Learn more about your Mormon Ward

Your Ward
Families and individuals make up the membership of each ward.  Most wards average around 200 to 300 members.  If you live in an area where there are few Mormons, you will have a branch, which is similar to a ward, but usually has from 50 to 150 members.  Branches have Branch Presidents instead of Bishops who perform very similar functions to that of a Bishop.  For both wards and branches the following represents the basic leaders of the congregation and the various programs available.

Find your local Mormon Chapel.

Bishop (or Branch President):
Your Bishop is one of the busiest and most important men in the ward.  He oversees the whole ward with the help of his two counselors and the presidents of the various other organizations like the Sunday School, the Relief Society, the Primary, and the Young Men/Young Women programs.  His calling is to be a “common judge in Israel” (Doctrine and Covenants 107:72, 74).  He is also president of the Aaronic Priesthood in his ward and is to care for the needs, both spiritual and temporal of the members (Doctrine and Covenants 107:68).  He presides at weekly worship services and with the help of his counselors selects those who give the weekly sermons and generally assigns topics to them.  He also counsels with members who need help and can help provide financial relief from the Bishop’s Storehouse, where is found food and clothing for the poor.  He also receives the confessions of the members if they have committed serious sin such as sexual relations outside of marriage, addiction to drugs, alcohol, or pornography, and so on.  Through the Mormon Church, the Bishop has resources to help members struggling with addictions or serious burdens.  He also interviews people to make sure they are prepared to enter the Mormon Temple.

Get to know your Bishop as soon as you can.  He is a very good man, but also a very busy man so if seems a little distracted sometimes, do not be upset.  Your Bishop will also be the one who gives you your first calling, or assignment in the Mormon Church, so let him know what talents and experience you have so he can know how best to let you serve your fellow members.  Remember that the Bishop will keep everything you tell him strictly confidential.  He has been called by God to lead and guide your ward.

Priesthood:
In Mormonism, Priesthood does not usually refer to the people with authority, but to the authority itself.  Priesthood represents the power and authority to act in God’s name when performing ordinances like baptism or when leading the Church.  Through Priesthood which is delegated to men on earth, God brings to pass is great purpose which is “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Pearl of Great Price, Moses 1:39).

All worthy male members of the Mormon Church can share in the Priesthood power.  Through it, they are authorized to preach the gospel, administer ordinances and lead the Church.  Men are ordained to the Priesthood by the laying on of hands of worthy priesthood holders.  There are various offices and positions within the priesthood and members holding the same priesthood office (for example, Priest, Elder, High Priest), gather in quorums.  When a person receives the priesthood, we say that the priesthood was conferred upon him, and then he is ordained to a specific office in the Priesthood.

The scriptures teach us there are two divisions of the priesthood: Aaronic Priesthood and Melchizedek Priesthood.  The Priesthood was held by ancient Apostles of Jesus’ time, but the authority was taken from the earth after the Church went into apostasy.  On May 15, 1828, John the Baptist appeared to Joseph Smith, the Prophet and to Oliver Cowdery.  He gave them the Aaronic Priesthood.  A month or so later, Peter, James, and John visited them and gave them the Melchizedek, or higher, Priesthood.

The Aaronic Priesthood contains four offices: Deacon, Teacher, Priest, and Bishop.  This priesthood has authority to baptize, bless and pass the Sacrament (or Lord’s Supper), and oversee in Church meetings.  Young men may be become deacons at age 12, teachers at 14, and priest at 16.  Bishops oversee the priests’ quorum and the ward, so Bishops are typically taken from Melchizedek Priesthood holders.

Men typically receive the Melchizedek Priesthood and are ordained Elders when they are 19 or 20 as they prepare to become Mormon Missionaries, though there is no set age.  The major requirements are faith in Jesus Christ, worthiness, and a willingness to serve others.  The offices of the Melchizedek Priesthood are Elder, High Priest, Seventy, Patriarch, Apostle, and President of the Church.  There is no minimum age on any of these offices.  The Melchizedek Priesthood oversees the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, spiritual leadership in the Church, missionary work, and the rituals in the Mormon Temple.  In order to enter a Mormon temple, a man must be ordained to the Priesthood.

Auxiliaries:
Auxiliaries are those organizations that help the Mormon Church and its members in learning more about Christ and the Scriptures through classes and activities.  The following are some of the most important organizations that most wards have.

