Thomas S. Monson
Thomas S. Monson served as the 16th President of the Church from February 2008 until his death in January 2018. He was born to Gladys Condie Monson and G. Spencer Monson in 1927 and grew up in Salt Lake City, with many of his extended family living on the same block. His childhood included summers in Provo Canyon south of Salt Lake, which instilled in him a deep love for nature and outdoor activities. After graduating high school in 1944, amid the backdrop of World War II, Thomas faced crucial decisions. He anticipated receiving a military summons when he turned 18, so after his first year of college at the University of Utah, he enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve. Although the war ended shortly after his enlistment, his military service in San Diego, California, proved life-changing. On his return to Salt Lake City in 1946, he resumed his studies, earning a bachelor’s degree in marketing two years later.
Thomas S. Monson in a Navy uniform while stationed in San Diego, California, 1945.
During his college and military years, Thomas met and dated Frances Johnson. The two were married in 1948. Both took jobs, Thomas as a manager of classified advertising at the Deseret News and Frances as a payroll secretary at a J. C. Penney department store. While just 22 years of age and only 19 months married, Thomas received the call to serve as the bishop of the Salt Lake Sixth-Seventh Ward, which included over a thousand members, many of whom lived in poverty or needed special care. His five-year ministry as bishop focused especially on the dozens of widowed women in the ward, for whom he developed a lifelong concern.
In 1959, Thomas S. Monson was called to preside over the Canadian Mission. Together with their two young children, Tommy and Ann, the Monsons left their new home in a suburb of Salt Lake City for the mission’s headquarters in Toronto. Six months after their arrival, Thomas and Frances welcomed their third child, Clark. The Monsons revitalized missionary work in the area, particularly by developing greater collaboration between local members of the Church and the missionaries who served during their nearly three-year tenure. The creation of the first stake in eastern Canada in 1960 precipitated an increase in local meetinghouses, which the Monsons supported and at times spearheaded.
Thomas S. Monson in the congregation at general conference awaiting the announcement of his call to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 4, 1963.
In 1963, at the age of 36, Thomas S. Monson was called to serve in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. His apostolic ministry coincided with a relatively sharp rise in the membership and international reach of the Church. Elder Monson traveled extensively to assist international congregations, instruct members and missionaries, organize new units, dedicate meetinghouses, and implement programs. Between 1968 and 1990, his assignments over Church operations in Europe included Latter-day Saints living in the German Democratic Republic, a nation-state separated from western Europe by heavily restricted borders that were often called the “Iron Curtain.” Elder Monson demonstrated remarkable commitment to East German Latter-day Saints during this Cold War period, often navigating complicated geopolitical conditions so he could minister in person. From 1968 to 1985, Elder Monson chaired the Bible Study Aids Committee, later renamed the Scriptures Publication Committee, and brought his professional acumen in print publishing to produce a new, comprehensively referenced edition of the Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price. The rest of his apostolic ministry after 1985 was characterized by his serving as a counselor in the First Presidency three times, under Presidents Ezra Taft Benson, Howard W. Hunter, and Gordon B. Hinckley.
After the death of President Hinckley in 2008, President Monson was ordained and set apart as President of the Church. At the turn of the 21st century, Church membership continued to expand across the globe, bringing new opportunities and challenges to keep pace with international changes. President Monson led the Church through greater global outreach and interreligious cooperation. In 2008, he spearheaded adding “caring for the poor and needy” to the Church’s mission. In 2012, he announced the “Hastening the Work of Salvation” initiative that further integrated missionary work and local activities, social media engagement, and service projects. Around this same time, he led a significant policy change: men could be recommended for missionary service beginning at age 18 instead of 19 and women could be recommended for missionary service beginning at age 19 instead of 21. The number of missionaries increased dramatically, rising from 59,000 to a peak of 88,000 within two years of the announcement. President Monson also emphasized temple building and attendance. During his tenure, he announced 45 new temples, a notable increase from the 124 temples operating at the time he became President in 2008.
Five years into his presidency, President Monson tended to his wife, Frances, while she was hospitalized for health decline incident to age. Frances, the “beacon of love, compassion and encouragement” for the Monson family, passed away at 85 years old. Despite physical limitations from his advanced age, President Monson continued to frequent general conference and leadership meetings for the next five years. When he passed away on January 2, 2018, at the age of 90, President Monson was widely celebrated as a beloved minister, leader, speaker, and father. His successor, President Russell M. Nelson, praised President Monson as leaving a “legacy of growth”: over the combined 54 years of service since his ordination as an Apostle, President Monson witnessed the growth of the Church from 2.1 million members to nearly 16 million, from 5,700 missionaries to over 70,000, from 12 temples to 159. “But with all of this,” President Nelson said, “President Monson constantly focused on the individual. He reminded us with expressions such as ‘Send a note to the friend you’ve been neglecting,’ ‘Give your child a hug,’ ‘Say “I love you” more often,’ ‘Always express your thanks,’ and ‘Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved.’”
For more information about the life of Thomas S. Monson, see the Prophets of the Restoration videos on history.ChurchofJesusChrist.org or in the Gospel Library app.
Related Topics: Temple Building, Cold War, Growth of Missionary Work, Church Growth, Bishop