Thomas Spencer Monson (August 21, 1927 – January 2, 2018) was an American religious leader, author, and the sixteenth President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). As president, he was considered by adherents of the religion to be a "prophet, seer, and revelator." Monson's early career was as a manager at the Deseret News, a Utah newspaper owned by the LDS Church. He spent most of his life engaged in various church leadership positions and public service.Monson was ordained an LDS apostle at age 36, served in the First Presidency under three church presidents and was the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from March 12, 1995, until he became President of the Church on February 3, 2008. He succeeded Gordon B. Hinckley as church president.
Monson received four honorary doctorate degrees, as well as the Boy Scouts of America's Silver Buffalo and the World Organization of the Scout Movement's Bronze Wolf—both awards are the highest awards in each organization. He was a member of the National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America, the organization's governing body.Monson was chairman of the Boards of Trustees/Education of the Church Educational System, and Ronald Reagan appointed him to the U.S. President's Task Force for Private Sector Initiatives. He married Frances Beverly Monson (née Johnson) in the Salt Lake Temple in 1948, and together they raised their three children. Frances died on May 17, 2013.
On May 23, 2017, the LDS Church said Monson would no longer be attending meetings at the church's offices on a regular basis, because of limitations incident to age. With his birthday on August 21, 2017, Monson became the seventh president of the LDS Church to be a nonagenarian. He died a few months later on January 2, 2018.
