Page:History of Utah.djvu/398

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.



member of a seventy, and an elder may, in common with an apostle, administer in other spiritual offices.

All superior officers are frequently called elders. Thus an apostle is an elder; and he may baptize, and ordain other elders, priests, teachers, and deacons. It is his calling to administer bread and wine, or bread and water, emblems of the flesh and blood of Christ; to confirm the baptized by the laying on of hands for the baptism of fire and the holy ghost; to teach, ex- pound, exhort, and to lead in meetings as he is led by the holy ghost.

A bishop who is a first-born and a lineal descend- ant of Aaron may sit as a common judge in the church without councillors, except in the trial of a president of the high-priesthood. But a bishop from the high- priesthood may not sit as a judge without his two councillors. Over all the bishops in the church there is a presiding bishop.

The duties of a priest are to preach, baptize, ad- minister the sacrament, and visit families and pray with them. The duties of a teacher are to watch over and strengthen the church, and see that no iniquity creeps into it, and that every member performs his obligations and conducts himself without guile. The duties of the deacon are to assist the teacher and the bishop, attending to the temporal affairs of the church, looking after the houses of worship and the necessities of the poor. Teachers and deacons may instruct and exhort, but they are not authorized to baptize, lay on hands, or administer the sacrament. No one can hold office except by authoritative call and ordination, or by special appointment of God.

The seventies are organized into various councils of seventy, commonly called quorums. Each council of seventy has seven presidents, chosen out of the seven- ty, 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