Relief Society

Sunday School

Primary

Young Men/Young Women

Seminary and Institute

Family History Library

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church)

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as the Mormon Church is officially called, represents the Kingdom of God on earth with a “foundation of apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone” (Ephesians 2:20).  In the Mormon Church there is no professional clergy.  All work together to do the work of the Kingdom, and every position in the Church is filled by members of the congregation who receive no salary.

In Ephesians Paul says, “And he [Jesus Christ] gave some apostles; some prophets; and some evangelists; and some pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-12).  This means that the true Church of God has all these various positions to help perfect the saints, which means members of  Christ’s church, and spread the Gospel.  The Mormon Church has all these offices.  The Prophet Joseph Smith said:

We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.
~Article of Faith 6

The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the President of the Church are prophets and apostles to the whole world.  Pastors, called bishops by Mormons, are the leaders of congregations in the Mormon Church.  The following will explain the various positions in the Church and where they have responsibility.

Presidency of the Church: This is the President of the entire Mormon Church, often referred to simply as the Prophet, since he is a prophet and apostle, too.  He has two counselors who assist him and he works with the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.  They preside over the whole Church, and the prophet with his two counselors is called the First Presidency.

Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:  Twelve Apostles, who are also prophets, make up the Quorum of the Twelve.  They have the responsibility to teach about Jesus Christ to the whole world, and with the President of the Church, they oversee all aspects of the Mormon Church.

Quorum of the Seventy: There are several quorums of the seventy.  The First and Second Quorums oversee the whole Church, with groups of members within the Quorum overseeing various areas like Western Europe, Central America, and so on.  The other quorums of the Seventy are Area Authorities, because they only preside over their local areas.

Stake Presidency: Each area of the Mormon Church is divided into Stakes overseen by a Stake President and two counselors.  They are also part-time leaders and have jobs in the community.  A stake contains several congregations, called wards.

Bishopric: A Bishop and his two counselors oversee each ward, or congregation, of the Church. He is responsible to give callings to members, arrange for speakers on Sunday, interview and counsel with members who have questions or need help, and so on.

Parents: A father and a mother by design should preside over every family, though this is not always possible because of death, divorce, or abandonment.  The family, however it is made up, is the basic unit of the Mormon Church and the focus of many Church activities.  Families are encouraged to attend worship services together, pray and read the scriptures together, and so on.

Learn more about your Mormon Ward

Mormon Temples and Temple Work

One of the most distinguishing characteristics of the Mormon Church is its temples.  Mormon Temples are sacred buildings, set apart from the world.  They are not ordinary church buildings like chapels.  Mormons have both churches and temples.  In temples, Mormons perform sacred ordinances that strengthen us in this life and prepare us for the life to come.  Also in temples, families can be sealed together for all eternity and faithful Mormons can perform ordinances like baptism for those who died without the opportunity. The Holy Endowment One of the most sacred and defining moments in the life of a member of the Mormon Church comes when he or she receives his or her endowment.  An endowment is a gift; in this case it is a gift of knowledge and spiritual power from God.  Jesus referred to an endowment of power when he commanded his disciples to “tarry [...] in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49).  Endue is an older form of the word endow.  In the endowment a person learns more about his place in the world and his relationship to God and the Savior, Jesus Christ. In the endowment, a person is first symbolically washed and clothed in white to symbolize becoming a new creature through Jesus Christ’s atonement.  Secondly, through a serious of symbolic presentations, a person learns about the purpose of this world and the mission of Jesus Christ.  A person then makes covenants to live righteously and according to God’s will, and receives a promise of eternal life.  A covenant is a binding promise between two people, in this case the covenants are between God and man. Finally, a person enters the Celestial Room which symbolizes salvation and God’s presence.  In this room, which is reserved for quiet prayer and meditation, a person can feel the power and spirit of God’s presence more than anywhere else in the world.  Many people return time and again to pause and pray here seeking for answers to their problems.  As a symbol of the covenants made in temples, Mormons wear sacred undergarments for the rest of their lives.  This garment serves to remind them of those promises and covenants which they have made. Celestial Marriage and Sealing For Mormons, one of the highest goals is have their family united forever through Celestial Marriage, which takes place only in temples.  This ceremony is called a sealing.  In a sealing ceremony a couple is married for time and eternity.  Time refers to the duration of this life and eternity to the life to come.  A family that knows they can and will be together forever becomes stronger as they realize the importance of their ties to one another.  This eternal perspective allows us to tolerate and express patience toward one another’s shortcomings.  (See The Family in God’s Plan). Family History and Temple Work The prophet Malachi wrote the following prophecy from the Lord: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse” (Malachi 4:5-6).  This promise has been fulfilled.  On April 3, 1836, the prophet Elijah appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland Temple (see Doctrine and Covenants 110:13-16).  He gave them power to seal families and generations together.  Without this power and the strength it gives to families, the Lord says that the earth would be struck with a curse.  Everywhere you look today, you can see the misery that comes from broken families. Not only should our families be united together, but past generations can also be brought closer to the Lord.  Through genealogy, sometimes called family history, you can find out who your ancestors were.  In Holy Temples, there is a place provided where living persons can be baptized on behalf of deceased persons.  This is called baptism for the dead.   The Apostle Peter taught that Jesus visited the souls of people in spirit prison:

