are in their 60's, 4 are in their 70's, and the other 9 are in their 80's or 90's. Not to be morbid, but Elder Packer is to the point where each General Conference feels like his last, but the next two in line are in their 90's and they both seem like they have a few years to go.

The current leadership seniority ladder is thus, including what year he was called and which prophet called him:

First Presidency
1963-(DOM)-Thomas S. Monson - 8/21/1927 - 87
--1995-(GBH)-Henry B. Eyring - 5/31/1933 - 81
--2004-(GBH)-Dieter F. Uchtdorf - 11/6/1940 - 74

Quorum of Twelve
1970-(JFS)-Boyd K. Packer - 9/10/1924 - 90
1974-(SWK)-L. Tom Perry - 8/5/1922 - 92
1984-(SWK)-Russell M. Nelson - 9/9/1924 - 90
1984-(SWK)-Dallin H. Oaks - 8/12/1932 - 82
1985-(SWK)-M. Russell Ballard - 10/8/1928 - 86
1988-(ETB)-Richard G. Scott - 11/7/1928 - 86
1994-(ETB)-Robert D. Hales - 8/24/1932 - 82
1994-(HWH)-Jeffrey R. Holland - 12/3/1940 - 74
--HBE - 81
--DFU - 74
2004-(GBH)-David A. Bednar - 6/15/1952 - 62
2007-(GBH)-Quentin L. Cook - 9/8/1940 - 74
2008-(TSM)-D. Todd Christofferson - 1/24/1945 - 70
2009-(TSM)-Neil L. Andersen - 8/9/1951 - 63

Now say they decided to implement this policy this April. Elders Packer, Perry and Nelson would be designated emeritus with a vote of thanks, and there would be three new Apostles. Let's say their ages are 60, 53 and 50, and two of them are non-American. Elder Oaks would become President of the Q12.

Let's now say that the emeritus policy doesn't apply to the Prophet, and Pres. Monson lives five more years. April 2020, Oaks would become the new Prophet at age 87. Elders Ballard and Scott will have been made emeritus already, and so two younger Apostles would have been called before Pres. Oaks makes his first calling. Elder Hales would be President of the Q12, and then 12 of the 15 Brethren would be in their 70's or younger.

There are many advantages to this. One, we know that the Brethren will never give anything other than a united front. There are many issues they aren't addressing right now, because they don't all agree on how to answer it. With more turnover, they may have an easier time getting to conclusions on more things. We sustain them as prophets, seers and revelators, and on some things, there may be a Doubting Thomas in the Quorum that's halting some prophecies, sights, or revelations. I think back to the issue of Blacks and the Priesthood. Hugh B. Brown really wanted to reverse this policy in the 1960's. It should have been reversed in the 1960's if not sooner. (It never should have been a policy, but that's another post.) Harold B. Lee was against it, and so the ban stayed. (And it's been my theory that maybe the Lord called Lee home a little early so that the ban could be lifted.)

Another advantage is the constant fluctuation of cultural differences in Quorum. Sometimes it seems like there aren't enough delineations over what is doctrine, what is policy, and what is just cultural, which is to say we've made certain policies because of cultural bias.

It feels like The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is due for some big things in the 21st century, and this would be a significant policy change that could help the leadership lead on those very things.

Called by Thomas S. Monson

Thomas S. Monson was only 36 when he was called to be an Apostle, and never since has one so young been called. He was 80 when he became prophet. He'd been in the First Presidency for the three previous prophets, so he was ready and prepared to take over.

First Presidency in 2008:
Thomas S. Monson
Henry B. Eyring
Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Quorum of the Twelve in 2008:
Boyd K. Packer, L. Tom Perry,
Russell M. Nelson, Dallin H. Oaks,
M. Russell Ballard, Joseph B. Wirthlin,
Richard G. Scott, Robert D. Hales,
Jeffrey R. Holland, David A. Bednar,
Quentin L. Cook...

Called to be Apostles by Thomas S. Monson:
D. Todd Christofferson, Neil L. Anderson

D. TODD CHRISTOFFERSON
(January 24, 1945 - )

Apostle - April 5, 2008

Christofferson was born in American Fork, Utah, and lived most of his childhood in Utah Valley until his family moved to New Jersey. He served his mission in Argentina where Richard G. Scott was his mission president.

