First Presidency

[1] Smith established the inaugural First Presidency on March 8, 1832, with the ordinations of Jesse Gause and Sidney Rigdon as his counselors.

[4] After the death of Smith in 1844, First Presidencies were reorganized by Brigham Young for the LDS Church, by Rigdon for the Rigdonites (now defunct), by Joseph Smith III for the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now Community of Christ), by James J. Strang for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite), and by William Bickerton for The Church of Jesus Christ, although the latter two organizations have not had a First Presidency for much of their history.

All members of the First Presidency are "sustained" by the membership of the church as prophets, seers, and revelators.

Any worthy high priest within the church may serve as a counselor in the First Presidency, though most of its members have been chosen from among the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

If needed, any number of additional counselors may be called to assist them, though the president of the church still remains the only person on the earth authorized to use all priesthood keys.

Although this is a fairly common occurrence, there are no hard and fast rules about such practices and each president is free to choose the counselors he prefers.

This pattern was broken by Wallace B. Smith, who designated W. Grant McMurray church president.

The president is selected by revelation, Jewish Laws of Inheritance, and vote of the General Conference of the Church.

The first president following the schism with the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was Frederick Niels Larsen, a direct descendant (maternal 2nd great-grandson) of Joseph Smith.

His successor is Terry W. Patience, whose first and second counselors are Michael Hogan and David Van Fleet.