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In the
Latter Day Saint movement The Latter Day Saint movement (also called the LDS movement, LDS restorationist movement, or Smith–Rigdon movement) is the collection of independent church groups that trace their origins to a Christian Restorationist movement founded by Jo ...
, a bishop is the highest office of the Aaronic priesthood. It is almost always held by one who holds the office of
high priest The term "high priest" usually refers either to an individual who holds the office of ruler-priest, or to one who is the head of a religious caste. Ancient Egypt In ancient Egypt, a high priest was the chief priest of any of the many gods rev ...
in the Melchizedek priesthood. The Latter Day Saint concept of the office differs significantly from the role of
bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ...
s in other Christian denominations, being in some respects more analogous to a
pastor A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...
or
parish priest A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...
. Each bishop serves with two counselors, who together form a bishopric. The role of a bishop varies in the different Latter Day Saint denominations; however, they derive from a common history.


History of the office

On February 4, 1831, Edward Partridge became the first man called to the office of bishop in the early Latter Day Saint
church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chri ...
. The duties of the office were to oversee the temporal affairs and accounts of the church through the implementation of the
law of consecration The law of consecration is a commandment in the Latter Day Saint movement in which adherents promise to dedicate their lives and material substance to the church. It was first referred to in 1831 by Joseph Smith. Origins On February 4, 1831, S ...
. Partridge was called to preside over the Missouri church in
Joseph Smith Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader and founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. When he was 24, Smith published the Book of Mormon. By the time of his death, 14 years later, h ...
's absence. Soon thereafter, Partridge and his family emigrated to the church's growing colony in
Jackson County, Missouri Jackson County is located in the western portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 717,204. making it the second-most populous county in the state (after St. Louis County). Although Independence retains ...
, where he continued to act as bishop of the branch of the church. Newel K. Whitney was then called as a bishop to oversee the temporal affairs of the church in
Kirtland, Ohio Kirtland is a city in Lake County, Ohio, United States. The population was 6,937 at the 2020 census. Kirtland is known for being the early headquarters of the Latter Day Saint movement from 1831 to 1837 and is the site of the movement's first ...
. When the Latter Day Saints were headquartered in Nauvoo, Illinois, the membership was separated into three " wards" or geographical precincts ("Upper", "Middle", and "Lower"), and a bishop was called to oversee the temporal affairs of each ward. Partridge presided over the "Upper Ward", Whitney presided over the "Middle Ward", and Vinson Knight presided over the "Lower Ward". Over time in the church's history, the position of Presiding Bishop was created. Partridge is considered the church's "First Presiding Bishop", although neither he nor his contemporaries saw him as a superior to other bishops of the church in that time period. After the 1844 succession crisis, the roles of bishop and Presiding Bishop developed separately in the various resulting denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement.


Levitical bishops

According to Latter Day Saint scripture, a bishop in the church does not need to be a high priest, nor does he need counselors, if he is a
Levite Levites (or Levi) (, he, ''Lǝvīyyīm'') are Jewish males who claim patrilineal descent from the Tribe of Levi. The Tribe of Levi descended from Levi, the third son of Jacob and Leah. The surname ''Halevi'', which consists of the Hebrew de ...
and a direct descendant of
Aaron According to Abrahamic religions, Aaron ''′aharon'', ar, هارون, Hārūn, Greek (Septuagint): Ἀαρών; often called Aaron the priest ()., group="note" ( or ; ''’Ahărōn'') was a prophet, a high priest, and the elder brother of ...
, the brother of
Moses Moses hbo, מֹשֶׁה, Mōše; also known as Moshe or Moshe Rabbeinu ( Mishnaic Hebrew: מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, ); syr, ܡܘܫܐ, Mūše; ar, موسى, Mūsā; grc, Mωϋσῆς, Mōÿsēs () is considered the most important pr ...
. In
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
(LDS Church), apostle Joseph Fielding Smith taught that this provision applied only to the Presiding Bishop of the church and not to bishops of wards. The Presiding Bishop of the Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, W. Kevin Romer, is recognized as a “literal descendant of Aaron” and holds the title of Aaronic High Priest.