He got his bachelors from BYU and a JD from Duke. He clerked for Judge John J. Sirica during Watergate's hearings. He worked at law firms or as corporate counsel in a few different states.

He served as a bishop, stake president and regional representative before being called to the First Quorum of the Seventy. Right before he called to be an Apostle, he wrote an Ensign article about not just Apostles, but every member of the church has the capacity to stand as a witness for Christ.

He's been part of the effort to improve the church's relations with the LGBT community through Mormonsandgays.org. (His brother is gay.) He's one to watch.

NEIL L. ANDERSEN
(August 9, 1951 - )

Apostle - April 4, 2009

Andersen was born in Logan, Utah, and raised in Pocatello, Idaho. He served his mission in France. He got his bachelors from BYU and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He worked as a vice-president at a health-care business before returning to France as a mission president.

About a year after being released as mission president, he was called into the Seventy. He was in the Presidency of the Seventy when Joseph B. Wirthlin died, and Pres. Monson called Andersen to join the Q12. He's currently 63. He is the most recent Apostle to be called to the Q12.

----

General Conference is this weekend. Here's a look at the age-breakdown of the current Fifteen, including their seniority.

In Their 90's:
L. Tom Perry (92) - 3rd
Russell M. Nelson (90) - 4th
Boyd K. Packer (90) - 2nd

In Their 80's:
Thomas S. Monson (87) - 1st
M. Russell Ballard (85) - 6th
Richard G. Scott (85) - 7th
Dallin H. Oaks (82) - 5th
Robert D. Hales (82) - 8th
Henry B. Eyring (81) - 10th

In Their 70's:
Quentin L. Cook (74) - 13th
Dieter F. Uchtdorf (73) - 11th
Jeffrey R. Holland (73) - 9th

In Their 60's:
D. Todd Christofferson (69) - 14th
Neil L. Andersen (63) - 15th
David A. Bednar (62) - 12th

Called by Harold B. Lee

Harold B. Lee was relatively young when he took over as President of the LDS Church at age 73. Most people thought he'd be in charge for the next 15-20 years, but he was in charge for less than 18 months before his sudden death. Therefore he only had the opportunity to call one Apostle.

BRUCE R. McCONKIE
(July 29, 1915 - April 19, 1985)

Apostle - October 12, 1972

McConkie was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He served his mission in the Eastern States and married Amelia Smith, daughter of Joseph Fielding Smith, while the two fo them were at the University of Utah. He was a WWII vet, working for military intelligence.

After the war he worked as a city attorney and as a reporter for the Deseret News. He was called to be a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy at age 31 by Pres. George Albert Smith.

In 1958 he wrote Mormon Doctrine, which tried to serve as a one-volume encyclopedia about the doctrines of the LDS church. Many of the Brethren were unhappy with its publication, since it wasn't authorized and had some errors and an overall harsh tone. The 1996 version had some revisions but it's since gone out of print.

When McConkie was called to be an Apostle after the death of his father-in-law, he said he'd known for some time that this calling would come. He was seen as one of the more authoritative voices in the Q12. He was quoted in 1980 saying to an LDS scholar: "It is my province to teach to the Church what the doctrine is. It is your province to echo what I say or to remain silent."

His final testimony at the April 1985 General Conference, when he knew he was dying from cancer, was a powerful one about the Savior. He died less than two weeks later.

Called by Lorenzo Snow

Lorenzo Snow was 30 when the prophet Joseph Smith was killed. He was 34 when Brigham Young called him to be an Apostle. He was 84 when he became the 5th President of the LDS Church. He established immediate reorganization of the First Presidency upon the death of the prophet. He also emphasized tithing as a hallmark for membership. The Church was deep in debt when he took over, largely due to financial hardships from all the legal troubles over polygamy. Within a few short years after the tithing emphasis, the Church was debt-free.

