President Dallin H. Oaks was ordained Tuesday, Oct. 14, as the 18th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“I accept with humility the responsibility that God has placed upon me and commit my whole heart and soul to the service to which I’ve been called,” President Oaks said.
He said that he had called President Henry B. Eyring as his first counselor in the First Presidency and President D. Todd Christofferson as second counselor.
“I am grateful for the prayers offered by so many members of the church for a new First Presidency,” President Oaks said. “I have felt the effect of those prayers and with my counselors we will strive in all respects to press forward this great work.”
The short announcement meeting was broadcast from the second floor of the Conference Center in Salt Lake City.
President Oaks, 93, will lead a church that is growing both in North America and throughout the world. It also is rapidly diversifying and has increased its humanitarian efforts dramatically over the past five years.
“There is much to be done,” he said, “for our ministry is a ministry of all the children of God on the face of the earth. We pray for all. We seek to serve all and we invoke the blessings of the Lord Jesus Christ upon all who seek to serve him to do so in worthiness and commitment and optimism.”
The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles voted to reorganize the First Presidency at their meeting Tuesday morning. The previous First Presidency dissolved automatically when President Russell M. Nelson died on Sept. 27 at age 101.
The quorum then sustained, set apart and ordained President Oaks as the prophet and president, succeeding President Nelson. President Oaks then set apart President Eyring and President Christofferson as counselors.
President Jeffrey R. Holland also was set apart as president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles led the church for the past 17 days, with President Oaks, the senior living apostle, at its head as quorum president.
A former candidate for the U.S. Supreme Court called to the apostleship from his place on the bench of the Utah Supreme Court, President Oaks is known for his legal, academic and spiritual defenses of religious liberty and fairness for all.
He also is a well-known advocate for civil dialogue in an age of polarization and for freedom of religion and the U.S. Constitution.
President Oaks is two months younger than President Nelson was when he became the church’s 17th prophet in 2018. At that time, one media outlet reported its belief that President Nelson would be a “caretaker” president because of his age. Instead, he led an era of vigorous adjustments that included a dramatic emphasis on the church’s name, a new church symbol, updates to the church’s Sunday worship schedule and the announcement of 200 new temples.
President Oaks called President Nelson “my best friend and most effective teacher” at the late leader’s funeral a week ago. The two men were called as apostles together in April 1984, and President Oaks served as President Nelson’s first counselor in the First Presidency for the past seven-and-a-half years.
Presidents Eyring and Christofferson both expressed surprise and gratitude at being called to serve in the First Presidency.
President Eyring testified that President Oaks was chosen as the church’s president by inspiration.
“I have seen the power of God come upon him,” President Eyring said, “and it has been a reassuring thing to me to know that, just as in the days of old, when Peter and others would lead the church, that the people would be able to recognize that that was the Lord’s servant to lead the church, I’ve had that blessing and had that reassurance come to me.”
President Christofferson said he also had seen God’s hand in the Quorum of the Twelve’s decision on Tuesday morning to reorganize the First Presidency with President Oaks at its head.
“I bear witness as the one who’s been a part of the process that he is called of God in this current position, his weighty responsibility,” President Christofferson said.
President Holland spoke for the Quorum of the Twelve and other church leaders and said they all support and sustain President Oaks unequivocally “as the president, prophet, seer and revelator leading this church for its next moment in time.”
“We love him,” President Holland said. “We have known him. We’ve watched him be prepared and have had the confirmation that that is the Lord’s will this day, and that has been a unanimous and a very, very moving experience to see that mantle come fully and completely on President Oaks.”
Latter-day Saint apostles serve for life. Three apostles form the First Presidency. Twelve more make up the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Apostles serve for decades before they become the senior apostle and church president, gathering international experience and wisdom as they testify of Jesus Christ around the world and cultivate what one historian called “great humility.”
Apostles regularly surprise observers and faithful church members when they become the prophet to the world. The role is different from the apostleship, where their leadership is directed by the First Presidency, or service as a counselor in the First Presidency, where they support and defer to the living prophet.
President Oaks is expected to call a new apostle to replace President Nelson between now and the end of the church’s April 2026 international general conference.
The 17-day apostolic interregnum from between President Nelson’s death and President Oaks’ ordination was the longest since the 20-month apostolic administration that ended in 1889.
During President Nelson’s funeral a week ago today, President Oaks said that while President Nelson was thoughtful and wise during their 34 years together in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, he was never as active in discussions as others. That changed when they started their seven-year tenure together in the First Presidency.
“Suddenly I saw Russell M. Nelson as a decisive decision-maker,” he said. “... Figuratively speaking, I tightened my seat belt a few more notches and said to myself, ‘Being a counselor in this First Presidency is going to be fun.’”
Latter-day Saint prophets lead by gathering the best thinking of their counselors, the Quorum of the Twelve and church staff, and by seeking divine revelation.
Prophets also tend toward unity and tenderness, which President Oaks showed at general conference 10 days ago when he talked about the pain of losing his father at the age of 7.
Tuesday’s announcement meeting was a small gathering in the second floor landing of the Conference Center that included the spouses of the members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
The other attendees included the Presidency of the Seventy:
- Elder Carl B. Cook.
- Elder S. Mark Palmer.
- Elder Marcus B. Nash.
- Elder Michael T. Ringwood.
- Elder Arnulfo Valenzuela.
- Elder Edward Dube.
- Elder Kevin R. Duncan.
The Presiding Bishopric also was present:
- Bishop Gérald Caussé.
- Bishop W. Christopher Waddell.
- Bishop L. Todd Budge.
So were the presidents of the church’s five general organizations:
- Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson.
- Young Women General President Emily Belle Freeman.
- Primary General President Susan H. Porter.
- Young Men General President Timothy L. Farnes.
- Sunday School General President Paul V. Johnson.