I love President Monson. I respect President Monson. And The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints continued to move forward today after President Monson died, just like it did yesterday.

One thing I love about the Church is that God is at the head, and He has established a framework of leadership that isn’t dependent on any one person. There is no single CEO. There are no dramatic shifts in emphasis from one leader to the next. There is a stabilizing force of a three-member First Presidency, a 12-member Quorum of the Twelve, a 7-member Presidency of the Seventy, a 3-member Presiding Bishopric, and Area Presidencies who preside over 15 international areas of the Church.

Today, committees continued to function, projects moved forward, meetings were held, and the work of the kingdom moved forward without a hiccup.

Yes, we will miss President Monson’s smile, his warmth, his wisdom, and his inspiration. But soon, God will appoint another in his stead who will lead the Church in a similarly remarkable way. In this column tomorrow, I’ll write about succession in the presidency of the Church to explain how that will happen.

In the meantime, enjoy these Church News articles to learn more about President Monson’s remarkable life:

• Part 1: Thomas S. Monson Learned Compassion in His Youth
• Part 2: Thomas S. Monson Served “His Widows”
• Part 3: Thomas S. Monson Oversaw Scripture Editions that “Affected the World”
• Part 4: President Monson Served Decades in the First Presidency
• President Monson Felt Responsibility to Relieve Human Suffering
• Monson Family Members Recall a Warm and Loving Father, Grandfather
• Journal Entries Highlight President Monson’s East German Years