Overview

This guide explores the history of the General Authorities of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and lists resources about them. The First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Presidency of the Seventy, the General Authority Seventy, and Presiding Bishopric are considered General Authorities, while the Relief Society General Presidency, Young Women General Presidency, Young Men General Presidency, Sunday School General Presidency, and Primary General Presidency are considered General Officers. Area Seventies are also not considered General Authorities.

This guide will focus on General Authorities. Other research guides have been created that focus on Church organizations and their leaders, including the Relief Society Organization Research Guide, Young Women Organization Research Guide, and Primary Organization Research Guide.

Each section in this guide contains a brief history, online resources, and Church History Library resources. Resources are divided into online and physical resources. Online resources are digitized content that you can access from your computer by clicking on the title. Physical resources can be viewed at the Church History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, by accessing the item (or collection) information in the online catalog and requesting to see it when you visit the library.

Church History Library Online Resources

General Authorities and General Officers

This is an official Church web page about the general leadership of the Church. It contains links to brief biographies and photographs of each of the current Church leaders.

Joseph Smith Papers: People of the Time

Contains brief biographical sketches for selected persons mentioned in the Joseph Smith Papers. This includes some of the early Apostles, members of the Seventy, and bishops.

General Church Officers, October 1835–January 1838

Charts listing the general leadership of the Church from 1835 to 1838. These lists are hosted online by the Joseph Smith Papers website.

General Conference Research Guide

A research guide prepared by Church History Library subject matter experts that links to many General Authorities’ talks given in general conferences throughout the years.

Conference reports of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (M204.1 A1 1880, 1897-)

Reports listing events, decisions, and talks given in general conference by General Authorities and other leaders of the Church. Reports include years from 1880 to 2017. Available digitally through the Church History Catalog.

Historian’s Office general Church minutes, 1839–1877 (CR 100 318)

Minutes and other reports kept as a record of general Church proceedings and the remarks, decisions, and activities of Church leaders. Minutes include information about Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, the Quorum of the Twelve, and other leadership quorums.

Deseret News Church almanac (M273.7 C561c 1974-2013)

The Church Almanac was written every year from 1974 to 2013. It contains information on temples, local units, the Church internationally, and leaders of the Church. Requires a Church account login to access digitally.

Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia

This is an online version of the four-volume Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia: A Compilation of Biographical Sketches of Prominent Men and Women in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Andrew Jenson, who was the assistant Church historian from 1897 to 1941. The online version is hosted by Brigham Young University.

Church History Library Physical Resources (Available at the Church History Library)

Historical Department files relating to the service of Church leaders, 1981–1986 (CR 100 263)

Lists of Church leaders with short biographical information. Includes information on the First Presidency, Church Patriarch, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Presiding Bishopric, First Quorum of the Seventy, and Assistants to the Quorum of the Twelve.

General Authority portrait collection, circa 1850–1985 (PH 700)

Contains individual portraits and snapshot views of General Authorities arranged alphabetically by name. Does not include those who served as Presidents of the Church. Available digitally through the Church History Catalog.

General Authorities, 1947 (PH 2285)

Photograph album containing portraits of Church leadership in 1947. Contains portraits of the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Assistants to the Twelve, First Council of the Seventy, and Presiding Bishopric.

Mighty Men of Zion: General Authorities of the Last Dispensation by Lawrence R. Flake (M270 F576m 1974)

This book provides biographical sketches of all General Authorities of the Church from its beginnings to the book’s publication in 1974. It is organized by office, including the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Patriarch to the Church, Assistant to the Twelve, First Council of the Seventy, and Presiding Bishopric. Available in the public area of the Church History Library.

Prophets and Apostles of the Last Dispensation by Lawrence R. Flake (M270 F576p 2001)

This book provides information about the lives of members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve up to the year 2000. A hardcopy is available in the public area of the Church History Library; a digital version is available through the BYU Religious Studies Center.