priesthood (LDS Church)

priesthood (LDS Church)
Name	Priesthood (LDS Church)
Established	1829
Founder	Joseph Smith
Type	Religious office
Headquarters	Salt Lake City

priesthood (LDS Church) is the term used within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to denote the authority believed to be given by God to act in His name, perform ordinances, and lead congregations. The concept intersects with doctrines articulated by Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and subsequent Presidents of the Church such as Wilford Woodruff and Gordon B. Hinckley, influencing practices across wards, stakes, missions, and temples worldwide. It informs organizational structures including the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Relief Society, Young Men, and Aaronic and Melchizedek quorums.

Overview

The LDS understanding of priesthood derives from early events involving Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, and John the Baptist, and is codified in revelations and manuals used by the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and Church Educational System. Doctrinal exegesis appears in publications by Brigham Young University, The Church Historian’s Office, and Relief Society periodicals, while administrative applications are evident in stakes centered in Salt Lake City and missionary programs in areas like Utah, Arizona, California, and international missions including those in Brazil, Philippines, and Ghana. Interpretations reference scriptures such as the Doctrine and Covenants and the Book of Mormon, and are shaped by councils like the Council of Fifty and offices within the Presiding Bishopric.

Types and Orders of Priesthood

Latter-day Saint theology distinguishes between the Aaronic Priesthood and the Melchizedek Priesthood, with further offices such as deacon, teacher, priest, bishop, elder, high priest, patriarch, and apostle. These offices relate to historical roles traced to Old Testament figures such as Aaron, Melchizedek, and biblical prophets, while later leaders including Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, and Spencer W. Kimball developed organizational practices for quorums, wards, stakes, and missions. Temple administration under presidents like Gordon B. Hinckley and Thomas S. Monson integrates priesthood functions with ordinances practiced in temples in Salt Lake City, Laie, and London.

Ordination and Eligibility

Ordination processes are administered by local leaders such as bishops, stake presidents, and members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles following policies issued by the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve, with oversight from the Presiding Bishopric and Church Historian. Eligibility criteria have evolved in response to statements by leaders including Spencer W. Kimball, Ezra Taft Benson, and more recent guidance from Russell M. Nelson, affecting members in wards, branches, missions, and stakes across areas such as North America, Europe, Africa, and Oceania. Documentation and training are provided through Church Educational System programs at Brigham Young University, Seminaries and Institutes, and manuals published by the Church Office Building and Church Publishing Inc.

Roles, Duties, and Offices

Holders of priesthood offices perform ordinances such as baptism, confirmation, sacrament administration, temple work, and blessing of the sick, and occupy leadership positions in bodies like the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Presiding Bishopric, and high councils. Officers such as bishops, patriarchs, seventies, and mission presidents interact with organizational units including wards, stakes, missions, temples, and family history centers, and coordinate with programs like Relief Society, Young Women, Primary, and Scouting. Historical holders and influencers include Oliver Cowdery, Orson Pratt, Wilford Woodruff, and modern leaders who served in administrations in Salt Lake City and global mission fields.

Priesthood in Church Organization and Governance

Priesthood authority undergirds governance structures from local ward councils to global leadership in Salt Lake City, where decisions by the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shape policy for stakes, missions, temples, and humanitarian efforts. Meetings such as general conference, stake conference, and ward meetings exemplify how priesthood stewardship is exercised, with administrative bodies like the Presiding Bishopric, Church Finance Department, and Temple Department implementing programs in areas ranging from genealogy at FamilySearch to welfare initiatives in communities impacted by events such as the Utah Territory settlement, the Reed Smoot hearings, and international expansions into countries like Mexico and Canada.

Historical Development and Reforms

The development of priesthood practice includes early revelations to Joseph Smith, ordinations involving Oliver Cowdery and John the Baptist, nineteenth-century policy formations under Brigham Young, doctrinal clarifications during the administrations of John Taylor and Wilford Woodruff, and significant reforms such as the 1978 declaration under Spencer W. Kimball affecting priesthood eligibility. Institutional reforms and policy shifts have been recorded by the Church Historian’s Office, discussed at Brigham Young University symposia, and reflected in publications by scholars affiliated with Harvard, Yale, and the University of Utah who study Mormon history and the dynamics of conversion and migration in Utah and the Intermountain West.

Controversies and Social Impact

Debates over priesthood access, race, gender roles, and social policy have involved leaders such as Spencer W. Kimball, Ezra Taft Benson, Gordon B. Hinckley, and Russell M. Nelson and institutions including the NAACP, courts dealing with church-state relations, and media outlets covering events like polygamy controversies and civil rights-era challenges. Social impacts appear in community institutions including hospitals, universities like Brigham Young University and University of Utah, relief efforts coordinated by LDS Charities, and political interactions in Utah and beyond, influencing public perception, scholarship at Columbia and Stanford, and dialogues with organizations such as the Vatican, National Council of Churches, and interfaith coalitions.

Category:History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints