In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), the priesthood is the power and authority to act in the name of God for the salvation of humankind. The priesthood is given to male members of the church who meet standards of worthy behavior and church participation.

Divisions

The priesthood authority is divided into two divisions or "orders": the Melchizedek priesthood and the Aaronic priesthood. The Melchizedek priesthood encompasses all priesthood authority, and the Aaronic priesthood is therefore an appendage or subdivision of the Melchizedek priesthood.

Requirements for ordination

The Aaronic priesthood is conferred on male church members beginning at age twelve by the laying on of hands

Laying on of hands

The laying on of hands is a religious ritual that accompanies certain religious practices, which are found throughout the world in varying forms....

 by men previously ordained to the priesthood. Ordination to the priesthood is based on the recipient's personal moral worthiness and church participation without regard to education or other socio-economic status, and, since 1978

1978 Revelation on Priesthood

The 1978 Revelation on Priesthood was a revelation to the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which reversed a long-standing policy excluding men of black African descent from the priesthood.-Background:...

, without regard to race. (Previously, members of black African descent were excluded from priesthood ordination.) To be given the Melchizedek priesthood in the church today, the recipient must hold the Aaronic priesthood and be at least 18 years old.

If an adult man joins the LDS Church, he may be given the Aaronic priesthood. After a period of time (usually about one year), the man may be given the Melchizedek priesthood.

Ordinance and oath and covenant

The church teaches that receiving the priesthood is a saving ordinance for males. Like all saving ordinances of the church, it is accompanied by the recipient making a covenant with God. In addition, the reception of the Melchizedek priesthood is said to constitute an "unspoken oath as well as [a] covenant". A manual for LDS Church priesthood holders states that "this means that Heavenly Father gives us His oath (guarantee) that we can have the power and blessings of the priesthood if we covenant (promise) with Him to do certain things." The recipient of the Melchizedek priesthood promises by covenant that he will "magnify" his assigned calling in the priesthood. In exchange, God promises by oath and covenant that the recipients will be "sanctified by the [Holy] Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies"; that they will become the sons of Moses

Moses

Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...

 and Aaron

Aaron

In the Hebrew Bible and the Qur'an, Aaron : Ααρών ), who is often called "'Aaron the Priest"' and once Aaron the Levite , was the older brother of Moses, and a prophet of God. He represented the priestly functions of his tribe, becoming the first High Priest of the Israelites...

 and the seed of Abraham

Abraham

Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...

; and that they will receive exaltation

Exaltation (Mormonism)

Exaltation or Eternal Life is a belief among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that mankind can return to live in God's presence and continue as families. Exaltation is believed to be what God desires for all humankind. The LDS Church teaches that through exaltation...

 and ultimately receive all that God has.

Offices and quorums of the priesthood

Every holder of the priesthood is ordained to one or more priesthood offices. All priesthood holders have the same priesthood authority; however, the authority to exercise certain powers of the priesthood are divided according to priesthood office. A person may hold more than one priesthood office; in fact, once a person is ordained to a priesthood office, the person holds that priesthood office for as long as he holds the priesthood.

Offices of the Melchizedek priesthood

Office	Minimum requirement to be ordained to office	Rights and responsibilities
Apostle	Married holder of the Melchizedek priesthood	"Special witnesses" of Jesus Christ Jesus Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...  who hold the rights to officiate in all responsibilities and duties of the priesthood, including the sealing power Sealing power In Mormonism, the sealing power is the means whereby all "covenants, contracts, bonds, obligations, oaths, vows, performances, connections, associations, or expectations" attain "efficacy, virtue, or force in and after the resurrection from the dead." All things that are not sealed by this power... . Apostles direct the calling of patriarchs and may ordain persons to all other offices and callings in the church. The President of the Church must be an apostle.
Seventy	Holder of the Melchizedek priesthood	"Especial witnesses" of Jesus Christ Jesus Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity... ; called to preach the gospel to the world; work under the direction of apostles; may be general General authority In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a general authority is a member of certain leadership organizations who are given administrative and ecclesiastical authority over the church...  or area authorities
Patriarch	Married holder of the Melchizedek priesthood; normally at least 55 years old	Gives patriarchal blessing Patriarchal blessing In the Latter Day Saint movement, a patriarchal blessing is a blessing or ordinance given by a patriarch to a church member. Patriarchal blessings are modeled after the blessing given by Jacob to each of his sons prior to his death... s to Latter-day Saints
High Priest	Holder of the Melchizedek priesthood	Responsible for the spiritual welfare of the Latter-day Saints; may serve as a bishop, stake president, mission president Mission president Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . A mission president presides over a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission... , or temple president Temple President Temple president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A temple president's primary responsibility is to supervise the affairs of an LDS temple in both an administrative and spiritual capacity.... ; may ordain other High Priests and Elders
Elder	Holder of the Aaronic priesthood; at least 18 years old	Confer the gift of the Holy Ghost Gift of the Holy Ghost In the Latter Day Saint movement, Confirmation , is an ordinance essential for salvation. It involves the laying on of hands and is performed after baptism. Through confirmation, the initiate becomes an official member of the church and receives the gift of the Holy Ghost... ; give blessings by the laying on of hands Laying on of hands The laying on of hands is a religious ritual that accompanies certain religious practices, which are found throughout the world in varying forms.... ; ordain other Elders; all rights of the Aaronic priesthood

