Priesthood (LDS Church)
In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), the priesthood is the power and authority to act in the name of God for the salvation of humankind. Male members of the church who meet standards of worthy behavior and church participation are generally ordained to specific offices within the priesthood. Divisions The priesthood authority is divided into two divisions or "orders": the Melchizedek priesthood and the Aaronic priesthood. The Melchizedek priesthood encompasses all priesthood authority; the Aaronic priesthood is therefore an appendage or subdivision of the Melchizedek priesthood. Requirements for ordination The Aaronic priesthood is conferred upon male church members beginning at age eleven by the laying on of hands by men who hold either an office in the Melchizedek priesthood or the office of priest in the Aaronic priesthood. Ordination to the priesthood is based on the recipient's personal moral worthiness and church participation without regard to ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the One true church#Latter Day Saint movement, original church founded by Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. The church is headquartered in the United States in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake City, Utah, and has established congregations and built Temple (LDS Church), temples worldwide. According to the church, it has over 16.8 million the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints membership statistics, members and 54,539 Missionary (LDS Church), full-time volunteer missionaries. The church is the Christianity in the United States, fourth-largest Christian denomination in the United States, with over 6.7 million US members . It is the List of denominations in the Latter Day Saint movement, largest denomination in the Latter Day Saint m ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Sealing Power
In Mormonism, the sealing power is the means whereby all "covenants, contracts, bonds, obligations, oaths, vows, performances, connections, associations, or expectations" attain "efficacy, virtue, or force in and after the resurrection from the dead."Doctrine and Covenants New Testament references Christ refers to this power in when he says to Peter: "And I will give thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." This is later repeated in : "Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Restoration This power is believed to have been held in Old Testament times by the prophet Elijah, and that he restored this power to Joseph Smith in the Kirtland Temple of the Church of the Latter Day Saints on April 3, 1836 in fulfillment of an Old Testament prophec ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Confirmation (Latter Day Saints)
In the Latter Day Saint movement, confirmation (also known as the gift of the Holy Ghost or the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost), is an ordinance essential for salvation. It involves the laying on of hands and is performed after baptism. Through confirmation, the initiate becomes an official member of the church and receives the gift of the Holy Ghost. Baptism and confirmation are administered to persons at least eight years old (the age of accountability). The ordinance corresponds to the confirmation rite in many other Christian faiths. Confirmations were first performed on April 6, 1830, at the organizational meeting of the Church of Christ. The gift of the Holy Ghost is considered the fourth of the "first principles and ordinances of the Gospel": First being "Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost". The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Elder (Latter Day Saints)
Elder is a priesthood office in the Melchizedek priesthood of denominations within the Latter Day Saint movement, including the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). LDS Church Office of the Melchizedek Priesthood In the LDS Church, "elder" is considered the introductory—or lowest—of five offices of the Melchizedek priesthood. Every person who receives the Melchizedek priesthood is simultaneously ordained to the office of elder; this may be done to male members who are at least 18 years old. In order to be ordained, the member must be determined to be worthy by his local bishop and stake president."Ordinance and Blessing Policies", '' Handbook 1: Stake Presidents and Bishops'' (Salt Lake City, Utah: LDS Church, 2010) § 16. The consent of the priesthood holders of the stake is also required before the ordination is performed, and this is usually done at a semiannual stake conference or an annual general stake priesthood meeting. Ordination is accomplis ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Temple President
Temple president is a priesthood leadership position in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). A temple president's primary responsibility is to supervise the affairs of an LDS temple in both an administrative and spiritual capacity. The president is assisted by two male counselors and together they compose the temple presidency. Normally the wife of the temple president serves as the temple matron, and the wives of the president's counselors as assistants to the matron. The matron and her assistants share in the responsibilities of the temple presidency. All members of a temple presidency are ordained high priests of the church. Selection Temple presidents and matrons, the president's counselors, and the matron's assistants are appointed by the First Presidency. Their background in church leadership varies, yet they are couples who are considered by LDS Church leaders as spiritually mature and capable of handling both the administrative and spiritual ma ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Mission President
Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). A mission president presides over a geographic area known as a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission. Depending on the particular mission, a mission president may also be the presiding priesthood leader of some or all Latter-day Saints within the geographic boundaries of the mission. Mission presidents are ordained high priests of the church. Selection Mission presidents are assigned to a mission by the leadership of the LDS Church and typically discover the location a few months before their departure. Mission presidents are men typically between 40 and 65 years old. In the past some mission presidents have been much younger; LeGrand Richards and Stephen R. Covey both served as mission presidents while in their 20s and Thomas S. Monson became a mission president at age 31. In more recent years younger mission presidents have been more rare. In 2 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Stake President
A stake is an administrative unit composed of multiple congregations in certain denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement. The name "stake" derives from the Book of Isaiah: "enlarge the place of thy tent; stretch forth the curtains of thine habitation; spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes" (Isaiah 54:2). A stake is sometimes referred to as a stake of Zion. History The first Latter Day Saint stake was organized at church headquarters in Kirtland, Ohio, on February 17, 1834, with Joseph Smith as its president. The second stake was organized in Clay County, Missouri, later that year on July 3, with David Whitmer as president. The Missouri stake was relocated to Far West, Missouri, in 1836, and the Kirtland Stake dissolved in 1838. A stake was organized at Adam-ondi-Ahman in 1838 and abandoned later that year due to the events of the Mormon War. In 1839, the church's central stake was established at Nauvoo, Illinois, with William Marks as its president. Add ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Bishop (Latter Day Saints)
In the Latter Day Saint movement, a bishop is the highest office of the Aaronic priesthood. It is almost always held by one who holds the office of high priest in the Melchizedek priesthood. The Latter Day Saint concept of the office differs significantly from the role of bishops in other Christian denominations, being in some respects more analogous to a pastor or parish priest. Each bishop serves with two counselors, who together form a bishopric. The role of a bishop varies in the different Latter Day Saint denominations; however, they derive from a common history. History of the office On February 4, 1831, Edward Partridge became the first man called to the office of bishop in the early Latter Day Saint church. The duties of the office were to oversee the temporal affairs and accounts of the church through the implementation of the law of consecration. Partridge was called to preside over the Missouri church in Joseph Smith's absence. Soon thereafter, Partridge and his fami ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Patriarchal Blessing
In the Latter Day Saint movement, a patriarchal blessing (also called an evangelist's blessing) is an ordinance administered by the laying on of hands, with accompanying words of promise, counsel, and lifelong guidance intended solely for the recipient. The words, inspired by thHoly Ghost are spoken by the patriarch (evangelist) performing the ordinance. Patriarchal blessings are available to baptized church members upon their request. While other blessings of comfort, healing, and guidance can be received by the laying on of hands at any time throughout a person's life, a Patriarchal blessing is unique in that: * it is only received once in a person's lifetime. * it is the only blessing in which the words are formally recorded, transcribed, and kept on the records of the church. * it declares the lineage of the recipient in relation to the twelve tribes of Israel. Patriarchal blessings are modeled after the blessing given by Jacob to each of his sons prior to his death. A co ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Church Handbook Of Instructions
The ''General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints'' is an on-line book of instructions and policies for leaders and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The contents are prepared by the church's First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Along with the church's standard works (i.e., its scriptural canon), the ''General Handbook'' stands as the preeminent policy and practice guide for the leaders of the LDS Church. Purpose In general, the ''General Handbook'' contains institutional church policies, as opposed to church doctrine. However, brief statements of doctrine are commonly presented at the start of sections in the handbook to provide the doctrinal context in which the policies are being set and implemented. In that way, the ''General Handbook'' unifies the church's scripture and creeds with its ecclesiology and polity. The ''General Handbook'' acts as a "standard reference point" for bishops and oth ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Area Seventy
Seventy is a priesthood office in the Melchizedek priesthood of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Traditionally, a church member holding this priesthood office is a "traveling minister" and an "especial witness" of Jesus Christ, charged with the mission of preaching the gospel to the entire world under the direction of the Twelve Apostles. The church teaches that the office of seventy was anciently conferred upon the seventy disciples mentioned in the Gospel of Luke . Multiple individuals holding the office of seventy are referred to collectively as seventies. History of the seventy in the LDS Church Place in church hierarchy In practical terms, the priesthood office of seventy is one which has varied widely over the course of history. As originally envisioned by church founder, Joseph Smith, in the 1830s, the seventy were to be a body composed of several separate quorums of up to seventy members each, all of which would be led by seven presidents. T ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |