In Mormonism, the President of the Church is the head of a Latter Day Saint denomination or church. Several other titles are associated with this office, including "First Elder" of the church, "Presiding High Priest", "President of the High Priesthood", "Trustee-in-Trust" for the church, "Prophet", "Seer", "Revelator", "Translator", "King", "Ruler" (in Israel). The movement's founder, Joseph Smith, Jr., the first president of the church, was known by all of these titles in his lifetime.

A succession crisis followed Smith's assassination in 1844. Different successors organized church hierarchies, making use of some or all of these titles and functions. Today, the largest two denominations are The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Community of Christ — and the office of president of the church has evolved distinctly in both of these traditions as well as in many other, smaller Latter Day Saint traditions.

Joseph Smith as the President of the Church

The concept that the Church of Christ would have a president over the entire church arose in late 1831. Initially, after the church's formation on April 6, 1830, Joseph Smith referred to himself as merely "an apostle of Jesus Christ, and elder of the church." (Articles and Covenants of the Church of Christ, June 9, 1830). However, there were several other apostles and elders, including Oliver Cowdery, all of whom were formally co-equal.

In September 1830, after Hiram Page, a rival of Joseph Smith, attempted to receive revelations for the church, a revelation by Joseph Smith stated that "no one shall be appointed to receive commandments and revelations in this church excepting my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., for he receiveth them even as Moses." (LDS D&C 28). Thus, although Smith had no formal leadership position in the church at that time, he took the position as the only Elder with the gift of revelation for the entire church.

On June 3, 1831, Joseph Smith was ordained, along with Sidney Rigdon and Hyrum Smith, and later Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer and Frederick G. Williams, to the "high priesthood". As a "High Priest", these men held a higher position than that of Elder. However, Smith's position was formally the same as the other five members of the high priesthood.

On November 11, 1831, however, a revelation by Joseph Smith stated that "it must needs be that one be appointed of the high priesthood to preside over the Priesthood and he shall be called President of the high priesthood of the Church..and again the duty of the President of the high priesthood is to preside over the whole church." (Kirtland Revelation Book, p. 84,68, LDS D&C 107: 64-65, 91-92.) Smith was ordained to this position on January 25, 1832.

In 1835, Smith revised the Articles and Covenants of the Church of Christ, changing the phrase "an..elder of the church" to "the first elder of this Church." (LDS D&C 20:2) Thus, Smith was subsequently to 1835 sometimes referred to as the First Elder. The 1835 revision also added a verse referring to the office of "president of the

Presidents of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the largest denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement is the church's leader and the head of the First Presidency, the church's highest governing body. Latter-day Saints consider him to be a Prophet, Seer and Revelator, and refer to him particularly as The Prophet, a title originally given to Joseph Smith, Jr.

Latter-day Saints consider the president of the church to be God's "mouthpiece" for the entire world. He is thought to have supreme priesthood authority, and the right to receive revelations. Modern presidents, however, have not generally continued Joseph Smith's practice of publishing written doctrinal revelations and visions, although most have stated that they have received such.

Infallibility versus Opinion

According to the Doctrine and Covenants, which includes information on the offices and policies of the church, the president of the church is the only man empowered to receive revelation for the entire church and to change or clarify doctrine. The church teaches that the president will never be allowed to lead the Latter Day Saints astray and that God will "remove" any man who stands at the head of the church who intends to mislead its members. As such, when speaking as president, the words of the president of the church are "infallible," meaning they are correct and binding on those who live under his administration. By following the president's teachings, members of the church are told that they are justified in their actions.

This distinction is important: when he "speaks as the president of the church," his words are infallible. Often when the president speaks, it is not as the president of the church. At these times, the president may offer opinion and conjecture about non-spiritual topics which may or may not be correct. For example, one early church president opined there were people living on the moon. Though most members of the church regard this as an expression of an (uninspired) opinion, critics have cited this statement as proof of the fallibility of church presidents.

Succession to the Presidency

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, when a president of the church dies, the First Presidency is dissolved and the members of the First Presidency who were formerly members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles return to that quorum. The Quorum of the Twelve then becomes the presiding council of the church, with the senior (with the most time in this quorum) apostle as its president. In modern times the Quorum of the Twelve has moved quickly to reconstitute the First Presidency by calling and setting apart one of their number to be the President of the Church. However, Brigham Young presided over the church for three years as the President of the Quorum of the Twelve before the First Presidency was reconstituted after the death of Joseph Smith. Traditionally, the senior apostle becomes the next church president. However, this appointment is not made official until a unanimous vote by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles confirms it.

Once the new President of the Church is called, he calls counselors. Most presidents have had two counselors, but circumstances have occasionally required additional ones (David O. McKay had four during the final years of his presidency). Counselors are historically chosen from the Quorum of the Twelve, although there have been 9 exceptions where members of the Presiding Bishopric or the Church at large were called to be counselors. There have also been a few cases

List of Presidents

Presidents of the Community of Christ

In the Community of Christ, the president of the church is often referred to as the Prophet-President. The Prophet-President is the highest priesthood leader of this denomination of Latter Day Saints. The position is composed of several roles: (1) President of the Church, (2) President of the High Priesthood and (3) Prophet, Seer, and Revelator to the church.

As President of the Church, the prophet-president is the church's chief executive and is the leader of the First Presidency, the church's chief executive council. As President of the High Priesthood, the prophet-president is the church's leading priesthood official. (Since the initiation of the ordination of women in 1985, it is now possible for this position to be filled by a woman though all prophet-presidents to date have been men.) As Prophet, Seer and Revelator, the prophet-president is the Community of Christ's spiritual leader and can present revelations to the church to be added to the Doctrine and Covenants — an open canon of scripture, which stands with the Bible and the Book of Mormon as sacred text.

Succession to the Presidency

Generally, the prophet-president will name or ordain a successor prior to his death. Prior to 1995 these successors have been chosen according to the principle of lineal succession. Accordingly, the first six prophet-presidents following movement founder Joseph Smith, Jr. were his direct descendents.

In 1995, Wallace B. Smith broke with the precedent of lineal succession by naming W. Grant McMurray as his successor. In November 2004, McMurray resigned from the office of prophet-president without naming a successor, citing medical and personal issues. The First Presidency, composed of McMurray's two counselors, continued to function as the church's chief executive council. 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. 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 president of the High Priesthood, Prophet, and President of the Church on June 3, 2005.

List of Presidents

Presidents of the Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite)

In the Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite), the President of the General Church is also a member of and the president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

List of Presidents