I remember exactly where I was when I heard President David O. McKay passed away. It was a Sunday morning in January 1970, and word had just reached our little branch in Kansas that the prophet had died. I was 16, and President McKay was the only prophet I had ever known. Tears rolled down my cheeks as a huge question loomed in my mind: How could the Church go on without a prophet?
Well, of course, the Church did go on. President Joseph Fielding Smith was set apart president of the Church, and a year or so later I found myself standing in a predawn line outside the Salt Lake Tabernacle with BYU roommates hoping to get a seat for general conference. Thankfully, we did, and to this day I remember the overwhelming manifestation of the Spirit that I had as President Smith entered the Tabernacle. The experience was so unmistakable that in that very moment, I realized that I didn’t just believe he was a prophet. I knew it. I knew it in a way that I couldn’t deny.
President Smith’s term in office was short — just a couple of years — and President Harold B. Lee was set apart president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
At 73, President Lee was a youngster as prophets go. Everyone thought that he would be president of the Church for 20 years, maybe more — maybe even until the Millennium. At least, that was a sentiment expressed by some. But then, just 18 months later, President Lee passed away suddenly. The membership of the Church was shocked.
Elder William Grant Bangerter, a General Authority Seventy, later described the situation: “Suddenly he was gone. … It was the first time since the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith when the president had died before it was time for him to die. In deep sorrow and concern, the surging questions arose in the minds of the people, … ‘What will we do now? … Can the Church survive this emergency?’ Of course, we knew that the Church would survive, but it could not possibly be the same. We had never expected Spencer W. Kimball to become the president, and we had not looked to him for the same leadership evident in the life of Harold B. Lee. We knew, of course, that he would manage somehow, until the next great leader arose, but it would not be easy for him, and things would not be the same. ‘O Lord,’ we prayed, ‘please bless President Kimball. He needs all the help You can give him.’” (“A Special Moment in Church History,” October 1977 general conference.)
Well, President Kimball did a whole lot more than survive. Despite dealing with enough serious health setbacks to fill an ICU, he proved to be a dynamic leader. He was the prophet of my young adult years, and I wondered how any other leader could ever measure up to President Kimball’s incredible prophetic vision.
And yet, each succeeding prophet has proved to be the man for the moment. If each was evaluated solely by a list of his achievements, he would take his place among the world’s great contributors. But these prophets of God have not just been accomplished men. They are men the Lord chose, schooled and prepared to lead His Church. He is the divine schoolmaster. He is the one who determines who will be president of the Church and for how long.
I don’t just believe this is true. I know it is true.
When President Russell M. Nelson slipped through the veil less than a week before the October 2025 general conference, I heard some say how “inconvenient” the timing was.
From my point of view, the timing was fantastic. We witnessed, in “real time,” how magnificently the Lord has organized His Church. The very moment President Nelson “graduated,” the Church still had a senior Apostle — President Dallin H. Oaks. It still had a presiding council — the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. And, most significantly, it still had all of the priesthood keys that were restored through Joseph Smith. Thus, it had all the power and structure required for general conference to proceed and to, in a matter of days, reorganize the First Presidency.
I know of no other organization on earth that has such a seamless transition of leadership and power. I know of no other organization where its members are never without guidance — prophetic guidance. I am overwhelmed by the beauty of the Lord’s Church.
President Nelson once stated that he hoped we did not miss the majesty of this moment in the Church, referring to the remarkable events taking place in these latter days. Likewise, I hope we do not miss the majesty of the moment we have just witnessed.
President Dallin H. Oaks is the 10th prophet in my lifetime. With his setting apart, I have marveled yet again at the miracle of prophetic succession. And I have savored the spiritual witness that he is indeed the Lord’s chosen mouthpiece for this time and this season.
We thank Thee, O God, for a prophet.
— Sheri Dew is executive vice president and chief content officer of Deseret Management Corp. and a former member of the Relief Society general presidency.