Bishops in the LDS Church

In the largest Latter Day Saint denomination, the LDS Church, bishops are called from among the members of a local congregation, known as a ward, and traditionally serve, without pay, for four to seven years (the length of service varies). A bishop must be a worthy Melchizedek priesthood holder and is usually married. The bishop serves as the presiding high priest of the ward. A bishop simultaneously serves as the president of the Aaronic priesthood and president of the priests quorum in the ward. In a
branch A branch, sometimes called a ramus in botany, is a woody structural member connected to the central trunk of a tree (or sometimes a shrub). Large branches are known as boughs and small branches are known as twigs. The term '' twig'' usuall ...
, the branch president fulfills the same functions as a bishop; however, a branch president does not need to be a high priest. The bishop is often called "the father of the ward"
Boyd K. Packer Boyd Kenneth Packer (September 10, 1924 – July 3, 2015) was an American religious leader and educator who served as president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 2008 until h ...

"The Bishop and His Counselors"
'' Ensign'', May 1999.
as he is the priesthood leader who is most intimately involved with individual church members. The bishop is not paid for the time he devotes to his position. All local positions in the LDS Church operate as a lay ministry; members donate their time to perform the duties assigned with each calling. Each bishop serves with two counselors, who together form a bishopric. The counselors to a bishop are generally high priests, but there are exceptions, such as in a singles ward, where the counselors may be elders. The immediate priesthood leader of the bishop is the stake president, who provides direction, training and counsel to the bishops of the wards within his stake boundaries; the stake president is assisted in these duties by two counselors and a stake high council. New bishops are recommended by the stake president, but each bishop is formally approved by and called in writing by the church's First Presidency. Prior to ordination, the proposed ordination of a bishop must also be accepted by common consent by the members of the ward.


Duties

The bishop holds the primary responsibility for everything in the ward, both spiritually and temporally. Although he can delegate specific assignments to his counselors, the ultimate responsibility falls to him. His duties include presiding over and conducting meetings and worship services; serving as president of the ward's priests quorum; acting as a "judge in Israel" or "common judge"; providing temporary financial relief for ward members; serving as the presiding high priest of the ward; and organizing and managing the ward's organizations. After being called, a bishop is ordained a high priest (if he does not already hold that priesthood office) and then ordained a bishop and set apart as the bishop and presiding high priest of the specific ward. He is also given the priesthood "keys" which authorize him to serve as a representative for the Lord in performing his duties. The ordinations, setting apart, and the conferral of keys is performed by the
laying on of hands The laying on of hands is a religious practice. In Judaism '' semikhah'' ( he, סמיכה, "leaning f the hands) accompanies the conferring of a blessing or authority. In Christian churches, this practice is used as both a symbolic and formal m ...
by the stake president. After a bishop is released from his responsibilities over the ward, he retains the priesthood office of bishop for life. *Presiding over services – Each Sunday, the bishop is responsible for organizing the main worship service, called sacrament meeting. The bishop and his counselors select speakers from among the members of the ward, assigned high council speakers, and, on occasion, guest speakers. The bishop or his counselors may also speak in sacrament meeting. A member of the bishopric conducts the meeting, introduces the speakers, and occasionally concludes the meeting with a few remarks. Once each month, normally the first Sunday of the month, a "fast and testimony meeting" is held and no specific speakers are assigned. Instead, those attending the ward that day are invited to stand and bear testimony of Jesus and his work and influence. *President of the priests quorum – The bishop is the president of the Aaronic priesthood and the priests quorum in the ward. He selects two priests to serve as first and second assistants to the bishop. The bishop assists (along with parents) in preparing each priest to worthily serve as a
missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...
and to prepare to receive the ordinances of the
temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
. He also provides guidance and encourages the spiritual and temporal learning of every young priesthood holder. He is responsible for new member baptisms and missionary work in the ward. *Judge in Israel – Members are interviewed by their bishop in order to receive a temple recommend. The bishop signs the recommend to indicate that the member is following basic tenets of the church and is worthy to enter the temple. Additionally, members seek guidance from the bishop in overcoming personal challenges. Serious sins must be confessed to the bishop who helps members through the repentance process. In some cases, the bishop presides over a church membership council where the outcome can include formal or informal membership restrictions or withdrawal of membership, depending on the severity of the sin and the attitude of the member. Additionally, the bishop also has the authority and duty to counsel members on spiritual matters, and sits as a "common judge" in the event of disputes between ward members. Bishops typically withdraw from involvement in matters which have been taken to the law. *Provide temporally for the members of the ward – The bishop also has the responsibility to oversee the payment of tithes and offerings in a ward, including the duty to accurately account for all money donated. The bishop also has the authority to authorize financial assistance, specifically the disbursement of fast offerings donated to help the poor, and other assistance to members, according to the church's guidelines. Bishops can also provide "in kind" assistance in the form of food and household goods from the bishop's storehouse (which is managed by the Presiding Bishop ee below. The bishop disburses funds, authorizes distribution of food from the bishop's storehouse, or provides other appropriate assistance after evaluating the needs of the family and the resources available in the ward. *Serve as the presiding high priest for the ward – As the presiding high priest, the bishop leads meetings and has the priesthood authority to issue callings, approve the performance of ordinances, such as baptisms and the administration of the sacrament. The high priests that reside in several wards that form a stake are part of a quorum led by the stake president. In the ward, the bishop gives direction to and coordinates the efforts of the elders quorum president in performing their duties. (In each stake, the members of ward bishoprics, the stake high council, and any functioning patriarch form the stake high priest quorum, presided over by members of the stake presidency.) *Organize and manage the other organizations in the ward – The bishop is responsible for calling and setting apart a local president for each of the church's organizations. These organizations are the Sunday School, Relief Society, Young Men, Young Women, and
Primary Primary or primaries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Primary (band), from Australia * Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea * Primary Music, Israeli record label Works ...
. He also calls and sets apart Aaronic priesthood quorum and Young Women class presidents. The bishopric then approves the recommendations made by each organizational or quorum president for two counselors, a secretary, instructors, and other callings. In doing this, the bishop strives to help manage the time donated by members of the ward.


