The death of 101-year-old President Russell M. Nelson , a vigorous leader whose tenure was marked by a geyser of policy changes, raises many questions about the future of the global church he led.

Not included in that list of questions is who is most likely to succeed him.

Unlike the Catholic tradition of electing a new pope , The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chooses each new prophet-president based on seniority among the remaining apostles.

This means that 93-year-old Dallin H. Oaks, currently the longest-serving apostle and the same age as Nelson when he ascended to the presidency, is all but certain to helm the global faith of 17.5 million members.

Appointed to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles the same day as Nelson in 1984 — but ordained a month later — Oaks

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