Chronology of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church)

What follows is a list of events in chronological order that affected the membership of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

1830s

 * 14 February 1835 : Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is organized. Oliver Cowdery, Martin Harris, and David Whitmer choose the first 12 members. Lyman E. Johnson, Brigham Young, and Heber C. Kimball ordained.
 * 15 February 1835 : Orson Hyde, David W. Patten, Luke S. Johnson, William E. McLellin, John F. Boynton, and William Smith ordained.
 * 21 February 1835 : Parley P. Pratt ordained.
 * 25 April 1835: Thomas B. Marsh ordained.
 * 26 April 1835 : Orson Pratt ordained.
 * 2 May 1835 : Thomas B. Marsh sustained as President of the Quorum of the Twelve
 * 3 September 1837 : John F. Boynton disfellowshipped. He was excommunicated later that year.
 * 13 April 1838 : Lyman E. Johnson and his brother, Luke S. Johnson excommunicated.
 * 11 May 1838 : William E. McLellin excommunicated.
 * 25 October 1838 : David W. Patten killed in Battle of Crooked River.
 * 19 December 1838 : John E. Page and John Taylor ordained.
 * 17 March 1839 : Thomas B. Marsh excommunicated.
 * 26 April 1839 : Wilford Woodruff and George A. Smith ordained.
 * 4 May 1839 : William Smith and Orson Hyde removed from the Quorum by vote of the church.
 * 25 May 1839 : William Smith restored to Quorum by vote of the Church.
 * 27 June 1839 : Orson Hyde restored to the Quorum by vote of the church.

1840s

 * 14 April 1840 : Willard Richards ordained in England. Also the first occasion where Brigham Young was formally sustained President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
 * 8 April 1841 : Lyman Wight ordained.
 * 20 August 1842 : Orson Pratt excommunicated. Amasa M. Lyman ordained.
 * 20 January 1843 : Orson Pratt rebaptized and restored to former office in the Quorum. Amasa M. Lyman replaced.
 * 4 February 1843 : Amasa M. Lyman made a Counselor to First Presidency.
 * 27 June 1844 : Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith martyred. Amasa M. Lyman retires from First Presidency.
 * 12 August 1844 : Amasa M. Lyman returned to the Quorum.
 * 6 October 1845 : William Smith dropped from Quorum. He was excommunicated 19 October 1845.
 * 9 February 1846 : John E. Page disfellowshipped. He was excommunicated on 27 June 1846
 * 16 July 1846 : Ezra T. Benson ordained.
 * 27 December 1847 : The First Presidency is reorganized, with Brigham Young President, Heber C. Kimball First Counselor, and Willard Richards Second Counselor. Orson Hyde becomes President of the Quorum.
 * 3 December 1848 : Lyman Wight excommunicated.
 * 12 February 1849 : Charles C. Rich, Lorenzo Snow, Erastus Snow, and Franklin D. Richards ordained.

1850s

 * 11 March 1854 : Willard Richards dies.
 * 7 April 1854 : Jedediah M. Grant ordained an Apostle and set apart as a counselor to Brigham Young.
 * 1 December 1856 : Jedediah M. Grant dies.
 * 4 January 1857 : Daniel H. Wells ordained an apostle and set apart as a counsellor to Brigham Young.
 * 13 May 1857 : Parley P. Pratt is assassinated.

1860s

 * 26 August 1860 : George Q. Cannon ordained.
 * 4 February 1864 : Brigham Young, Jr. ordained an apostle, but not a member of the Quorum.
 * John Willard Young ordained an apostle, but not a member of the Quorum. (Set apart as counselor to Brigham Young in 1867, and to Twelve in 1877.)
 * Joseph Angell Young ordained an apostle, but not a member of the Quorum.


 * 1 July 1866 : Joseph F. Smith ordained and simultaneously set apart Counselor to President Brigham Young.
 * 6 October 1867 : Amasa M. Lyman deprived of apostleship. He was excommunicated on 12 May 1870.
 * 8 October 1867 : Joseph F. Smith was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve. (He was previously ordained an apostle.)
 * 22 June 1868 : Heber C. Kimball dies.
 * 7 October 1868 : George A. Smith set apart First Counselor to President Brigham Young.
 * 9 October 1868 : Brigham Young, Jr. sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve. (He was previously ordained an apostle.)
 * April 1869 : Brigham Young, Jr. moved ahead Joseph F. Smith in seniority. (He was previously the junior member of the quorum.)
 * 3 September 1869 : Ezra T. Benson dies.

