Focus Keyword: Mormon Church president
In a momentous transition for one of the world’s fastest-growing faiths, Dallin H. Oaks has been named the 18th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — commonly known as the Mormon Church. The announcement ends a rare three-week leadership vacuum following the death of his predecessor, Russell M. Nelson, and ushers in a new chapter for a global religious community of over 17 million members.
Table of Contents
- A Leadership Vacuum Unlike Any Other
- Who Is Dallin H. Oaks?
- The New Mormon Church President’s Vision
- Global Impact and Future Direction
- Sources
A Leadership Vacuum Unlike Any Other
For the first time since the 1800s, the Mormon Church operated without a living prophet at its helm. Russell M. Nelson, who led the church from 2018 until his death on September 27, 2025, at age 101, left behind a legacy of bold reforms — from rebranding efforts to policy reversals on LGBTQ+ issues. His passing triggered an automatic succession process, but the nearly three-week interim marked the longest leadership gap in modern church history.
On Tuesday, October 14, 2025, that uncertainty ended when Dallin H. Oaks — the longest-serving apostle in the Quorum of the Twelve — was formally sustained as the new Mormon Church president.
Who Is Dallin H. Oaks?
At 93, Oaks brings a unique blend of legal acumen, spiritual devotion, and conservative theological grounding to the role. Born in Provo, Utah, in 1932, he lost his father at age 7 and was raised by a resilient single mother — a story he has shared emotionally in past addresses.
Oaks graduated from Brigham Young University and later earned a law degree from the University of Chicago, where he edited the law review. He clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren and was later considered by President Ronald Reagan for a seat on the high court.
His career took a spiritual turn in 1984 when he left the Utah Supreme Court to join the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles — a lifetime calling that blends executive leadership with prophetic authority.
Key Milestones in Oaks’s Life
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1971 | Became president of Brigham Young University |
| 1984 | Joined Quorum of the Twelve Apostles |
| 2018 | Named First Counselor to President Russell M. Nelson |
| 2025 | Becomes 18th Mormon Church president |
The New Mormon Church President’s Vision
Oaks is widely seen as a doctrinal traditionalist. In a pivotal 1984 memo, he urged the church to “vigorously” oppose same-sex marriage — a stance that shaped the institution’s political engagement for decades. Yet he also supported Nelson’s 2019 reversal of a controversial policy barring children of same-sex couples from baptism.
Unlike Nelson, who announced 200 new temples worldwide during his tenure, Oaks recently signaled a shift in pace. At the most recent general conference, he declared it “appropriate that we slow down the announcement of new temples,” surprising many members eager for expansion.
“We are a family church,” Oaks affirmed in a recent address, urging members to resist declining marriage and birth rates. His emphasis on religious liberty, gender roles, and moral clarity suggests continuity with Nelson’s vision—but with a more measured institutional tempo.
Global Impact and Future Direction
With nearly a million new converts in the past three years—most outside North America—the Mormon Church president now leads a truly global faith. Oaks has named two counselors to form the First Presidency: Henry B. Eyring, 92, and D. Todd Christofferson, 79.
Observers note that the church’s strict seniority-based succession system means its top leaders are often in their 80s or 90s—a model some critics call a “gerontocracy.” Yet for believers, the president is not just an administrator but a living prophet, chosen by divine design.
As Dallin H. Oaks steps into this sacred role, millions will watch closely to see how he balances tradition, global growth, and the evolving moral landscape of the 21st century.
