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 ...
, an apostle is a "special witness of the name of
Jesus Christ
Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...
who is sent to teach the principles of salvation to others."
In many Latter Day Saint churches, an apostle is a
priesthood office of high authority within the church hierarchy. In many churches, apostles may be members of the
Quorum of the Twelve and
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 ...
of the church. In most Latter Day Saint churches, modern-day apostles are considered to have the same status and authority as the
Biblical
The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) biblical languages ...
apostles.
In the Latter Day Saint tradition, apostles and
prophet
In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divinity, divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings ...
s are believed to be the foundation of the church, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone. The
"Articles of Faith", written by
Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805June 27, 1844) was an American religious and political leader and the founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. Publishing the Book of Mormon at the age of 24, Smith attracted tens of thou ...
, mentions apostles:
"We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors
A pastor (abbreviated to "Ps","Pr", "Pstr.", "Ptr." or "Psa" (both singular), or "Ps" (plural)) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicis ...
, 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. w ...
, evangelists, and so forth."
History
Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805June 27, 1844) was an American religious and political leader and the founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. Publishing the Book of Mormon at the age of 24, Smith attracted tens of thou ...
and
Oliver Cowdery
Oliver H. P. Cowdery (October 3, 1806 – March 3, 1850) was an American religious leader who, with Joseph Smith, was an important participant in the formative period of the Latter Day Saint movement between 1829 and 1836. He was the first bapt ...
were both designated apostles by 1830. The founding articles and covenants of the
Church of Christ Church of Christ may refer to:
Church groups
* Christianity, the Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ
* Christian Church, an ecclesiological term used by denominations to describe the true body of Christia ...
stated an "apostle is an elder" and, as such, had the same responsibilities as an
elder, though an apostle's primary responsibility was preaching. Other church members with proselytizing responsibilities were also referred to as apostles. A June 1829
revelation
Revelation, or divine revelation, is the disclosing of some form of Religious views on truth, truth or Knowledge#Religion, knowledge through communication with a deity (god) or other supernatural entity or entities in the view of religion and t ...
appointed Cowdery and
David Whitmer to designate twelve apostles.
Subsequently, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was organized February 14, 1835, with the selection of twelve men. After the appointment of a quorum of apostles, the term became increasingly restricted to members of that quorum, but members of the quorums of the
seventy were also sometimes referred to as apostles.
Apostles in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

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 Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...
(LDS Church), apostle is the highest
priesthood office of the
Melchizedek priesthood. 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 ...
is always an apostle, as are the members of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. In practice, 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 almost always apostles as well. There are usually at least twelve apostles in the LDS Church, though at times there has been as many as 21.
Some apostles have been ordained to that office
without being included within the Quorum of the Twelve.
Alvin R. Dyer, for example, was ordained an apostle in 1967; although he served as a counselor in the First Presidency between 1968 and 1970, upon the death of
David O. McKay, he returned to his previous position as an
Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve
Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, commonly shortened to Assistant to the Twelve or Assistant to the Twelve Apostles, was a Priesthood (Latter Day Saints), priesthood Calling (LDS Church), calling in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latte ...
.
Joseph Angell Young
Joseph Angell Young (October 14, 1834 – August 5, 1875) was an Apostle (Latter Day Saints), apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Young is one of the few Latter-day Saints in history to have been ordained to ...
was ordained an apostle in 1864 but was never a member of either the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles or the First Presidency.
Joseph F. Smith
Joseph Fielding Smith Sr. (November 13, 1838 – November 19, 1918) was an American religious leader who served as the sixth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He was a nephew of Joseph Smith, founder of ...
,
Brigham Young, Jr., and
Sylvester Q. Cannon had each been ordained as apostles before eventually being called into the Quorum of the Twelve.
Due to a precedent established after the
succession crisis A succession crisis is a crisis that arises when an order of succession fails, for example when a monarch dies without an indisputable heir. It may result in a war of succession.
