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25 years ago
President Spencer W. Kimball set apart Elder Gordon B. Hinckley of the Quorum of the Twelve as a counselor in the First Presidency on July 23, 1981, according to the July 25, 1981, Church News. Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Presidency of the Seventy was called to fill the vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve.
President N. Eldon Tanner continued in his position as first counselor in the First Presidency as did President Marion G. Romney as second counselor.
The article making the announcement stated: "Presidents of the Church since the days of the Prophet Joseph Smith have occasionally called other counselors in and to the First Presidency, in addition to the usual two."
It referred to the most recent case in which President David O. McKay called three additional counselors: joining first counselor President Tanner and second counselor President Hugh B. Brown were President Joseph Fielding Smith, president of the Quorum of the Twelve, and Elder Thorpe B. Isaacson, of the Assistants to the Twelve, in 1965, and Elder Alvin R. Dyer, also a member of the Assistants to the Twelve, in 1968.
The article reported: "Commenting on his new call, President Hinckley said: 'In this Church we serve where we are called to serve. It is an honor and a privilege to be of any assistance to the president of the Church and his able counselors.' "