Called to be Apostles by Lorenzo Snow:
Rudger Clawson, Reed Smoot

RUDGER CLAWSON
(March 12, 1857 - June 21, 1943)

Apostle - October 10, 1898
Second Counselor - October 6, 1901
President of the Q12 - March 17, 1921

Clawson was born in Salt Lake City and raised in the church. He served his mission in the Eastern US, and while he was in Georgia, an angry anti-Mormon mob surrounded him and his companion Joseph Standing. Standing was shot and killed. When the mob pointed their guns at Clawson, he folded his arms and told them to shoot, but the mob ran away instead. He accompanied Standing's body back to Utah.

Clawson was the first polygamist convicted under the Edmunds Act in 1882. Twelve non-Mormons jurors found him guilty and the non-Mormon judge gave him the maximum sentence of 42 months in prison and a $1500 fine. He appealed all the way to the Supreme Court and lost. After serving 38 months, President Grover Cleveland pardoned him. A year later, he was an Apostle.

After Anthon H. Lund died, Lorenzo Snow called Clawson to be in the First Presidency, but four days later, Snow died. The new president, Joseph F. Smith, selected different counselors, so Clawson returned to the Q12. He became the Quorum's Acting President in 1918, but the actual Q12 President in 1921. He's the longest serving President of the Q12 (21 years) to not actually go on to become prophet. He died of pneumonia at age 86.

REED SMOOT
(January 10, 1862 - February 9, 1941)

Apostle - April 8, 1900

It may be unseemly now, but since the days of Joseph Smith, the LDS church and its leaders had no problem engaging in local political affairs. Smith ran for US president while prophet; Brigham Young served as governor while prophet; and Apostles were regularly elected to the Utah legislature. Upon the death of Franklin D. Richards, Smoot became an Apostle at age 38, and a couple years later, he was elected as a US Senator, and he would serve as one for thirty years.

When he was first elected, it caused a nationwide scandal over whether a Mormon Apostle should be allowed to serve in the Senate at all. Even though Smoot wasn't a polygamist, there were still some members secretly continuing plural marriage well after the 1890 Manifesto. It was during the Smoot hearings that Pres. Joseph F. Smith re-emphasized the end of polygamy to the point that two Apostles resigned from the Quorum over the issue. Smoot was finally allowed to take his seat in the Senate in 1907.

He sponsored the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act in 1930, which raised tariffs on several goods. Pres. Hoover signed it into law, and it's largely credited for making the Great Depression worse. Smoot ran for a sixth term in 1932 and lost, so he dedicated the remainder of his days solely on his duties as an Apostle. He was third in line in seniority when he died at age 79.

Called by Joseph Smith: The Replacement Apostles

I've gone over the First Presidencies and original Twelve Apostles called by Joseph Smith. Now to the rest of the Apostles Smith called to fill the vacancies that would happen in the Quorum.

The Replacements:
John E. Page, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, George A. Smith,
Willard Richards, Lyman Wight, Amasa Lyman

JOHN E. PAGE
(February 25, 1799 - October 14, 1867)

Apostle - 1838
Excommunicated - 1846

Page was baptized in 1833 and was a successful missionary. He was the Matthias of this dispensation, the first replacement Apostle in 1838. He and three others were actually named in the D&C 118 revelation; he and Taylor were ordained first, and the other two (Wilford Woodruff and Willard Richards) were ordained later. When Page was called to join Orson Hyde in a mission to Jerusalem, he backed out. He became more disaffected with the church and when Smith died, he tried to claim that he should be the next leader. That went nowhere, but he was able to stay in the Quorum even while deciding that James J. Strang should be the next leader. Brigham Young finally excommunicated in 1846, but soon afterwards, Page would say he felt Smith and Strang were fallen prophets. He eventually joined the Church of Christ Temple Lot group.

JOHN TAYLOR
(November 1, 1808 - July 25, 1887)

Apostle - 1838
President of Q12 - 1875
Prophet/President - 1880

Taylor thus far is the only Apostle in the LDS Church to have been born outside of the United States and gone on to become prophet. Born in England, he studied to become a Methodist preacher while in his teens, and he and other family members felt impressed to preach the gospel in the New World. His parents and siblings migrated to Canada in 1830, and he joined them in 1832.

