Authority in the Mormon Church
Within the Mormon Church authority flows from the top down. The organization is structured in what might be called a classical pyramid shape, with the point upward. The President of the Church (always a man), with his counselors (usually two, always men), together called the First Presidency, are at the point.
The President also is called a Prophet, Seer, and Revelator. He is the only one in the Church who has full authority and “keys,” and the only one who can speak for God and receive revelation for the Church. Bruce R. McConkie, in Mormon Doctrine, said: “He is the earthly head of the kingdom of God, 4 the supreme officer of the Church, the ‘President of the High Priesthood of the Church.… ’ His duty is to preside over the whole church and to be like unto Moses … ” (p. 591).
The men who are the top leaders in the Mormon Church under the Prophet are called the General Authorities, 5 and each gets his authority for assigned responsibilities from the President/Prophet.
The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, twelve men, just under the Prophet, also have the same authority and “keys” as the President, but can only partially use them as authorized by the President. President Joseph F. Smith, in Gospel Doctrine, said: “What is a key? It is the right or privilege which belongs to and comes with the Priesthood, to have communication with God” (p. 142). They can be fully used by the Apostles only when there is no President, and that historically has seldom happened for long periods.
The Quorum of the Seventy forms the next level below the Apostles. As of this writing there are seventy-seven men in this body (quorum), but vacancies sometimes go unfilled for a period of time.
Within the Mormon Church only men can hold the priesthood. They are the only ones with the formal authority to act in God’s name. (But the role of women can be considered significant in that the priesthood-holder cannot reach exaltation unless married to a woman in the temple for time and eternity.) Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, in Mormon Doctrine, said: “ … priesthood is the power and authority of God delegated to man on earth to act in all things for the salvation of men” (p. 594).
At the local level is a Mormon congregation called a branch or a ward. A branch is a congregation, headed by a branch president, not large and/or stable enough to support all the usual activities. A ward is a congregation headed by a bishop and his two counselors and is the level at which the Mormon Church carries out most of its programs. Several branches and wards form a stake. A stake is similar to a diocese in the Catholic Church and is led by a stake president and his two counselors.
4 4. The place where God the Father dwells, the celestial kingdom (Mormon Doctrine, Bruce R. McConkie, p. 416, item 3, and p. 116).
5 5. “In order of their precedence, beginning at the top, the general authorities of the Church include members of: The First Presidency, Council of the Twelve, the Patriarch to the Church, Assistants to the Twelve, First Council of the Seventy and Presiding Bishopric” (Mormon Doctrine, Bruce R. McConkie, p. 309).
Farkas, J. R., & Reed, D., A. (1997, c1995). Mormonism : Changes, contradictions, and errors (electronic ed.) (27). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.