In the Latter Day Saint movement, the First Presidency (or the Quorum of the Presidency of the Church) was the highest governing body in the Latter Day Saint church established by Joseph Smith, Jr. in 1832, and is the highest governing body of several modern Latter Day Saint denominations. Please see the talk page for this article and the "See also" list before adding content or adding a hyphen to Latter Day Saint A Latter Smith established the inaugural First Presidency in 1832, and the body continued to exist until Smith's death in 1844. Some time later, First Presidencies were reorganized by Brigham Young for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, by Sidney Rigdon for the Rigdonites (now defunct), by Joseph Smith III for the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now the Community of Christ), by James J. Strang for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite), and by William Bickerton for The Church of Jesus Christ, although the latter two organizations have not had a First Presidency for much of their history. Brigham Young (June 1 1801 &ndash August 29 1877 was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the fourth largest Christian denomination in the United States and the largest and most well-known Sidney Rigdon ( 19 February 1793 – 14 July 1876) was an important figure in the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement. Rigdonite is a name given to members of the Latter Day Saint movement who accept Sidney Rigdon as the successor in the church presidency to movement founder Joseph Smith III ( November 6, 1832 – December 10, 1914) was the eldest surviving son of Joseph Smith Jr James Jesse Strang (March 21 1813 &ndash July 9 1856 was one of three major contenders for leadership of the Latter Day Saint movement during the 1844 Succession Crisis The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite is a denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement with more than a thousand members William Bickerton ( January 15, 1815 – February 17, 1905) was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement after the 1844 succession The Church of Jesus Christ is a Christian Religious denomination headquartered in Monongahela, Pennsylvania, United States.

The First Presidency in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Main article: First Presidency (LDS Church)

George W. Bush (right) meets with the First Presidency in August 2006. First Presidency The First Presidency (also called the Quorum of the Presidency of the Church or simply the Presidency) is the presiding or governing authority George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Seated clockwise are: Gordon B. Hinckley, President; Thomas S. Monson, First Counselor (obscured); and James E. Faust, Second Counselor. Gordon Bitner Hinckley ( June 23 1910 – January 27 2008) was an American religious leader who served as the fifteenth president Biography Monson was born on August 21, 1927, in Salt Lake City, Utah to G James Esdras Faust (July 31 1920 &ndash August 10 2007 was an American religious leader Lawyer, and Politician. Since this picture was taken, Hinckley and Faust have died and the First Presidency has been reorganized.

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the First Presidency is the presiding or governing authority of the church. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the fourth largest Christian denomination in the United States and the largest and most well-known It usually consists of the President of the Church and two counselors, although up to eight counselors have on occasion been included in the presidency at the same time. In the Latter Day Saint movement, the President of the Church is generally considered to be the highest office of the church The counselors assist the church president and work closely with him in guiding the entire church.

Like the church president and President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, counselors in the First Presidency are referred to by the title "President"; he and his counselors are referred to as President Thomas S. Monson, President Henry B. Eyring, and President Dieter F. Uchtdorf. President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is a priesthood calling in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church Biography Monson was born on August 21, 1927, in Salt Lake City, Utah to G Henry Bennion Eyring (born May 31 1933) is an American educational administrator and religious leader who is First Counselor in the First Presidency of Dieter Friedrich Uchtdorf (born 6 November 1940) a former German aviator and airline executive is the Second Counselor in the First Presidency All members of the First Presidency are sustained by the membership of the church as prophets, seers, and revelators. In the Latter Day Saint movement, common consent is a democratic principle established by the movement's founder Joseph Smith Jr Prophet seer and revelator is an ecclesiastical title used in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that is currently applied to the members of the First Presidency

Any worthy high priest within the church may serve as a counselor in the First Presidency, though most of its members have been chosen from among the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. High priest is a priesthood office in the Melchizedek priesthood of denominations within the Latter Day Saint movement, including The Church of In the Latter Day Saint movement, the quorum of the Twelve (also known as the council of the Twelve, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Council Charles W. Nibley, for example, was a counselor to Heber J. Grant without ever being ordained to the priesthood office of apostle. Charles Wilson Nibley ( February 5, 1849 – December 11 1931) was the fifth presiding bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Heber Jeddy Grant ( November 22, 1856 &ndash May 14, 1945) was the seventh president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day In the Latter Day Saint movement, priesthood is considered to be the power and authority of God including the authority to act as a leader in the church and to perform

In the case of an infirm president, his counselors may be called upon to perform more of his duties. If needed, any number of additional counselors may be called to assist them, though the president of the church still remains the only person on the earth authorized to use all priesthood keys. In the Latter Day Saint movement, priesthood is considered to be the power and authority of God including the authority to act as a leader in the church and to perform

Counselors serve in the First Presidency until their own deaths, until the death of the church president who called them, or until they are released by the church president. The death of a church president dissolves the First Presidency, and leaves the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as the senior leader of the church. President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is a priesthood calling in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church

The death or release of a counselor does not dissolve the First Presidency.

