Two Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints attended the second inauguration of President Donald J. Trump and Vice President JD Vance on Monday, Jan. 20, in Washington, D.C.
Elder Gary E. Stevenson and Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles represented the Church at inauguration events and meetings surrounding the inaugural ceremonies, continuing a Latter-day Saint tradition “of supporting and celebrating freedom and civility and upholding the principles of the Constitution,” according to ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
“Being in Washington, D.C., at such a time as this is an honor,” Elder Stevenson said in the news release. “The enduring principles that have been the foundation of our nation are important guides for our personal lives, families and communities.”
Said Elder Gong: “We wish this administration and all those that serve this country in any capacity strength and wisdom for so great a cause. Our best wishes and heaven-sent prayers to all our local, national and world leaders at this important time.”
Church leaders at presidential inaugurations
Members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles have attended the inaugurations of U.S. presidents of both major American political parties since 1873. Today, Church representatives are sent to the inaugurations under the direction of the First Presidency.
Below is a list of inaugurations and Church leaders who attended:
- 1873 — Inauguration of President Ulysses S. Grant — Elder George Q. Cannon, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Utah Territorial delegate.
- 1877 — Inauguration of President Rutherford B. Hayes — President George Q. Cannon, assistant counselor in the First Presidency and Utah Territorial delegate.
- 1905 — Inauguration of President Theodore Roosevelt — Elder Reed Smoot, Quorum of the Twelve and U.S. senator from Utah.
- 1909 — Inauguration of President William Howard Taft — Elder Smoot, Quorum of the Twelve and U.S. senator from Utah.
- 1913 — Inauguration of President Woodrow Wilson — Elder Smoot, Quorum of the Twelve and U.S. senator from Utah.
- 1917 — Inauguration of President Wilson — Elder Smoot, Quorum of the Twelve and U.S. senator from Utah.
- 1921 — Inauguration of President Warren G. Harding — Elder Smoot, Quorum of the Twelve and U.S. senator from Utah.
- 1925 — Inauguration of President Calvin Coolidge — Elder Smoot, Quorum of the Twelve and U.S. senator from Utah.
- 1929 — Inauguration of President Herbert Hoover — Elder Smoot, Quorum of the Twelve and U.S. senator from Utah.
- 1953 — Inauguration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower — Church President David O. McKay and Elder Ezra Taft Benson, Quorum of the Twelve and nominee as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.
- 1957 — Inauguration of President Eisenhower — Elder Benson, Quorum of the Twelve and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.
- 1961 — Inauguration of President John F. Kennedy — Elder Benson, Quorum of the Twelve and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.
- 1965 — Inauguration of President Lyndon B. Johnson — President Hugh B. Brown, first counselor in the First Presidency. (Church President David O. McKay was invited but did not attend because of “his wife’s poor health.”)
- 1969 — Inauguration of President Richard Nixon — Elders Benson and Richard L. Evans, Quorum of the Twelve.
- 1973 — Inauguration of President Nixon — Elder Boyd K. Packer, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. (Church President Harold B. Lee had planned to attend but did not due to illness.)
- 1977 — Inauguration of President Jimmy Carter — President N. Eldon Tanner, first counselor in the First Presidency.
- 1981 — Inauguration of President Ronald Reagan — Elder Benson, Quorum of the Twelve, and Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, First Quorum of the Seventy.
- 1989 — Inauguration of President George H. W. Bush — Church President Ezra Taft Benson and President Thomas S. Monson, second counselor in the First Presidency.
- 1993 — Inauguration of President Bill Clinton — Elder James E. Faust, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
- 1997 — Inauguration of President Clinton — Elder Henry B. Eyring, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
- 2001 — Inauguration of President George W. Bush — Elder J. Willard Marriott, Area Seventy.
- 2009 — Inauguration of President Barack Obama — President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, second counselor in the First Presidency, and Elder M. Russell Ballard, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
- 2013 —Inauguration of President Obama — Elder L. Tom Perry and Elder Quentin L. Cook, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
- 2017 — Inauguration of President Donald Trump — Elder D. Todd Christofferson and Elder Stevenson, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
- 2021 — Church leaders did not attend the inauguration of President Joe Biden because participation was limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 2025 — Inauguration of President Trump — Elder Stevenson and Elder Gong, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
