Chronology of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

This 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, followed by a chart detailing the President and membership chronological and their timelines.

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 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 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 killed. 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.) 8 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.Journal History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 5 April 1900, Church History Library 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.