Biographical Facts for the 15 and scriptures
D&C 68:3-4
Whatever the Lord's servants speak when they are moved upon by the Holy Ghost is scripture and will be the mind and will of the Lord and the power of God
Revelation 19:10
To gain a testimony of Jesus is to have the spirit of prophecy. Having the spirit of prophecy constitutes being a prophet
Mosiah 8:13-17
A Seer is greater than a prophet, but is also a prophet and a revelator. A seer is able to reveal things that are past, future, hidden, and yet unknown.
D&C 21:4-6, 9
The Lord has commanded his church to receive the words of the prophet 'as if from mine own mouth'. If we do that he has promised us that the gates of hell shall not prevail against you and the powers of darkness will be dispersed before us
Amos 3:7
The Lord always has and always will reveal his secrets (His mind and will) to man through His chosen prophets
2 Nephi 9:28-30
To be learned is good if one will hearken unto the precepts of God. It is foolishness to rely only on mortal learning
2 Nephi 29:3, 9-10
Some in the last days may feel that they have all of God's words in the Bible. Since there are more nations than one, God has commanded men everywhere to write the words that He speaks to them. He will continue to speak until His work is finished.
2 Chronicles 20:20
Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. In order to put our trust int he Lord we can believe the words of His prophets.
Thomas Spencer Monson
Born August 21, 1927 in SLC. Attended West High School and graduated cum laude from U of U in 1948 Business Admin. He then got his MBA from BYU in 1974. He is married to Frances Beverly Johnson and they have 3 children. He served in the US Navy in WWII. General manager of the Deseret News Press. Was a bishop and member of the stake presidency in the Temple View Stake. President of the Canadian mission. Member of the Quorum of the Twelve in 1963.
Henry Benion Eyring
Born May 31, 1933 in Princeton, NJ. HE served int the US Air force. BA in physics from U of U, MA in Business Admin, from Harvard, and Ph.D. in Business Admin. from Harvard. He was the associate professor in the Graduate school of Business at Standford, President of Ricks, and Commissioner of Church Education. He became a member of the Quorum of the 12 on April 1st, 1995. He is married to Kathleen Johnson and they are they parents of 6 children.
Dieter Fredrich Uchtdorf
Born November 6, 1940 in Ostrava, Czechoslovakia. He is married to Harriet Reich and they have two children. He studied engineering, Business Admin, and International Management. He was a jet fighter pilot for the German Air force and was Senior Vice President for Flight Operations and Chief Pilot for Lufthansa Airlines. He was called to the Quorum of the Twelve on October 2, 2004.
Boyd Kenneth Packer
Born September 01, 1924 in Brigham City, UT. He served in the Air force during WWII. He was sent to Japan by the military and had an opportunity to teach the gospel to the Japanese. He has a BS. MA, and Ed.D. in Education. He has worked as a teacher, supervisor, and administrator for the Church Education System. He was called into the Quorum of the 12 on April 9, 1970 and has been acting president twice, and is the current president of the council of the 12. He is married to Donna Edith Smith and they have ten children.
Lowell Tom Perry
He was born August 5, 1922 in Logan Utah making him the oldest apostle - 90 years old! He served in the Northern States Mission and the US Marine Corps. He has his BS in Business from Utah State. He has worked for several companies in several cities. He was president of the Boston Stake, an assistant to the council of the twelve, and finally called into the quorum of the twelve on April 11, 1974. He married Virgina Lee and they have 3 children together. He then married Barbara Dayton after she passed away.
Russell Marion Nelson
He was born September 9, 1924 in SLC. He married Dantzel Whilte and they had ten children together. After passing away, He married Wendy L. Watson. He has his BA from U of U, MD from U of U, and Ph.D. from U of Minnesota. He was a part of the medical service in the US army in Korea and Japan. He was the professor of surgery, chairman of thoracic surgery, and served on the council on Cardiovascular surgery from the American Heart Association. He filled the vacancy created by the death of Elder LeGrande Richards and became a member of the quorum of the twelve on April 7, 1984.