“For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit; By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah” (1 Peter 3:18-20).

In the next chapter, he explains the purpose of Jesus visiting these souls:

“For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit” (1 Peter 4:6).

All those who have ever lived and died without a knowledge of the Gospel will be taught it in the Spirit World, and they will have the opportunity of either accepting or rejecting this baptism done for them in the temples.  Mormons believe this is one of the most supreme acts of service since we do something for others that they cannot do for themselves.

Sunday School in the Mormon Church

Mormon congregations hold Sunday School classes every Sunday.  Depending on the size of the congregation there can be one or several classes.  Children and teenagers have their own Sunday School classes run through the Young Men’s and Young Women’s and the Primary programs.

Sunday School is held for one hour each Sunday.  Lessons follow the scriptures and the teachings of the modern prophets like Joseph Smith.  The two most common classes taught are Gospel Essentials and Gospel Doctrine.  Gospel Essentials is a class geared toward new members or others who want to learn more about the basic doctrines of the Church.  This will probably be the class you attend when you first go to Church with the missionaries, since that is the class they attend.  Each week, the teacher focuses on a different gospel principle like tithing, prayer, or the mission of Jesus Christ.  This class is also popular with long time members.

Gospel Doctrine is the other class typically held in most wards.  Lessons in these classes follow the scriptures and teach doctrine from the stories and messages contained in them.  Usually, the class focuses on a different volume of scripture each year, one year each for the Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants.  The Pearl of Great Price is covered the same year as the Old Testament.  The Sunday School teacher is a member of the congregation who devotes hours each week to preparing a lesson.  He or she tries to help members understand how scriptural teachings are relevant to our daily life today.

Members are encouraged to attend Sunday School each week and to participate in the discussions.  Mormon Sunday Schools typically are discussion oriented and everyone is expected to share their thoughts and opinions on the verses being studied.  Teachers try to involve every member.  In the Doctrine and Covenants we read:

Appoint among yourselves a teacher, and let not all be spokesmen at once; but let one speak at a time and let all listen unto his sayings, that when all have spoken that all may be edified of all, and that every man may have an equal privilege (Doctrine and Covenants 88:122).

Every person has experience and insight that is valuable to others and you can never know for sure but that what you feel inspired to say is the answer to someone else’s prayer.

Primary in the Mormon Church

The Primary program of the Mormon Church is the Church’s program for children from ages 4 through 11.  For children over 18 months and under 4 years old, the Church provides nurseries for members during Sunday School and Relief Society meetings so that members can focus on the gospel.  The Primary program has Sunday School classes and activities for children geared toward their level and toward helping them learn the basics about God and Jesus Christ.

The Primary is divided into pre-baptism and post-baptism groups.  In the Mormon Church, children are not baptized until they reach at least the age of eight.  A couple times a month, the Primary hosts activity days during the week to give the children a chance to befriend one another outside of Church.  Also, once a year the Primary presents the entire sacrament meeting and presents music and short talks by the Primary children.

Relief Society in the Mormon church

Relief Society:
The Relief Society is one of the oldest and largest women’s organizations in the world and is the Mormon Church’s main organization for women.  The Prophet Joseph Smith founded it in 1842 in Nauvoo, Illinois, with the motto “Charity Never Faileth.” Today the Relief Society has over 5 million members in over 170 different countries. All Mormon women age 18 and older are members of the Relief Society.