He and his wife Leonora met the missionary Parley P. Pratt in 1836. Leonora joined the church first, and John later followed. They moved to Missouri, and Taylor and Page were made Apostles the same day in 1838 (Page would therefore have seniority due to age).

Taylor and fellow Apostle Willard Richards were with Joseph & Hyrum Smith in Carthage Jail on June 27, 1844, when the mob stormed the prison and killed the brothers. Taylor was shot four times but managed to survive.

He became a US citizen in 1849, and he served five terms as Speaker of the House for the Utah territorial legislature.

Taylor was third in seniority when Brigham ruled that seniority reset if an Apostle were removed from the Quorum and then re-added. This instantly made Taylor the president of the Q12. When Brigham Young died in 1877, Taylor led the church as President of the Quorum of the Twelve until he reorganized the First Presidency in 1880.

The Edmonds Act passed in 1882, making polygamy illegal. Taylor had seven wives, and spent years in exile. He died from heart failure at age 78.

WILFORD WOODRUFF
(March 1, 1807 - September 2, 1898)

Apostle - 1839
President of Q12 - 1880
Prophet/President - 1889

Woodruff was baptized in 1833 and immediately became a solid missionary for the young church. he would travel with Joseph & Hyrum Smith, and later did missions throughout Kentucky, Tennessee, Connecticut and Maine.

Upon Smiths' death, he sided with Brigham Young and the Quorum of the Twelve. He was one of the earliest to record that when Young and Sidney Rigdon were giving their case to the congregation on who should lead the church, Young had the look and voice of Joseph Smith.

Woodruff had nine wives, though two left him after a month and two more divorced him. Two more died before the 1890 Manifesto which ended polygamy in the LDS Church, and after 1890 he only lived with his wife Emma while supporting the other two in separate homes. The Manifesto was a political necessity, as the US government was pssing more and more laws against polygamy and trying to confiscate all church property.

GEORGE A. SMITH
(June 26, 1817 - September 1, 1875)

Apostle - 1839
First Counselor - 1868

George was first cousin to Joseph & Hyrum Smith, though he'd never met Joseph until he was baptized. George was the son of John Smith, who'd later be a counselor in Joseph's First Presidency. George was only 21 when Joseph ordained him to be an Apostle.

George and Wilford Woodruff were ordained the same day after Thomas B. March and Orson Hyde had been removed from the Quorum of the Twelve.

Smith was one of the more bombastic Apostles in the 1850's and gave fiery sermons in southern Utah in 1857 which may have been used by the local leadership to help justify the Mountain Meadows Massacre.

Smith was made First Counselor in Brigham's First Presidency after Heber C. Kimball died. Smith himself died at the relatively young age of 58. His grandson George Albert Smith would later become the President of the Church in 1945.

WILLARD RICHARDS
(June 24, 1804 - March 11, 1854)

Apostle - 1840
Second Counselor - 1847

Willard Richards was a cousin to Brigham Young, and he first read the Book of Mormon in 1836. As soon as he was baptized he went on a mission to the Eastern United States and then to England. He was ordained an Apostle in 1840, but there'd been a revelation over a year previous that he should become one. Richards served as a secretary for Joseph Smith, and he was in Carthage Jail with John Taylor the night Joseph & Hyrum were killed. Richards escaped unharmed. He helped get Taylor out to receive medical attention.

He was Second Counselor when Brigham Young reorganized the First President in 1847, and he kept that position until his premature death at age 49 from dropsy.

LYMAN WIGHT
(May 9, 1796 - March 31, 1858)

Apostle - 1841
Excommunicated - 1848

Wight was active throughout the Joseph Smith section of LDS Church history. He was baptized by Oliver Cowdery in 1830. He did a mission in Missouri and later helped the Saints migrate there. It was in his home in 1838 that Smith received the revelation about Adam-ondi-Ahman. Wight was one of the men held prisoner for months with Smith in Liberty Jail.

