21 LDS Church Leaders Describe How They Were Called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

This article was originally written by Trent Toone, Sarah Gambles and Chelsea Potter for Deseret News. The following is an excerpt. 

The recent deaths of Elder L. Tom Perry, President Boyd K. Packer and Elder Richard G. Scott created three vacancies in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

With the possibility that these positions could be filled during the 185th Semiannual General Conference, DeseretNews.com compiled stories from current and former church leaders about their calls to the quorum.

Elder Neil L. Andersen

On April 1, 2009, Elder Neil L. Andersen was called to President Thomas S. Monson’s office. While there, he was asked to become a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, according to Elder Andersen’s biography on churchofjesuschrist.org.

“There is no man with more love than President Thomas S. Monson,” said Elder Andersen during his first general conference talk as an apostle, “Come Unto Him. “His warmth is as the sunshine at midday. Yet, as he extended to me this sacred call, you can imagine the overwhelming soberness I felt as the eyes of the prophet of God peered deeply into the chambers of my soul. Happily, you can also imagine the love I felt from the Lord and from his prophet as President Monson wrapped his long and loving arms around me. I love you, President Monson.”

President Henry B. Eyring

President Henry B. Eyring, now first counselor in the First Presidency, had no premonition of his call to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. It came on Friday, March 31, 1995, about four weeks after the death of President Howard W. Hunter and the day before general conference, according to his biography, “I Will Lead You Along: The Life of Henry B. Eyring,” by Henry J. Eyring and Robert I. Eaton.

President Eyring was invited to the office of President Gordon B. Hinckley, who began by asking him about his service as commissioner of education. This launched a 30-minute conversation about challenges facing the church educational system.

“President Hinckley concluded that Hal could continue to play that role and take on an additional assignment. Making reference to the vacancy to be filled the next day, he said, ‘Well, I think we’ll have you continue as commissioner as you join the Twelve,’ ” the biography reads.

President Hinckley then read from Doctrine and Covenants Section 112 and specifically gave President Eyring the task of “learning what it means to feed the Savior’s sheep.”

“The charge to the newest member of the Twelve was brief and to the point, in the style Hal had come to expect from President Hinckley,” the biography records.

President Eyring returned to his office and immediately began working on the general conference talk he would deliver the next day after being sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He titled it “Always Remember Him.”

“Over the last hours I have come to understand other blessings from ‘always remembering him,’ ” President Eyring said in his conference talk.

Read the full list at DeseretNews.com.