Branch presidents

In small congregations that are not large enough to be a ward, a holder of the Melchizedek priesthood is usually called to be the branch president. In rare instances where no worthy Melchizedek priesthood holder is available, a priest in the Aaronic priesthood may instead be called as the branch president. The branch president generally has the same responsibilities as a bishop and is assisted by two counselors. A branch president and his counselors may or may not be a high priest, and a branch president is not ordained to the priesthood office of bishop.


Presiding Bishop

The LDS Church also has a Presiding Bishop who oversees the temporal affairs of the church (including its welfare services) and provides assistance and instruction to the various bishoprics worldwide.


Traveling bishops

The calling of "traveling bishop" was prominent during the early Utah period of church history. Traveling bishops were not assigned to a specific congregation, but were tasked to visit various wards and branches to take care and supervise over temporal matters.


Bishops in the Community of Christ

In many ways bishops of the
Community of Christ The Community of Christ, known from 1872 to 2001 as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS), is an American-based international church, and is the second-largest denomination in the Latter Day Saint movement. The churc ...
continue to resemble those found in the church prior to the death of Joseph Smith. They are not pastors or branch presidents, but financial officers and ministers of stewardship. While in theory a literal descendant of Aaron could hold this office, no such claim has ever been made, and therefore all bishops are members of the high priesthood, as a high priest can serve in any "lesser office". All bishops are members of the Order of Bishops, with presidency vested in the Presiding Bishopric (consisting of the Presiding Bishop and two counselors). While all bishops are attached to a congregation (in the sense that every member of the church has a home congregation), bishops are not congregational officers, but preside as financial officers over larger jurisdictions, or support those who do. For example, each mission center will have a bishop in charge of all the finances of that area, who may be assisted by other bishops. Likewise, some nations have a national bishop, and historically, stakes also had bishops. Consequently, this makes the office of bishop somewhat uncommon. In recent years, some mission centers have had multiple bishops in order to help promote the various ministries associated with good stewardship. Other bishops have been appointed as "field bishops" who are assigned to assist one of the
twelve apostles In Christian theology and ecclesiology, the apostles, particularly the Twelve Apostles (also known as the Twelve Disciples or simply the Twelve), were the primary disciples of Jesus according to the New Testament. During the life and minist ...
. The Presiding Bishopric is also regarded as the presidency of the entire Aaronic priesthood. Bishops in general are therefore sometimes seen as ideal resources to provide support and mentoring to local members of the Aaronic priesthood.


Notes


References

* .


External links


Glossary entry
for "bishop," The Joseph Smith Papers (accessed January 6, 2012) {{LDSpriesthood 1831 establishments in the United States 1831 in Christianity Ecclesiastical titles Latter Day Saint hierarchy Priesthood offices of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Young Men (organization)