1.
President of the Church (LDS Church)
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In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the President of the Church is the highest office of the church. It was the held by Joseph Smith, founder of the church. The President of the LDS Church is the leader and the head of the First Presidency. Latter-day Saints consider the president of the church to be a prophet, seer, and revelator, and refer to him as the Prophet, when the name of the president is used by adherents, it is usually prefaced by the title President. The President of the Church serves as the head of both the Council on the Disposition of the Tithes and the Council of the Church, the President of the Church also serves as the ex officio chairman of the Church Boards of Trustees/Education. The concept that the Church of Christ would have a single presiding officer arose in late 1831, initially, after the churchs formation on April 6,1830, Joseph Smith referred to himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ, and elder of the church. However, there was another apostle—Oliver Cowdery—and several other elders of the church, for he receiveth them even as Moses. This established Smiths exclusive right to lead the church, in early June 1831, Smith was ordained to the high priesthood, along with twenty-two other men, including prominent figures in the church such as Hyrum Smith, Parley P. Pratt, and Martin Harris. As high priests, these men were higher in the hierarchy than the elders of the church. However, it was unclear whether Smiths and Cowderys callings as apostles gave them superior authority to that of other high priests. And again the duty of the President of the priesthood is to preside over the whole church. Smith was ordained to this position and sustained by the church on January 25,1832, at a conference in Amherst, in 1835, the Articles and Covenants of the Church of Christ were revised, changing the phrase an. Elder of the church to the first elder of this Church, thus, subsequent to 1835, Smith was sometimes referred to as the First Elder of the church. The 1835 revision also added a verse referring to the office of president of the high priesthood, in 1844, while in jail awaiting trial for treason charges, Joseph Smith was killed by an armed mob. Hyrum Smith, his successor, was killed in the same incident. Smith had not indisputably established who was next in line as successor to President of the Church, several claimants to the role of church president emerged during the succession crisis that ensued. Young would not be ordained President of the Church until December 1847, thomas S. Monson is the 16th and current President of the LDS Church. As president, Monson is considered by adherents of the religion to be a prophet, seer, a printer by trade, Monson has spent most of his life engaged in various church leadership positions and in public service
2.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a Christian restorationist church that is considered by its members to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The church is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, and has established congregations, according to the church, it has over 70,000 missionaries and a membership of over 15 million. It is ranked by the National Council of Churches as the fourth-largest Christian denomination in the United States and it is the largest denomination in the Latter Day Saint movement founded by Joseph Smith during the period of religious revival known as the Second Great Awakening. Adherents, often referred to as Latter-day Saints, or, less formally, Mormons, view faith in Jesus Christ and his atonement as fundamental principles of their religion. The church has a canon which includes four scriptural texts, the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants. The current president is Thomas S. Monson, individual members of the church believe that they can also receive personal revelation from God in conducting their lives. The president heads a hierarchical structure with various levels reaching down to local congregations, Bishops, drawn from the laity, lead local congregations. Male members, after reaching age 12, may be ordained to the priesthood, Women do not hold positions within the priesthood, but do occupy leadership roles in some church auxiliary organizations. Both men and women may serve as missionaries, and the church maintains a large missionary program which proselytizes, faithful members adhere to church laws of sexual purity, health, fasting, and Sabbath observance, and contribute ten percent of their income to the church in tithing. The LDS Church was formally organized by Joseph Smith on April 6,1830, Smith intended to establish the New Jerusalem in North America, called Zion. In 1831, the moved to Kirtland, Ohio, and began establishing an outpost in Jackson County, Missouri. However, in 1833, Missouri settlers brutally expelled the Latter Day Saints from Jackson County, the Kirtland era ended in 1838, after a financial scandal rocked the church and caused widespread defections. Smith regrouped with the church in Far West, Missouri. Believing the Saints to be in insurrection, the Missouri governor ordered that the Saints be exterminated or driven from the State, in 1839, the Saints converted a swampland on the banks of the Mississippi River into Nauvoo, Illinois, which became the churchs new headquarters. Nauvoo grew rapidly as missionaries sent to Europe and elsewhere gained new converts who then flooded into Nauvoo, meanwhile, Smith introduced polygamy to his closest associates. He also established ceremonies, which he stated the Lord had revealed to him, to allow people to become gods in the afterlife. He also introduced the church to an accounting of his First Vision. This vision would come to be regarded by the LDS Church as the most important event in history since the resurrection of Jesus
3.
