The
organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been
revealed line upon line. Patterned after
the church in Christ’s day, it begins with the offices of President, and
Counselors (usually two) making up the First Presidency. Next, the Quorum of Twelve, consisting of 12
Apostles. Since the members of the First
Presidency are also Apostles, there are usually 15 Apostles on the Earth at any
given time. The Quorums of Seventy
consist of (1) life-time appointees-who move to Salt Lake City, and (2) those
who serve for about 5 years (also move to Salt Lake City) and then are released. The
Seventies are considered “General Authorities” as are the First Presidency and
Quorum of Twelve Apostles. There are
also Area Seventies who live at home and preside over geographical areas of the
church. They are not considered “General
Authorities,” rather, they are “Area Authority Seventies.” The governing body
of the Seventy are the Seven Presidents of Seventy—consisting of seven life
time Seventies.
At
the Stake level there is the Stake President and two Counselors. There is Relief Society (Pres. And 2
Counselors), Primary (Pres. And 2 Counselors) and Sunday School (Pres. And 2
counselors), Young Men’s President and 2 Counselors, Young Women’s President
and her 2 Counselors. There is also a High Council made up of twelve high
priests and presided over by the Stake Presidency. Attending to many stake presidency matters is
the Stake Clerk (with several assistants), and the Executive Secretary. One
important stake-level position is the stake music chairman and the stake choir
director. Currently, Michelle is filling both of those positions in her stake.
At
the ward level, there is the Bishop and his two Counselors, Executive
Secretary, and the Ward Clerk (the ward clerk position is actually a stake
called position—I’m not sure why). There
is a Relief Society President and her two counselors, a Primary President and
her two counselors, a Young Men’s President and his two counselors, a Young
Women’s President and her two counselors, a Ward Mission Leader, an Elder’s
Quorum President and his two counselors, and a High Priest Group Leader with
his two assistants. There are many
teaching and serving positions in the wards and stakes. I have focused only on the leadership
callings.
In
this section of the D&C, the first high council was organized and given
policies and procedures.
I
may have made some errors in this summary of leadership in the church. Please forgive me if I didn’t get it just
right.
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