FIRST PRESIDENCY -- Counselors Quizzes
QUESTION: Two brethren served as counselors in the
First Presidency, were released from those callings, and then served as
'Counselors to the Quorum of the Twelve'. Can you name these two brethren?
ANSWER: These two brethren were John W. Young and Daniel H. Wells.
Elders Young and Wells served as counselors in the First Presidency under
Brigham Young, they were released upon the death of President Young, and they
were then set-apart as counselors to the Quorum of the Twelve, serving in that
position until 1891.
QUESTION: Only one brother in this dispensation has served as both
1st and 2nd Counselor to two different Church Presidents. Can you name this
faithful apostle?
ANSWER: Elder J. Reuben Clark, Jr. served as both 1st and 2nd Counselor
to President Heber J. Grant, and he then served as both 1st and 2nd Counselor
to President David O. McKay.
QUESTION: Seven of our Church Presidents served their entire time as
President of the Church with the same 1st and 2nd Counselors (in other words,
there was no change in the First Presidency during the tenure of these seven
Church Presidents). Can you name these seven Prophets?
ANSWER: The seven Church Presidents who had the same counselors during
their entire time as President are President John Taylor (counselors were
Elders George Q. Cannon and Joseph F. Smith), President Wilford Woodruff
(Elders Cannon and Smith), President George Albert Smith (Elders Clark and
McKay), President Joseph Fielding Smith (Elders Lee and Tanner), President
Harold B. Lee (Elders Tanner and Romney), President Ezra Taft Benson (Elders
Hinckley and Monson), and President Howard W. Hunter (Elders Hinckley and
Monson). President Hinckley has had the same 2 counselors during his presidency
thus far (Elders Monson and Faust).
QUESTION: One of our church presidents in this dispensation had five
different 2nd counselors during his service as president of the church. Can you
name this president (extra credit will be awarded if you can name his five 2nd
counselors)?
ANSWER: President Heber J. Grant had five different 2nd counselors
during his 26 years as President of the Church. In order, these 2nd counselors
were Charles W. Penrose, Anthony W. Ivins, Charles W. Nibley, J. Reuben Clark
Jr., and David O. McKay.
QUESTION: One of our apostles in this dispensation was sustained
twice as 2nd Counselor in the First Presidency and 3 times as 1st Counselor in
the First Presidency. Can you name this faithful brother?
ANSWER: Elder J. Reuben Clark served as 2nd Counselor to Presidents
Grant and McKay, and as 1st Counselor to Presidents Grant, Smith, and McKay.
Elder Clark's total length of service as a counselor in the First Presidency
was 28 years and 5 months.
QUESTION: Two of our Church Presidents in this dispensation had four
different 1st Counselors during their service as President of the Church. Can
you name these two Church Presidents?
ANSWER: Presidents Heber J. Grant and David O. McKay each had four
different 1st Counselors during their service as President. President Grant's
1st Counselors were Anthon H. Lund, Charles W. Penrose, Anthony W. Ivins, and
J. Reuben Clark. President McKay's 1st Counselors were J. Reuben Clark, Stephen
L. Richards, Henry D. Moyle, and Hugh B. Brown.
QUESTION: Can you name the two brethren who served the longest and
the shortest as Second Counselor in the First Presidency?
ANSWER: Daniel H. Wells served the longest as Second Counselor in the
First Presidency. He served from January 4, 1857 to August 29, 1877, a period
of 20 years and 8 months. He served as Second Counselor to Brigham Young during
all of those years. Rudger Clawson served only four days as Second Counselor in
the First Presidency. He was sustained as Second Counselor to President Lorenzo
Snow on October 6, 1901, but President Snow passed away 4 days later (October
10, 1901) and the First Presidency was dissolved.
QUESTION: Can you name the oldest brother and the youngest brother to
be sustained as Second Counselor in the First Presidency?
ANSWER: Charles W. Penrose is the oldest brother to be sustained as a
Second Counselor in the First Presidency. He was sustained on December 7, 1911
at the age of 79 years 10 months, serving as Second Counselor to President
Joseph F. Smith. The youngest brother to be sustained as Second Counselor in
the First Presidency is William Law. He was sustained on January 24, 1841 at
the age of 31 years 5 months, serving as Second Counselor to President Joseph
Smith.
