Latter-day Apostles

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are led by a group of 15 men, each ordained as an apostle of Jesus Christ. The longest-serving apostle has historically served as the President of the Church. The President selects two apostles to serve with him in the First Presidency. The other apostles form the Quorum of Twelve Apostles with the most senior of them serving as President of the Quorum.

When one of the apostles dies, a new apostle is selected by the President and sustained by the membership of the Church at a General Conference. When the President of the Church dies, the First Presidency is dissolved, leaving the President of the Quorum of the Twelve as the presiding authority of the church. The counselors in the First Presidency return to the Quorum of the Twelve and a new President is chosen by the Quorum.

M. Russell Ballard was serving as Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles when he died on November 12, 2023, leaving a vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve. With the apostle second in seniority, Dallin H. Oaks, serving as a counselor in the First Presidency of the Church, Jeffrey R. Holland was set apart as the Acting President of the Twelve on November 15, 2023. Patrick Kearon was called and set apart on December 7, 2023 to fill the vacancy left by President Ballard.

→ See an interactive graphic of all members of the Twelve called since 1835.

Mouse over the photos to see details for each apostle.