Quorums of the Melchizedek priesthood

Holders of priesthood offices are organized into quorums. The quorums are a brotherhood where members of the quorum assist each other, teach one another, and delegate particular responsibilities to individuals or committees. Often members of the church who do not maintain the standards and people who are not members of the church are invited to participate in the quorum to enjoy the brotherhood and support, although they may not be given certain quorum responsibilities.

Priesthood office	Name of quorum	Maximum number in quorum and notes
Apostle	Quorum of the Twelve Apostles	12; other apostles may be in Quorum of First Presidency First Presidency (LDS Church) The First Presidency is the presiding or governing body of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . It is composed of the President of the Church and his counselors. The First Presidency currently consists of President Thomas S. Monson and his two counselors, Henry B... or in no quorum
Seventy	Quorums of the Seventy Quorums of the Seventy Seventy is a priesthood office in the Melchizedek priesthood of several denominations within the Latter Day Saint movement, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints... (currently numbered First through Eighth)	70; some are quorums of general authorities; others are quorums of area Area (LDS Church) An area is an administrative unit of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which typically is composed of multiple stakes and missions...  authorities
Patriarch	No quorum organization	Patriarchs meet with the local group of high priests
High Priest	High Priests Quorum (stake) High Priests Group (ward)	No maximum; each quorum is divided into multiple groups; no quorum exists in districts District (LDS Church) A district of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative unit composed of a number of congregations called branches. A district is a subdivision of a mission of the church and in many ways is analogous to a stake of the church. The leader of a district is the...  of the church
Elder	Elders Quorum	96; adult males without the priesthood and adult holders of the Aaronic priesthood are invited to attend Elders Quorum

In order to be called to the Aaronic priesthood office of bishop, a man must hold the Melchizedek priesthood and be a high priest.

Offices and quorums of the Aaronic priesthood

Office	Minimum requirements to be ordained to office	Rights and responsibilities	Name of quorum organization	Maximum number in quorum
Bishop	Married adult male; high priest in Melchizedek priesthood Melchizedek priesthood The Melchizedek priesthood is the greater of the two orders of priesthood recognized in Mormonism. The others are the Aaronic priesthood and the rarely recognized Patriarchal priesthood...	See Bishop (Latter Day Saints)	No quorum of bishops; bishop is president of the Priests Quorum and a member of the stake High Priests Quorum
Priest Priest (Mormonism) Priest is a priesthood office in the Aaronic Priesthood of denominations within the Latter Day Saint movement, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.-Priests in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:...	16 year old baptized male	Bless the sacrament; baptize; give others the Aaronic priesthood and ordain other to the offices of priest, teacher and deacon; all rights of a teacher	Priests Quorum	48
Teacher Teacher (Mormonism) Teacher is a priesthood office in the Aaronic priesthood of denominations within the Latter Day Saint movement, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.-Teachers in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:...	14 year old baptized male	Prepare the sacrament; home teaching Home teaching Home teaching is a responsibility of priesthood holders in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Home teaching is a church program designed to allow families to be taught in their own homes, in addition to weekly church services... ; all rights of a deacon	Teachers Quorum	24
Deacon Deacon (Mormonism) Deacon is a priesthood office in the Aaronic Priesthood of denominations within the Latter Day Saint movement, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.-Deacons in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:...	12 year old baptized male	Keys of the ministering of angels; pass the sacrament to the congregation; collect fast offering Fast offering Fast offering is the term used in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to denote money or usable commodities donated to that church, which are then available to provide financial help to those in need... s; other duties as assigned by bishop	Deacons Quorum	12

Priesthood leadership callings

In addition to the regular offices of the Aaronic or Melchizedek priesthood, there are other leadership callings within the priesthood. The table below lists these other priesthood leadership callings and the table below it shows how the various callings are organized within the hierarchy of the Church.

