General Authority
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a General Authority is a member of the Church's highest leadership. Such a person has administrative and spiritual duties in the Church. Their area of application is not limited and includes the whole church. As a group, General Authorities are also called the brothers . As of October 2017, there are 109 General Authorities in the LDS Church.
Origin of the name
The first use of the term General Authority comes from recordings of conversations of the Presidential Hochpriesterumskollegiums in 1834. Although in these records not just of General Authorities were spoken, it was in the recent edition of the book Doctrine and Covenants as written in 1835. It states, that the decisions of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles "can only be questioned by the General Authorities of the Church for transgression."
Composition and differences from normal church officials
General Authorities always hold the priesthood and are present in the following organizations of the Church.
| organization | Members | Title given to members | period of service |
|---|---|---|---|
| First presidency | President of the Church and His Selected Counselors | president |
President of the Church : Lifetime Counselor: Until her death, death of the President of the Church, or dismissal at the request of the President |
| Quorum of the Twelve Apostles | 12 apostles | Oldest; President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles or Executive President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: President |
Usually lifetime, but can leave the quorum to join the First Presidency. |
| Presidency of the Seventy | 7 Seventies, usually these are taken from the First and Second Quorums of the Seventy | Oldest | Variable (usually 5-8 years); Most of the time they remain a member of the first or second quorum of the Seventy until they are dismissed by the President of the Church. |
| First Quorum of the Seventy | up to 70 seventies | Oldest | Lifetime; are usually released and retire at the age of 70. |
| Second Quorum of the Seventy | up to 70 seventies | Oldest | Variable (usually 5-7 years); until they are dismissed by the President of the Church. |
| Presiding Bishopric | 3 bishops: a presiding bishop and two counselors | bishop | Variable (usually 9–12 years); pending discharge by the President of the Church; usually becomes a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy upon discharge. |
| Supreme Patriarch | 1 Patriarch, usually a descendant of Joseph Smith, Sr. | Oldest | Dissolved; Lifetime; in 1979 Eldred G. Smith was dismissed and retired. A new Supreme Patriarch has not been proclaimed since his death in 2013. |
| Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles | Resolved (was variable) | Dissolved (was elder) | All assistants were added to the First Quorum of the Seventy in 1976 and the position was dissolved. |
General church officials
Not all church officials with duties throughout the Church are General Authorities. The senior church officials of the sister organizations of the Church are not considered General Authorities. The sister organizations of the Church are:
- Young men
- Sunday school
- Relief Society
- Young women
- Primary association
The latter three organizations are the only organizations in the entire Church that are led by women.
Also excluded from the term General Authorities are members in the third through eighth quorums of the Seventy. These are responsible for a specific geographic area and are therefore called Area Seventies.
Up until 2004, General Authorities held the leadership of the Young Men and Sunday School organizations . Thomas S. Monson ended this practice.
Because of this change, there are no General Authorities in the sister organizations of the Church. Ordinarily, the General Authorities are given sealing authority and the chairpersons of sister organizations and Area Seventy are not.
period of service
A person is usually called to be a General Authority by the President of the Church or a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The President of the Church and the Apostles ordinarily serve in this position throughout their lives. However, there have been incidents where members have been rejected or excommunicated.
As with any calling in the Church, General Authorities serve until they are dismissed. Members of the First Quorum of the Seventy will retain this position for life, but will retire on their seventieth birthday. Members of the Second Quorum of the Seventy typically serve for five to seven years, and then are dismissed and are no longer General Authorities. The members of the Presiding Bishopric are after their service members in the First Quorum of the Seventy inserted and in this way for life in the church.
General approval
At the General Conference all candidates will be presented at a place as a General Authority. Each member can show that they are in agreement with the candidate by raising their hands. All personnel changes are voted on at general conference. This procedure is based on an approach set out in the Doctrine and Covenants .
Premieres to the General Authorities
| premiere | person | date | position | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Second Generation General Authority | Joseph Smith, Sr. | December 18, 1833 | Supreme Patriarch | Son Joseph Smith, Jr. served as President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |
| First non-American General Authority | John Taylor | December 19, 1838 | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles | Born in England; the Church entered Canada at |
| Third Generation First General Authority | John Smith | February 18, 1855 | Supreme Patriarch | Father was Hyrum Smith , grandfather was Joseph Smith, Sr. |
| Fourth Generation First General Authority | Joseph Fielding Smith | April 7, 1910 | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles | Father was Joseph F. Smith ; Grandfather was Hyrum Smith ; Great-grandfather was Joseph Smith, Sr. |
| First General Authority descended from Asia | Adney Y. Komatsu | April 4th 1975 | Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles | Joined First Quorum of the Seventy in 1976; retired in 1993 |
| First General Authority of Indian descent | George P. Lee | 3rd October 1975 | First Quorum of the Seventy | Excommunicated in 1989 |
| First General Authority from Europe | Charles A. Didier | 3rd October 1975 | First Quorum of the Seventy | Comes from Belgium ; served in the Presidency of the Seventy from 1992 to 1995 and from 2001 to 2007; retired on October 3, 2009 |
| First General Authority from Asia | Yoshihiko Kikuchi | October 1977 | First Quorum of the Seventy | Comes from Japan ; retired on October 1, 2011 |
| First General Authority from the United Kingdom | Derek A. Cuthbert | March 1978 | First Quorum of the Seventy | |
| First General Authority from Latin America | Ángel Abrea | March 20, 1981 | First Quorum of the Seventy | Retired in 2003 |
| First General Authority from Australia | Robert E. Sackley | April 1988 | First Quorum of the Seventy | Joined Second Quorum of the Seventy in 1989; died in 1993 |
| First black general authority | Helvécio Martins | April 1990 | Second Quorum of the Seventy | Dismissed in 1995 |
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l Marvin K. Gardner : Daniel H. Ludlow (Ed.): Encyclopedia of Mormonism . Macmillan , New York 1992, ISBN 0028796055 , pp. 538-540.
- ^ Church Organization . In: LDS.org . LDS Church. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
- Jump up ↑ Doctrine and Covenants 102: 32
- ^ Church Organization: General Authorities . In: LDS.org . LDS Church. Retrieved March 14, 2013.
- ^ Thomas S. Monson : The Sustaining of Church Officers . May 2004.
- ↑ Lawrence R. Flake: Prophets and Apostles of the Last Dispensation . Religious Studies Center , Brigham Young University . Pp. 321-322. 2001.
- Jump up ↑ Doctrine and Covenants 20:65