D. Todd Christofferson

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D. Todd Christofferson
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
April 5, 2008 (2008-04-05)
LDS Church Apostle
April 10, 2008 (2008-04-10)
ReasonDeath of Gordon B. Hinckley; reorganization of First Presidency
Presidency of the Seventy
August 15, 1998 (1998-08-15) – April 5, 2008 (2008-04-05)
End reasonCalled to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
First Quorum of the Seventy
April 3, 1993 (1993-04-03) – April 5, 2008 (2008-04-05)
End reasonCalled to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Personal details
BornDavid Todd Christofferson
(1945-01-24) January 24, 1945 (age 79)
American Fork, Utah, U.S.
EducationBrigham Young University (BA)
Duke University (JD)
Spouse(s)
Katherine Jacob
​
(m. 1968)​
Children5

David Todd Christofferson (born January 24, 1945) is an American religious leader and former lawyer who serves as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He has been a general authority of the church since 1993. Currently, he is the eighth most senior apostle in the church.[1]

Christofferson grew up in Utah and New Jersey, and after high school served as an LDS missionary in Argentina. He then studied English literature at Brigham Young University (BYU) before attending law school at Duke University. After graduating from law school in 1972, Christofferson clerked for Judge John Sirica on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia while Sirica presided over much of the legal proceedings stemming from the Watergate scandal. Christofferson then entered private practice, and eventually became an in-house lawyer for NationsBank (now part of Bank of America).

Early life[edit]

Christofferson was born in American Fork, Utah, and raised in Pleasant Grove, Utah; Lindon, Utah; and Somerset, New Jersey. As a young man, he served a two-year LDS mission in Argentina. His mission president was Richard G. Scott, who would already be a member of the Quorum of the Twelve when Christofferson was called to the same quorum. After his mission, he earned a bachelor's degree from BYU in English and international relations in 1969, followed by a J.D. from Duke University School of Law in 1972.[2]

Christofferson began his legal career as a law clerk to Judge John J. Sirica of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia from 1972 to 1974. Shortly after Christofferson began clerking, Sirica was assigned to preside over the Watergate legal proceedings.[3]

After his work as a judicial clerk, Christofferson was an active member of the US military and then served in the reserves for eight years.[4]

Career and family[edit]

As a lawyer, Christofferson worked in Washington, D.C.; Nashville, Tennessee; Herndon, Virginia; and Charlotte, North Carolina.[5] Christofferson was the associate general counsel for NationsBank in Charlotte and was the volunteer chairman of Affordable Housing of Nashville, Tennessee.[6]

Christofferson clerked for Judge John J. Sirica during the Watergate trials. Together they were the first outside the White House to hear the Nixon White House tapes. "Judge Sirica and I were shocked as we heard Nixon calmly ask" how much money it would take to keep the Watergate burglars quiet, Christofferson said in a June 2017 address to faculty and students at Christ Church College in Oxford, England. "The judge and I couldn't believe, didn't want to believe what we were hearing … He passed me a note suggesting we rewind the tape and listen again. Up to this point we both still hoped that the president [of the United States] was not really involved, but this was indisputable."[7]

Christofferson married Katherine Jacob in the Salt Lake Temple on May 28, 1968.[2] They are the parents of five children.[5]

LDS Church service[edit]

Prior to becoming a general authority, Christofferson served in the LDS Church as a bishop, stake president, and regional representative.[5] At the church's April 1993 general conference, Christofferson was called as a general authority and member of the First Quorum of the Seventy.[8] In August 1998, Christofferson became a member of the Presidency of the Seventy.[9]

As a seventy, Christofferson served as the executive director of the church's Family and Church History Department. While in this position he was involved in negotiations with Jewish leaders on policies on temple work for Holocaust victims, which concluded with the church stating that its members should only do such temple work for family members. He also was in charge of the department when the church completed the Freedman's Savings Bank Records project.[3]

On April 5, 2008, during the solemn assembly session of the church's general conference when Thomas S. Monson was sustained as church president, Christofferson was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.[10] As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Christofferson is regarded by church members as a prophet, seer, and revelator.

Works[edit]

Articles

  • —— (Spring 2004), "Lest we forget: the meaning of Kirtland's history in the present", Journal of Mormon History, 30 (1), Mormon History Association: 104–119, OCLC 367833284[permanent dead link]
  • —— (15 July 2008), "An Oral History Interview with Elder D. Todd Christofferson" (PDF), The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, interviewed by Naftali, Timothy J.[clarification needed]

Honors[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Apostolic seniority is generally understood to include all ordained apostles (including the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Seniority is determined by date of ordination, not by age or other factors. If two apostles are ordained on the same day, the older of the two is typically ordained first. See Succession to the presidency and Heath, Steven H. (Summer 1987). "Notes on Apostolic Succession" (PDF). Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought. 20 (2): 44–56..
  2. ^ a b Cook, Quentin L. (August 2008), "Elder D. Todd Christofferson: Prepared to Serve the Lord", Liahona: 8–13
  3. ^ a b Dethman, Leigh (2008-04-05), "Elder D. Todd Christofferson named new apostle; other leaders called", Deseret Morning News
  4. ^ "D. Todd Christofferson Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles". ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  5. ^ a b c "Elder D. Todd Christofferson Of the Seventy", Ensign: 99, May 1993
  6. ^ 2005 Deseret News Church Almanac (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret News, 2004) p. 29
  7. ^ Walch, Tad (15 June 2017). "Mormon apostle at Oxford: Lessons learned from Watergate scandal". Deseret News. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  8. ^ Monson, Thomas S. (May 1993), "The Sustaining of Church Officers", Ensign: 21
  9. ^ "Three called to the Presidency of Seventy", Church News, 1998-08-29
  10. ^ "First Presidency Sustained, New Apostle and Other Leaders Named", Newsroom, LDS Church, 5 April 2008
  11. ^ Walch, Tad (14 August 2017). "World Peace Prize presented in India to Mormon leader". Deseret News. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  12. ^ "Saint Dnyaneshwara World Peace Prize to Christofferson". The Times of India. August 5, 2017. Retrieved 15 August 2017.

References[edit]

External links[edit]

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints titles
Preceded by Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
April 5, 2008 – 		Succeeded by
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