Apostleship

Franklin Dewey Richards (April 2, 1821, Richmond, Massachusetts – December 9, 1899, Ogden, Utah) was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from February 12, 1849 until his death. He also served as president of the quorum from September 2, 1898 until his death. Both his son, George F. Richards, and grandson LeGrand Richards were members of the quorum, with his son also serving as president of the quorum from 1945 to 1950. Richards also served in the Utah Territorial Legislature in 1852 and 1856.

Calling

Apostle Lyman Wight was excommunicated from the church in December 1848 because he refused to join the church in the Salt Lake Valley. This left an opening in the Quorum of the Twelve.

To fill the vacancy, and to bring the number of the quorum up to twelve, Richards was called and ordained as the fourth of four apostles on February 12, 1849. The other three apostles were Charles C. Rich, Lorenzo Snow, and Erastus Snow.

From 1889 until his death, Richards was the church's twelfth official Church Historian.

President of the Twelve

With the death of Church President Wilford Woodruff on September 2, 1898, President Lorenzo Snow became the president of the church. As the second-most senior apostle in the Quorum of the Twelve, Elder Richards assumed the role of President of the Twelve. His term was short-lived, as he lived only 15 months longer.

Death

Richards suffered a stroke and paralysis in the autumn of 1899. He died peacefully in his home in Ogden, Utah on December 9, 1899.

The vacancy in the quorum created by his death was filled by Reed Smoot.

from Wikipedia