In 1844, Smith had commissioned Wight to find a place in Texas that could be a possible safe settlement for the Saints. After Smith's death, Wight and his followers established themselves, and he refused repeated requests by Brigham Young to join them in Utah. Young finally excommunicated him. Wight sided with William Smith for a few months before that fell apart, and later he said he felt the mantle of prophet should fall to one of Joseph Smith's sons. Shortly after he died, his followers sided with Joseph Smith III in the newly-formed RLDS church.

AMASA LYMAN

(March 30, 1813 - February 4, 1877)

Apostle - 1842
Counselor - 1842
Excommunicated - 1867

Lyman joined the church in 1832 after meeting Orson Pratt and Lyman E. Johnson, and he became one of the church's best preachers. He spent about half of the next decade on missions.

Smith made him an Apostle in 1842, but he was removed from the Quorum after Orson Pratt was rebaptized and readmitted. Smith then made him a Counselor in the First Presidency, and all indications were he intended to remove Sidney Rigdon and replace him with Lyman. But at the next General Conference, the congregation refused to approve Rigdon being removed.

Smith taught him polygamy in 1844, and he took on extra wives. After Smith's death, he took on a couple of Smith's widows. During the succession crisis, he and John Smith, the other surviving member of the First Presidency, sided with Young's claim over Rigdon's, and reaffirmed Joseph had intended the authority to reside with the Quorum of the Twelve. Lyman was readded to the Quorum after the excommunication of William Smith.

Lyman was one of the more reluctant Apostles to acquiesce when Brigham Young wanted to reorganize the First Presidency. (The biggest opponent was Orson Pratt, but after all agreed, the First Presidency was re-formed.)

Lyman was a colonizer in the west and helped found San Bernadino, CA. He became increasingly uncomfortable with the paranoia of the 1850's, and he was among the first to criticize the fiery rhetoric that helped lead to the Mountain Meadows Massacre. He also wasn't happy with Brigham's increasing control of so many political and economic avenues in Utah. He got in trouble for a 1862 speech he gave in Scotland where he'd argued against the necessity of the Atonement, and it was used as evidence in his ultimate excommunication in 1867. Afterwards, Lyman became more open in his criticism of Young and aided William Godbe in the Godbeite movement to separate church and state in Utah.

Lyman's son Francis later became an Apostle, and in 1909, Amasa Lyman was posthumously restored to the Apostleship.

(I'm still in the middle of reading his biography by E. Leo Lyman).

Called By Joseph Smith: The Original Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Now to the original Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. They were called and then arranged by age in their seniority. For those called after, seniority went by ordination date.

The Original Twelve:
Thomas B. Marsh, David W. Patten, Brigham Young,
Heber C. Kimball, Orson Hyde, William E. McLellin,
Parley P. Pratt, Luke S. Johnson, William Smith,
Orson Pratt, John F. Boynton, Lyman E. Johnson

THOMAS B. MARSH
(November 1, 1799 - January 1866)

Apostle - 1835
President of Q12 - 1835
Excommunicated - 1839
Rebaptized - 1857

Marsh was an early convert, baptized in 1830 just months after the Church had been organized. As the oldest of the original 12 called, he became de facto the President of the Quorum.  The story goes that he was upset over a dispute between his wife and another Mormon woman over milk from a cow, but he also was opposed to the actions of the Danites, and he signed an affadavit on October 24,1838, against Joseph Smith, claiming that Smith wanted to take over the state of Missouri, then the US, then the world. It fueled hysteria already brewing agains the Mormons in Missouri. In fact, the very next day was the Battle of Crooked River where three Mormons (including my great-great-great-grandfather Gideon H. Carter) were killed. Soon, Gov. Boggs signed the Extermination Order.

Marsh moved to Utah a humble man in 1857 and rejoined the church, but never again held significant leadership positions.

DAVID W. PATTEN
(November 14, 1799 - October 25, 1838)

Apostle - 1835
Killed - 1838

Patten joined the church in 1832 and immediately went on several short missions for the church. He was renowned for healing people whereever he preached. In Missouri he engaged in Danite activities and helped loot the non-Mormon town of Gallatin after it had been abandoned.