1870s

 * 3 July 1870 : Albert Carrington ordained.
 * 8 April 1873 : Brigham Young, Jr., Albert Carrington, John Willard Young and George Q. Cannon set apart as Counselors to President Brigham Young.
 * 9 May 1874 : George Q. Cannon set apart Assistant Counselor to President Brigham Young. Albert Carrington set apart Counselor to President Brigham Young.
 * 10 April 1875 : Orson Hyde and Orson Pratt are moved down in seniority in the Quorum due to earlier apostasy, putting them in the places they would be had they entered the Quorum at the time of their reinstatements. John Taylor becomes President of the Quorum.
 * 5 August 1875 : Joseph Angell Young dies. He had never been a member of the First Presidency and was never added to the Quorum of the Twelve.
 * 1 September 1875 : George A. Smith dies.
 * 8 October 1876 : John Willard Young set apart as First Counselor to Brigham Young.
 * 29 August 1877 : Brigham Young dies.
 * 28 November 1878 : Orson Hyde dies.
 * 7 April 1879 : Moses Thatcher ordained.

1880s

 * 10 October 1880 : The First Presidency is reorganized with John Taylor President, George Q. Cannon First Counselor, and Joseph F. Smith Second Counselor. Wilford Woodruff becomes President of the Quorum.
 * 27 October 1880 : Francis M. Lyman and John Henry Smith ordained.
 * 3 October 1881 : Orson Pratt, the last surviving member of the original quorum, dies.
 * 16 October 1882 : George Teasdale and Heber J. Grant ordained.
 * 17 November 1883 : Charles C. Rich dies.
 * 9 April 1884 : John W. Taylor ordained.
 * 7 November 1885 : Albert Carrington excommunicated.
 * 25 July 1887 : John Taylor dies.
 * 27 May 1888 : Erastus Snow dies.
 * 7 April 1889 : The First Presidency is reorganized with Wilford Woodruff President, George Q. Cannon First Counselor, and Joseph F. Smith Second Counselor. Lorenzo Snow becomes President of the Quorum.
 * 7 October 1889 : Marriner W. Merrill, Anthon H. Lund, and Abraham H. Cannon ordained.

1890s

 * 13 November 1893 : William Smith dies.
 * 6 April 1896 : Moses Thatcher is not sustained by the church and dropped from the Quorum.
 * 19 July 1896 : Abraham H. Cannon dies.
 * 7 October 1896 : Matthias F. Cowley and Abraham O. Woodruff ordained.
 * 2 September 1898 : Wilford Woodruff dies.
 * 13 September 1898 : The First Presidency is reorganized with Lorenzo Snow President, George Q. Cannon First Counselor, and Joseph F. Smith Second Counselor. Franklin D. Richards becomes President of the Quorum.
 * 10 October 1898 : Rudger Clawson ordained.
 * 9 December 1899 : Franklin D. Richards dies. Brigham Young Jr. becomes de facto President of the Quorum, but not published or presented to the church.

1900s

 * 31 March 1900 :In a meeting of the First Presidency, George Q. Cannon is given the opportunity to choose between remaining in the First Presidency, or being released and becoming President of the Quorum of the Twelve. He chooses to stay in the First Presidency, leaving the question of seniority between Brigham Young Jr. and Joseph F. Smith unresolved until the following day.
 * 1 April 1900 :In a combined meeting of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, seniority is unanimously changed to be based on entry into the Quorum of the Twelve instead of date of ordination, ensuring George Q. Cannon and Joseph F. Smith's seniority to Brigham Young Jr.
 * 8 April 1900 : Reed Smoot ordained.
 * 12 April 1901 : George Q. Cannon dies.
 * 10 October 1901 : Lorenzo Snow dies. Joseph F. Smith becomes President of the Quorum.
 * 17 October 1901 : The First Presidency is reorganized with Joseph F. Smith as president, John R. Winder as First Counselor, and Anthon H. Lund Second Counselor. Brigham Young, Jr. becomes quorum president.
 * 24 October 1901 : Hyrum M. Smith ordained.
 * January 1903 : Reed Smoot elected to the U.S. Senate.
 * 11 April 1903 : Brigham Young, Jr. dies. Francis M. Lyman becomes President of the Quorum.
 * 8 October 1903 : George Albert Smith ordained.
 * 20 June 1904 : Abraham O. Woodruff dies.
 * 7 July 1904 : Charles W. Penrose ordained.
 * 28 October 1905 : John W. Taylor and Matthias F. Cowley resign.
 * 6 February 1906 : Marriner W. Merrill dies.
 * 9 April 1906 : George F. Richards, Orson F. Whitney, and David O. McKay ordained.
 * 20 February 1907 : A motion to remove Reed Smoot from the U.S. Senate is defeated. (See Smoot Hearings)
 * 9 June 1907 : George Teasdale dies.
 * 6 October 1907 : Anthony W. Ivins ordained.
 * 21 August 1909 : Moses Thatcher dies.

