Frederick_A._Smith

Presiding Patriarch

Presiding Patriarch

Leader in the Latter Day Saint movement

In the Latter Day Saint movement, the Presiding Patriarch (also called Presiding Evangelist, Patriarch over the Church, Patriarch of the Church, or Patriarch to the Church) is a church-wide leadership office within the priesthood. Among the duties of the Presiding Patriarch are to preside in council meetings, ordain other patriarchs, and administer patriarchal blessings.

Originally, the office of Presiding Patriarch was one of the highest and most important offices of the church's priesthood. The role was equated by Joseph Smith with Biblical patriarchs from Adam to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and it was expected that the office would descend through lineal succession from father to son. This precedent was set when Hyrum Smith, Joseph's brother, became the second Presiding Patriarch because he was the eldest surviving son of the first Presiding Patriarch, Joseph Smith Sr. When the office was given to Hyrum, he was given "keys of the patriarchal priesthood over the kingdom of God on earth, even the Church of the Latter Day Saints."[1] Thus, some have argued that Presiding Patriarch is an office of the Patriarchal Priesthood. However, the existence and meaning of the Patriarchal Priesthood is controversial and uncertain.

Community of Christ

Chronology of the Presiding Patriarchs/Evangelist of Community of Christ

More information Date, Notes ...

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Main article: Chronology of Presiding Patriarchs (LDS Church)

When a Presiding Patriarch has existed, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) has sustained the person as a prophet, seer, and revelator.[12] In the church's history, there have been eight Presiding Patriarchs, three Acting Presiding Patriarchs, and one Patriarch Emeritus.

The LDS Church effectively discontinued the office of Presiding Patriarch in 1979, indicating enough local patriarchs existed so that the church-wide position was no longer needed. However, E. Gary Smith, the eldest son of the final patriarch, Eldred G. Smith, rejected this explanation, suggesting instead that the dissolution of the office was the inevitable result of longstanding tensions rising from the incompatibility of a hereditary position with the broader church hierarchy based in "office charisma," consistent with the Weberian model of bureaucracy.[13] Until that time, the role and duties of the office had varied.[13] The Presiding Patriarch sometimes appointed local patriarchs in the church's stakes and presided over them as a loose "Quorum of Patriarchs." Like the local patriarchs, the Presiding Patriarch was also empowered to give patriarchal blessings.

Chronology of the Presiding Patriarchs of the LDS Church

More information Dates, Notes ...

See also

Notes

  1. [1]
    Smith, Joseph. Smith, Joseph Fielding (ed.). Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Covenant Communications. p. 36.
  2. [2]
    B. H. Roberts (ed.), History of the Church 7:457–59.
  3. [3]
    Hosea Stout journal, October 6, 1845.
  4. [4]
    Howard, Richard P. Lesson 2: A Brief Historical Survey of the Ministry of the Evangelist-Patriarch, page 13. Temple School Course PA 222: Evangelists: Sharing a New World of Blessing, Community of Christ.
  5. [5]
    Doctrine and Covenants Sec 151:1a and 151:2
  6. [6]
    Doctrine and Covenants Sec 155:1a and 155:2a
  7. [7]
    Doctrine and Covenants Sec 158:2a and 155:2a
  8. [8]
    Doctrine and Covenants Sec 158:1 and 155:2a
  9. [9]
    Communication to the Church(Belrose Released): March 6, 2006 Archived May 17, 2008, at archive.today
  10. [10]
    World Conference 2007: Official Minutes of Business Session
  11. [11]
    Stephen M. Veazey, "Letter of Counsel about World Church Leadership", cofchrist.org, March 31, 2016.
  12. [12]
    Stack, Peggy Fletcher (2013-04-05). "Longest-serving Mormon general authority dies at 106". Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved April 5, 2013.
  13. [13]
    Bates, Irene M.; Smith, E. Gary (1996). Lost legacy: The Mormon office of presiding patriarch (1 ed.). Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0252021630.
  14. [14]
    Not to be confused with his uncle of the same name, Joseph Fielding Smith, who served as church president from 1970 to 1972.
  15. [15]
    Quinn, D. Michael (2001). Same-Sex Dynamics among Nineteenth-Century Americans: A Mormon Example. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-06958-1.
  16. [16]
    Bergera, Gary James (Winter 2011), "Transgression in the Latter-day Saint Community: The Cases of Albert Carrington, Richard R. Lyman, and Joseph F. Smith. Part 3: Joseph F. Smith", Journal of Mormon History, 38 (1), Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press
  17. [17]
    "Patriarch to the Church: Released from Duties", Improvement Era 49 (November 1946) pp. 685, 708.
  18. [18]
    "The Sustaining of Church Officers". ChurchofJesusChrist.org. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved 15 May 2017.

References
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