Presiding Bishops
“As a holder of the keys of presidency over the Aaronic Priesthood of the Church and thus over all other bishops, the Presiding Bishop is one of the General Authorities of the Church. He sits as a judge in Israel, is responsible for many of the temporal concerns of the kingdom, receives consecrations for the care of the
Lords’ poor, and is called to travel and preach as an aid to building up the kingdom.” — Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 592.
A. Presiding Bishops listed in chronologic order:
Presiding Bishop Called Released Length of service Other offices held 1. Edward Partridge 04 Feb 1831 27 May 1840 09 years 04 months -- 2. Newel K Whitney 06 Apr 1847 23 Sep 1850 03 years 06 months -- 3. Edward Hunter 07 Apr 1851 16 Oct 1883 32 years 06 months -- 4. William B Preston 06 Apr 1884 04 Dec 1907 23 years 08 months -- 5. Charles W Nibley 04 Dec 1907 28 May 1925 17 years 06 months 1st Pres 6. Sylvester Q Cannon 04 Jun 1925 06 Apr 1938 12 years 10 months Apostle 7. LeGrand Richards 06 Apr 1938 06 Apr 1952 14 years 00 months Apostle 8. Joseph L Wirthlin 06 Apr 1952 30 Sep 1961 09 years 06 months -- 9. John H Vandenberg 30 Sep 1961 06 Apr 1972 10 years 06 months Asst 12 10. Victor L Brown 06 Apr 1972 08 Apr 1985 13 years 00 months Seventy 11. Robert D Hales 06 Apr 1985 02 Apr 1994 09 years 00 months Apostle 12. Merrill J Bateman 02 Apr 1994 02 Nov 1995 01 years 09 months Seventy 13. H David Burton 27 Dec 1995 31 Mar 2012 16 years 05 months Seventy 14. Gary E Stevenson 31 Mar 2012 03 Oct 2015 03 years 06 months Apostle 15. Gérald Caussé 09 Oct 2015 serving serving Seventy
B. Presiding Bishops listed by length of service
Presiding Bishop Called Released Length of service Other offices held
1. Edward Hunter 07 Apr 1851 16 Oct 1883 32 years 06 months -- 2. William B Preston 06 Apr 1884 04 Dec 1907 23 years 08 months -- 3. Charles W Nibley 04 Dec 1907 28 May 1925 17 years 06 months 1st Pres 4. H David Burton 27 Dec 1995 31 Mar 2012 16 years 05 months Seventy 5. LeGrand Richards 06 Apr 1938 06 Apr 1952 14 years 00 months Apostle 6. Victor L Brown 06 Apr 1972 08 Apr 1985 13 years 00 months Seventy 7. Sylvester Q Cannon 04 Jun 1925 06 Apr 1938 12 years 10 months Apostle 8. John H Vandenberg 30 Sep 1961 06 Apr 1972 10 years 06 months Asst 12 9. Joseph L Wirthlin 06 Apr 1952 30 Sep 1961 09 years 06 months -- 10. Edward Partridge 04 Feb 1831 27 May 1840 09 years 04 months -- 11. Robert D Hales 06 Apr 1985 02 Apr 1994 09 years 00 months Apostle 12. Newel K Whitney 06 Apr 1847 23 Sep 1850 03 years 06 months -- 13. Gary E Stevenson 31 Mar 2012 03 Oct 2015 03 years 06 months Apostle 14. Merrill J Bateman 02 Apr 1994 02 Nov 1995 01 years 09 months Seventy 15. Gérald Caussé 09 Oct 2015 serving serving Seventy
Interesting notes:
1) Edward Hunter served the longest as Presiding Bishop, serving over 32 years. Merrill J. Bateman served the shortest period of time as Presiding Bishop,
serving just less than two years. Elder Bateman was released due to his assignment as president of Brigham Young University.
2) As noted above, 4 of the 15 brethren (27%) who served as Presiding Bishop went on to serve in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (Sylvester Q Cannon, LeGrand Richards, Robert D Hales, and Gary E Stevenson).
3) H. David Burton, the 13th Presiding Bishop in this dispensation, is the great-great-grandson of Robert Taylor Burton, who served as 2nd Counselor to
Presiding Bishop Edward Hunter and 1st Counselor to Presiding Bishop William B. Preston.
4) Only three of the 15 brethren that have served as Presiding Bishop have passed away while serving as Presiding Bishop. The three are Edward Partridge,
Newel K. Whitney, and Edward Hunter (the first three Presiding Bishops).
5) Bishop Gérald Caussé, the 15th Presiding Bishop, is the third bishop to have been born outside of the United States and the first bishop for whom English is a second language. As of October 2023, Bishop Caussé has served 8 years as Presiding Bishop.
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