The 6th Article of Faith states that “We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.” As Christ’s restored church we are led today by a prophet just as in the days of the Old Testament.
The First Presidency
The Prophet for today is President Russell M. Nelson. He is also the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He, in turn, has two counselors and they make up what is called the First Presidency. The counselors’ names are Dallin H. Oaks and Henry B. Eyring.
President Russell M. Nelson
President Russell M. Nelson is the 17th prophet and president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. he was set apart on Sunday, January 14, 2018. Russell Nelson has been a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles since April 7, 1984
President Nelson was a heart surgeon during his professional life. He is internationally renown for the positions he held and the work he accomplished in medicine. He is listed in Who’s Who in the World, Who’s Who in America, and Who’s Who in Religion.
President Nelson was born on September 9, 1924. He and his late wife Dantzel have 10 children, 57 grandchildren, and over 100 great-grandchildren. Dantzel passed away in February 2005. In April 2006 President Nelson was married to Wendy Watson.
President Dallin H. Oaks
President Dallin H. Oaks was set apart as the first counselor in the First Presidency on Sunday, January 14, 2018. President Oaks has been a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles since April 7, 1984
President Oaks was born in Provo, Utah in 1932. He married his first wife, June Dixon Oaks, and they raised six children. June died on July 21, 1998. President Oaks remarried on August 25, 200 to Kristen M. McMain.
Dallin Oaks graduated from Brigham Young University and the University of Chicago Law School. He practiced and taught law in Chicago. He served as president of Brigham Young University from 1971 to 1980 then was a justice of the Utah Supreme Court until his resignation in 1984 to join the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
President Henry B. Eyring
President Henry B. Eyring has served as a counselor in the First Presidency since 2007 when he was called by President Gordon B. Hinkley then by President Thomas S. Monson and now by President Russell M. Nelson. President Eyring has been a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles since April 1, 1995. He also served in the Presiding Bishopric, the First Quorum of the Seventy, and as Church Commissioner of Education.
President Eyring was born in Princeton, New Jersey on May 31, 1933. He is married to Kathleen Johnson Eyring and they together have four sons and two daughters.
President Eyring received a B.S. degree in physics from the University of Utah. He earned a master’s and doctor’s degree in business administration from Harvard.
President Eyring was part of the faculty at Sanford in the Graduate School of Business then served as the president of Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho.
The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
The second part of the church leadership is the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. These men are set apart as prophets, seers, and revelators. They, like the apostles of the New Testament, are special witnesses of Jesus Christ.
Seated from left to right: President Jeffrey R. Holland, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Elder David A. Bednar, Elder Quentin L. Cook, Elder D. Todd Christofferson
Standing from left to right: Elder Neil L. Andersen, Elder Ronald A Rasband, Elder Gary E. Stevenson, Elder Dale G. Renlund, Elder Gerrit W. Gong, Elder Ulisses Soares,
I got my information from the Church’s website and simply summed it up. If you want to know more about church leadership you can look on the leadership page.
There are also other people who we call General Authorities listed on that page. Be sure to check them out as well.