Length of time as an apostle before being sustained as President of the Church
Listed chronologically:
Prophet Ordained apostle Sustained as Years as apostle Church President before Church President
Joseph Smith, Jr May 1829 06 Apr 1830 00 years 11 months
Brigham Young 14 Feb 1835 27 Dec 1847 12 years 10 months
John Taylor 19 Dec 1838 10 Oct 1880 41 years 09 months
Wilford Woodruff 26 Apr 1839 07 Apr 1889 49 years 11 months
Lorenzo Snow 12 Feb 1849 13 Sep 1898 49 years 07 months
Joseph F Smith 01 Jul 1866 17 Oct 1901 35 years 03 months
Heber J Grant 16 Oct 1882 23 Nov 1918 36 years 01 month
George Albert Smith 08 Oct 1903 21 May 1945 41 years 07 months
David O McKay 09 Apr 1906 09 Apr 1951 45 years 00 months
Joseph Fielding Smith 07 Apr 1910 23 Jan 1970 59 years 09 months
Harold B Lee 10 Apr 1941 07 Jul 1972 31 years 03 months
Spencer W Kimball 07 Oct 1943 30 Dec 1973 30 years 02 months
Ezra Taft Benson 07 Oct 1943 10 Nov 1985 42 years 01 month
Howard W Hunter 15 Oct 1959 05 Jun 1994 34 years 07 months
Gordon B Hinckley 05 Oct 1961 12 Mar 1995 33 years 05 months
Thomas S Monson 10 Oct 1963 03 Feb 2008 44 years 04 months
Russell M Nelson 12 Apr 1984 14 Jan 2018 33 years 09 months
Listed by decreasing length of time as apostle before being sustained:
Prophet Ordained apostle Sustained as Years as apostle Church President before Church President
Joseph Fielding Smith 07 Apr 1910 23 Jan 1970 59 years 09 months
Wilford Woodruff 26 Apr 1839 07 Apr 1889 49 years 11 months
Lorenzo Snow 12 Feb 1849 13 Sep 1898 49 years 07 months
David O McKay 09 Apr 1906 09 Apr 1951 45 years 00 months
Thomas S Monson 10 Oct 1963 03 Feb 2008 44 years 04 months
Ezra Taft Benson 07 Oct 1943 10 Nov 1985 42 years 01 month
John Taylor 19 Dec 1838 10 Oct 1880 41 years 09 months
George Albert Smith 08 Oct 1903 21 May 1945 41 years 07 months
Heber J Grant 16 Oct 1882 23 Nov 1918 36 years 01 month
Joseph F Smith 01 Jul 1866 17 Oct 1901 35 years 03 months
Howard W Hunter 15 Oct 1959 05 Jun 1994 34 years 07 months
Russell M Nelson 12 Apr 1984 14 Jan 2018 33 years 09 months
Gordon B Hinckley 05 Oct 1961 12 Mar 1995 33 years 05 months
Harold B Lee 10 Apr 1941 07 Jul 1972 31 years 03 months
Spencer W Kimball 07 Oct 1943 30 Dec 1973 30 years 02 months
Brigham Young 14 Feb 1835 27 Dec 1847 12 years 10 months
Joseph Smith, Jr May 1829 06 Apr 1830 00 years 11 months
Click here to return to the Church President Menu page
Click here to return to the Main Menu page