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Click Here to Watch the announcement LIVE (beginning at 11 a.m.)Click Here to listen to the announcement LIVE (beginning at 11 a.m.)
Sam Penrod and Paul Nelson reporting
A new chapter is about to begin in the leadership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Church has called a press conference for Monday morning to announce a new First Presidency. It will begin a new era of the Church's hierarchy. Historians say there should be no surprises.
At 11:00 Monday morning, the new First Presidency will be announced. The fact that the Church has called this press conference for Monday signals that the Church's First Presidency was re-organized Sunday in the Salt Lake Temple. The three new leaders will be introduced Monday to the Church.
The pattern of succession of the senior apostle to the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints dates back to Brigham Young, who succeeded Church founder Joseph Smith in 1847.
According to an article posted this week on lds.org: "Throughout the history of the Church, the longest-serving apostle has always become the president of the Church when the First Presidency has been reorganized."
That means we can expect Thomas S. Monson to be named as the 16th President of the Church.
BYU LDS Church History Department Chair Arnold Garr says, unless the LDS Church makes a radical departure from tradition, President Monson will be the new leader. "It has always been the senior apostle. There has never been any exception."
President Monson will bring with him more than 44 years of church leadership experience, including 22 of those years in the Church's governing First Presidency.
Succeeding a beloved prophet has always been a tender time for new church presidents, which President Monson alluded to during the funeral.
The pattern of church succession will also result in President Boyd K. Packer being elevated from serving as the Acting President to the President of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles. He will become the next in line to be president of the Church.
President Monson will also announce his choice for his two counselors in the First Presidency. Those two men are expected to be selected from within the membership of the Church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. That would create at least one vacancy in that quorum, which could be filled as early as Monday. However, it is more likely to occur during the Church's general conference in April.
Again, the announcement of the 16th President of the LDS Church will come Monday morning from church headquarters in downtown Salt Lake City at 11 a.m.
Our coverage on KSL TV Channel 5, KSL Newsradio 102.7 FM/1160 AM, and KSL.Com will begin a few moments before the news conference. We will have complete coverage and reaction to the announcement throughout the day.