1910s

 * 27 March 1910 : John R. Winder, First Counselor in the First Presidency, dies.
 * 7 April 1910 : Joseph F. Smith reorganizes First Presidency. Anthon H. Lund set apart as First Counselor, and John Henry Smith as Second Counselor. Joseph Fielding Smith ordained.
 * 13 October 1911 : John Henry Smith dies.
 * 7 December 1911 : Charles W. Penrose set apart as Second Counselor to President Joseph F. Smith.
 * 8 December 1911 : James E. Talmage ordained.
 * 18 November 1916 : Francis M. Lyman dies.
 * 23 November 1916 : Heber J. Grant becomes President of the Quorum.
 * 18 January 1917 : Stephen L Richards ordained.
 * 23 January 1918 : Hyrum M. Smith dies.
 * 7 April 1918 : Richard R. Lyman ordained.
 * 19 November 1918 : Joseph F. Smith dies.
 * 23 November 1918 : The First Presidency is reorganized, with Heber J. Grant President, Anthon H. Lund First Counselor, and Charles W. Penrose Second Counselor. Lund becomes President of the Quorum.
 * 7 January 1919 : Melvin J. Ballard ordained.

1920s

 * 2 March 1921 : Anthon H. Lund dies. Rudger Clawson becomes President of the Quorum.
 * 10 March 1921 : Charles W. Penrose set apart as First Counselor in the First Presidency, Anthony W. Ivins as Second Counselor to Heber J. Grant.
 * 17 March 1921 : John A. Widtsoe ordained.
 * 16 May 1925 : Charles W. Penrose dies.
 * 28 May 1925 : Anthony W. Ivins set apart as First Counselor to Heber J. Grant, with Charles W. Nibley as Second Counselor.

1930s

 * 16 May 1931 : Orson F. Whitney dies.
 * 8 October 1931 : Joseph F. Merrill ordained.
 * 11 December 1931: Charles W. Nibley dies.
 * 1932 : Reed Smoot loses the election for the U.S. Senate.
 * 6 April 1933 : J. Reuben Clark called as Second Counselor in the First Presidency to Heber J. Grant, but is not an apostle.
 * 27 July 1933 : James E. Talmage dies.
 * 12 October 1933 : Charles A. Callis ordained.
 * 23 September 1934 : Anthony W. Ivins dies.
 * 11 October 1934 : J. Reuben Clark and Alonzo A. Hinckley ordained. Clark set apart as First Counselor, with David O. McKay as Second Counselor in the First Presidency to Heber J. Grant.
 * 22 December 1936 : Alonzo A. Hinckley dies.
 * 8 April 1937 : Albert E. Bowen ordained.
 * 6 April 1938 : Sylvester Q. Cannon ordained an apostle, and set apart as an Associate to the Twelve.
 * 30 July 1939 : Melvin J. Ballard dies.
 * 6 October 1939 : Sylvester Q. Cannon becomes a member of the Quorum.

1940s

 * 9 February 1941 : Reed Smoot dies.
 * 10 April 1941 : Harold B. Lee ordained.
 * 29 May 1943 : Sylvester Q. Cannon dies.
 * 21 June 1943 : Rudger Clawson dies. George Albert Smith becomes President of the Quorum.
 * 7 October 1943 : Spencer W. Kimball and Ezra Taft Benson ordained.
 * 12 November 1943 : Richard R. Lyman excommunicated.
 * 20 April 1944 : Mark E. Petersen ordained.
 * 14 May 1945 : Heber J. Grant dies.
 * 21 May 1945 : The First Presidency is reorganized, with George Albert Smith as president, J. Reuben Clark as First Counselor, and David O. McKay as Second Counselor. George F. Richards becomes President of the Quorum.
 * 11 October 1945 : Matthew Cowley ordained.
 * 21 January 1947 : Charles A. Callis dies.
 * 10 April 1947 : Henry D. Moyle ordained.

