President Thomas S. Monson Affirmed at LDS Conference

In the News

Monson Affirmed Presiding Over First LDS General Conference

by Jennifer Dobner
- The Associated Press


SALT LAKE CITY - By the thousands, faithful Mormons on Saturday stood with upraised hands in support of Thomas S. Monson, the newly appointed president of their church.
Monson took over The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in February after the death of Gordon B. Hinckley, but the faith traditionally calls for a sustaining vote by members in a ceremony known as the solemn assembly.

The ceremony calls for each church organization _ from it's First Presidency to youth organizations _ to stand individually when called to cast their votes. The ceremony has been practiced since 1880, when John Taylor was named president of the church.

Mormons last held an assembly in April 1995, when Hinckley was named president. He was remembered on Saturday by church apostle Russell M. Nelson, who said all Latter-day Saints felt a deep sense of loss with the 97-year-old Hinckley's Jan. 27 passing.

``However we have felt our mood shift from grief to gratitude, said Nelson. ``We are very grateful for the what we have learned from this great prophet of God.

Monson, 80, is the youngest church president since 1973 and the 16th president of the American-born denomination, which claims 13 million members worldwide. Since the early part of the 20th Century the church has followed a system of apostolic succession in selecting its president. The position passes automatically to the next most-senior member of the church's Quorum of Twelve Apostles, the second-highest leadership circle.

Monson is a familiar face to Latter-day Saints. A church apostle for more than 40 years, he has long been a featured speaker at the twice-yearly conferences and served as a Salt Lake City emissary at church gatherings around the world.

Church members gather in April and October to hear words of inspiration and guidance from leaders. More than 100,000 will attend the two-days of conference sessions, which are also broadcast in more than 80 languages on radio, television, closed-circuit satellite and the Internet.

Monson was expected to make his first conference address as president to a Saturday night gathering that is limited to male members of the church who hold the priesthood, a church public relations officers said. He is expected to speak to the full membership Sunday morning.

Monson's choice of counselors in his presidency, Henry B. Eyring and Dieter F. Uchtdorf, were also affirmed Saturday. Members also gave approval to the selection of D. Todd Christofferson as an apostle.

Christofferson, 63, has most recently served the church as a supervisor over church activity in parts of the U.S., including California, Hawaii and the Northwest. A Utah native, he was previously the executive director of the church's Family and Church History Department .

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