President of the Church (Mormonism)

In Mormonism, the President of the Church is the head of a Latter Day Saint denomination or church. Several other titles are associated with this office, including First Elder of the church, Presiding High Priest, President of the High Priesthood, Trustee-in-Trust for the church, Prophet, Seer and Revelator (in a few cases Prophet, Seer and Translator, Prophet, Priest and King or King Priest and Ruler over Israel on Earth). The movement's founder, Joseph Smith, Jr., the first president of the church, was known by all of these titles in his lifetime.

Presidents of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the largest denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement is the church's leader and the head of the First Presidency, the church's highest governing body. Latter-day Saints consider him to be a Prophet, Seer and Revelator, and refer to him particularly as The Prophet, a title originally given to Joseph Smith, Jr..

Related Topics:
Latter Day Saint movement - First Presidency - Latter-day Saint - Joseph Smith, Jr.

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Latter-day Saints consider the president of the church to be God's "mouthpiece" for the entire world. He is thought to have supreme priesthood authority, and the right to receive revelations. Modern presidents, however, have not generally continued Joseph Smith's practice of publishing written doctrinal revelations and visions, although most have stated that they have received such.

Related Topics:
Latter-day Saint - Priesthood

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Infallibility versus Opinion

According to the Doctrine and Covenants, which includes information on the offices and policies of the church, the president of the church is the only man empowered to receive revelation for the entire church and to change or clarify doctrine. The church teaches that the president will never be allowed to lead the Latter Day Saints astray and that God will "remove" any man who stands at the head of the church who intends to mislead its members. As such, when speaking as president, the words of the president of the church are "infallible," meaning they are correct and binding on those who live under his administration. By following the president's teachings, members of the church are told that they are justified in their actions.

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This distinction is important: when he "speaks as the president of the church," his words are infallible. Often when the president speaks, it is not as the president of the church. At these times, the president may offer opinion and conjecture about non-spiritual topics which may or may not be correct. For example, one early church president opined there were people living on the moon. Though most members of the church regard this as an expression of an (uninspired) opinion, critics have cited this statement as proof of the fallibility of church presidents.

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Succession to the Presidency

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, when a president of the church dies, the First Presidency is dissolved and the members of the First Presidency who were formerly members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles return to that quorum. The Quorum of the Twelve then becomes the presiding council of the church, with the senior (with the most time in this quorum) apostle as its president. In modern times the Quorum of the Twelve has moved quickly to reconstitute the First Presidency by calling and setting apart one of their number to be the President of the Church. However, Brigham Young presided over the church for three years as the President of the Quorum of the Twelve before the First Presidency was reconstituted after the death of Joseph Smith. Traditionally, the senior apostle becomes the next church president. http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/1996.htm/ensign%20august%201996.htm/the%20kingdom%20of%20god%20will%20roll%20on%20%20succession%20in%20the%20presidency.htm?fn=document-frame.htm$f=templates$3.0 However, this appointment is not made official until a unanimous vote by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles confirms it.

Related Topics:
First Presidency - Quorum of the Twelve Apostles - Brigham Young - Joseph Smith

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Once the new President of the Church is called, he calls counselors. Most presidents have had two counselors, but circumstances have occasionally required additional ones (David O. McKay had four during the final years of his presidency). Counselors are historically chosen from the Quorum of the Twelve, although there have been a few exceptions where members of the Seventy were called. Counselors are formally designated by seniority as First Counselor in the First Presidency, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, and so forth. The President and his counselors constitute the First Presidency, the presiding council of the church. The next senior apostle to the President of the Church is called by the First Presidency to be the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. If the President of the Quorum of the Twelve has been called to be a counselor in the First Presidency, the apostle next in seniority is called to be the Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve. At the death of the President of the Church, an Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve returns to the quorum's membership and the President of the Quorum of the Twelve takes his role as president of the quorum.

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List of Presidents