The Relief Society Declaration states:

We are beloved spirit daughters of God, and our lives have meaning, purpose, and direction. As a worldwide sisterhood, we are united in our devotion to Jesus Christ, our Savior and Exemplar. We are women of faith, virtue, vision, and charity who:

• Increase our testimonies of Jesus Christ through prayer and scripture study.
• Seek spiritual strength by following the promptings of the Holy Ghost.
• Dedicate ourselves to strengthening marriages, families, and homes.
• Find nobility in motherhood and joy in womanhood.
• Delight in service and good works.
• Love life and learning.
• Stand for truth and righteousness.
• Sustain the priesthood as the authority of God on earth.
• Rejoice in the blessings of the temple, understand our divine destiny, and strive for exaltation.

Some of the objectives of the Relief Society are to build faith in Jesus Christ and teach one another the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Relief Societies exist in every congregation and have their own presidencies and teachers.  They perform many charitable and service oriented functions and provide an essential place for Mormon women to fellowship and strengthen one another.

A large part of meeting these objectives is the Relief Society’s Visiting Teaching program. In this program, companionships of two women are asked to look after and visit other women in the ward at least once a month. This usually involves some sort of spiritual message and a chance for the women to get to know one another and strengthen each other. Through Visiting Teaching, every woman has someone to watch over her and the bonds of sisterhood are strengthened.

Members of the Relief Society meet each Sunday during regular Sunday worship services. Weekly lesson topics include messages from modern prophets and lessons planned by the local Relief Society presidency to meet local needs.

Relief Society women also gather four times a year for Home, Family, and Personal Enrichment meetings. These meetings are organized and planned by local Relief Society leaders to meet spiritual needs in their locations. At Enrichment meetings, women strengthen each other in their common roles as wives, mothers, sisters in Zion, and daughters of God. One Enrichment meeting per year is held to commemorate the organization of the Relief Society.

Enrichment Activities are held as needs arise. They are planned by local Relief Society presidencies to meet the needs of specific groups within the Relief Society that share similar interests or needs. For example, a group of Relief Society sisters might meet together at an Enrichment Activity to exercise, have a child’s playgroup, learn gardening skills, learn about estate planning, socialize, or do family history work. Visitors are welcome to attend Enrichment meetings or activities.

During one of the Relief Society’s annual conferences, President Bonnie D. Parkin (2002-Present), who is President of the whole Relief Society, had this to say about Relief Society:

Relief Society—the Lord’s organization for women. Relief Society is important to the Lord [...] He provided women a safe haven from the harshness of the world when He gave us Relief Society. From the beginning our association together and our direction from priesthood leaders have helped us come unto Christ. There was no greater cause then; there is no greater cause today.

Relief Society was not man-made or woman-made. It was, as President Joseph F. Smith (1838–1918) explained, “divinely made, divinely authorized, divinely instituted, divinely ordained of God to minister for the salvation of the souls of women and of men.” Bonnie D. Parkin, “Oh, How We Need Each Other!” (Ensign, Mar. 2004, 16)

Seminary and Institute in the Mormon Church

Seminary and Institute:
The Mormon Church believes that education is very important.  That is why it runs schools like Brigham Young University.  However, not everyone can go to a Church-owned school, and so the Church has established the Seminary and Institute programs.

Seminary
Seminary for Mormons is not a school where people go to become ministers; it is instead a program to provide weekday religious education for high school students.  In places where there are lots of Mormons, the Church is able to sponsor release-time seminary during school hours, though students do not receive school credit for their religious study.  In these places Mormon youth meet at special seminary buildings or local chapels to study the Gospel together and to learn how it can be used in their everyday lives.

Most Mormons, however, don’t live in places where this can happen.  Instead, they have early-morning seminary.  In these places, high school students meet before school either in the chapel or a member’s home and have lessons on the Gospel.  For students in isolated places there is even home-study seminary where teenagers and their parents can study the Gospel together.

Institute
Institute is like seminary for college-age Mormons and adults.  Many universities have institute buildings or classes in local chapels for all adults.  These often cover special topics like Church history, Old Testament, teachings of the modern prophets, and so on.  All college-age Mormons around the world are encouraged to attend classes.  They provide a break from the stress and pressure of school and help students keep Jesus Christ as their focus.  Institutes are typically associated with the Latter-day Saints Student Association.  Classes are free and open to everyone.

To locate the nearest institute class to you throughout the world see the Institute locater.