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                                                                      EXHIBIT 23

                        CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS

     We consent to the incorporation by reference of our report dated February
5, 2001 with respect to the consolidated financial statements included in this
Annual Report (Form 10-K) of Jefferson-Pilot Corporation, and our report
included in the following paragraph with respect to the financial statement
schedules, in the following Registration Statements:

        Form S-8, Nos. 2-36778, 2-56410, and 33-30530, pertaining to the Long
        Term Stock Incentive Plan and predecessor stock plans, and outstanding
        effective registration statements on Form S-16 included in such S-8
        filings;

        Form S-8, No. 33-56369, pertaining to the JP Teamshare Plan and
        Guarantee Thrift Savings Plan and Trust;

        Form S-8, No. 33-64137, pertaining to the Non-Employee Directors' Stock
        Option Plan.

     Our audit also included the financial statement schedules of
Jefferson-Pilot Corporation listed in Item 14(a). These schedules are the
responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an
opinion based on our audits. In our opinion, the financial statement schedules
referred to above, when considered in relation to the basic financial statements
taken as a whole, present fairly in all material respects the information set
forth therein.

                                          ERNST & YOUNG LLP

Greensboro, North Carolina
March 22, 2001

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