Joseph Fielding Smith
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Joseph Fielding Smith Jr. was an American religious leader and writer who served as the tenth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1970 until his death in 1972. He was the son of Joseph F. Smith, who was the president of the LDS Church. Smith was named to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1910, when Smith became president of the LDS Church, he was 93 years old, he began his presidential term at an older age than any other president in church history. Smiths tenure as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from 1951 to 1970 is the third-longest in church history, Smith spent some of his years among the Twelve Apostles as the Church Historian and Recorder. He was a scholar and a prolific writer. Many of his works are used as references for church members, doctrinally, Smith was known for rigid orthodoxy and as an archconservative with regards to his views on evolution and race. Smith was born in Salt Lake City on July 18,1876, as the first son of Julina Lambson Smith, by agreement between his parents, Smith was given his fathers name, even though Joseph F. Smiths third and fourth wives had previously had sons. Growing up, Smith lived in his fathers family home at 333 West 100 North in Salt Lake City. The house was opposite the campus of the University of Deseret. He also often worked on the farm in Taylorsville, Utah. In January 1885, Smiths parents and his sister, Julina, left for the Sandwich Islands. In their absence, Smith continued to live in the home with his brothers and sisters and his fathers other wives. Smiths mother returned to Salt Lake City in 1887, followed later by his father. Even after his return, Joseph F. Smith was unable to visit and care for his wives. Smiths mother worked as a midwife to help provide for the family, as a boy, Smith often drove his mother by wagon to the various deliveries that she attended in Salt Lake City. After leaving the college, Smith began working as a stock clerk doing manual labor at ZCMI to supplement the familys income, Smith was present in the large assembly room of the Salt Lake Temple for its dedication on April 6,1893, by church president Wilford Woodruff. Smith married his first wife, Louie Emily Emyla Shurtliff on April 26,1898, in March 1899, church president Lorenzo Snow called him on a mission to Great Britain, which he completed, leaving Louie in Salt Lake City. On May 12,1899, Smith was set apart as a missionary, a small group of missionaries, including Smith and his older brother, Joseph Richards Smith, left the next day for England
4.
Spencer W. Kimball
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Spencer Woolley Kimball was an American business, civic, and religious leader, and was the twelfth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The grandson of early Latter Day Saint apostle Heber C, Kimball and his wife, Kimball was born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory. He spent most of his life in Thatcher, Arizona. He served an LDS mission from 1914 to 1916, then worked for banks in Arizonas Gila Valley as a clerk. Kimball later co-founded a business selling bonds and insurance which, after weathering the Great Depression, Kimball served as a stake president in his hometown from 1938 until 1943, when he was called to serve as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Like most LDS Church apostles, Kimball traveled extensively to fulfill a variety of administrative. He initiated the Indian Placement Program, which helped many Native American students gain educations in the 1960s and 1970s while staying with LDS foster families, in late 1973, following the sudden death of church president Harold B. Lee, Kimball became the president of the LDS Church. Kimballs presidency was noted for the 1978 announcement ending the restriction on church members of black African descent being ordained to the priesthood or receiving temple ordinances, Kimballs presidency saw large growth in the LDS Church, both in terms of membership and the number of temples. Kimball was the first church president to state that the church expected all able-bodied male members to serve missions in young adulthood. Kimball, was one of the original Latter Day Saint apostles called when Joseph Smith first organized the Quorum of the Twelve in February 1835 and he later served as first counselor to Brigham Young in the churchs First Presidency from 1847 until his death in 1868. Kimballs maternal grandfather, Edwin D. Woolley, was a prominent LDS bishop in Salt Lake City for many years, through his aunt, Helen Mar Kimball, who was one of several plural wives of Joseph Smith, Spencer Kimball was a nephew of Smith. Spencer Woolley Kimball was born on March 28,1895, in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, to Andrew Kimball and Olive Woolley, sister of Mormon pioneer and eventual Mormon fundamentalist John W. Woolley. In 1898, when Kimball was three years old, his father was called as president of the St. Joseph Arizona Stake, during his childhood, Kimball had a number of medical problems, including typhoid fever and facial paralysis. Four of his sisters died in childhood, and his mother died when he was eleven, though standing only 5 ft 6 in as an adult, Kimball was an avid basketball player, and was the star and leading scorer on most of his school and recreational teams. During summer holidays, he worked at a dairy in Globe, Arizona, milking cows, cleaning stalls. Kimball graduated from school in May 1914, and one week later was called to serve as a missionary in the Swiss–German Mission. Less than two months later, his call was halted by the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand and the subsequent outbreak of World War I
5.
