The Articles of Faith Part 25

=15.= The greater or _Melchizedek Priesthood_ is named after the king of Salem, a great High Priest of G.o.d;[630] before his day it was known as "the Holy Priesthood, after the order of the Son of G.o.d, but out of respect or reverence to the name of the Supreme Being, to avoid the too frequent repet.i.tion of His name, they, the Church, in ancient days, called that Priesthood after Melchizedek."[631] This priesthood holds the right of presidency in all the offices of the Church; its special functions lie in the administration of spiritual things: comprising as it does the keys of all spiritual blessings of the Church, the right "to have the heavens opened unto them, to commune with the general a.s.sembly and Church of the First Born, and to enjoy the communion and presence of G.o.d the Father, and Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant."[632] The special offices of the Melchizedek Priesthood are those of apostle, patriarch or evangelist, high priest, seventy, and elder. Revelation from G.o.d has defined the duties a.s.sociated with each of these callings; and the same high authority has directed the establishment of presiding officers growing out of, or appointed from among those who are ordained to the several offices in these two priesthoods.[633]

[630] Gen. xiv, 18; Heb. vii, 1-17.

[631] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 2-4.

[632] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 8, 18-19.

[633] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 21.

=16. Specific Duties in the Priesthood.--The Office of Deacon= is the first or lowest in the Aaronic Priesthood. The duties of this calling are generally of a temporal nature, pertaining to the care of the houses of worship and the comfort of the worshipers. In all things, however, the Deacon may be called to a.s.sist the Teacher in his labors.[634] Twelve deacons form a quorum;[635] such a body is to be presided over by a president and counselors, selected from among their number.

[634] Doc. and Cov. xx, 57; cvii, 85.

[635] =Quorum.=--This term has acquired a special meaning among the Latter-day Saints. It signifies, not alone a majority or such a number of persons of any organized body as is requisite for authoritative action, but the organized body itself. The Church regards a quorum as "a council or an organized body of the priesthood," e. g. _an elders' quorum; the quorum of the Twelve Apostles_, etc. (See Standard Dictionary.)

=17. Teachers= are local officers, whose function it is to mingle with the Saints, exhorting them to their duties, and strengthening the Church by their constant ministry; they are to see that there is no iniquity in the Church; that the members do not cherish ill-feelings toward one another; but that all observe the law of G.o.d respecting Church duties. They may take the lead of meetings when no Priest or higher officer is present. Both Teachers and Deacons may preach the word of G.o.d when properly directed so to do; but they have not the power to independently officiate in any spiritual ordinances, such as baptizing, administering the sacrament, or laying on of hands.[636]

Twenty-four Teachers const.i.tute a quorum; from among such a body a president and counselors are to be chosen.

[636] Doc. and Cov. xx, 53-59; cvii, 86.

=18. The Priests= are appointed to preach, teach, expound the scripture, to baptize, to administer the sacrament, to visit the houses of the members, exhorting them to diligence. When properly directed, the Priest may ordain Deacons, Teachers, and other Priests; and he may be called upon to a.s.sist the Elder in his work. A quorum of Priests comprises forty-eight members; such an organization is to be presided over by a Bishop.

=19. Elders= are empowered to officiate in any or all duties connected with lower callings in the priesthood; and in addition, they may ordain other Elders; confirm as members of the Church candidates who have been properly baptized, and confer upon them the Holy Ghost.

These officers have authority to bless children in the Church, and to take charge of all meetings, conducting the same as they are led by the Holy Ghost.[637] The Elder may officiate in the stead of the High Priest when the latter is not present. Ninety-six Elders form a quorum; three of these const.i.tute the presidency of the quorum.[638]

[637] Doc. and Cov. xx, 38-45, 70; cvii, 11-12.

[638] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 89.

=20. Seventies= are traveling ministers, ordained to promulgate the Gospel among the nations of the earth, "unto the Gentiles first, and also unto the Jews." They are to act under the direction of the Apostles in this exalted labor.[639] A full quorum comprises seventy members, including seven presidents.

[639] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 34-35, 97-98.

