Succession in the Church

Many LDS believe that it is possible for any of the Twelve Apostles to become the President of the Church following the death of the prophet. Please note this teaching of Joseph Fielding Smith from Doctrines of Salvation.

" 'There is no mystery about the choosing of the successor to the President of the Church. The Lord settled this a long time ago, and the senior apostle automatically becomes the presiding officer of the Church, and he is so sustained by the Council of the Twelve which becomes the presiding body of the Church when there is no First Presidency. The president is not elected, but he has to be sustained both by his brethren of the Council and by the members of the Church' (Doctrines of Salvation, 3:156)."

When it is time for President Monson to leave this earth, his successor will be the Senior Apostle, the President of the Quorum of the Twelve. I am so grateful for a system that has no politicking, no ambition. The Lord controls who lives and who dies, and it is through that method that His prophet is selected.