Which apostles do you think have the best chance to become presidents of the church right now?

[Wender]

Which apostles do you think have the best chance to become presidents of the church right now?

[Tacenda]

There's no need to really guess, it is the next president in line.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/friend/2016/04/how-are-prophets-called?lang=eng

Edited April 23 by Tacenda

[rpn]

Funny you ask.  A couple of weeks ago, I read an analysis of ages and the conclusion was that Elder Bednar is almost certainly going to be a Church president if the current pattern continues, as is. 

[Nevo]

My prediction is that Dallin H. Oaks will be the next president of the Church. President Nelson looks like he has several more years in him, though. Given the recent news that Elder Holland is undergoing treatment for kidney failure, President Oaks will likely be followed by Dieter F. Uchtdorf. And Elder Uchtdorf will probably be succeeded by David A. Bednar. That's how I see the next 20 years playing out.

Edited April 24 by Nevo

[MustardSeed]

I hope president Nelson lives forever. But I agree that Pres Oaks will be in for a significant time followed by a very long Bednar rule.  I don’t anticipate it will be my favorite era but there we have it.  Long live president Nelson ! 

[bluebell]

5 hours ago, rpn said:

Funny you ask.  A couple of weeks ago, I read an analysis of ages and the conclusion was that Elder Bednar is almost certainly going to be a Church president if the current pattern continues, as is. 

What pattern is that?

[JustAnAustralian]

Using the order when the counsellors are returned to the quorum after the death of President Nelson:

Dallin H. Oaks, M. Russell Ballard, Jeffrey R. Holland, Henry B. Eyring, Dieter F. Uchtdorf, David A. Bednar, Quentin L. Cook, D. Todd Christofferson, Neil L. Andersen, Ronald A. Rasband, Gary E. Stevenson, Dale G. Renlund, Gerrit W. Gong, and Ulisses Soares 

and their ages https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_general_authorities_of_the_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints

Unless something sudden happens health-wise like with Elder Perry, I expect Dallin H. Oaks will be next president.

From that point on:

• I don't think Elder Ballard will outlive Hypothetical President Oaks
• If Elder Holland has kidney issues serious enough to need dialysis and is at the point of being excused for duties for several months, even though he's significantly younger than Elder Oaks, I don't think he'll outlive him
• Elder Eyring is slightly younger than Elder Oaks but I also think he looked unwell at the most recent conference so I don't think he'll outlive Hypothetical President Oaks
• I think Elder Uchtdorf if he maintains his health will follow Hypothetical President Oaks
• After Hypothetical President Uchtdorf I think we'll likely have a long stint of Hypothetical President Bednar
• Based on age similarities, it could easily then go to Elder Soares.

Edited April 23 by JustAnAustralian

[MustardSeed]

I forgot that Elder Uchtdorf comes before Elder Bednar.  That will be a nice rest before what will I’m sure be a long presidency with Elder Bednar.

[Tacenda]

25 minutes ago, MustardSeed said:

I forgot that Elder Uchtdorf comes before Elder Bednar.  That will be a nice rest before what will I’m sure be a long presidency with Elder Bednar.

Very long, oh so long. Kind of how when your having fun it's short.  No I shouldn't be mean, I'm sure being prophet is very humbling. And I'm sure Elder Bednar will not be the same as before, IMO. Like what happens to many leaders. One of my bishops for instance was very cocky as a Gospel Doctrine teacher, but once he was called to be the bishop, different man. 

[blackstrap]

Anybody here remember the angst over Joseph Fielding Smith becoming President. ? How did that turn out again ? 

[Benjamin McGuire]

You might find this interesting.

[InCognitus]

1 hour ago, Benjamin McGuire said:

You might find this interesting.

From the article:

[Navidad]

They told me at the family history center in SLC that Elder Bednar is my 13th removed cousin. So, if I am alive and if he becomes president, I will be related to the president of the Church!

[Stargazer]

On 4/24/2023 at 2:07 AM, Tacenda said:

Very long, oh so long. Kind of how when your having fun it's short.  No I shouldn't be mean, I'm sure being prophet is very humbling. And I'm sure Elder Bednar will not be the same as before, IMO. Like what happens to many leaders. One of my bishops for instance was very cocky as a Gospel Doctrine teacher, but once he was called to be the bishop, different man. 

I remember Cleon Skousen recounting how many people felt when Elder Benson became President Benson, that he would really unload on the Saints in political ways. But then he became President, and nothing like they feared came to pass. The first thing he did was go big on reemphasizing the Book of Mormon. 

I noticed, both in American high school and British grammar school, that the vice principal was always the disciplinarian, but that the principal was much more personable. In both cases it seemed to come with the position, not necessarily with the person. 

But who knows? Maybe President Oaks will be exactly like some people fear! 

[Stargazer]

On 5/2/2023 at 9:26 PM, Navidad said:

They told me at the family history center in SLC that Elder Bednar is my 13th removed cousin. So, if I am alive and if he becomes president, I will be related to the president of the Church!

If you have a FamilySearch account, and have uploaded at least some of your family tree there, you can go online to the BYU Relative Finder and see if there are any other famous people you're related to. Besides LDS leaders this also includes US politicians of the past and present, European royalty, Hollywood personalities, Writers, and other such.

https://www.relativefinder.org/#/main

If your tree is small, you may not find any relatives, however. My wife's tree yields no famous relatives. On the other hand, King Charles III and I are 13th cousins. Our common ancestors were alive in the late 16th century.

Upon checking just now, there seems to be a recent change, and the app no longer shows living general authorities of the church. I imagine that this is because too many members were attempting to claim attention as relatives. Also before this I noted that I was related to some members of the first quorum of the seventy, but none of these show now. 

[Navidad]

14 hours ago, Stargazer said:

If you have a FamilySearch account, and have uploaded at least some of your family tree there, you can go online to the BYU Relative Finder and see if there are any other famous people you're related to. Besides LDS leaders this also includes US politicians of the past and present, European royalty, Hollywood personalities, Writers, and other such.

https://www.relativefinder.org/#/main

If your tree is small, you may not find any relatives, however. My wife's tree yields no famous relatives. On the other hand, King Charles III and I are 13th cousins. Our common ancestors were alive in the late 16th century.

Upon checking just now, there seems to be a recent change, and the app no longer shows living general authorities of the church. I imagine that this is because too many members were attempting to claim attention as relatives. Also before this I noted that I was related to some members of the first quorum of the seventy, but none of these show now. 

Thanks. I will check it out. Actually I was speaking in SLC and was provided a special tour of several sites including the family history center. I went somewhere with a very nice managing director of something, downstairs I think it was and they did a search for me. They found my relation to Elder Bednar and that I have four ancestors in the trek west in 1847. I really wasn't trying to claim attention by bringing that up; I was just trying to be funny!  Take care.

 

[Stargazer]

6 hours ago, Navidad said:

Thanks. I will check it out. Actually I was speaking in SLC and was provided a special tour of several sites including the family history center. I went somewhere with a very nice managing director of something, downstairs I think it was and they did a search for me. They found my relation to Elder Bednar and that I have four ancestors in the trek west in 1847. I really wasn't trying to claim attention by bringing that up; I was just trying to be funny!  Take care.

 

Since I can't get to the information now that they've made that change I mentioned, I can't be sure that I am related to Elder Bednar, but I seem to recall that he was on my list of distant cousins. Which means that you and I might be related somehow. I emphasize might. 

Of course, since we all have common descent from Adam and Eve, we are definitely cousins at some level. 

When we call each other brother and sister, we might as well call each other cousin, too! 🙂