First Presidency (LDS Church)
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The First Presidency is the presiding or governing body of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is composed of the President of the Church and his counselors, the First Presidency currently consists of Thomas S. Monson and his two counselors, Henry B. The First Presidency is composed of the President of the Church, historically, and as mandated by church scripture, the First Presidency has been composed of the president and two counselors, but circumstances have occasionally required additional counselors. Any high priest of the church is eligible to be called as a counselor in the First Presidency, there have been other cases where counselors have been ordained to the office of apostle but not set apart as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve. Other counselors in the First Presidency were never ordained to the office of apostle, whether or not a counselor is an apostle, all members of the First Presidency are sustained by the church as prophets, seers, and revelators. Counselors are formally designated as First Counselor in the First Presidency, additional counselors have been designated in different ways, including Third Counselor in the First Presidency, Assistant Counselor to the President, and simply Counselor in the First Presidency. Counselors serve in the First Presidency until their own deaths, until the death of the president who called them. The death of a church president dissolves the First Presidency, the death or release of a counselor does not dissolve the First Presidency. On the death or release of a first counselor, the second counselor usually succeeds, although these are fairly common occurrences, there are no hard and fast rules about such practices and each president is free to choose the counselors he prefers. Like the church president and President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the First Presidency is the highest ranking priesthood quorum of the church. The counselors assist the president and work closely with him in guiding the entire church. In the case of a president, his counselors may be called upon to perform more of the duties of the First Presidency that would normally be performed by the president. If needed, any number of additional counselors may be called to assist them, all members of the First Presidency are sustained by the membership of the church as prophets, seers, and revelators and given the keys of the kingdom when ordained as an apostle. All members of the First Presidency are also members of the churchs Council on the Disposition of the Tithes, there is no requirement that counselors in the First Presidency be apostles of the church. Brown, First Counselor to David O. McKay, not retained as a counselor by Joseph Fielding Smith Thorpe B, the position is paid employment position and the incumbent is not a member of the First Presidency or a general authority of the church. However, it is common for letters from the office of the First Presidency to private individuals to bear the signature of the secretary as opposed to members of the First Presidency, the First Presidency also employs assistant secretaries and press secretaries. When David O. D. Arthur Haycock also served as secretary to several church presidents in the 20th century. George W. Robinson George Reynolds George F. Gibbs Joseph Anderson Francis M. Gibbons F. Michael Watson Brook P. Hales Council of the Church
6.
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church)
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In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is one of the governing bodies in the church hierarchy. Members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are apostles, with the calling to be prophets, seers, and revelators, evangelical ambassadors, the jurisdiction of the Twelve was originally limited to areas of the world outside of Zion or its stakes. The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles claims a leadership role second only to that of the First Presidency, at the time of the death of Joseph Smith, the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was Brigham Young. Young emphasized what he said was Smiths authorization that the Quorum of the Twelve should be the governing body of the church after Smiths death. Church policy decisions are made unanimously, with consultation among the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve, and where appropriate, effort is made to ensure that the organizations are united in purpose and policy. Each member of the quorum is accepted by the church as an apostle, as well as a prophet, seer, thus, each apostle is considered to hold the rights to use all powers granted by God to the church. Individually and collectively, the Twelve Apostles hold the keys and have conferred the authority to exercise all of the keys upon the President of the Church. Thus, as outlined in the Doctrine and Covenants, only the President of the Church is entitled to revelation or dictate policy for the entire church. A major role of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is to appoint a successor when the President of the Church dies, shortly after this occurs, the apostles meet in a room of the Salt Lake Temple to appoint a successor. Invariably the successor has been the most senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the apostles lay their hands on his head and ordain him and set him apart as President of the Church. The president then chooses two counselors in the First Presidency, who are high priests, the second most senior surviving apostle becomes the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. This has invariably been the most senior member of the quorum who is not a member of the First Presidency, the final decision rests with the President of the Church, but is formally voted on by the Twelve and the counselors in the First Presidency. The chosen man is generally ordained an apostle by the President of the Church, depending on circumstances, this may occur before or after a sustaining vote is held at a church general conference. Any Melchizedek priesthood holder is eligible to be called as an apostle, generally, new apostles have considerable experience in church government and have served faithfully as bishops, stake presidents, mission presidents, or seventies. Some apostles receive assignments to become members of boards of church-owned for-profit corporations, the calling of an apostle is typically a lifetime calling. Pages, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles — biographical sketches of all past and present members of the Quorum
7.
