The First Presidency of the Church, also known as the First Presidency
of the High Priesthood, consists of a president and two counselors.
Wilford Woodruff is the present president, and George Q. Cannon and
Joseph F. Smith are his two counselors. It is the duty of the First
Presidency to preside over the affairs of the Church, and they can
officiate in any or all of its offices. "Of the Melchisedek Priesthood,
three presiding high priests, chosen by the body, appointed and
ordained to that office, and upheld by the confidence, faith, and
prayer of the Church, form a quorum of the presidency of the Church."
"The duty of the President of the office of the High Priesthood is to
preside over the whole Church, and to be like unto Moses." "Yea, to be
a seer, a revelator, a translator, and a prophet, having all the gifts
of God which he bestows upon the head of the Church."
The Twelve Apostles are a traveling presiding high council, next
in order of authority to the First Presidency. On the death of the
President of the Church, the presiding authority falls on the next
council in precedence, which is the council of the Twelve Apostles,
and continues with that council until another First Presidency is
installed. The presidency of the council of the Twelve Apostles is
decided by seniority or ordination. The duties of the Twelve Apostles
are to preach the Gospel and build up the Church and regulate the
affairs of the same in all nations, under the direction of the First
Presidency. It is the privilege and duty of the council of the Twelve
Apostles, when sent out, to open the Gospel door to the various nations
of the earth, and, when they need assistance, it is their duty to call
preferentially on the Seventies to fill the calls for preaching and
administering the Gospel.
The Seventies are organized into various councils of seventy, commonly
termed quorums. Each council of seventy has seven presidents, chosen
out of the seventy, one of the seven presiding over the others and
over the whole seventy. The seven presidents of the first council of
seventies also preside over all the councils of seventies. There are
now one hundred and three councils of seventies, seventy members in
each council when it is full.
In each Stake of Zion the High Priesthood assemble in council at stated
times, perhaps once a month, for counsel and {438} instruction in their
duties, with a president and two counselors presiding over them.
Elders are organized in councils of ninety-six, each council with a
president and two counselors.
Priests are organized in councils of forty-eight, each with a president
and two counselors. This president must be a bishop.
Teachers are organized in councils of twenty-four, each with a
president and two counselors.
Deacons are organized in councils of twelve, each with a president and
two counselors.
At the gathering places of the Latter-day Saints, the branches of the
Church are organized into Stakes of Zion. In Utah these stakes are
generally, but not necessarily, coextensive with counties. Each stake
has a president, with his two counselors, and has also a high council,
consisting of twelve high priests. The president of a stake, with his
two counselors, presides over the high council of that stake. The
jurisdiction of the high council of a stake is appellate in most cases,
but original in some. The decisions of a high council are usually,
but not invariably, final. On an appeal from the decision of a high
council, a hearing and decision can be had from a general assembly of
the various councils of the Priesthood, which is the end of controversy
in the Church, but such appeals are very rarely taken.
The jurisdiction of all councils in the Church is ecclesiastical,
extending to fellowship and standing only, the extreme judgment in all
cases being excommunication.
Each stake is divided into an irregular number of wards, over each of
which a bishop, with his two counselors, presides.
Each ward has its own meeting house, as a rule.
Each stake has also its own meeting house generally, for the holding of
conferences and other meetings. In Utah and adjacent Territories and
States there are thirty-two stakes, comprising about four hundred and
twenty-five bishops' wards. Salt Lake City is divided into twenty-two
wards, the usual size of each of which is a square of nine ten-acre
blocks, though most of the wards in the outskirts are considerably
larger.
Each stake as a rule holds a quarter-yearly conference, usually
continuing two days.
The church holds two general conferences yearly. They are held almost
invariably in April and October, commencing on the sixth day of each of
those months, and generally lasting three or four days. Occasionally
special general conferences are held.
{439} DOCTRINES.
The Latter-day Saints believe in the Bible as an inspired record of the
dealings of God with men in the eastern hemisphere, and consequently
believe in the creation or organization of the heavens and the earth by
the word of God.
They believe that God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and
that they were cast out therefrom for transgression, thereby bringing
suffering and death into the world, including banishment from the
presence of God.
That Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and that by his death he made
atonement for the sins of Adam and of the whole world, so that men, by
individual acceptance of the terms, can have their own sins forgiven or
remitted and be reconciled to God.
That in order to obtain this forgiveness or remission and
reconciliation, men must have faith in God and in Jesus Christ, repent
of and forsake their sins, be baptized for the remission of them, have
hands laid upon them by authorized ministers for the reception of the
Holy Ghost, and live a pure life, keeping the commandments of God and
walking in holiness before him.
That members of the Church should partake of the Sacrament of the
Lord's Supper, at stated times, and assemble frequently to worship God
and to be instructed in regard to their duties and privileges.
That it is the duty of the members of the Church to pay first a tenth
part of their property, and afterward a tenth of their increase or
income for the advancement of the work of God.
That revelations from God and miraculous manifestations of his power
were not confined to the apostolic and earlier ages, nor to the eastern
hemisphere, but may be enjoyed in this age or in any dispensation or
country.
That the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are revelations from God, the former
being an inspired record of his dealings with the ancient inhabitants
of this continent and the latter consisting of revelations from him in
this dispensation.
That he gave revelations to Joseph Smith and inspired him to translate
the Book of Mormon and to organize the Church of Christ anew upon the
earth in our day.
{440} That this is the dispensation of the fulness of times, in which
all things will be gathered together in one, both which are in heaven
and which are on the earth.
That the Gospel must be preached in all the world for a witness, and
then the end shall come.
That those who believe in the Gospel and receive the testimony of the
servants of God should gather themselves together as one people upon
this continent, to build up communities, cities, and temples to the
name of the Lord, and to establish Zion, that they may escape the
judgments which God is about to send upon the wicked, and be prepared
for the coming of Jesus Christ to take upon him his power and reign on
the earth as King of kings and Lord of lords.
That men and women should not indulge in the lusts of the flesh, and
thereby corrupt, debase and destroy themselves and others.
That marriage, whether monogamic or polygamic, is honorable in all, and
the bed undefiled, when such marriage is contracted and carried out in
accordance with the law of God.
That the ten commandments are as binding now as when delivered to Moses
on Mount Sinai, and that the two supreme commandments, into which Jesus
Christ resolved the ten, are, with the ten, as binding now as when he
was upon the earth in the flesh; which two commandments are as follows:
"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy
soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as
thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."
That every man is free to accept or reject the Gospel, but that he
cannot receive remission of sins, nor be reconciled to God, nor enjoy
eternal life in his presence, on any other terms than obedience to the
Gospel.
That men will be rewarded or punished according to their works, whether
good or evil.
That the dead, who did not obey the Gospel in this life, can hear and
accept of it in the spirit world, their mortal relatives or friends
attending to the ordinances of the Gospel in their behalf.
That all mankind will be resurrected from the dead and will come forth
to judgment and receive either reward or punishment, which will be
various in degree, according to capacity, merit, and demerit.
That the earth glorified will be the dwelling place of resurrected,
glorified and immortal beings, who will have {441} previously passed
their mortal probation thereon, and that they will dwell upon it
forever in the light and knowledge and glory of God.