QUESTION: Can you name the two brethren who served the longest and
the shortest as First Counselor in the First Presidency?
ANSWER: Heber C. Kimball served the longest as First Counselor in the
First Presidency. He served from December 27, 1847 to June 22, 1868, a period
of 20 years and 6 months. He served as First Counselor to Brigham Young during
all of those years. Joseph F. Smith served only four days as First Counselor in
the First Presidency. He was sustained as First Counselor to President Lorenzo
Snow on October 6, 1901, but President Snow passed away 4 days later (October
10, 1901) and the First Presidency was dissolved.
QUESTION: How many apostles have served simultaneously as a counselor
in the First Presidency and as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve?
ANSWER: Six apostles have served concurrently as a counselor in the
First President and as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve. The six are Joseph
F. Smith, Brigham Young, Jr, Albert Carrington, George Q. Cannon, Lorenzo Snow,
and Joseph Fielding Smith.
QUESTION: Can you name the oldest and the youngest brethren to be
sustained as First Counselor in the First Presidency?
ANSWER: Charles W. Penrose is the oldest brother to be sustained as a
First Counselor in the First Presidency. He was sustained on March 10, 1921 at
the age of 89 years 1 month, serving as First Counselor to President Heber J.
Grant. The youngest brother to be sustained as First Counselor in the First
Presidency is John W. Young. He was sustained on October 7, 1876 at the age of
32 years 0 months, serving as First Counselor to President Brigham Young.
QUESTION: Only four of our Church presidents have utilized assistant
counselors or extra counselors in the First Presidency. Can you name these four
Church presidents (and perhaps some of the assistant counselors)?
ANSWER: The four Church presidents who utilized assistant counselors in
the First Presidency are Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, David O. McKay, and
Spencer W. Kimball. Joseph Smith called his father, Hyrum Smith, William Law,
John C. Bennett and others as assistant counselors. Brigham Young had numerous
assistant counselors, including Joseph F. Smith, Lorenzo Snow, Brigham Young
Jr., Albert Carrington, and George Q. Cannon. President McKay called Hugh B.
Brown, Joseph Fielding Smith, Thorpe B. Isaacson, and Alvin R. Dyer as
assistant counselors. President Kimball utilized Gordon B. Hinckley as an
assistant counselor.
QUESTION: At one point in Church history, the four least-senior
members of the Quorum of the Twelve were all serving as counselors to the First
Presidency. Can you identify this unusual occurrence?
ANSWER: Joseph F. Smith was called as an apostle and as a counselor to
the First Presidency on July 1, 1866 (age 27). He served in this position until
April 8, 1873 when President Young called several other brethren as counselors
to the First Presidency, including Elders George Q. Cannon, Brigham Young Jr.,
and Albert Carrington. These four apostles (Cannon, Young, Smith, and
Carrington) were the four least-senior members of the Quorum of the Twelve. The
work of these counselors was in addition to their duties in the Quorum of the
Twelve.
QUESTION: Only twice in Church history has the least-senior member of
the Quorum of the Twelve been called to serve in the First Presidency. Can you
identify these two instances?
ANSWER: Albert Carrington was ordained an apostle on July 3, 1870, and
served as the least-senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve until April 8,
1873 when he was sustained as a counselor to President Brigham Young. Nathan
Eldon Tanner was ordained an apostle on October 11, 1962, and served as the
least-senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve until October 4, 1963 when he
was sustained as 2nd Counselor to President McKay.
QUESTION: Of the fifteen brethren who have served as Presidents of
the Church in this dispensation, six have served as a counselor in the First
Presidency before serving as President of the Church. Of these six, only two
have served as both 1st and 2nd Counselor in the First Presidency before
serving as President. Can you name these two brethren?
ANSWER: The two brethren who served as both 1st and 2nd Counselor in the
First Presidency before serving as President of the Church are Elders Joseph F.
Smith and Gordon B. Hinckley. President Smith served as 2nd Counselor to
Presidents John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, and Lorenzo Snow, and he served as
1st Counselor to President Lorenzo Snow. President Hinckley served as 2nd
Counselor to President Kimball and as 1st Counselor to Presidents Benson and
Hunter.
