Church and National Leaders
- Richard
Ballantyne (1817-1898) was a
native of Scotland, where he taught Sunday School in the Presbyterian Church. He began
Sunday Sabbath instruction for LDS children in his Salt Lake City home in 1849. He later
organized Sunday Schools in other communities where he lived. His success inspired a
church wide movement."
- Oliver
Cowdery (1806-1850) was next in authority to Joseph Smith in 1830 (D&C 21:10-12), and was a
second witness of many critical events in the restoration of the gospel." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
- Sheri Dew - Sheri L. Dew is an inspirational speaker, writer, White House Delegate to the U.N., and CEO of Deseret Book. Sheri Dew served as the second counselor in
the General Presidency of the Relief Society from April 1997 until 2002.
- Henry B. Eyring - First Counselor in the First Presidency
- Mitt Romney - Mitt Romney was the governor of Massachusetts and later a candidate for the 2008 presidency of the United States.
- President Boyd K. Packer - (ordained Apostle 1970) Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve since 1994
- Elder L. Tom Perry (ordained 1974)
- Elder Russell M. Nelson (1984)
- Elder Dallin H. Oaks (1984)
- Elder M. Russell Ballard (1985)
- Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin (1986)
- Elder Richard G. Scott (1988)
- Elder Robert D. Hales (1994)
- Elder Jeffrey R. Holland (1994)
- Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf (2004) - Second Counselor in the First Presidency
- Elder David A. Bednar (2004)
- James E. Faust - Second counselor in the First Presidency
- Ruth May Fox (1853-1958), third president of the
Young Ladies' Mutual Improvement Association, served from 1929 to 1937." Encyclopedia
of Mormonism
- Susa
Young Gates (1856-1933), daughter of Brigham
Young, was a leader, editor, trustee of Brigham Young University, active in the local and
national women's organizations, and the mother of ten sons and three daughters." Encyclopedia
of Mormonism
- Martin Harris (1783-1875), a New York farmer, was one of the Three
Witnesses to the divine origin of the Book of
Mormon. He also financed the first publication of the Book of Mormon in 1830 at a cost
of $3,000 and later helped finance publication of the Book of Commandments." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
- Orson Hyde"As a member of the first Twelve Apostles (1835) of the modern
dispensation and the first missionary to take the message of the restored gospel to
continental Europe and the Near East, Orson Hyde was closely allied with the rise and the
development of the LDS Church." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
- Thomas
L. Kane"A courageous friend of the Latter-day Saints, Thomas Leiper Kane was
born in Philadelphia on January 27, 1822." Encyclopedia of
Mormonism
- Sarah Granger
Kimball (1818-1898) was
founder of the Ladies' Society of Nauvoo, a suffragist, an advocate of women's rights,
ward Relief Society president for forty years, and a strong presence in the history of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for much of the nineteenth century." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
- Parley
Parker Pratt"One of the most significant LDS missionaries, writers, poets, and
thinkers to emerge during the early years of the LDS Restoration was Parley Parker Pratt
(1807-1857). He was a central figure in expounding the doctrines of the gospel, and his
publications set a standard for future pamphleteers." Encyclopedia
of Mormonism
- Sidney Rigdon (1793-1876) was one of Joseph Smith's closest friends and advisers. He was also
a renowned early convert to the Church, its most persuasive orator in the first decade,
and First Counselor in the First Presidency from 1832 to 1844.
- Emma Hale Smith (1804-1879), wife of the Prophet Joseph Smith, was born in the
Susquehanna Valley in harmony township (now Oakland), Pennsylvania, to Isaac and Elizabeth
Lewis Hale, the first permanent settlers in the valley
- Hyrum Smith (1800-1844) stands next to
his brother the Prophet Joseph Smith in the esteem of many Latter-day Saints
- John Whitmer"The fourth of the Eight Witnesses (See Book of Mormon Witnesses), John Whitmer,
was twenty-seven years of age when he beheld the plates of the Nephite record." Elder
B. H. Roberts
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Presidents of the Church
Presidents of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (in alphabetical order). To see the presidents in order of service, go to the presidents of the church page.
Ezra Taft
Benson
(1899-), thirteenth President of The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is noted for his extensive Church service and his
distinguished career in government."
Heber J. Grant (1856-1945)
Seventh President of The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, was a business leader and a devoted follower of the gospel of Jesus Christ who used his talents in
the service of his Church."
Gordon B. Hinckley
15th Prophet and president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Howard
W. Hunter
The 14th president of the Church was
born Nov. 14, 1907, in Boise, Idaho, at the home of his parents, John William Hunter and
Nellie Marie Rasmussen Hunter
Spencer
W. Kimball (1895-1985)
Twelfth President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1973-1985), came to
the Presidency at the age of seventy-eight.
Harold
B. Lee (1899-1973)
Eleventh President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on July 7, 1972,
and served until his death on December 26, 1973.
David O. McKay (1873-1970)
Sustained as the ninth President of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 9, 1951, served as a General Authority for nearly
sixty-four years, longer than any other person in Church history. During that time he
served as a counselor in the First Presidency for seventeen years and was President for nearly
nineteen years.
Thomas S. Monson
President Monson is the current living prophet and
16th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
George
Albert Smith (1870-1951)
Eighth president of the Church, was born April 4, 1870, in Salt Lake City, the son of John
Henry Smith and Sarah Farr.
Joseph
Smith, Jr. (1805-1844)
often referred to as the
Prophet Joseph Smith, was the founding prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints.
Joseph F.
Smith (1838-1918)
Sixth president of the church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints (1901-1918), led the Church in the first two decades of the
twentieth century and helped it win increasing respect in American society.
Joseph
Fielding Smith (1876-1972)
The tenth President of the
Church, was born July 19, 1876, in Salt Lake City, the firstborn son of Joseph F. Smith,
an apostle who would become the sixth President of the Church, and Julina Lambson, the
first of his six plural wives. His grandfather was the Patriarch Hyrum Smith.
Lorenzo Snow (1814-1901)
The fifth President of The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, from 1898 to 1901.
John Taylor (1808-1887)
Third President of The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, was born in Milnthorpe, Westmorland (now Cumbria), England, a
son of James and Agnes Taylor.
Wilford
Woodruff (1807-1898)
The fourth President of the Church, is
especially remembered for his 1890
manifesto, which led to the discontinuance of plural marriage among the Latter-day
Saints and to the assimilation of Utah into the political and economic mainstream of
America.
Brigham Young (1801-1877)
Colonizer, territorial governor, and President of The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Brigham Young was born in Whitingham,
Vermont, on June 1, 1801, the ninth of eleven children born to John Young and Abigail
(Nabby) Howe.
Other Groups
Biography
and Autobiography"From the earliest decades members of the Church have adhered to the
Puritan tradition of writing spiritual autobiographies, often for reasons similar to those
of their forebears, namely, to express their faith and to justify their actions in the
light of that faith." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
Church Historians"From its beginnings, the Church has considered record keeping and
history writing an imperative duty (D&C 123:1-7)." Encyclopedia
of Mormonism |
