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Apostolic ‘averages’ (apostleg ** )

 A Page of Apostolic ‘averages’ 


1. The average tenure in office of our Church Presidents is 11 years and 02 months (this calculation does not include President Nelson).  *

2. The average tenure of service of our Apostles is 27 years and 1 month (this calculation is based upon the 90 apostles who have passed away, and does not include the 15 apostles currently serving). If the four apostles who died prematurely and the fifteen apostles who were released from the apostleship are not included in the calculation (see #5 below for their names), the average tenure of service is 30 years 07 months.

3. The average number of apostles called and set-apart per decade is 5.6, or approximately 6 per decade (from 1829 to 2018).  This is equivalent to one new apostle every 1.83 years, or about every 1 year 10 months.

4. The average age at death of our first 16 Church Presidents is 84 years and 04 months.  If Joseph Smith (who was martyred at a young age) is not included, the average is 87 years and 05 months.

5. The average age of death of our apostles is 77 years and 1 month.  This calculation does not include the four apostles whose lives were taken prematurely  (Joseph Smith, David W. Patten, Hyrum Smith, Parley P. Pratt) nor does it include the fourteen apostles who were permanently released from the Quorum of the Twelve before their death (Thomas B. Marsh, William M’Lellin, Luke Johnson, William Smith, John Boynton, Lyman Johnson, John E. Page, Lyman Wight, John W. Young, Albert Carrington, Moses Thatcher, John W. Taylor, Matthias Cowley, and Richard R. Lyman). I also did not include Oliver Cowdery, who was an ordained apostle but not a member of the Twelve, and who lost his apostleship due to apostasy.

6. The average age at the time of being called to the apostleship is 45 years and 11 months.  Interestingly, the average for apostles called in the 19th century (47 apostles) is 33 years and 02 months, the average for apostles called in the 20th century (53 apostles) is 54 years and 0 months, and the average for apostles in the 21st century is 61 years and 08 months (11 apostles).

7. The average age of the apostles called during the tenure of each President of the Church is as follows:

                                 Average age at time         
 Number of President              of apostolic call              Apostles called
 Joseph Smith                    29 years 02 months                     22
 Brigham Young                   34 years 00 months                     13
 John Taylor                     35 years 05 months                      6
 Wilford Woodruff                39 years 05 months                      5
 Lorenzo Snow                    39 years 11 months                      2
 Joseph F Smith                  44 years 03 months                     11
 Heber J Grant                   54 years 03 months                     12
 George Albert Smith             53 years 03 months                      3
 David O McKay                   59 years 08 months                     11
 Joseph Fielding Smith           51 years 01 month                       2
 Harold B Lee                    57 years 02 months                      1
 Spencer W Kimball               57 years 06 months                      7
 Ezra Taft Benson                63 years 07 months                      3
 Howard W Hunter                 53 years 07 months                      1
 Gordon B Hinckley               61 years 03 months                      4
 Thomas S Monson                 61 years 08 months                      5
 Russell M Nelson                62 years 02 months                      3
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