QUESTION: One of the apostles of this dispensation served as a
counselor in the First Presidency for the entire time that he was an apostle.
Can you name him?
ANSWER: J Reuben Clark Jr. was sustained as 2nd counselor to President
Grant April 6, 1933. At the time he was a High Priest. He was sustained as 1st
counselor to President Grant on October 6, 1934, being ordained an apostle on
October 11, 1934. He was next sustained as 1st counselor to President George
Albert Smith on May 21, 1945. He was then sustained as 2nd counselor to
President McKay on April 9,1951, and then as 1st counselor to President McKay
on June 12, 1959. Elder Clark died on Oct 6, 1961. He served 28 and one-half
years as a member of the 1st Presidency, 27 of those years as an apostle.
QUESTION: Three apostles in this dispensation have served as a
counselor to four different presidents of the Church. Can you name these three
apostles?
ANSWER: The three apostles are George Q. Cannon, Joseph F. Smith, and
Nathan Eldon Tanner. Elders Cannon and Smith both served as a counselor to
Presidents Young, Taylor, Woodruff, and Snow. Elder Tanner served as a
counselor to Presidents McKay, Smith, Lee, and Kimball.
QUESTION: Twice in the history of the Church, a brother has been
ordained an apostle and sustained as a counselor in the First Presidency on the
same day. Can you name these two brethren?
ANSWER: The two brethren are Jedediah M. Grant and Joseph F. Smith.
Jedediah Grant was ordained an apostle and sustained as 2nd Counselor to
President Brigham Young on April 7, 1854. Joseph F. Smith was ordained an
apostle and sustained as Counselor to the 1st Presidency on July 1, 1866.
QUESTION: One of the apostles of this dispensation served as a
counselor in the First Presidency for only four days! Can you name this apostle
and the unusual circumstances of this very brief tenure in the First
Presidency?
ANSWER: When President Wilford Woodruff died in 1898, Lorenzo Snow was
called to be the President of the Church. He called as his counselors in the
First Presidency Elders George Q. Cannon and Joseph F. Smith. Elder Cannon died
on April 12, 1901, and President Snow elected not to fill the vacancy in the
First Presidency until the following semi-annual General Conference. Thus, on
October 6, 1901, Elder Joseph F. Smith was sustained as the new 1st Counselor
in the First Presidency and Elder Rudger Clawson as the 2nd Counselor.
Remarkably, President Snow passed away just 4 days later, on October 10, 1901.
The First Presidency was thus dissolved, and the next President of the Church
(President Joseph F. Smith) called as his counselors Elders John R. Winder and
Anthon H. Lund. Thus, Elder Rudger Clawson served in the First Presidency for
only 4 days!
QUESTION: How many brethren have served as both 1st and 2nd Counselor
in the First Presidency? Can you name all of them?
ANSWER: In this dispensation, eleven brethren have served as both 1st
and 2nd Counselor in the First Presidency. These brethren are Joseph F. Smith,
Anthon H. Lund, Charles W. Penrose, Anthony W. Ivins, J. Reuben Clark Jr.,
Henry D. Moyle, Hugh B. Brown, N. Eldon Tanner, Marion G. Romney, Gordon B.
Hinckley, and Thomas S. Monson.
QUESTION: How many latter-day apostles have had a father serve as a
counselor in the First Presidency?
ANSWER: Eleven latter-day apostles have had a father serve in the First
Presidency. These eleven apostles (followed by their fathers) are Joseph Smith
(Joseph Smith, Sr.), Hyrum Smith (Joseph Smith, Sr.), William B. Smith (Joseph
Smith, Sr.), Joseph F. Smith (Hyrum Smith), Francis M. Lyman (Amasa M. Lyman),
Heber J. Grant (Jedediah M. Grant), Hyrum Mack Smith (Joseph F. Smith), Joseph
Fielding Smith (Joseph F. Smith), Abraham H. Cannon (George Q. Cannon),
Sylvester Q. Cannon (George Q. Cannon), and George Albert Smith (John Henry
Smith).
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