AUNTIE ANN'S AWESOME ADVENTURES (formerly Miss Mitchell's Fabulous Fifth Grade): MEET THE NEW LDS CHURCH FIRST PRESIDENCY

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

MEET THE NEW LDS CHURCH FIRST PRESIDENCY

Meet the new LDS Church 1st Presidency

Left to right: Dallin H. Oaks, 1st Counselor Russell M. Nelson, President

Henry B. Eyring, 2nd Counselor

And, in a roundabout way, I have a connection to all.

(Yes, it's a stretch with President Eyring)

With the death of President Thomas S. Monson, the

first presidency must be reorganized.

There is no secret who the next prophet will be.

When President Monson passed away, he was the last of

the general authorities of my youth.

(Pre-teaching days)

Meet the new First Presidency

(The First Presidency consists of the president, a 1st & 2nd counselor.

There have been occasions where there were more than two counselors.)

Russell Marion Nelson, Sr., President

Prophet, Seer, Revelator

Age: 93
Birthplace: Salt Lake City

Education: University of Utah (BA) (MD)
University of Minnesota (PhD)

Military Service: US Army, Captain Army Medical Corps, Korean War
Occupation: Heart Surgeon

Family: Married Dantzel White (passed away February 12, 2005)
10 children, 9 daughters (1 deceased), 1 son
Married Wendy Watson . . . RN, Professor at BYU, Chair of BYU's
Women's Conference, Author

Little known fact: Besides English, speaks French, German, Spanish,
Portuguese, and Mandarin Chinese.
President Nelson is a skier! He skied
last year, at age 92. Hasn't gone this season because of lack of snow.

My connection: He performed open heart surgery on my dad, 1979

1st Counselor
Dallin Harris Oaks

Age: 85
Birthplace: Provo, Utah

Education: Brigham Young University (BS)
University of Chicago Law School (JD)

Military Service: Utah National Guard

Occupation: Lawyer
Faculty at University of Chicago Law School
Clerked for Chief Justice Earl Warren
Board of Directors at PBS
Chairman of the Board of Directors of Polynesian Cultural Center at BYU-Hawaii
President, Brigham Young University
Justice of the Utah Supreme Court

Family: Married June Dixon (passed away July 21, 1998)
6 children: 2 sons, 4 daughters . . . including violinist, Jenny Oaks Baker
Married Kristin McCain, University of Utah (BA) (MA)
Brigham Young University, Doctorate of Educational Instruction

Little known fact: Play by play announcer at high school
basketball games while a student at BYU

My connection: President of BYU when I attended.

2nd Counselor
Henry Bennion Eyring

Age: 84

Birthplace: Princeton, New Jersey

Education: University of Utah (BS)

Harvard University (MBA) (DBA)

Military Service: United States Air Force

Occupation: Professor at Stanford University

Visiting Faculty Fellow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Commissioner of Church Education System

President, Ricks College

Family: Married Kathleen Johnson

6 children: 2 daughters and 4 sons . . . including Henry J. Eyring, President

of Brigham Young University-Idaho (formerly Ricks College)

Little known fact: His father, Henry Eyring, was a professor at

Princeton University, Dean at the University of Utah, Chemist.

His sister, (President Eyring's aunt) Camilla, is the wife of former

LDS Church President, Spencer W. Kimball (I met him at Dixie).

My connection: He became Commissioner of Church

Education System following Rolfe Kerr, the president of

Dixie Jr. College when I attended (yes, a stretch).

It's amazing that all 3 men have doctorate degrees!!!

The Quorum of the 12 Apostles
(10 currently. 2 vacancies upon the deaths of
President Thomas S. Monson and Robert D. Hales. Will probably
be filled at the upcoming April General Conference)

Upon the death of a church president, the First Presidency is

dissolved, and the surviving counselors resume their position

in the Quorum of the 12. The The new president picks his counselors

(usually from the apostles)

Because the president of the church is based on seniority,

there is a President of the Quorum of 12 Apostles.

This president becomes the new LDS Church President

upon the death of the current president.

If the President of the Quorum of 12 Apostles is named

a counselor, then the man next in line is named

Acting President of the quorum.

(Thomas S. Monson was a counselor when he became prophet.)

President Dallin H. Oaks will be the next President of

the Church (unless he passes away before President Nelson).

Since he is in the 1st Presidency, there is an

Acting President.

My connection to the Quorum of 12 Apostles:

Left, Acting Quorum President, M. Russell Ballard:

I taught his grandson, Tommy Ballard, in 5th grade.

Another former student, Samantha Raven, married his

grandson last year.

Elder Ballard has served on the National Board of

Directors of Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge.

I am currently on the Utah Board, education committee.

Next in photo: Elder Jeffrey R. Holland.

He had been installed as President

of BYU 2 weeks before I graduated. My dad taught
Elder Holland in several classes at Dixie . . . as a junior and senior
in high school, and as a freshman and sophomore in college.

Next to Elder Holland is former 2nd Counselor to

President Thomas S. Monson, Dieter F. Uchtdorf.

He resumes his place in the Quorum.

President Nelson is the 17th president of the LDS Church.

(The LDS Church was founded April 6, 1830)

1. Joseph Smith 1830-1844