1950s

 * 8 August 1950 : George F. Richards dies. David O. McKay becomes President of the Quorum.
 * 5 October 1950 : Delbert L. Stapley ordained.
 * 4 April 1951 : George Albert Smith dies.
 * 9 April 1951 : The First Presidency is reorganized, with David O. McKay as president, Stephen L Richards as First Counselor, and J. Reuben Clark as Second Counselor. Joseph Fielding Smith becomes President of the Quorum.
 * 11 October 1951 : Marion G. Romney ordained.
 * 3 February 1952 : Joseph F. Merrill dies.
 * 10 April 1952 : LeGrand Richards ordained.
 * 29 November 1952 : John A. Widtsoe dies.
 * 9 April 1953 : Adam S. Bennion ordained.
 * 15 July 1953 : Albert E. Bowen dies.
 * 8 October 1953 : Richard L. Evans ordained.
 * 13 December 1953 : Matthew Cowley dies.
 * 8 April 1954 : George Q. Morris ordained.
 * 11 February 1958 : Adam S. Bennion dies.
 * 10 April 1958 : Hugh B. Brown ordained.
 * 19 May 1959 : Stephen L Richards dies.
 * 12 June 1959 : J. Reuben Clark is called as First Counselor to David O. McKay. Henry D. Moyle is called as Second Counselor.
 * 15 October 1959 : Howard W. Hunter ordained.

1960s

 * 22 June 1961 : Hugh B. Brown set apart as an additional counselor in the First Presidency to David O. McKay.
 * 5 October 1961 : Gordon B. Hinckley added to the Quorum.
 * 6 October 1961 : J. Reuben Clark dies.
 * 12 October 1961 : Henry D. Moyle set apart as First Counselor in the First Presidency, with Hugh B. Brown as Second Counselor to David O. McKay.
 * 23 April 1962 : George Q. Morris dies.
 * 11 October 1962 : N. Eldon Tanner ordained.
 * 18 September 1963 : Henry D. Moyle dies.
 * 4 October 1963 : Hugh B. Brown sustained as First Counselor in the First Presidency, with N. Eldon Tanner as Second Counselor to David O. McKay.
 * 4 October 1963 : Thomas S. Monson added to the Quorum.
 * 28 October 1965 : Thorpe B. Isaacson called as an additional counselor in the First Presidency to David O. McKay.
 * 29 October 1965 : Joseph Fielding Smith called as an additional counselor in the First Presidency to David O. McKay.
 * 5 October 1967 : Alvin R. Dyer ordained but not added to Quorum.
 * 6 April 1968 : Alvin R. Dyer called as an additional counselor in the First Presidency to David O. McKay.

1970s

 * 18 January 1970 : David O. McKay dies.
 * 23 January 1970 : The First Presidency is reorganized, with Joseph Fielding Smith as president, Harold B. Lee as First Counselor, and N. Eldon Tanner as Second Counselor. Lee becomes President of the Quorum, with Spencer W. Kimball as Acting President.
 * 6 April 1970 : Boyd K. Packer added to the Quorum.
 * 1 November 1971 : Richard L. Evans dies.
 * 2 December 1971 : Marvin J. Ashton ordained and added to the Quorum.
 * 2 July 1972 : Joseph Fielding Smith dies.
 * 7 July 1972 : The First Presidency is reorganized, with Harold B. Lee as president, N. Eldon Tanner as First Counselor, and Marion G. Romney as Second Counselor. Spencer W. Kimball becomes President of the Quorum.
 * 12 October 1972 : Bruce R. McConkie added to the Quorum.
 * 26 December 1973 : Harold B. Lee dies.
 * 30 December 1973: The First Presidency is reorganized, with Spencer W. Kimball as president, N. Eldon Tanner as First Counselor, and Marion G. Romney as Second Counselor. Ezra Taft Benson becomes President of the Quorum.
 * 6 April 1974 : L. Tom Perry added to the Quorum.
 * 2 December 1975: Hugh B. Brown dies.
 * 8 January 1976 : David B. Haight ordained.
 * 5 March 1977 : Alvin R. Dyer dies. Although Dyer was an ordained Apostle, he was never a member of the Quorum.
 * 19 August 1978 : Delbert L. Stapley dies.
 * 30 September 1978 : James E. Faust added to the Quorum.