Dallin Harris Oaks
He was born August 12, 1932 in Provo. He married June Dixon and they had 6 children together. She later passed away from cancer and he married Kristen M. McMain. He has his BS in accounting from BYU and his JD from the University of Chicago. He was a law clerk, practice corpoate law, dean at University of chicago, Executive Director of the American Bar Association, President of BYU, and was a Justice of the Utah Supreme Court. He became a member of the Quorum of the 12 on April 7, 1984.
Melvin Russell Ballard
He was born October 8, 1928 in SLC. He served in the British mission and married Barbara Bowen and they have seven children. He attended U of U and is a SLC businessman. He was a president of the Canada Toronto mission and was called to be a member of the Quorum of the twelve on October 6, 1985. Both of his grandfathers served on the council of the twelve.
Richard Gordon Scott
Born on November 7, 1928 in Pocatello, Idaho. He graduated in Mechanical Engineering from George Washington University. He served his mission in Uruguay and married Jeanene Watkins and they have 5 children. Jeanene passed away from cancer in 1995 and he has not remarried. He was an engineer from Westinghouse and at MTR associations. He was President of the Argentine North Mission and became a member of the quorum of the twelve on October 1, 1988.
Robert Dean Hales
Born on August 24, 1932 in NYC. He graduated from U of U and got his MBA from Harvard. He is married to MAry Elene Crandall and they have two children. He was a US Air Force fighter pilot. He was the general manager of Gilette, Executive for Papermate, Vice Pres. of Mac Factor Intl., President of Hughes Broadcasting Co., and was a group VP of Cheesebrough-Ponds, Inc. He was the president of the London, England mission, presiding Bishop, and was called to the quorum of the twelve April 2, 1994.
Jeffrey Roy Holland
Born December 3, 1940 in St. George. He served in the British Mission. Married to Patricia Terry and they have three children. He has his BA in English from BYU, MA in Religious Education from BYU, and his MA and Ph.D. in American studies from Yale. He has served as institute director in several cities and served as the dean of Religious Instruction at BYU. He was the commissioner of Church Education and later became the President of BYU. He became a member of the quorum of the twelve on June 23, 1994.
David Allen Bednar
Born June 15, 1952 in San Leandro, CA. He has his BA in communcations from BYU, MA in Organizational Communications from BYU, and his Ph.D. from Purdue. He served in the Germany South mission and marries Susan Kae Robinson. They have three children. He was a teacher at Texas Tech, faculty member at the University of Arkansas, and President of Ricks. He helped Ricks College transform into BYU Idaho. He was called into the Quorum of the twelve apostles in 2004.
Quentin LeMar Cook
Born September 8, 1940 in Logan, UT. He has his BS in political science from Utah State and his JD from Stanford. He married Mary Gaddie and they are the parents of three children. He served 27 years as a business lawyers and three years as president of California Healthcare Systems. He was called to be a member of the Quorum of the twelve on October 6, 2007.
David Todd Christofferson
Born January 24, 1945 in American Fork. He got his bachelors in English/Intl. Relations from BYU and his JD from Duke. He served in the Argentina North mission and married Katherine Thelma Jacob. He served in the US Army and practiced law in Washington DC. He was an early-morning seminary teacher, bishop, and stake president. He was called into the twelve on April 5, 2008.
Neil Lindon Andersen
Born August 9, 1951 in Logan Utah. He was raised on a dairy farm in Pocatello, Idaho. He served in the France Bordeaux Mission. He got his Bachelors from BYU and his MBA from Harvard. He married Kathy Sue Williams. He worked as an advertising executive, in real estate, and later as a vice president of Morton Plant Health System. He was President of the France Bordeaux Mission, First councilor in the General Sunday School Presidency, and then because an apostle on April 4, 2009.