A Page of Apostolic 'averages'

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1. The average tenure in office of our Church Presidents is 11 years and 03 months (this calculation does not include President Monson).

2. The average tenure of service of our Apostles is 26 years and 05 months (this calculation is based upon the 89 apostles who have passed away,

and does not include the 15 apostles currently serving). If the four apostles who died prematurely and the fifteen apostles who were released from

the apostleship are not included in the calculation (see #5 below for their names), the average tenure of service is 30 years 01 month.

3. The average number of apostles called and set-apart per decade is 5.8, or approximately 6 per decade (from 1829 to 2008). This is equivalent to

one new apostle every 1.73 years, or about every 1 year 9 months.

4. The average age at death of our Church Presidents is 84 years and 0 months. If Joseph Smith (who was martyred at a young age) is not included, the average is

87 years and 02 months.

5. The average age of death of our apostles is 75 years and 09 months. (This calculation does not include the four apostles whose lives were taken prematurely

[Joseph Smith, David W. Patten, Hyrum Smith, Parley P. Pratt] nor does it include the fifteen apostles who were permanently released from the Quorum of the

12 before their death [Oliver Cowdery, Thomas B. Marsh, William M'Lellin, Luke Johnson, William Smith, John Boynton, Lyman Johnson, John E. Page, Lyman

Wight, John W. Young, Albert Carrington, Moses Thatcher, John W. Taylor, Matthias Cowley, Richard R. Lyman]).

6. The average age at the time of being called to the apostleship is 44 years and 10 months. Interestingly, the average for apostles called in the 19th century

(47 apostles) is 33 years and 02 months, the average for apostles called in the 20^th century (53 apostles) is 54 years and 0 months, and the average for apostles

in the 21^st century is 61 years and 07 months (4 apostles).

7. The average age of the apostles called during the tenure of each President of the Church is as follows:

 
 Average age at time Number of
 President of apostolic call apostles called
 
 Joseph Smith  29 years 02 months 22
 Brigham Young 34 years 00 months 13
 John Taylor 35 years 05 months 6
 Wilford Woodruff 39 years 05 months 5
 Lorenzo Snow 39 years 11 months  2
 Joseph F Smith 44 years 03 months 11
 Heber J Grant 54 years 03 months 12
 George Albert Smith 53 years 03 months 3
 David O McKay 59 years 08 months 11
 Joseph Fielding Smith 51 years 01 month 2
 Harold B Lee 57 years 02 months 1
 Spencer W Kimball 57 years 06 months 7
 Ezra Taft Benson 63 years 07 months 3
 Howard W Hunter 53 years 07 months 1
 Gordon B Hinckley 61 years 03 months 4
 Thomas S Monson 63 years 02 months 1
 
 Total=104  
 

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