1980s

 * 23 July 1981 : Gordon B. Hinckley called as an additional counselor in the First Presidency. Neal A. Maxwell ordained.
 * 27 November 1982 : N. Eldon Tanner dies.
 * 2 December 1982 : Marion G. Romney set apart as First Counselor in the First Presidency. Gordon B. Hinckley set apart as Second Counselor.
 * 11 January 1983 : LeGrand Richards dies.
 * 11 January 1984 : Mark E. Petersen dies.
 * 12 April 1984 : Russell M. Nelson ordained.
 * 3 May 1984 : Dallin H. Oaks ordained.
 * 19 April 1985 : Bruce R. McConkie dies.
 * 10 October 1985 : M. Russell Ballard ordained.
 * 5 November 1985 : Spencer W. Kimball dies.
 * 10 November 1985 : The First Presidency is reorganized, with Ezra Taft Benson as president, Gordon B. Hinckley as First Counselor, and Thomas S. Monson as Second Counselor. Marion G. Romney becomes President of the Quorum, but due to suffering from health and age difficulties, Howard W. Hunter was set apart as Acting President of the Quorum.
 * 9 October 1986 : Joseph B. Wirthlin ordained.
 * 20 May 1988 : Marion G. Romney dies. Howard W. Hunter becomes President of the Quorum.
 * 6 October 1988 : Richard G. Scott ordained.

1990s

 * 25 February 1994 : Marvin J. Ashton dies.
 * 2 April 1994 : Robert D. Hales added to the Quorum.
 * 30 May 1994 : Ezra Taft Benson dies.
 * 5 June 1994 : The First Presidency is reorganized, with Howard W. Hunter as president, Gordon B. Hinckley as First Counselor, and Thomas S. Monson as Second Counselor. Hinckley becomes President of the Quorum, with Boyd K. Packer as Acting President.
 * 23 June 1994 : Jeffrey R. Holland added to the Quorum and ordained.
 * 3 March 1995 : Howard W. Hunter dies.
 * 12 March 1995 : The First Presidency is reorganized, with Gordon B. Hinckley as president, Thomas S. Monson as First Counselor, and James E. Faust as Second Counselor. Monson becomes President of the Quorum, with Boyd K. Packer as Acting President.
 * 1 April 1995 : Henry B. Eyring added to the Quorum.

2000s

 * 21 July 2004 : Neal A. Maxwell dies.
 * 31 July 2004 : David B. Haight dies.
 * 2 October 2004 : Dieter F. Uchtdorf and David A. Bednar added to Quorum.
 * 10 August 2007 : James E. Faust dies.
 * 6 October 2007 : Henry B. Eyring sustained as Second Counselor in the First Presidency; Quentin L. Cook added to Quorum
 * 27 January 2008 : Gordon B. Hinckley dies.
 * 3 February 2008 : The First Presidency is reorganized, with Thomas S. Monson as President, Henry B. Eyring as First Counselor, and Dieter F. Uchtdorf as Second Counselor. Boyd K. Packer becomes President of the Quorum.
 * 5 April 2008 : D. Todd Christofferson added to Quorum.
 * 1 December 2008 : Joseph B. Wirthlin dies.
 * 4 April 2009 : Neil L. Andersen added to Quorum.

2010s

 * 30 May 2015 : L. Tom Perry dies.
 * 3 July 2015 : Boyd K. Packer dies. Russell M. Nelson becomes President of the Quorum (set apart on 15 July ).
 * 22 September 2015 : Richard G. Scott dies.
 * 3 October 2015 : Ronald A. Rasband, Gary E. Stevenson, and Dale G. Renlund added to Quorum.
 * 1 October 2017 : Robert D. Hales dies.
 * 2 January 2018 : Thomas S. Monson dies.
 * 14 January 2018 : The First Presidency is reorganized, with Russell M. Nelson as President, Dallin H. Oaks as First Counselor, and Henry B. Eyring as Second Counselor. Oaks is set apart as President of the Quorum, with M. Russell Ballard as Acting President.
 * 31 March 2018 : Gerrit W. Gong and Ulisses Soares added to the Quorum.

2020s

 * 12 November 2023 : M. Russell Ballard dies.
 * 15 November 2023 : Jeffrey R. Holland becomes Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
 * 7 December 2023 : Patrick Kearon added to the Quorum.