Examples include (see List of wars of succession):
* The Wars of Th ...
which occurred after the
death of Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith, the founder and leader of the Latter Day Saint movement, and his brother, Hyrum Smith, were killed by a mob in Carthage, Illinois, United States, on June 27, 1844, while awaiting trial in the town jail on charges of treason.
The ...
, the senior apostle, the
President of the Quorum of the Twelve, becomes the new President of the Church upon the death of his predecessor. On these occasions, the president of the Quorum of the Twelve is formally
sustained at the next church
general conference as the "
prophet, seer, and revelator" and president of the church. The next most senior apostle becomes president of the Quorum of the Twelve.
Following their calling to the apostleship, members of the Quorum are sustained in general conference as apostles and prophets, seers, and revelators. This procedure also takes place at other meetings of church members such as
ward
Ward may refer to:
Division or unit
* Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward
* Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...
and
stake conferences. Each member of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve is sustained by name.
Usually, the president of the church ordains a new apostle, although any other apostle may ordain a person to the priesthood office. If the president of the church is unable due to infirmity to ordain a new apostle, the ordination is usually performed by an apostle who is a member of the First Presidency or by the president of the Quorum of the Twelve.
The
''Bible Dictionary'' of the LDS Church defines apostle as meaning "one sent forth" and elaborates as follows:
postlewas the title Jesus gave () to the twelve whom he chose and ordained () to be his closest disciples during his ministry on earth, and whom he sent forth to represent him after his ascension into heaven. The calling of an apostle is to be a special witness of the name of Jesus Christ in all the world, particularly of his divinity and of his bodily resurrection from the dead (; ). Twelve men with this high calling constitute an administrative council in the work of the ministry. When a vacancy occurred with the death of Judas Iscariot, Matthias was divinely appointed to that special office as a member of the council (). Today twelve men with this same divine calling and ordination constitute the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The title was also applied to others who, though not of the number of the original twelve, yet were called to serve as special witnesses of the Lord. Paul repeatedly spoke of himself as an apostle (; ; ; ). He applied the titles to James, the Lord's brother (), and also to Barnabas (; cf. ). The New Testament does not inform us whether these three brethren also served in the council of the Twelve as vacancies occurred therein, or whether they were apostles strictly in the sense of being special witnesses for the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is referred to as an apostle in , a designation meaning that he is the personal and select representative of the Father.
Bruce R. McConkie also describes each elder and member of the church as an apostle:
Every elder in the Church is or should be an apostle; that is, as a minister of the Lord and as a recipient of personal revelation from the Holy Ghost, every elder has the call to bear witness of the truth on all proper occasions. Indeed, every member should have apostolic insight and revelation, and is under obligation to raise the warning voice. (; )
McConkie also explained the meaning of the word "in the ordained sense":
an apostle is one who is ordained to the office of the Melchizedek Priesthood. Ordinarily those so ordained are also set apart as members of the Council of the Twelve and are given all of the keys of the kingdom of God on earth. This apostleship carries the responsibility of proclaiming the gospel in all the world and also of administering the affairs of the Church. Christ "chose twelve, whom also he named apostles" (), and upon their shoulders the burden of the kingdom rested after he ascended to his Father (.) The original Twelve in latter-days were selected by revelation by the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon (.)
See also
*
Council of Twelve Apostles (Community of Christ)
The Council of Twelve Apostles is one of the governing bodies in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS) now called the Community of Christ. They are disciples who hold the priesthood office of apostle. It is responsibl ...
*
List of members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church)
*
Three Witnesses
References
External links
LDS Church Leaders' BiographiesLDS Bible Dictionary: ApostleLDS Scripture Index: ApostleLDS Topical Guide: Apostles
{{LDSpriesthood
1830 establishments in New York (state)
1830 in Christianity
Latter Day Saint hierarchy
Priesthood offices of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
*