Assistants to The Twelve
The calling of “Assistant to The Twelve” was first announced on April 6, 1941, with the calling of five brethren to this position. As Elder Bruce R. McConkie later
stated, “From time to time as the needs of the ministry require, those holding the keys of the kingdom call worthy and qualified brethren to serve in administrative positions in the Church. Assistants to the Twelve, with appointments to serve as General Authorities, have been so called.” (Mormon Doctrine, p. 56) The utilization of this calling was in accordance with D&C 107:98.
On October 3, 1975, President Kimball announced the organization of the First Quorum of the Seventy, with four brethren called to serve therein. One year later, on October 1, 1976, President Kimball announced that all of the brethren currently serving as Assistants to the Twelve would be called into the First Quorum of the Seventy, and the calling of Assistant to The Twelve has not been used since. As seen below, 38 brethren served in the position of Assistant to the Twelve.
Assistant to the Twelve Called as Released as Length of service Other offices held Asst to Twelve Asst to Twelve
1. Marion G Romney 06 Apr 1941 11 Oct 1951 10 yrs 06 mons Apostle 2. Thomas E McKay 06 Apr 1941 15 Jan 1958 16 yrs 09 mons -- 3. Clifford E Young 06 Apr 1941 21 Aug 1958 17 yrs 05 mons -- 4. Alma Sonne 06 Apr 1941 01 Oct 1976 35 yrs 06 mons Seventy 5. Nicholas G Smith 06 Apr 1941 27 Oct 1945 04 yrs 07 mons -- 6. George Q Morris 06 Oct 1951 08 Apr 1954 02 yrs 06 mons Apostle 7. Stayner Richards 06 Oct 1951 28 May 1953 01 yrs 08 mons -- 8. ElRay L Christiansen 06 Oct 1951 02 Dec 1975 24 yrs 02 mons -- 9 John Longden 06 Oct 1951 30 Aug 1969 17 yrs 11 mons -- 10. Hugh B Brown 04 Oct 1953 10 Apr 1958 04 yrs 06 mons Apostle 11. Sterling W Sill 06 Apr 1954 01 Oct 1976 22 yrs 06 mons Seventy 12. Gordon B Hinckley 06 Apr 1958 30 Sep 1961 03 yrs 06 mons Apostle 13. Henry D Taylor 06 Apr 1958 01 Oct 1976 18 yrs 06 mons Seventy 14. William J Critchlow 11 Oct 1958 29 Aug 1968 09 yrs 10 mons -- 15. Alvin R Dyer 11 Oct 1958 06 Apr 1968 09 yrs 06 mons Apostle, First Presidency " 18 Jan 1970 01 Oct 1976 06 yrs 08 mons Seventy 16. N Eldon Tanner 08 Oct 1960 11 Oct 1962 02 yrs 00 mons Apostle 17. Franklin D Richards 08 Oct 1960 01 Oct 1976 16 yrs 00 mons Seventy 18. Theodore M Burton 08 Oct 1960 01 Oct 1976 16 yrs 00 mons Seventy 19. Thorpe B Isaacson 30 Sep 1961 28 Oct 1965 04 yrs 01 mons First Presidency " 18 Jan 1970 09 Nov 1970 00 yrs 10 mons -- 20. Boyd K Packer 30 Sep 1961 06 Apr 1970 08 yrs 06 mons Apostle 21. Bernard P Brockbank 06 Oct 1962 01 Oct 1976 14 yrs 00 mons Seventy 22. James A Cullimore 06 Apr 1966 01 Oct 1976 10 yrs 06 mons Seventy 23. Marion D Hanks 06 Apr 1968 01 Oct 1976 08 yrs 06 mons Seventy 24. Marvin J Ashton 03 Oct 1969 02 Dec 1971 02 yrs 02 mons Apostle 25. Joseph Anderson 06 Apr 1970 01 Oct 1976 06 yrs 06 mons Seventy 26. David B Haight 06 Apr 1970 08 Jan 1976 05 yrs 09 mons Apostle 27. William H Bennett 06 Apr 1970 01 Oct 1976 06 yrs 06 mons Seventy 28. John H Vandenberg 06 Apr 1972 01 Oct 1976 04 yrs 06 mons Presiding Bishop, Seventy 29. Robert L Simpson 06 Apr 1972 01 Oct 1976 04 yrs 06 mons Presiding Bishopric, Seventy 30. O Leslie Stone 06 Oct 1972 01 Oct 1976 04 yrs 00 mons Seventy 31. James E Faust 06 Oct 1972 01 Oct 1976 04 yrs 00 mons Apostle 32. L Tom Perry 06 Oct 1972 06 Apr 1974 01 yrs 06 mons Apostle 33. J Thomas Fyans 06 Apr 1974 01 Oct 1976 02 yrs 06 mons Seventy 34. Neal A Maxwell 06 Apr 1974 01 Oct 1976 02 yrs 06 mons Apostle 35. Wm Grant Bangerter 04 Apr 1975 01 Oct 1976 01 yrs 06 mons Seventy 36. Robert D Hales 04 Apr 1975 01 Oct 1976 01 yrs 06 mons Apostle 37. Adney Y Komatsu 04 Apr 1975 01 Oct 1976 01 yrs 06 mons Seventy 38. Joseph B Wirthlin 04 Apr 1975 01 Oct 1976 01 yrs 06 mons Apostle
Interesting notes:
1) Elder Alma Sonne is unique in that he served as an Assistant to the Twelve during the entire time that the calling of Assistant to the Twelve was in existence. He served from April of 1941, when the position was first created, to October of 1976, when the position was terminated.
2) As noted above, 13 of the 38 (34%) brethren who served as Assistants to the Twelve went on to serve in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
3) Five of the 38 brethren who served as Assistants to the Twelve went on to serve in the First Presidency (Elders Romney, Brown, Hinckley, Tanner, and Faust), with one of the 38 serving as President of the Church (Elder Gordon B. Hinckley).
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