Inthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Church of Jesus Christ), theQuorum of the Twelve Apostles (also known as theQuorum of the Twelve, theCouncil of the Twelve Apostles, or simplythe Twelve) is one of the governing bodies in the church hierarchy. Members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles areapostles, with the calling to beprophets, seers, and revelators,evangelical ambassadors, and special witnesses ofJesus Christ.
Thequorum was first organized in 1835 and designated as a body of "traveling councilors" with jurisdiction outside areas where the church was formally organized, equal in authority to theFirst Presidency, theSeventy, the standingPresiding High Council, and thehigh councils of the variousstakes.[2] The jurisdiction of the Twelve was originally limited to areas of the world outsideZion or its stakes. After the apostles returned from their missions to England,Joseph Smith altered the responsibilities of the quorum: it was given charge of the affairs of the church, under direction of the First Presidency.[3][4][5]
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The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles claims a leadership role second only to that of the First Presidency. At the time of thedeath of Joseph Smith, thePresident of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles wasBrigham Young. Young emphasized what he said was Smith's authorization that the Quorum of the Twelve should be the central governing body of the church after Smith's death.[7] In 1847, the Twelve reorganized the First Presidency with Young as church president, and the Twelve took on a supporting role within a chain of command under the First Presidency,[8] a role that continues to the present.
The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the Church of Jesus Christ has some general similarities to theCollege of Cardinals of theCatholic Church, primarily in its duty to choose a successor upon the death of achurch president.[9] There are differences, due in part to the President and the Twelve having life tenure, which may lead to an older or infirm President of the Church, but also provides considerable training of apostles to take over the office of the Presidency:[10] Church policy decisions are made unanimously, with consultation among the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve, and where appropriate, the Seventy, each of which has its own responsibility. Effort is made to ensure that the organizations are united in purpose and policy.
Each member of the quorum is accepted by the church as an apostle, as well as a "prophet, seer, and revelator." Thus, each apostle is considered to hold the "keys of the priesthood", "the rights of presidency, or the power given to man by God to direct, control, and govern God's priesthood on earth."[11] Individually and collectively, the Twelve Apostles hold the keys and have conferred the authority to exercise all of the keys upon thePresident of the Church. Thus, as outlined in theDoctrine and Covenants, only the President of the Church is entitled to receive revelation or dictate policy for the church.
A major role of the Twelve is to appoint a successor when the President of the Church dies. Shortly after this occurs, the apostles meet in a room of theSalt Lake Temple to appoint a successor. Invariably the successor has been the most senior member of the Twelve, with seniority determined by the longest continuous duration of service. The apostles lay their hands on his head and ordain him andset him apart as President of the Church. The president then chooses two counselors in the First Presidency, who arehigh priests (usually apostles). The second most senior surviving apostle becomes the President of the Quorum of the Twelve. In cases when the President of the Quorum is simultaneously called to be a counselor in the First Presidency, or is unable to serve due to health considerations, anActing President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is called to fill the position. This has invariably been the most senior member of the quorum who is not a member of the First Presidency.
As vacancies arise within the quorum, the Twelve and counselors in the First Presidency are invited to meet and counsel together in prayer in order to recommend to the President of the Church who will be called to fill the vacancy. The final decision rests with the President of the Church, but is formally voted on by the Twelve and the counselors in the First Presidency. The chosen man is generally ordained an apostle by the President of the Church, a counselor in the First Presidency, or the President of the Twelve. Depending on circumstances, this may occur before or after asustaining vote is held at a churchgeneral conference. AnyMelchizedek priesthood holder is eligible to be called as an apostle. Generally, new apostles have considerable experience in church government and have served faithfully asbishops,stake presidents,mission presidents, orseventies.