=21. High Priests= are ordained with power to officiate when properly directed in all the ordinances and blessings of the Church. They may travel as do the Seventies, carrying the Gospel to the nations; but they are not specially charged with this duty, their specific calling being that of standing presidency. The High Priests of any stake of the Church may be organized into a quorum, and this without limit as to number; over such a quorum, three of the members may be chosen to preside, as president and counselors.[640]

[640] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 10; cxxiv, 134-135.

=22. Patriarchs=, or =Evangelists=, are charged with the special duty of blessing the Church; of course they have authority to officiate also in other ordinances. There is one "Patriarch to the Church," with general jurisdiction throughout the whole organization; he holds the keys of the patriarchal office, and unto him the promise is given "that whoever he blesses shall be blessed, and whoever he curses shall be cursed, that whatsoever he shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever he shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."[641]

[641] Doc. and Cov. cxxiv, 92-93.

=23.= Concerning the patriarchal authority, the Lord has said: "The order of this priesthood was confirmed to be handed down from father to son, and rightly belongs to the literal descendants of the chosen seed to whom the promises were made. This order was inst.i.tuted in the days of Adam, and came down by lineage."[642] But, beside this office of general patriarchal power, there are a number of local Patriarchs appointed in the branches of the Church, all subject to counsel and direction at the hands of the "Patriarch to the Church;" yet possessing the same privileges in their district as belong to him throughout the Church. It is made a duty of the Twelve Apostles to ordain evangelical ministers, or Patriarchs, in all large branches of the Church, the selection to be made through the power of revelation.[643]

[642] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 40-57.

[643] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 39.

=24. Apostles= are called to be special witnesses of the name of Christ in all the world;[644] they are empowered to build up and organize the branches of the Church; and may officiate in any or all of the sacred ordinances. They are to travel among the Saints, regulating the affairs of the Church wherever they go, but particularly where there is no complete local organization. They are authorized to ordain Patriarchs and other officers in the priesthood, as they may be directed by the Spirit of G.o.d.[645]

[644] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 23.

[645] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 39, 58; xx, 38-44.

=25. Presidency and Quorum Organizations.=--The revealed word of G.o.d has provided for the establishment of presiding officers "growing out of, or appointed from among those who are ordained to the several offices in these two priesthoods."[646] In accordance with the prevailing principles of order so characteristic of all His work, the Lord has directed that the bearers of His priesthood shall be organized into quorums, the better to aid them in learning the duties of their stations. Some of these quorums are general in extent and authority; others are local in their jurisdiction. All quorums in authority and all presiding officers are to be sustained in their several positions by the vote of the people over whom they are appointed to preside. Local officers are thus voted upon by the local organizations, general authorities by the Church in conference a.s.sembled. Conferences of the Church are held at semi-annual intervals, on which occasions the names of all the general officers are submitted for the vote of the people. In like manner the authorities of stakes and wards are sustained by vote at local conferences held for these and other purposes. The principle of common consent is thus observed in all the organizations of the Church.

[646] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 21.

=26. The First Presidency= const.i.tutes the presiding quorum of the Church. By Divine direction, a president is appointed from among the members of the High Priesthood to preside over the entire Church. He is known as President of the High Priesthood of the Church, or Presiding High Priest over the High Priesthood of the Church.[647] He is called "to be a seer, a revelator, a translator, and a prophet, having all the gifts of G.o.d which He bestows upon the head of the Church."[648] His station is compared by the Lord to that of Moses of old, who stood as the mouth-piece of G.o.d unto Israel. In his exalted labors among the Church, this Presiding High Priest is a.s.sisted by two others holding the same priesthood, and these three High Priests, when properly appointed and ordained, and upheld by the confidence, faith, and prayers of the Church, "form a quorum of the Presidency of the Church."[649]

[647] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 64-68.

[648] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 91-92.

[649] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 22.