Heber J. Grant
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Heber Jeddy Grant was an American religious leader who served as the seventh president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Grant worked as a bookkeeper and a cashier, then was called to be an LDS apostle on October 16,1882, after the death of Joseph F. Smith in late 1918, Grant served as LDS church president until his death. The first president born after the exodus to Utah, Grant was also the last LDS Church president to have practiced plural marriage and he had three wives, though by the time he became church president in 1918 only his second wife, Augusta Winters, was still living. In business, Grant helped develop the Avenues neighborhood of Salt Lake City, in 1884, he served a term as a representative to the Utah Territorial Legislature. Grant was born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, the son of Rachel Ridgeway Ivins and his father was a counselor in the First Presidency to Brigham Young. Rachel Grant was a native of New Jersey, where she had converted to the LDS Church at about age 20 and her cousin and later brother-in-law, Israel Ivins, was the first person baptized a Latter-day Saint in New Jersey. Jedediah Grant died when Heber J. Grant was nine days old, after Jedediahs death, Rachel married Jedediahs brother, George Grant, but he fell into alcoholism, so she divorced him. Rachel became the dominant influence in Hebers life and she served for many years as president of the 13th Ward Relief Society in downtown Salt Lake City. Heber J. Grant was known for his determination to achieve goals seemingly beyond his reach, as a child, he wanted to join the baseball team that would win the Utah territorial championship, but others believed him to be too physically awkward to be successful. In response, he purchased a baseball and practiced throwing the ball for hours against his barn to improve, the team he joined later won the championship. In similar fashion, Grant expressed a desire to be a successful bookkeeper and he practiced his writing to the point that he was invited to teach penmanship at one of the local academies. There were no public schools in Salt Lake City when Grant was a child. After working as a bookkeeper in the business in 1877, Grant became an assistant cashier with Zions Savings Bank. Later, Grant became a partner with D. W. Jennings and he later founded an additional insurance agency in Ogden and for a time owned the Ogden Vinegar Works. In the late 1890s, Grant served as the manager for the newly formed official LDS magazine. Grant continued to be involved in business activities after his call as an apostle and he founded many new businesses, including a bank. He was a founder of the Utah Sugar Company and also the founder of the Salt Lake Theatre. Grant lost an amount of money in the panic of 1893
8.
Apostle (Latter Day Saints)
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‹See Tfd› In the Latter Day Saint movement, an apostle is a special witness of the name of Jesus Christ who is sent to teach the principles of salvation to others. In many Latter Day Saint churches, an apostle is an office of high authority within the church hierarchy. In many churches, apostles may be members of the Quorum of the Twelve, in most Latter Day Saint churches, modern-day apostles are considered to have the same status and authority as the Biblical apostles. In the Latter Day Saint tradition, apostles and prophets are believed to be the foundation of the church, joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were both designated apostles by 1830. Other church members with proselytizing responsibilities were also referred to as apostles, a June 1829 revelation appointed Cowdery and David Whitmer to designate twelve disciples. Subsequently, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was organized February 14,1835, in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, apostle is the highest priesthood office of the Melchizedek priesthood. The President of the Church is always an apostle, as are the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, in practice, counselors in the First Presidency are almost always apostles as well. There are usually at least twelve apostles in the LDS Church, some apostles have been ordained to that office without being included within the Quorum of the Twelve. Joseph Angell Young was ordained an apostle in 1864 but was never a member of either the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles or the First Presidency, joseph F. Smith, Brigham Young, Jr. and Sylvester Q. Cannon had each been ordained as apostles before eventually being called into the Quorum of the Twelve, the next most senior apostle becomes president of the Quorum of the Twelve. Following their calling to the apostleship, members of the Quorum are sustained in general conference as apostles and prophets, seers and this procedure also takes place at other meetings of church members such as ward and stake conferences. Each member of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve is sustained by name, usually, the president of the church ordains a new apostle, although any other apostle may ordain a person to the priesthood office. The calling of an apostle is to be a witness of the name of Jesus Christ in all the world, particularly of his divinity. Twelve men with this high calling constitute an administrative council in the work of the ministry, when a vacancy occurred with the death of Judas Iscariot, Matthias was divinely appointed to that special office as a member of the council. Today twelve men with this same divine calling and ordination constitute the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The title was applied to others who, though not of the number of the original twelve. Paul repeatedly spoke of himself as an apostle and he applied the titles to James, the Lords brother, and also to Barnabas. Jesus is referred to as an apostle in Heb,3, 1-2, a designation meaning that he is the personal and select representative of the Father
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