How is a new president of the Mormon Church called to be the president?

Question

Dear Gramps,

How is a person chosen to become a prophet? I know there are lots of people who might be just as good & faithful as our prophet. So what is it that makes a prophet? (I’m not looking for the calling myself)

James

Answer

Dear James,

When the President of the Mormon Church dies, the office of the First Presidency is dissolved, and the presiding body of the Church becomes the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The counselors in the First Presidency, who are normally taken from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, assume their positions of seniority in the Quorum. Seniority is established by the date of ordination. to the Quorum of the Twelve. The president of the Quorum of the Twelve–the ranking apostle by date of ordination–becomes, as it were, the acting President of the Church, since he presides over the Quorum..

The Quorum of the Twelve then meet to sustain the new president of the Church. Since the time of the succession of the Prophet Joseph Smith by Brigham Young, the person sustained by the Quorum of the Twelve as the next president of the Church has been the ranking member of the Quorum of the Twelve.

At the next General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints that person is sustained by the general membership of the Church as its new president.

Gramps