Temple president is a priesthood

Priesthood (LDS Church)

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , the priesthood is the power and authority to act in the name of God for the salvation of humankind...

 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

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...

 in both an administrative and spiritual capacity.

The president is assisted by two male counselors and together they compose the temple presidency. Normally the wife of the temple president serves as the temple Matron, and the wives of the president’s counselors as Assistants to the Matron. The matron and her assistants share in the responsibilities of the temple presidency.

Selection

Temple presidents and matrons, the president’s counselors, and the matron’s assistants are appointed by 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...

. Their background in church leadership varies, yet they are couples who are considered by LDS Church leaders as spiritually mature and capable of handling both the administrative and spiritual matters necessary for the successful operation of a temple.

During a new temple presidents' seminar held in the Salt Lake Temple

Salt Lake Temple

The Salt Lake Temple is the largest and best-known of more than 130 temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the sixth temple built by the church, requiring 40 years to complete, and the fourth operating temple built since the Mormon exodus from Nauvoo,...

 President Thomas S. Monson

Thomas S. Monson

Thomas Spencer Monson is an American religious leader and author, and the 16th and current President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . As president, Monson is considered by adherents of the religion to be a "prophet, seer, and revelator" of God's will on earth...

 told a group of newly selected temple presidents and their wives:

"We looked over the entire Church. . . . We looked for men of God, wherever they might be. We found willingness to serve - not putting yourselves forward to volunteer, but being willing to serve. What a sweet experience this has been."

They may be selected from a geographical area near the temple or from another area. In larger temples, the president and matron usually serve for a period of three consecutive years. In smaller temples, they "have an indefinite period of appointment." Most temple presidencies serving in smaller temples are selected from church membership living within the temple district.

Administrative responsibilities

The administrative responsibilities of a temple president include; ensuring all ordinances are performed by proper authority and documented correctly; securing a sufficient number of ordinance and service workers to meet the needs of temple patrons; overseeing the instruction of patrons, ordinance, and service workers; maintaining relationships with local church leaders; overseeing budgetary matters, property, and temple maintenance; and in larger temples the operation of cafeterias and visitor centers.

Spiritual responsibilities

For Latter-day Saints their temples are considered literal houses of God the Father

God the Father

God the Father is a gendered title given to God in many monotheistic religions, particularly patriarchal, Abrahamic ones. In Judaism, God is called Father because he is the creator, life-giver, law-giver, and protector...

 and Jesus Christ, a sacred space where mortals may commune directly with the heaven

Heaven

Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...

s. As such the greatest responsibilities of the temple president are those associated with Latter-day Saint concepts of expanding divine contact within the temple. They include; setting apart

Setting apart

Setting apart is an ordinance or ritual in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints whereby a person is formally chosen and blessed to carry out a specific calling or responsibility in the church....

 ordinance and service workers by the laying-on of hands; submitting recommendations to the First Presidency for counselors in the temple presidency and for additional sealers

Sealing (Mormonism)

In Mormonism, a sealing is an ordinance , performed in temples by a person holding the sealing power. The purpose of this ordinance is to seal familiar relationships, making possible the existence of family relationships throughout eternity. LDS teachings place great importance on the specific...

; performing ordinances; instructing first time patrons and youth groups on the sacred nature of temple work; privately answering various doctrinal and personal questions presented by temple patrons and workers; ensuring that the reverence and harmony required for temple worship is constantly maintained; and seeking inspiration and divine guidance on every aspect of his duties.

Addition responsibilities

Temple presidents and matrons, or their representatives, attend Stake Conference meetings within the temple district. They sit on the stand and are often invited by the presiding authority to speak to the congregation. In these and other speaking assignments the topic is typically devoted to matters central to temple worship and devotion to deity.

Historical development

The first temple president was Wilford Woodruff

Wilford Woodruff

Wilford Woodruff, Sr. was the fourth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1889 until his death...

. He was appointed by the First Presidency to preside over the St. George Temple in 1877. Neither the Nauvoo Temple

Nauvoo Temple

The Nauvoo Temple was the second temple constructed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, commonly known as the Mormons. The church's first temple was completed in Kirtland, Ohio, United States in 1836. When the main body of the church was forced out of Nauvoo, Illinois in the...

 nor the Kirtland Temple

Kirtland Temple

The Kirtland Temple is a National Historic Landmark in Kirtland, Ohio, USA, on the eastern edge of the Cleveland metropolitan area. Owned and operated by the Community of Christ, formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , the house of worship was the first temple to be...

had a president.