Former Utah justice to lead Mormon church
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SALT LAKE CITY -- Dallin H. Oaks, a former Utah Supreme Court justice, was named Tuesday as the new president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its more than 17 million members worldwide.
Oaks' selection to lead what is widely known as the Mormon church follows the recent death of his 101-year-old predecessor, Russell M. Nelson. His ascension is not a surprise; a longstanding church policy says the longest-tenured member of a top leadership body called the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles becomes the next president. The tradition is meant to ensure a seamless transition and prevent internal or public lobbying.
"I accept with humility the responsibility that God has placed upon me and commit my whole heart and soul to the service to which I've been called," Oaks said.
As president, he is considered a prophet and seer who will guide the church through divine revelation from God alongside two top counselors and members of the Quorum of the Twelve. He'll set policy and oversee the church's many business interests.
The church's leadership transition comes as many of its members have been shaken by a deadly attack on a Michigan congregation, and are grappling with the high-profile assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah, where the denomination is based.
At 93, Oaks will be one of the church's oldest presidents. He will serve in the role until he dies. Tenures for past presidents have varied, with the longest reaching nearly 30 years and the shortest being just nine months.
Experts are doubtful Oaks will pivot sharply from Nelson's approach to leadership because he was one of Nelson's closest advisers. But they say he might shift from Nelson's focus on the faith's global footprint to domestic issues.
In the first significant difference from Nelson's presidency, Oaks announced during the faith's recent general conference that the church will slow the announcement of new temples.
For his top counselors, Oaks selected Henry B. Eyring, 92, who also served in that role for Nelson, and former lawyer D. Todd Christofferson, 80, the church's seventh most senior apostle.
Oaks' choices demonstrate his "deliberate and methodical leadership style," said Paul Reeve, Simmons Chair of Mormon Studies at the University of Utah. While Christofferson was a somewhat unexpected choice, Reeve said it makes sense that the former Utah Supreme Court justice known for his jurist sensibilities would pick a former lawyer.
"I confess that this is not what I expected when I woke up this morning," Christofferson said during Tuesday's announcement. "But I am deeply honored by this calling and the trust that it carries."
While serving on a lower leadership panel in the 1990s, Christofferson was involved in negotiations with Jewish leaders regarding the church's posthumous baptisms of Holocaust victims. In 1994, following intense criticism from the Jewish community, the church agreed to end those ceremonial baptisms.