=27. The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.=--Twelve men holding the apostleship, properly organized, const.i.tute the quorum of the Apostles. These the Lord has designated as the twelve traveling counselors;[650] they form the traveling presiding High Council, to officiate under the direction of the First Presidency in all parts of the world. They const.i.tute a quorum, whose unanimous decisions are equally binding in power and authority with those of the First Presidency of the Church.[651] When the quorum of the First Presidency is disorganized through the death or disability of the President, the directing authority in government reverts at once to the quorum of the Twelve Apostles, by whom the nomination to the Presidency is made.

There may be apostles in the Church who are not members of this quorum of Twelve; but such have no place in the sittings of the quorum.

[650] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 23, 33.

[651] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 24.

=28. The Presiding Quorum of Seventy.=--The first quorum of Seventies form a body whose unanimous decisions are equally binding with those of the Twelve Apostles. Many quorums of Seventies may be required in the work of the Church; already there have been effected approximately two hundred of such organizations; each quorum is presided over by seven presidents. The seven presidents of the First Quorum of Seventies, however, preside over all the other quorums and their presidents.[652]

[652] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 25-26, 34, 93-97.

=29. The Presiding Bishopric=, as at present const.i.tuted, comprises the Presiding Bishop of the Church, and two Counselors. This quorum holds jurisdiction over the duties of other Bishops in the Church, and of all organizations pertaining to the Aaronic Priesthood. The oldest living representative among the sons of Aaron is ent.i.tled to this office of presidency, provided he be in all respects worthy and qualified; he must be designated and ordained by the First Presidency of the Church.[653] If such a literal descendant of Aaron be found and ordained, he may act without counselors, except when he sits in judgment in a trial of one of the presidents of the High Priesthood, in which case he is to be a.s.sisted by twelve High Priests.[654] But in the absence of any direct descendant of Aaron properly qualified, a High Priest of the Melchizedek Priesthood may be called and set apart by the First Presidency of the Church to the office of Presiding Bishop; he is to be a.s.sisted by two other High Priests properly ordained as his counselors.[655]

[653] Doc. and Cov. lxviii, 18-20.

[654] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 82-83.

[655] Doc. and Cov. lxviii, 19.

=30. Local Organizations of the Priesthood.=--Where the Saints are permanently located Stakes of Zion are organized, each Stake comprising a number of wards or branches. Over each Stake is placed a _Stake Presidency_, consisting of a president and two counselors, who are High Priests properly chosen and set apart to this office. The Stake Presidency is a.s.sisted in judicial function by a _Standing High Council_, composed of twelve High Priests chosen and ordained to the office. This Council is presided over by the Stake Presidency, and forms the highest judicial tribunal of the Stake.

=31.= The presidents of stakes and bishops of wards are properly regarded as pastors to the fold; their duties are doubtless a.n.a.logous to those of the pastors of former dispensations. The High Priests and the Elders in each Stake are organized into quorums as already described; the former without limitation as to number, the latter forming one or more quorums, each of ninety-six members, as their number may warrant. _Patriarchs_ are also set apart to officiate in their holy office among the people of the Stake.

=32. A Ward Bishopric= is established in every fully organized Ward of the Church. This body consists usually of three High Priests set apart as a Bishop and Counselors. If, however, a literal descendant of Aaron be called to the bishopric, it is his privilege to act without counselors, as was stated in the case of the Presiding Bishop. The Bishop has jurisdiction over the quorums of the Lesser Priesthood in his Ward, and also over holders of the Higher Priesthood as members of his Ward; but he has no direct presidency over quorums of the Melchizedek order, as such, which may be embraced within his domain.

As a presiding High Priest, he properly presides over his entire Ward.

The ward organization comprises quorums of Priests, Teachers, and Deacons, one or more of each as the numerical extent of the Ward may determine.

=33. Helps in Government.=--Beside these const.i.tuted authorities and offices in the priesthood, there are a number of secondary or special organizations established among the people for educational and benevolent purposes. Among these, the following are of such importance as to call for special mention.

(1.) _Primary a.s.sociations._--These provide for the moral instruction and training of young children.

(2.) _Mutual Improvement a.s.sociations._--These comprise separate organizations for the s.e.xes, and are designed for the education and training of the youth, in subjects of general and theological interest. Instruction is provided in theology, literature and history, science and art, the laws of health, and numerous other branches of useful knowledge.