Succession in the LDS Church

UPDATE: Below I talk about a solemn assembly happening this weekend in General Conference. I have found out that there will not be one this weekend. The organization of the next First Presidency will happen after President Nelson’s funeral on October 7th. I apologize for the mistake but would encourage any and all to watch the messages of conference.

We are now in an “Apostolic Interregnum.” This means that the Church is led by the 14 members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. This group has as its President, Dallin H. Oaks. General Conference will be presided by President Oaks.

President Russell M. Nelson, president and prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, passed away on September 27th, 2025. With his passing, the mantle of president and prophet will now pass to a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. In this post, I’ll briefly explain how that succession occurs and what will happen this weekend (Oct 4-5, 2025) at the semi-annual General Conference of the church.

First – Dissolution of First Presidency

When the President of the church passes away, the first thing that happens is the dissolution of the First Presidency. The two counselors return to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from the First Presidency.

The Quorum of the Twelve is placed in order based on when they were ordained to the apostleship. This means that Dallin H. Oaks will move back to his position as the President of the Quorum. Henry B. Eyring will move back to his position behind Dallin H. Oaks.

Second – Apostles Meet and Seek Revelation

The second thing that happens is the Quorum of the Twelve meets and seeks the Lord’s revelation as to who the next President and Prophet of the church will be. This is normally the President of the Quorum, in this instance, Dallin H. Oaks.

All fourteen members of the quorum have to agree on who the next President will be. The Lord will reveal to each one individually, and then they will discuss, propose, and vote.

Once consensus has been reached, the new President will then select two counselors from the quorum to create a new First Presidency. The quorum will then sustain these brethren.

Third – Ordaining of the First Presidency

After the selection of the new First Presidency and acceptance of such by the Quorum of the Twelve, the new members of the presidency will be ordained to their new office. I do not know the particulars of this ordination or how they complete it; however, I do know that all the keys of the Priesthood needed on earth to do the Lord’s work are bestowed upon the new President. He then becomes the only person on earth authorized to exercise all the keys of the kingdom here.

Fourth – Solemn Assembly

Finally, at the next General Conference of the church, or in a set of meetings church wide (dependent on how far away the next conference is), members of the church get to vote on the new President and his counselors. In the General Conference, this is called a solemn assembly. It is a sight to behold.

One group at a time is called to arise and sustain the President and his counselors. First, the Quorum of the Twelve is asked to stand and sustain. Then the members of the Seventy, Melchizedek Priesthood, and Aaronic Priesthood, in turn, are asked to stand and sustain.

The sustaining does NOT end with the men. The women are then asked to stand as members of the Relief Society and Young Women. Finally, the children who are primary age are asked to stand and sustain.

This Solemn Assembly allows every member of the church to sustain or oppose the ordination of the new President. Let me explain it this way: each member of the church has the opportunity to ask God and receive revelation that the person presented to be the next President and Prophet is what God wants. Each member can receive confirmation of that choice before sustaining or opposing. I look forward to that revelation in my life.

The Next Apostle

As a side note, with the reorganization of the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is also reorganized. If the most senior apostle, after the new President, is not a member of the new First Presidency, then that Apostle will become the President of the Quorum. Otherwise, the most senior member in the reorganized quorum will become the acting president.

Finally, the First Presidency will recommend someone to become an Apostle and join the Quorum of the Twelve to fill the vacancy left by the death of the preceding President. This man will then be sustained by the Quorum of the Twelve and be presented for sustaining to the whole church.

Understanding Succession

If you want to understand how this process of succession in the church came to be, I recommend listening to the “Church History Matters” podcast. Episodes 72 through 86 describe in detail how the succession of choosing the next President has evolved. It discusses the first succession after the death of Joseph Smith and even discusses the ways branches that have broken off the main church handle their succession. While there, you may also want to check out other church history topics they have covered.

Conclusion

God selects the next President of the church. He reveals His will to the fourteen members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. They, in turn, form the next First Presidency of the church. Every member of the church is invited to receive the same revelation that the Quorum of the Twelve have received and cast their sustaining vote either in General Conference or special meetings. If you get a chance this weekend, find General Conference and witness the sustaining of the next President of the Church (check out BYU TV at 12:00 PM EDT)