You might think that picking the leader of a global religion involves high-stakes campaigning, secret ballots, or at least a few smoke signals. Honestly, it’s nothing like that. When the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints passes away, there’s no "election season." No one is shaking hands or making promises to win over a voting bloc.
Basically, the process of how is a new lds prophet chosen is so predictable it almost feels boring to an outsider—until you realize the weight of the history behind it. It’s a system where the "winner" is decided decades before the vacancy even exists.
Right now, in early 2026, the Church recently transitioned to its 18th President, Dallin H. Oaks, following the passing of Russell M. Nelson in late 2025. This transition wasn't a shock. It wasn't a debate. It was the result of a mathematical and chronological certainty known as apostolic seniority.
The Moment of Dissolution
When a prophet dies, the organization’s top tier essentially evaporates.
The First Presidency—which consists of the Prophet and his two counselors—is immediately dissolved. Those two counselors don’t just stay in their offices. They actually move back into the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, taking their places based on when they were first ordained as apostles.
At that specific moment, there is no "Prophet." There is only the Quorum of the Twelve.
Why Seniority Rules Everything
You’ve probably noticed that LDS prophets tend to be older. That’s because the system is designed to favor longevity and experience. Seniority isn't based on how old you are, but on how long you’ve been in that specific Quorum.
Take the current President, Dallin H. Oaks. He wasn't chosen because he had the best "platform." He was the most senior apostle. He had been in that circle longer than anyone else alive. It’s a "last man standing" approach that ensures the leader has decades of training. There's no room for a "young disruptor" to jump the line.
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- Seniority = Date of Ordination: If two men are called on the same day, the one ordained first is senior.
- Life Tenure: Apostles serve until they die. You don't retire from being an apostle.
- The "Testing Ground": By the time someone becomes the Prophet, they’ve usually spent 20, 30, or even 40 years traveling the world and learning the administrative ropes.
The Sacred Meeting in the Temple
After the funeral of the previous Prophet, the surviving apostles meet in a private room in the Salt Lake Temple. This isn't a board meeting with PowerPoint slides. They fast. They pray.
They have a very specific question to answer: "Should the First Presidency be reorganized now?"
Technically, they could choose to let the Quorum of the Twelve lead the Church as a group. This actually happened in the early days of the Church. After Joseph Smith was killed, Brigham Young led the Church as President of the Twelve for three years before a new First Presidency was formed. But for the last century, they’ve moved much faster—usually within days.
In this meeting, the senior apostle (the one who will become the Prophet) presides. One by one, the other apostles "sustain" him. It has to be unanimous. There's no 7-5 split here. If there’s even a hint of hesitation, they keep praying. Once the decision is made, they lay their hands on his head and "set him apart."
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Then, the new Prophet picks his two counselors. This is where things get interesting. He can pick anyone, but he almost always picks two other apostles. For example, President Oaks chose Henry B. Eyring and D. Todd Christofferson.
What Most People Miss About the "Vote"
A few months later, at General Conference, you’ll see thousands of people in the Conference Center raise their right hands. This is the "sustaining vote."
Is it a democracy? Kinda, but not really.
Members aren't "voting" on whether they like the guy. They are "sustaining" him, which in LDS terms means they promise to support him and believe he was called by God. If someone raises their hand in opposition (which happens very rarely), they are usually told to meet with their local leaders to discuss their concerns. It doesn’t stop the appointment.
The Evolution of the System
The way we see how is a new lds prophet chosen today wasn't always so set in stone. In the 1800s, there was quite a bit of confusion.
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After Joseph Smith died, several people claimed they should lead. Some thought Joseph’s son should take over. Others thought the "Second Elder" of the Church was next in line. It was a mess. Brigham Young eventually solidified the idea that the Quorum of the Twelve held the "keys" to the kingdom.
Even then, the seniority rule had some kinks. For a while, it was based on age. Then it was based on who stayed "faithful" the longest. There was a weird period where if an apostle was excommunicated and then came back, he lost all his seniority and went to the back of the line. By the time Wilford Woodruff became the Prophet in the late 1800s, the modern "date of ordination" rule was firmly established.
Real-World Implications of the Process
Because the process is so rigid, the Church avoids the political infighting that plagues other large organizations. There’s no "campaigning" because it wouldn't work. You can't lobby to be more senior than the guy who was ordained five years before you.
This creates a very stable, albeit very conservative (in the sense of "slow to change"), leadership style. The new Prophet has been sitting in every high-level meeting for decades. He knows where the bodies are buried, so to speak. He knows the budget, the doctrine, and the challenges.
Actionable Insights: Understanding the Transition
If you are watching this process unfold or just trying to understand the mechanics of LDS leadership, here are the key takeaways:
- Watch the Seniority List: You can literally predict who the next four or five prophets will be just by looking at a list of the Quorum of the Twelve. Unless someone younger passes away unexpectedly, the line of succession is public knowledge.
- The "Interregnum" is Brief: The period where the Church has no Prophet usually lasts only about a week or two. Administrative functions never stop because the Quorum of the Twelve remains an "equal authority."
- Expect Continuity: Because the new Prophet was the "right-hand man" to the previous one, you rarely see massive, overnight shifts in policy. Change in the LDS Church is a marathon, not a sprint.
- Check Official Sources: If you want the exact dates and ordinations, the Church’s Newsroom is the only place that provides the verified timeline of these meetings.
Basically, the system is designed to remove human ambition from the equation. Whether you believe it’s divine or just a really clever piece of organizational engineering, it has kept the Church remarkably stable for nearly 200 years.