Elder (Mormonism)
Encyclopedia
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.
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, male members who are at least 18 years old may be ordained to be Elders. In order to be ordained, the member must be determined to be worthy by his local Bishop
and Stake President. The consent of the priesthood holders of the stake
is also required before the ordination is performed, and this is usually done at a general stake priesthood meeting that is held twice a year.
According to Latter Day Saint scripture, the duty of an Elder is to "teach, expound, exhort, baptize, and watch over the church." Elders have the authority to administer to and bless the sick and afflicted, to "confirm those who are baptized into the church, by the laying on of hands for the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost", to baptize and give others the Aaronic or Melchizedek Priesthood as directed by priesthood leaders, and to take the lead in all meetings as guided by the Holy Spirit. An Elder may ordain others to the priesthood offices of deacon, teacher, priest, or Elder.
In practice, Elders are responsible for many of the day-to-day operations of a ward. They are called to serve in a variety of positions throughout the ward, such as Aaronic Priesthood quorum
advisors, scout leaders, ward mission leader, and the Sunday School presidency. Elders and High Priests
(assisted by Teachers and Priests) are also responsible for home teaching
in the ward.
Elders are organized into quorums that may contain no more than 96 Elders. A quorum president, along with two counselors, is called and set apart
under the direction of the stake presidency, and generally serves for one to three years, although there is no official policy on the length of service. A secretary is also called to assist the president and his counselors.
All adult men in the ward, whether they are faithful or not, are assigned to either the Elders Quorum or the High Priests Group as directed by the Bishop. However, ordained Elders and High Priests are assigned by default to the quorum or group consistent with their ordination.
The title "Elder" is not normally used as a personal title (e.g., Elder Evans, Elder Johnson), except by the Church's General Authorities
, Area Seventies and full-time male missionaries
. Often, full-time missionaries serving within a ward are referred to by the members as "the elders."
Melchizedek priesthood
The Melchizedek priesthood is the greater of the two orders of priesthood recognized in Mormonism. The others are the Aaronic priesthood and the rarely recognized Patriarchal priesthood...
of denominations within the Latter Day Saint movement
Latter Day Saint movement
The Latter Day Saint movement is a group of independent churches tracing their origin to a Christian primitivist movement founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. in the late 1820s. Collectively, these churches have over 14 million members...
, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, male members who are at least 18 years old may be ordained to be Elders. In order to be ordained, the member must be determined to be worthy by his local Bishop
Bishop (Mormonism)
Bishop is the highest priesthood office of the Aaronic priesthood in the Latter Day Saint movement. A bishop is usually the leader of a local congregation of church members. The Latter Day Saint concept of the office differs significantly from the role of bishops in other Christian denominations,...
and Stake President. The consent of the priesthood holders of the stake
Stake (Mormonism)
A stake is an administrative unit composed of multiple congregations in denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement. A stake is approximately comparable to a diocese in the Catholic Church and other Christian denominations...
is also required before the ordination is performed, and this is usually done at a general stake priesthood meeting that is held twice a year.
According to Latter Day Saint scripture, the duty of an Elder is to "teach, expound, exhort, baptize, and watch over the church." Elders have the authority to administer to and bless the sick and afflicted, to "confirm those who are baptized into the church, by the laying on of hands for the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost", to baptize and give others the Aaronic or Melchizedek Priesthood as directed by priesthood leaders, and to take the lead in all meetings as guided by the Holy Spirit. An Elder may ordain others to the priesthood offices of deacon, teacher, priest, or Elder.
In practice, Elders are responsible for many of the day-to-day operations of a ward. They are called to serve in a variety of positions throughout the ward, such as Aaronic Priesthood quorum
Quorum (Mormonism)
In the Latter Day Saint movement, a quorum is a group of people ordained or endowed with priesthood authority, and organized to act together as a body. The idea of a quorum was established by Joseph Smith, Jr...
advisors, scout leaders, ward mission leader, and the Sunday School presidency. Elders and High Priests
High priest (Mormonism)
In most denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement, a high priest is a member of the priesthood within the Melchizedek priesthood order. High priests are typically older and more seasoned leaders within the priesthood. The term derives in part from the Epistle to the Hebrews which describes...
(assisted by Teachers and Priests) are also responsible for home teaching
Home teaching
Home teaching is a responsibility of priesthood holders in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Home teaching is a church program designed to allow families to be taught in their own homes, in addition to weekly church services...
in the ward.
Elders are organized into quorums that may contain no more than 96 Elders. A quorum president, along with two counselors, is called and set apart
Setting apart
Setting apart is an ordinance or ritual in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints whereby a person is formally chosen and blessed to carry out a specific calling or responsibility in the church....
under the direction of the stake presidency, and generally serves for one to three years, although there is no official policy on the length of service. A secretary is also called to assist the president and his counselors.
All adult men in the ward, whether they are faithful or not, are assigned to either the Elders Quorum or the High Priests Group as directed by the Bishop. However, ordained Elders and High Priests are assigned by default to the quorum or group consistent with their ordination.
The title "Elder" is not normally used as a personal title (e.g., Elder Evans, Elder Johnson), except by the Church's General Authorities
General authority
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a general authority is a member of certain leadership organizations who are given administrative and ecclesiastical authority over the church...
, Area Seventies and full-time male missionaries
Mormon missionary
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
. Often, full-time missionaries serving within a ward are referred to by the members as "the elders."