On the death of Church President Joseph Smith, Jr. in 1844, this position was held by Brigham Young, and he persuaded the Church that Smith's death left him and not Sidney Rigdon, who had been Smith's First Counselor in the First Presidency, as the senior leader.
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In 1847, the Quorum of the Twelve reconstituted the First Presidency, with Brigham Young as President.
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But before his death in 1898, he advised the President of the Twelve, Lorenzo Snow, "Do not wait, Brother Snow, but proceed at once to reorganize the First Presidency".
President | President of the United States | Vice President of the United States | president | Vice President | President of the Philippines | President of France | President of India | Lord President of the Council | President of Germany | President of Pakistan | President of the European Parliament | President of Mexico | President of Ireland | Twelve O'Clock High | President of Argentina | President of Poland | President of Chile | Ocean's Twelve | Lord President of the Court of Session | Apostles | Acts of the Apostles | President of Georgia | President of Brazil | President of the Senate | President of South Africa | President of Iran | President of Afghanistan | President Lincoln | vice president |
By date of ordination, he is currently the fourth senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, preceded by Russell M. Nelson, L. Tom Perry, and quorum president Boyd K. Packer.
Several regional conferences of the church were held in the chapel, and Brigham Young, who at the time was President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, spoke there at least once.
The death of church president Harold B. Lee created a vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve when Spencer W. Kimball, who had been serving as quorum president, became church president.
While preparing to speak at a CES fireside being held at Brigham Young University's Marriott Center on February 7, 1993, then President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Howard W. Hunter was confronted by Cody Judy, who rushed onto the rostrum and threatened Hunter and the audience of 15,000–17,000.