SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Dallin H. Oaks, a former Utah Supreme Court justice, was named Tuesday to lead The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its more than 17 million members worldwide.

Oaks’ selection as president of what is widely known as the Mormon church follows the recent death of his 101-year-old predecessor, Russell M. Nelson. His ascension is not a surprise; a longstanding church policy says the longest-tenured member of a top leadership body called the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles becomes the next president. The tradition is meant to ensure a seamless transition and prevent internal or public lobbying.

As president, Oaks is considered a prophet and seer who will guide the church through divine revelation from God alongside two top counselors and members of the Quorum. He’ll set policy and oversee the church’s many business interests.

The church’s leadership transition comes as many of its members have been shaken by a deadly attack on a Michigan congregation, and are grappling with the high-profile assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah, where the denomination is based.

At 93, Oaks will be one of the church’s oldest presidents. He will serve in the role until he dies. Tenures for past presidents have varied, with the longest reaching nearly 30 years and the shortest being just nine months.

Experts are doubtful Oaks will pivot sharply from Nelson’s approach to leadership because he was one of Nelson’s closest advisers. But experts say Oaks might shift from Nelson’s focus on the faith’s global footprint to domestic issues.

In the first major difference from Nelson’s presidency, Oaks announced during the faith’s recent general conference that the church will slow the announcement of new temples.

He also emphasized the importance of family while acknowledging that not all families look the same. In a departure from his typical sermons, which often appeal more to reason than emotion, Oaks shared a story about the day his grandfather told him at age 7 that his father had died. He went on to describe the value of being raised by a single mother and others who stepped into parental roles for him and his siblings.

Oaks is known for his jurist sensibilities and traditionalist beliefs on marriage and religious freedom. He has been a driving force in the church against same-sex marriage and in upholding a teaching that homosexuality is a sin — a position that causes uneasiness among LGBTQ+ members and their allies.

He said in 2022 that social and legal pressure would not influence the church to change its posture on same-sex marriage and matters of gender identity.

Yet in recent years, Oaks has been part of some key church moves that suggest he might not make the topic a centerpiece of his administration, experts say. Oaks was Nelson’s closest adviser in 2019 when Nelson rescinded a policy that banned baptisms for children of gay parents and labeled same-sex couples as sinners eligible for expulsion.

Oaks has also been a strong advocate for civil public discourse.

Early on as an apostle, he was involved in a crackdown on far-right extremism that resulted in some excommunications. In 2020, he gave a speech about having faith in elections without resorting to radicalism or violence.

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SALT LAKE CITY — A woman who was critically injured by flying debris over the weekend while trying to escape a storm that disrupted Redwest Music Festival has died, according to her family.

Ava Ahlander, 23, originally from American Fork but residing in Seattle, died at a hospital after her organs were donated, a family representative said. They said she had returned to Utah to attend the music festival at Utah State Fairpark with a friend, as she loved music festivals.

“Ava was a beautiful soul whose kindness, warmth, and adventurous spirit touched everyone around her,” her family wrote on a GoFundMe* page. “Even in her passing, Ava continues to give the gift of life to others as an organ donor — a final act of generosity that truly reflects her caring nature and desire to help those in need.”

Officers and firefighters responded to a report of an injured person near 1055 W. North Temple shortly after 5 p.m. Saturday, according to Salt Lake Police Lt. Leigh Willis. The concert had been suspended as a thunderstorm rolled into the Wasatch Front, and many attendees started running for cover to avoid the lightning, rain and strong winds.

Ahlander was near her car, which was parked near a construction site, when she was struck by a large plank from scaffolding that also fell onto her car, Willis said. She was transported to a nearby hospital in critical condition. Doctors ultimately determined that she had lost brain activity, according to her family. They say she was kept on life support long enough for her family to say goodbye, and for organ donation.

Saturday’s storm prompted a high wind warning from the National Weather Service, which said wind gusts of 60 mph were possible as a cold front swept through the region. Willis said a strong wind burst likely caused the scaffolding to fall.

The concert’s Saturday festivities, including a performance from headliner Post Malone, were ultimately canceled because of the weather.

Contributing: Eric Cabrera

*KSLNewsRadio does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah goes all out for Halloween, with decorations starting to pop up throughout the state. Some homeowners are more elaborate than others. At one home in Salt Lake, they’re drawing quite the crowd this Sunday with onlookers seeing it on social media and coming by to see it for themselves.

“We saw it on TikTok and we live fairly close and just thought we’d come check it out. We like to check out fun stuff,” said Christina, who went to see the sight with her boyfriend Ronald, taking pictures at the historic home that goes all out with dozens and dozens of pumpkins out front, cleverly carved and arranged.

Ashley and Kevin drove up from Murray to show their young daughter Jane all the pumpkins at the home on 300 South and 800 East, which neighbors affectionately called the “pumpkin house.”

“We looked up this house, yeah, and just thought we’d surprise her,” Ashley said, as her daughter proudly said, “Orange!”

Ashley explained that “orange” means “pumpkins” to her little girl, and they thought she’d be delighted to see all of these.

“It’s pretty cool. We’ve got step up our game, huh? And get more pumpkins at home,” her husband Kevin added.

Most of those who visited said it left them inspired to decorate more at their own homes.

Christina and Ronald laughed that they’re going to try to go much bigger next year now after seeing this.

“We decorate a little bit, right?” Christina said.

“Yeah, we’ve got something going… Next year’s gonna be better!” Ronald said.

In nearby neighborhood Yalecrest, more decorations are popping up. Many of the homeowners in this historic area go big for Halloween. One family we spotted putting up their decorations, with a father and son climbing a ladder together to put out their “spooky skeleton ghost,” said it’s about creating community.

“It’s just a time to gather and something that we’ve always loved doing,” said homeowner Niki Hancock. “Not just creating a space for the kids to come by and see something fantastic, but for the adults to come and hang out as well.”

She said they are “porch people” and that they love to have neighbors and dog walkers and new friends stop by and say hi, especially right now.

“It’s that time of year, when everybody’s coming home and getting cozy, and obviously we still have teenagers and young kids at home, so it’s just so much fun to build those traditions and create something for them that’s meaningful, as well,” Hancock said.

They were out adding to their decor, putting up creepy crawly critters to hang from their trees and adding more pumpkins and other festive things to their yard, hoping onlookers will enjoy and everyone has a festive and happy Halloween season.