President is an
honorific
An honorific is a title that conveys esteem, courtesy, or respect for position or rank when used in addressing or referring to a person. Sometimes, the term "honorific" is used in a more specific sense to refer to an honorary academic title. It ...
title 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 nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ch ...
(LDS Church) given to men who hold certain
priesthood leadership positions.
General leaders
The title of "President" is given to a number of general leaders of the LDS Church. The
President of the Church
In the Latter Day Saint movement, the President of the Church is generally considered to be the highest office of the church. It was the office held by Joseph Smith, founder of the movement, and the office assumed by many of Smith's claimed succe ...
and his counselors in the
First Presidency
Among many churches in the Latter Day Saint movement, the First Presidency (also known as the Quorum of the Presidency of the Church) is the highest presiding or governing body. Present-day denominations of the movement led by a First Presidency ...
are usually referred to as "President". The
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is referred to as "President", as is the
Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (if any). Historically, the
Assistant President of the Church Assistant President of the Church (also referred to as Associate President of the Church) was a position in the leadership hierarchy in the early days of the Latter Day Saint church founded by Joseph Smith. The Assistant President was the second-hi ...
was also given this title.
Local leaders
The title of "President" is given to a number of local leaders of the LDS Church. Presidents of
stakes,
missions,
districts, and
temples
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 ...
are referred to as "President", as are their two counselors. A
branch president
A branch president is a leader of a "branch" congregation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).
The calling of branch president is very similar to the calling of bishop, except that instead of presiding over a ward, th ...
is given the title "President", but his counselors in the branch presidency are not. Similarly, presidents of the church's
elders,
teachers
A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching.
''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. wh ...
, and
deacons
A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Churc ...
quorums are given the title of "President", though their counselors are not.
Presidents not given the title
The seven members of the
Presidency of the Seventy
A presidency is an administration or the executive, the collective administrative and governmental entity that exists around an office of president of a state or nation. Although often the executive branch of government, and often personified by a ...
are given the honorific title "Elder" rather than "President", even though they are the presidents of the church's
quorums of the
Seventy. Men who serve in general or local presidencies of the
Young Men or the
Sunday School are not referred to as "President"; instead "Brother" is used, which is the common courtesy title for all adult male members.
Traditionally, women who act as general or local presidents of the
Relief Society
The Relief Society is a philanthropic and educational women's organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It was founded in 1842 in Nauvoo, Illinois, United States, and has more than 7 million members in over 18 ...
,
Young Women, and
Primary are not referred to as "President"; instead "Sister" is used, which is the common courtesy title for all adult female members. However,
Jean B. Bingham, who has been general president of the Relief Society since 2017, has been referred to as "President Bingham" by official church sources.
[Jean B. Bingham]
"President Bingham on women and priesthood — The Lord is leading us gently along"
''Church News
The ''Church News'' (or ''LDS Church News'') is a weekly tabloid-sized supplement to the ''Deseret News'' and the ''MormonTimes'', a Salt Lake City, Utah newspaper owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It is t ...
'', May 20, 2020.
See also
*
Index of religious honorifics and titles § Latter Day Saints
Notes
References
*
D. Michael Quinn (1997, 3rd ed). ''The Mormon Hierarchy: Extension of Power'' (Salt Lake City, Utah: Signature Books, )
Ecclesiastical titles
Latter Day Saint hierarchy
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Latter Day Saint terms
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