The organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormon) is arranged into a hierarchy. Mormon church leaders are all accountable to a higher-up authority, from the leader of a local congregation to the president of the worldwide church.
Pattern of Church Hierarchy Under Jesus Christ
New Testament scriptures say that Jesus Christ organized His true church when living on the earth: "and he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers" (Ephesians 4: 11.) Jesus appointed a president (Matthew 16: 18,) 12 apostles (Luke 6: 13,) and seventy (Luke 10: 1.)
Mormons believe that after Christ and the original apostles died, the church drifted into apostasy until it was restored by Joseph Smith in 1830. Missing religious doctrine as well as the original pattern of church hierarchy was reinstated.
Mormonism's 6th Article of Faith on Church Organization
Thirteen declarations of Latter-day Saint belief, called the Articles of Faith, were written by Joseph Smith in 1842. The sixth Article of Faith reads, "We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth."
"Primitive church" refers to the original Christian church under Jesus Christ. The name "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" refers to Mormon belief that they picked up exactly where the first Christians (or ancient-day saints) left off.
LDS Church is Led by the Mormon Priesthood
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is governed by the priesthood, which is the authorization to act in the name of God. Mormon church leadership is organized into a hierarchy of priesthood offices, each person holding "keys" specific to his office.
According to the official LDS website, priesthood keys are "the right to preside over and direct the Church within a jurisdiction." Different offices hold different keys. For example, the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can institute a new doctrine or policy for the entire worldwide church; the leader of a local congregation is not authorized to do this even though he also holds the priesthood.
Mormon Priesthood Offices and Leadership
So what are the offices of the LDS priesthood that form the church leadership hierarchy? From the top down to the bottom, here is a breakdown of authority in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:
- Jesus Christ – Jesus Christ is believed to be the head of the LDS church. He holds all priesthood keys, including keys not held by anyone on earth like the keys of resurrection and creation. Through His mouthpiece the prophet, it's believed that He directs the church.
- President – The president, or prophet, is the senior apostle of the LDS church. Mormons believe that Jesus Christ has authorized the Mormon prophet to exercise all the priesthood keys necessary to govern the church.
- Apostle – The president is assisted by 12 apostles, who are delegated keys of church governance when necessary. When a Mormon apostle dies, another is ordained to the office of apostle.
- Seventy – Mormon seventies are charged with preaching the gospel under the direction of the apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Seventies can be either general authorities (who serve the church worldwide) or area authorities (who serve within a certain geographical area.)
- Patriarch – Called "evangelists" in the sixth article of faith, patriarchs are responsible for giving patriarchal blessings.
- High Priest – Seasoned, older members of the priesthood (typically age 50 and over) are ordained high priests. Some high priests become stake presidents, meaning that they preside over a group of 5-10 local congregations.
- Bishop – A bishop is the leader of a local congregation. They function in a capacity sort of like ministers or pastors of other religious denominations.
- Deacons, Teachers, Priests, and Elders – Each local congregation is usually full of deacons, teachers, and priests. All worthy male members of the LDS church are ordained to each of these offices successively, typically beginning at age 12.
Both men and women are also leaders and teachers for various church organizations at the local, stake, and worldwide level. Local leaders are accountable to their bishop, stake leaders are accountable to their stake president, and worldwide leaders are accountable to the president of the church.
No Denominations of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
There are no denominations within the LDS church. Any religious group that does not recognize the current LDS president's authority is not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Various faith groups that believe in the Book of Mormon could claim the nickname "Mormon," but only followers of the LDS prophet and president are Latter-day Saints.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is led by a hierarchy determined by Mormon priesthood offices and the associate priesthood keys. LDS church authority is believed to follow a direct line from each individual church member to bishop, stake president, seventy, apostle, prophet, and ultimately, to Jesus Christ.
See the complete Articles of Faith series for more information on basic Mormon beliefs.
Source:
Gospel Topics, "Priesthood." Official website of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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