Teacher (Mormonism)
Encyclopedia
Teacher is a priesthood office in the Aaronic priesthood of denominations within the Latter Day Saint movement
, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
. Those who are found worthy by their bishop (in an interview) are ordained in a similar manner as Deacons
, except that the Aaronic Priesthood is not conferred upon them again if they have already received it as a Deacon. A Priest or a holder of the Melchizedek Priesthood
may ordain a person to the office of Teacher.
As specified in the Doctrine and Covenants
, a Teachers Quorum may not contain more than 24 members. As a result, in some larger wards there are two Teacher Quorums. A presidency, consisting of a president, first counselor, and second counselor, is called from members of the quorum by the bishopric and set apart
to serve as the presidency of the Teachers Quorum. The president is given "priesthood keys" to preside in his quorum. A secretary to the presidency is also called.
The duties of a Teacher are to assist the Priests
in taking care of the temporal needs of the Church, and "to warn, expound, exhort, and teach, and invite all to come unto Christ". Teachers are permitted to assist in preparing the sacrament
, usher during sacrament meeting, and perform all the duties of a Deacon
. Teachers are also typically paired with an adult male (often their father) to do home teaching
.
As the church in the United States
and Canada
sponsors troops of the Boy Scouts of America
and Scouts Canada
programs, many Teachers participate in these Scouting
programs as well. The adult ward leaders of the Young Men Organization are frequently also leaders in the Scout troop, but the priesthood quorums and the Scouts are not otherwise connected.
An adult Teachers Quorum adviser is called to assist the Teachers. Sometimes an assistant adviser is also called.
After an interview with the bishop
, Teachers who are deemed worthy are ordained to the office of Priest
at the age of sixteen, whereupon they will become members of the Priests Quorum.
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.
Teachers in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Young men who reach the age of 14 are integrated into the Teachers QuorumQuorum (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...
. Those who are found worthy by their bishop (in an interview) are ordained in a similar manner as Deacons
Deacon (Mormonism)
Deacon is a priesthood office in the Aaronic Priesthood of denominations within the Latter Day Saint movement, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.-Deacons in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:...
, except that the Aaronic Priesthood is not conferred upon them again if they have already received it as a Deacon. A Priest or a holder of the Melchizedek Priesthood
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...
may ordain a person to the office of Teacher.
As specified in the Doctrine and Covenants
Doctrine and Covenants
The Doctrine and Covenants is a part of the open scriptural canon of several denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement...
, a Teachers Quorum may not contain more than 24 members. As a result, in some larger wards there are two Teacher Quorums. A presidency, consisting of a president, first counselor, and second counselor, is called from members of the quorum by the bishopric 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....
to serve as the presidency of the Teachers Quorum. The president is given "priesthood keys" to preside in his quorum. A secretary to the presidency is also called.
The duties of a Teacher are to assist the Priests
Priest (Mormonism)
Priest is a priesthood office in the Aaronic Priesthood of denominations within the Latter Day Saint movement, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.-Priests in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:...
in taking care of the temporal needs of the Church, and "to warn, expound, exhort, and teach, and invite all to come unto Christ". Teachers are permitted to assist in preparing the sacrament
Sacrament (Mormonism)
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, most often simply referred to as the sacrament, is the sacrament in which participants partake of bread and drink water in remembrance of the body and blood of Jesus Christ...
, usher during sacrament meeting, and perform all the duties of a Deacon
Deacon (Mormonism)
Deacon is a priesthood office in the Aaronic Priesthood of denominations within the Latter Day Saint movement, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.-Deacons in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:...
. Teachers are also typically paired with an adult male (often their father) to do 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...
.
As the church in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
sponsors troops of the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
and Scouts Canada
Scouts Canada
Scouts Canada is a Canadian Scouting association that, in affiliation with the French-language Association des Scouts du Canada, is a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement...
programs, many Teachers participate in these Scouting
Scouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society....
programs as well. The adult ward leaders of the Young Men Organization are frequently also leaders in the Scout troop, but the priesthood quorums and the Scouts are not otherwise connected.
An adult Teachers Quorum adviser is called to assist the Teachers. Sometimes an assistant adviser is also called.
After an interview with the 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,...
, Teachers who are deemed worthy are ordained to the office of Priest
Priest (Mormonism)
Priest is a priesthood office in the Aaronic Priesthood of denominations within the Latter Day Saint movement, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.-Priests in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:...
at the age of sixteen, whereupon they will become members of the Priests Quorum.