Stake
"Stakes are an intermediate unit of organization between Church
headquarters and the local wards. A stake ordinarily comprises between five and twelve
wards, totaling at least 3,000 members. Depending on LDS population density, a stake may
cover only a small part of one city or include many towns or cities spread over hundreds
of miles." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
Ward
"The ward is the basic ecclesiastical unit in The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is comparable to a Protestant congregation or a Roman
Catholic parish. Normally, its membership ranges between 300 and 600 people." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
Branch
"A branch is generally the smallest organized congregation of the
Church (normally fewer than two hundred members)." Encyclopedia of
Mormonism
Districts
"A 'district' is an ecclesiastical unit similar in function to a
stake. Districts are found within missions in developing areas of the Church mostly
outside the United States and Canada." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
Lay Participation and Leadership
"The scope of volunteer service in the Church is extensive, both in
the number of people involved and in the amount of their service." Encyclopedia
of Mormonism
Common Consent
"Common consent is a fundamental principle of decision making at all
levels in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." Encyclopedia
of Mormonism
Following
the Prophets
"The basic doctrines call for real discipline of self; they are
hard because wise self-discipline is hard. Among the requirements that God has laid upon
us is to pay heed to His living prophets. In our dispensation this has been described as
"following the Brethren." Elder Neal A. Maxwell
Priesthood
Organization
Describes how the Priesthood is organized within the Church.
Auxiliary
Organizations
"The LDS Church is characterized by two types of organizational
entities: priesthood quorums and organizations auxiliary to the priesthood." Encyclopedia
of Mormonism
Relief
Society
"The Relief Society is the official adult women's organization of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is an essential part of the structure of
the Church at general, stake, and ward levels. The organization provides opportunities for
association, leadership, compassionate service, and education. Through the Relief Society,
'women of the Church are given some measure of divine authority particularly in the
direction of government and instruction in behalf of the women of the church' (J. F.
Smith, p. 5)." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
Sunday School
"Sunday School in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is
held weekly in each local ward or branch. It lasts about an hour. Each Sunday, ward
members assemble at the meetinghouse chapel for prayer and hymn singing, following which
those twelve years and older attend age-group classes for religious instruction while
younger children attend primary." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
Young Men
"The Aaronic Priesthood is
the basic organization for the young men of the Church, ages twelve through eighteen. The
Young Men organization is an auxiliary to the priesthood and includes scouting and other
programs designed to help with the full development of young male members of the Church,
including spiritual, social, and physical aspects." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
Young
Women
"The Young Women program of the Church in 1990 reached an
international membership of one million young women between the ages of twelve and
eighteen." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
Primary
"The Primary is an organized program of religious instruction and
activity in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for children from eighteen
months of age until their twelfth birthdays. Its purpose is to teach children the gospel
of Jesus Christ and help them learn to live it." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
Concept of
Presidency
"The administrative/leadership calling of presidency is part of the
presiding structure at all levels in virtually every unit of The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
Correlation of
the Church, Administration
"Correlation is the process of identifying the role of each part of
the Church, placing each in its proper relationship to the others, and ensuring that each
functions properly." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