Leadership calling	Minimum qualifications	Rights and responsibilities
President of the Church and counselor in the First Presidency First Presidency (LDS Church) The First Presidency is the presiding or governing body of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . It is composed of the President of the Church and his counselors. The First Presidency currently consists of President Thomas S. Monson and his two counselors, Henry B...	President must be an apostle; counselors must be high priests	Preside over and direct the entire church
Area President and counselors	All must be Seventies or apostles	Preside over and direct a geographical region ("area") of the church
Stake President and counselors	All must be high priests	Preside over and direct a stake Stake (Mormonism) A stake is an administrative unit composed of multiple congregations in denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement. A stake is approximately comparable to a diocese in the Catholic Church and other Christian denominations...  of the church
Stake high councilors	Must be high priests	Assist the stake presidency in governing the stake Stake (Mormonism) A stake is an administrative unit composed of multiple congregations in denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement. A stake is approximately comparable to a diocese in the Catholic Church and other Christian denominations...
Mission president Mission president Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . A mission president presides over a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission... and counselors	Mission president Mission president Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . A mission president presides over a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission...  must be high priest; counselors must hold Melchizedek priesthood	Preside over and direct a mission Mission (LDS Church) A mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative area to which church missionaries are assigned. Almost all areas of the world are within the boundaries of an LDS Church mission, whether or not Mormon missionaries live or proselytize in the area...  of the church and the full-time missionaries Mormon missionary The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...  in the mission
District President and couselors	All must hold Melchizedek priesthood	Preside over and direct a district of a mission Mission (LDS Church) A mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative area to which church missionaries are assigned. Almost all areas of the world are within the boundaries of an LDS Church mission, whether or not Mormon missionaries live or proselytize in the area...
Temple president Temple President Temple president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A temple president's primary responsibility is to supervise the affairs of an LDS temple in both an administrative and spiritual capacity.... and counselors	All must be high priests	Preside over and direct the operation of a temple Temple (LDS Church) In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord, and they are considered by Church members to be the most sacred structures on earth. Upon completion, temples are usually open to the public for a short period of time...

Hierarchy of leadership

Jesus Christ
General Authorities
The First Presidency First Presidency In the Latter Day Saint movement, the First Presidency was the highest governing body in the Latter Day Saint church established by Joseph Smith, Jr. in 1832, and is the highest governing body of several modern Latter Day Saint denominations... : The President and Prophet of the Church, 1st Counselor and 2nd Counselor
The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Quorum of the Twelve Apostles In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is one of the governing bodies in the church hierarchy... : President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is a priesthood calling in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . In general, the President of the Quorum of the Twelve is the most senior Apostle in the church, aside from the President of the Church...  and eleven other Apostles
Quorums of the Seventy Quorums of the Seventy Seventy is a priesthood office in the Melchizedek priesthood of several denominations within the Latter Day Saint movement, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints... The Seven Presidents of the Seventy and several dozen Seventies First Quorum of the Seventy Second Quorum of the Seventy
Area Presidencies: Presidents and 1st and 2nd Counselors are filled by Seventies
Local Authorities
Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Quorums of the Seventy (Area Seventies)						Temple Presidencies
Stake Presidencies and High Councils					Mission Presidencies
Ward Bishoprics or Branch Presidencies			Elder Quorums	High Priest Groups
Deacon Quorums	Teacher Quorums	Priest Quorums

Use of the priesthood

Unrighteous dominion is a principle taught by the LDS Church which at its core holds that those given priesthood authority may not use that power as a means of imposing compliance to their will, especially in contravention of moral and ethical conduct. This teaching extends to all church members, in any area of responsibility, including personal and family relationships, church callings, business dealings, and public positions of trust. Church member are taught to identify it, and avoid it.

In a noted address on pride, LDS Church President Ezra Taft Benson

Ezra Taft Benson

Ezra Taft Benson was the thirteenth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1985 until his death and was United States Secretary of Agriculture for both terms of the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower.-Biography:Born on a farm in Whitney, Idaho, Benson was the oldest of...

 said that unrighteous dominion is a form of contention and pride. The use of power or influence to cover-up sin, indulge in vain ambitions or self-righteous conduct is considered unrighteous dominion. Abuse

Abuse

Abuse is the improper usage or treatment for a bad purpose, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, sexual assault, violation, rape, unjust practices; wrongful practice or custom; offense; crime, or otherwise...

, including verbal, physical, and sexual is considered unrighteous dominion.

Unrighteous dominion is considered a sin

Sin

In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...

, for which repentance

Repentance

Repentance is a change of thought to correct a wrong and gain forgiveness from a person who is wronged. In religious contexts it usually refers to confession to God, ceasing sin against God, and resolving to live according to religious law...

 (and in some cases restitution

Restitution

The law of restitution is the law of gains-based recovery. It is to be contrasted with the law of compensation, which is the law of loss-based recovery. Obligations to make restitution and obligations to pay compensation are each a type of legal response to events in the real world. When a court...

) is required. It may also result in disciplinary actions

Disciplinary council

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a disciplinary council is an ecclesiastical trial during which a member of the church is tried for alleged violations of church standards. If a member of the LDS Church is found guilty of an offence by a disciplinary council, he or she may be...

 by the church, which vary based on the nature and severity of the situation; Church President Gordon B. Hinckley

Gordon B. Hinckley

Gordon Bitner Hinckley was an American religious leader and author who served as the 15th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from March 12, 1995 until his death...

 has specifically stated that "[a]ny man who engages in this practice is unworthy to hold a temple recommend." Penalties, up to and including excommunication, may come into play. If acts stemming from unrighteous dominion are criminal in nature, the church may be obliged to disclose the facts of the case to the proper law enforcement officials.