As a matter of policy, apostles are generally asked to retire from their professional careers and devote themselves to full-time church service, including memberships of boards and professional organizations. Some apostles receive assignments to become members of boards of church-owned for-profit corporations and trustees of the church's educational institutions. Some exceptions have been made to this rule, as when quorum memberEzra Taft Benson was permitted to serve asUnited States Secretary of Agriculture from 1953 to 1961 and when quorum memberReed Smoot was permitted to serve in theUnited States Senate from 1903 to 1933. The calling of an apostle is typically a lifetime calling.
 | Name: | Jeffrey R. Holland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Born: | (1940-12-03)December 3, 1940 (age 84) | ||
| Positions: | President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 14, 2025 (2025-10-14) – present Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, called byRussell M. Nelson, November 15, 2023 (2023-11-15) – September 27, 2025 (2025-09-27) Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, called byHoward W. Hunter, June 23, 1994 (1994-06-23) LDS ChurchApostle, called by Howard W. Hunter, June 23, 1994 (1994-06-23) First Quorum of the Seventy, called byEzra Taft Benson, April 1, 1989 (1989-04-01) – June 23, 1994 (1994-06-23) | ||
| Notes: | A former president ofBrigham Young University. | ||
 | Name: | Dieter F. Uchtdorf | |
| Born: | (1940-11-06)November 6, 1940 (age 85) | ||
| Positions: | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, January 2, 2018 (2018-01-02) – present Second Counselor in theFirst Presidency, called byThomas S. Monson, February 3, 2008 (2008-02-03) – January 2, 2018 (2018-01-02) Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, called byGordon B. Hinckley, October 2, 2004 (2004-10-02) – February 3, 2008 (2008-02-03) LDS ChurchApostle, called by Gordon B. Hinckley, October 7, 2004 (2004-10-07) Presidency of the Seventy, called by Gordon B. Hinckley, August 15, 2002 (2002-08-15) – October 2, 2004 (2004-10-02) First Quorum of the Seventy, called by Gordon B. Hinckley, April 7, 1996 (1996-04-07) – October 2, 2004 (2004-10-02) Second Quorum of the Seventy, called byEzra Taft Benson, April 2, 1994 (1994-04-02) – April 7, 1996 (1996-04-07) | ||
| Notes: | The first apostle of German descent. | ||
 | Name: | David A. Bednar | |
| Born: | (1952-06-15)June 15, 1952 (age 73) | ||
| Positions: | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, called byGordon B. Hinckley, October 2, 2004 (2004-10-02) LDS ChurchApostle, called by Gordon B. Hinckley, October 7, 2004 (2004-10-07) | ||
| Notes: | Final president ofRicks College and first president ofBrigham Young University–Idaho. | ||
 | Name: | Quentin L. Cook | |
| Born: | (1940-09-08)September 8, 1940 (age 85) | ||
| Positions: | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, called byGordon B. Hinckley, October 6, 2007 (2007-10-06) LDS ChurchApostle, called by Gordon B. Hinckley, October 11, 2007 (2007-10-11) Presidency of the Seventy, called by Gordon B. Hinckley, August 1, 2007 (2007-08-01) – October 6, 2007 (2007-10-06) First Quorum of the Seventy, called by Gordon B. Hinckley, April 5, 1998 (1998-04-05) – October 6, 2007 (2007-10-06) Second Quorum of the Seventy, called by Gordon B. Hinckley, April 6, 1996 (1996-04-06) – April 5, 1998 (1998-04-05) | ||
.jpg) | Name: | Neil L. Andersen | |
| Born: | (1951-08-09)August 9, 1951 (age 74) | ||
| Positions: | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, called byThomas S. Monson, April 4, 2009 (2009-04-04) LDS ChurchApostle, called by Thomas S. Monson, April 9, 2009 (2009-04-09) Presidency of the Seventy, called byGordon B. Hinckley, August 15, 2005 (2005-08-15) – April 4, 2009 (2009-04-04) First Quorum of the Seventy, called byEzra Taft Benson, April 3, 1993 (1993-04-03) – April 4, 2009 (2009-04-04) | ||