When three Mormon men were kidnapped and brought near Crooked River, he led a group of men to go rescue them. He wore a white coat that day, making him an easy target. The men were freed, but Patten was shot in the belly, and he died from his wounds that night, surrounded by loved ones, and he bore his testimony to the end.

BRIGHAM YOUNG
(June 1, 1801 - August 29, 1877)

Apostle - 1835
President of Q12 - 1840
President/Prophet - 1847

Young's first wife died shortly after he joined the Church in 1832. Young did many missions for the Church, including to Canada and England. After Marsh's excommunication and Patten's death, Young became the most senior Apostle. He embraced the doctrine of polygamy when Smith presented to him.

After Smith's death in 1844, he argued that the Quorum had all the keys and authority of the Priesthood, and that they should lead the Church. Wilford Woodruff and others would later claim that Young had the voice and face of Joseph Smith when he made his case to the congregation as to who should lead the church.

By 1847, Young wanted to reorganize the First Presidency, and the other Apostles eventually agreed. He set the precedent for the senior Apostle to become the next President of the Church. He also ruled in 1875 that if a member was removed from the Quorum and re-added, their seniority started over. Had he not done this, Orson Hyde would have succeeded him as the third President of the Church, but Hyde had been removed from the Quorum for a month in 1839.

(I'm actually reading Leonard Arrington's 1984 biography of Brigham for the first time right now.)

HEBER C. KIMBALL
(June 14, 1801 - June 22, 1868)

Apostle - 1835
First Counselor - 1847

It's fun to imagine how different the course of LDS history would be if Heber C. Kimball had been born three weeks earlier. (Or if Brigham's older brother Phineas had been made an Apostle as the Three Witnesses originally wanted.)

Kimball was always a loyal follower. He was also a successful missionary, particularly in England. He accepted polygamy and even gave his 14-year-old daughter Helen to Joseph Smith as a plural wife. After Smith's death, he threw his support behind Brigham Young and the other Apostles, and he was Young's First Counselor upon the reorganization of the First Presidency.

Kimball died at age 67 from injuries from an accident.

ORSON HYDE
(January 8, 1805 - November 28, 1878)

Apostle - 1835
Disfellowshipped - 1838
Reinstated - 1839
President of Q12 - 1847
Lost seniority - 1875

Hyde was a member of Sidney Rigdon's congregation, and he joined the LDS church with Rigdon. He was an early companion to Hyrum and Samuel H. Smith on missions. By 1838, he was disenchanted with Smith and he co-signed Marsh's October 24, 1838, affadavit. While he was disfellowshipped and removed from the Quorum, he recanted the affadavit and asked to be reconciled with the church instead of excommunicated from it. They restored him to the Quorum in 1839.

In 1841 he travelled to Jerusalem and Palestine, and he dedicated the land for a future gathering of the Jews.

Because of Young's 1875 ruling about seniority, Hyde went from being next in line to fourth. Hyde died just over a year after Young.

WILLIAM E. McLELLIN
(January 18, 1806 - April 24, 1883)

Apostle - 1835
Excommunicated - 1838

McLellin was 29 when he was ordained an Apostle, and he was among those who lost faith in Joseph Smith after the collapse of the Kirtland Safety Society. he became an active enemy of Smith and the church after his excommunication, even robbing Smith's home while he was in Liberty Jail.

While Smith was prisoner, McLellin asked the sheriff for the right to flog him. The sheriff said he'd allow if Smith could fight back. Smith agreed, as long as his irons were off. McLellin didn't want to fight unless he could then have a club. Smith agreed, but the sheriff refused to allow it, believing McLellin would have too much the advantage.

After Smith died, McLellin looked to Sidney Rigdon, then David Whitmer, then James J. Strang, before ultimately siding with the Church of Christ Temple Lot spinoff, which exists to this day with about 7000 members.

PARLEY P. PRATT
(April 12, 1807 - May 13, 1857)

Apostle - 1835
Killed - 1857

Pratt was a profilic missionary and spokesman for the Church. In 1830, he came across a copy of the Book of Mormon, believed it, and had to discover the church behind it. He found Hyrum Smith and was soon baptized by Oliver Cowdery.

