The New First Presidency
October 14, 2025 • Blog Post
On October 14, 2025, at 1 p.m. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced the newly reorganized First Presidency. We have heard many powerful messages from these beloved leaders, and we look forward to their careful and inspired leadership as we prepare for the Second Coming of the Lord.
President Dallin Harris Oaks
No stranger to hardship or hard work, President Dallin H. Oaks lost his father just before his eighth birthday and began working to help support his mother and siblings a few short years later. He graduated from BYU and then attended law school at the University of Chicago, graduating with distinction. After serving in various legal positions, he returned to BYU to serve as the president of the university, aiding in the establishment of the BYU Law School. He served on the Utah Supreme Court for several years, retiring from that position to accept his call to the apostleship in 1984.
President Oaks is known for his clarity in matters of doctrine and for the strength of his testimony. He has given an astounding 39 speeches at BYU, the earliest in 1971 and the most recent in 2025. President Oaks bears the distinction of having giving the first BYU devotional ever to be recorded on video, and his most watched BYU speech is “Timing,” given in 2002.
President Henry Bennion Eyring
Though known to be a humble and unassuming man, President Henry B. Eyring climbed to great heights in academia, attending the University of Utah as an undergraduate and earning master’s and doctoral degrees from Harvard. He served as president of BYU–Idaho (then Ricks College) and in various Church callings before being called as an apostle in 1995. He was called as a counselor in the First Presidency in 2007 and has served in four different presidencies up to the present day—18 years total.
President Eyring is known for his spiritual insight and heartfelt emotion. He has given 25 speeches at BYU, and his most popular speech, “Gifts of the Spirit for Hard Times,” was the second BYU Speeches video to hit one million views. His trademark storytelling and personal humility is evident in this Inspiring Short.
President David Todd Christofferson
From a young age, President D. Todd Christofferson has had powerful experiences with the Lord’s answers to prayer—including a personal Sacred Grove experience. He served a mission in Latin America and studied at BYU, where he met his wife. President Christofferson earned a juris doctorate from Duke University and began a successful law career, which included serving as associate general counsel for the Bank of America. He served in several Church callings before accepting the call to the apostleship in 2008.
President Christofferson’s bold loyalty to the Lord and His gospel is evident in the clarity of his speeches. He has spoken at BYU 13 times, offering both humorous anecdotes and powerful, personal lessons (see this Inspiring Short). An especially notable speech on loving discipleship is “The First Commandment First,” given in 2022.
Alayna Een Hanna is an editor and the social media manager of BYU Speeches. She is passionate about the gospel, pumpkins, and the color orange. You can often find her chasing sunsets, overdecorating for holidays, and keeping her long-suffering and lovable husband a little too busy.