 | Name: | Ronald A. Rasband | |
| Born: | (1951-02-06)February 6, 1951 (age 74) | ||
| Positions: | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, called byThomas S. Monson, October 3, 2015 (2015-10-03) LDS ChurchApostle, called by Thomas S. Monson, October 8, 2015 (2015-10-08) Presidency of the Seventy, called byGordon B. Hinckley, August 15, 2005 (2005-08-15) – October 3, 2015 (2015-10-03) First Quorum of the Seventy, called by Gordon B. Hinckley, April 1, 2000 (2000-04-01) – October 3, 2015 (2015-10-03) | ||
 | Name: | Gary E. Stevenson | |
| Born: | (1955-08-06)August 6, 1955 (age 70) | ||
| Positions: | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, called byThomas S. Monson, October 3, 2015 (2015-10-03) LDS ChurchApostle, called by Thomas S. Monson, October 8, 2015 (2015-10-08) Presiding Bishop, called by Thomas S. Monson, March 31, 2012 (2012-03-31) – October 9, 2015 (2015-10-09) First Quorum of the Seventy, called by Thomas S. Monson, April 5, 2008 (2008-04-05) – March 31, 2012 (2012-03-31) | ||
 | Name: | Dale G. Renlund | |
| Born: | (1952-11-13)November 13, 1952 (age 73) | ||
| Positions: | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, called byThomas S. Monson, October 3, 2015 (2015-10-03) LDS ChurchApostle, called by Thomas S. Monson, October 8, 2015 (2015-10-08) First Quorum of the Seventy, called by Thomas S. Monson, April 4, 2009 (2009-04-04) – October 3, 2015 (2015-10-03) | ||
 | Name: | Gerrit W. Gong | |
| Born: | (1953-12-23)December 23, 1953 (age 71) | ||
| Positions: | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, called byRussell M. Nelson, March 31, 2018 (2018-03-31) LDS ChurchApostle, called by Russell M. Nelson, April 5, 2018 (2018-04-05) Presidency of the Seventy, called byThomas S. Monson, October 6, 2015 (2015-10-06) – March 31, 2018 (2018-03-31) First Quorum of the Seventy, called by Thomas S. Monson, April 3, 2010 (2010-04-03)[12][13] – March 31, 2018 (2018-03-31) | ||
| Notes: | The first apostle of Asian descent. | ||
.jpg) | Name: | Ulisses Soares | |
| Born: | (1958-10-02)October 2, 1958 (age 67) | ||
| Positions: | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, called byRussell M. Nelson, March 31, 2018 (2018-03-31) LDS ChurchApostle, called by Russell M. Nelson, April 5, 2018 (2018-04-05) Presidency of the Seventy, called byThomas S. Monson, January 6, 2013 (2013-01-06) – March 31, 2018 (2018-03-31) First Quorum of the Seventy, called byGordon B. Hinckley, April 2, 2005 (2005-04-02) – March 31, 2018 (2018-03-31) | ||
| Notes: | The first apostle of Brazilian descent. | ||
 | Name: | Patrick Kearon | |
| Born: | (1961-07-18)July 18, 1961 (age 64) | ||
| Positions: | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, called byRussell M. Nelson, December 7, 2023 (2023-12-07) LDS ChurchApostle, called by Russell M. Nelson, December 7, 2023 (2023-12-07) Presidency of the Seventy, called byThomas S. Monson, August 2017 (2017-08) – December 7, 2023 (2023-12-07) First Quorum of the Seventy, called by Thomas S. Monson, April 3, 2010 (2010-04-03) – December 7, 2023 (2023-12-07) | ||
 | Name: | Gérald Caussé | |
| Born: | (1963-05-20)May 20, 1963 (age 62) | ||
| Positions: | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, called byDallin H. Oaks, November 6, 2025 (2025-11-06) LDS ChurchApostle, called by Dallin H. Oaks, November 6, 2025 (2025-11-06) Presiding Bishop, called byThomas S. Monson, October 9, 2015 (2015-10-09) First Counselor in thePresiding Bishopric, called byGary E. Stevenson, March 31, 2012 (2012-03-31) – October 9, 2015 (2015-10-09) First Quorum of the Seventy, called by Thomas S. Monson, April 5, 2008 (2008-04-05) – March 31, 2012 (2012-03-31) | ||
| Notes: | The first apostle of French descent. | ||