After being ordained an Apostle, he served missions all over the world, including South America and the Pacific islands.

He was one of the prisoners held with Joseph and Hyrum Smith in Liberty Jail for six months.

While he was traveling the eastern States, he was hunted down by Hector McLean, the estranged first husband to Eleanor, one of Parley's plural wives. Hector had been a drunkard and wife-beater when he was married to her, and he shot and stabbed Parley, who died from his wounds within hours.

His murder sent shockwaves throughout the Church and helped raise the paranoia that was ramping up in Utah.

LUKE S. JOHNSON
(November 3, 1807 - December 9, 1861)

Apostle - 1835
Excommunicated - 1838
Rebaptized - 1846

Luke was part of the original Twelve with his brother Lyman and his brother-in-law Orson Hyde. He served a few missions and was a big defender of the Church, but after the Kirtland Safety Society went under, he lost confidence in Smith and was eventually excommunicated.

After Smith's death, Luke sought to reconcile with the Quorum of the Twelve. hyde rebaptized him in 1846, but he never again held high office.

WILLIAM SMITH
(March 13, 1811 - November 13, 1893)

Apostle - 1835
Excommunicated - 1845

When the Three Witnesses were commissioned to select the 12 Apostles, they'd suggested Brigham Young's brother Phineas, but Joseph Smith fought for his younger brother William, and he got his way. Each of the three would later express their regret.

William was a wild-card and was known to get into physical fights with Joseph. When Joseph and Hyrum died, William sided with Brigham Young, but by the October 1845 General Conference, Parley P. Pratt refused to sustain him as an Apostle, and the rest of the church followed suit. Williams was furious and went to the press for revenge. By December he was excommunicated.

He looked around at other off-shoots, joining Strang's group for a time. He tried starting his own church with himself as president, but that died off quickly. He reached out in 1860 to rejoin the LDS church, but then he became a soldier in the Civil War, and afterwards showed no interest in rejoining. He joined the RLDS Church, where his nephew Joseph Smith III was president, and stayed with them until his death.

ORSON PRATT
(September 19, 1811 - October 3, 1881)

Apostle - 1835
Excommunicated - 1843
Reinstated - 1843

Orson was baptized on his 19th birthday by his older brother Parley. He instantly went on several short missions, and longer ones after his ordination as an Apostle. When he got back from his mission in Scotland in 1841, he did not agree with polygamy and was upset that his wife Sarah said Joseph Smith had asked her to become one of his spiritual wives. Orson sided with his wife against Smith and was eventually excommunicated for it. A few months later, he reconciled with Smith and was fully reinstated, rejoining the Quorum of the Twelve. Pratt eventually took on ten wives, which Sarah resented, and she eventually became an outspoken anti-polygamy advocate.

In 1852, Pratt wrote a series of articles in The Seer outlining LDS doctrine. A few years later, the First presidency condemned his writings.

Were it not for Brigham's 1875 change in seniority policy, not only would Orson Hyde have been the third prophet, but Orson Pratt would've been the fourth.

JOHN F. BOYNTON
(September 20, 1811 - October 20, 1890)

Apostle - 1835
Excommunicated - 1838

Boynton was a medical student when he joined the church in 1832. He was among the group who split with Smith over the failure of the Kirtland Safety Society and felt like they'd been promised by God it would not fail. He was part of the mass group with Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer and the Johnson brothers that were excommunicated after declaring Smith a fallen prophet.

Boynton never rejoined the church, but he became a prominent inventor. He designed torpedoes during the Civil War and later patented the soda fountain.

LYMAN E. JOHNSON
(October 24, 1811 - December 20, 1859)

Apostle - 1835
Excommunicated - 1838

He was the youngest of the original twelve, only 23 when ordained an Apostle. He was a successful missionary in his time, but like many others, he fell away after the Kirtland Safety Society failed. He and his brother Luke were both excommunicated but while Luke returned to the church later, Lyman never did.

----

So, of the original Twelve, six were excommunicated by Smith, and a seventh shortly after his death. Of those ex'd, three rejoined the church, and one was restored as an Apostle. Two others were killed, one before Smith, one after.