Often, the surviving counselors of the late president will be called as counselors in the new First Presidency, but a notably infirm counselor may revert to his place among the Twelve Apostles with a healthier man called as counselor in his place. On the death or release of a first counselor, the second counselor usually succeeds and a new second counselor is named. Although this is a fairly common occurrence, there are no hard and fast rules about such practices and each president is free to choose the counselors he prefers.

The First Presidency in the Community of Christ

Main article: First Presidency (Community of Christ)

The First Presidency is the highest leadership or priesthood quorum of the Community of Christ church (which shares a common historical foundation with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). The First Presidency of the Community of Christ, formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the church's highest-ranking priesthood In the Latter Day Saint movement, priesthood is considered to be the power and authority of God including the authority to act as a leader in the church and to perform Normally the First Presidency consists of the Prophet-President of the church and two counselors. In the Latter Day Saint movement, the President of the Church is generally considered to be the highest office of the church

In 1860 with the reorganization of the First Presidency, Joseph Smith III became the second Prophet-President of this church and also President of a new First Presidency. Year 1860 ( MDCCLX) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year starting Joseph Smith III ( November 6, 1832 – December 10, 1914) was the eldest surviving son of Joseph Smith Jr William Marks became Smith's First Counselor. William Marks ( November 15, 1792 &ndash May 22, 1872) was a leader in the early days of the Latter Day Saint movement and was a member

The First Presidency of the Community of Christ differs from the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where the church president is always the senior-most member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (of which there are usually 14 following the death of the Prophet). In the Latter Day Saint movement, the quorum of the Twelve (also known as the council of the Twelve, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Council In the Community of Christ, by contrast, each new church president has generally been "designated" as the successor by the preceding church president. The Counselors in the First Presidency are then chosen by the church president and are occasionally, but not required, to be former or current members of the Council of Twelve Apostles. In the Latter Day Saint movement, the quorum of the Twelve (also known as the council of the Twelve, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Council In addition, the death of the Prophet-President does not dissolve the First Presidency, which continues on as the church's executive council in the persons of the remaining two presidents until a Prophet-President is called. The two members who were counselors to the prophet-president, cease to be counselors during this time. Upon ordination of the Prophet-President, the former first presidency is dissolved, and upon ordination of the two he/she calls to be his/her councilors and presidents of the church it is reorganized. Members of the First Presidency are not generally considered to be members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles or holding the priesthood office of apostle, regardless of previous calling.

Prior to 1996, all prophet-presidents were descendants of the movement's founder, Joseph Smith, Jr.. This pattern was broken by Wallace B. Smith, who designated W. Grant McMurray church president. Wallace Bunnell Smith (born July 29, 1929) was Prophet-President of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now Community William Grant McMurray (born July 12, 1947) was Prophet-President of the Community of Christ from 1996 until 2004 McMurray, in turn, resigned the church presidency in 2004 without designating a successor. A joint council of church leaders led by the Council of Twelve Apostles announced in March 2005 the name of Stephen M. Veazey as Prophet-President designate. Stephen Mark Veazey (born May 3, 1957) is the current Prophet-President of the Community of Christ, headquartered in Independence, Veazey had been serving as president of the Council of Twelve. Delegates elected to a special World Conference of the church approved Veazey and he was ordained as the 8th president of the High Priesthood, Prophet, and President of the Church on June 3, 2005. World Conference is the highest legislative body in the Community of Christ and is empowered to act for the entire church Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, proclaims himself Roman Emperor, entering Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

One June 4, 2005 with the ordinations of Ken Robinson and David Schaal as presidents of the church and counselors to the president, the First Presidency was reorganized.

On March 27, 2007 President Robinson retired from his position in the First Presidency and Becky Savage was ordained into the First Presidency. She is the first female to sit on the First Presidency.

Current members of the First Presidency:

• President Stephen M. Veazey
• President Becky L. Savage (Counselor to the president)
• President David D. Schaal (Counselor to the president)

The First Presidency in the Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

A First Presidency also leads the Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which was formed primarily out of discontent with changes in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Stephen Mark Veazey (born May 3, 1957) is the current Prophet-President of the Community of Christ, headquartered in Independence, Becky L Savage has been a counselor to Stephen M Veazey in the First Presidency of the Community of Christ since March 2007 The Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is a denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement, created from a schism with the Community of Christ (formerly The Church President is Frederick Niels Larsen, a direct descendant of Joseph Smith Jr., as the church feels strongly about the lineal succession. Frederick Niels Larsen (born 15 January 1932) is the President/Prophet of the Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Lineal succession was a doctrine largely abandoned in many denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement, whereby certain key church positions are held by right of Inheritance The First and Second Counselors to the president are Robert Ostrander and Lane Harold respectively.

See also

• General authority