page_title: Thomas S. Monson
section_title: First Presidency
hierarchical_section_title: Thomas S. Monson / Biography / First Presidency
caption_attribution_description: English: President Barack Obama looks at a genealogy chart in the Oval Office with (from left) Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid, Joshua DuBois, Thomas S. Monson, and Dallin H. Oaks. This compilation of Obama's genealogy information was a gift of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
context_page_description: Thomas Spencer Monson was an American religious leader, author, and the 16th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As president, he was considered by adherents of the religion to be a prophet, seer, and revelator. Monson's early career was as a manager at the Deseret News, a Utah newspaper owned by the LDS Church. He spent most of his life engaged in various church leadership positions and public service.
  Monson was ordained an LDS apostle at age 36, served in the First Presidency under three church presidents, and was the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from March 12, 1995, until he became President of the Church on February 3, 2008. He succeeded Gordon B. Hinckley as church president.
  Monson received four honorary doctorate degrees, as well as the Boy Scouts of America's Silver Buffalo and the World Organization of the Scout Movement's Bronze Wolf—the highest awards in each organization. He was a member of the National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America, the organization's governing body.
  Monson was chairman of the Boards of Trustees/Education of the Church Educational System, and Ronald Reagan appointed him to the U.S.
context_section_description: Following the death of church president Spencer W. Kimball in 1985, newly selected church president Ezra Taft Benson asked Hinckley and Monson to serve as his First and Second Counselors. Monson and Hinckley also served as counselors to Benson's successor, Howard W. Hunter. When Hinckley succeeded Hunter in 1995, Monson became his first counselor. He served until Hinckley's death on January 27, 2008. As the second most senior of the apostles behind Hinckley, Monson simultaneously served as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; Boyd K. Packer (then third in seniority) served as Acting President during that time.
caption: Monson, accompanied by apostle Dallin H. Oaks and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, delivers family history records to U.S. President Barack Obama
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