Random Questions On Topics That Came Up In Conversation Here Recently

[Hyena]

In the interest of time, just in case it may already have been answered on the site, is there somewhere or someone that can explain the difference between a:

- Bishop
- Ward President??
- Stake President??
- a ward vs a stake
- How is someone selected for these Wards or stakes? Is it based on the missionaries I work with?
- What is the "Elder's Quorum?" Isn't an Elder a specific title given to members that has to be earned?
- If so, how does one earn the title of Elder? As someone mentioned earlier in another thread, my age probably prevents me from being a missionary as they usually tend to do that young, so my best hope is to someday find a nice woman to marry and then do the couples missionary work? How then do I earn the title of Elder if I can't be a missionary? Or am I misunderstanding something?
- What is the Quorum of the Seventy I've heard mention of? Is it the same thing as the Elder's Quorum, just a different name?
- Do you HAVE to become a Home teacher? I may have asked this somewhere before, but again, my concern is I'm rather shy about meeting new people so being assigned to ANYTHING with new and strange people is a bit unnerving for me. I'm not the most confident individual.
- I'm still not clear on how Sunday Service works:
I understand first is Sacraments (sp?) which is basically like general church service, open to the public, and everyone meets together, men and women and boys and girls right?
Then it's Sunday School? Everyone attends this? My experiences have always been that Sunday school is something for children, although that might just be my Catholic upbringing. And then there is yet another "meeting" where it's just men or women of the same age separated by gender? Why three separate services? Do you only need to attend one or are all three sort of part of the "Sunday activities" and have to be done one after the other? What happens in the third meeting that doesnt happen in the sacrament? Why the need for two or three different services in one day? Are they all mandatory? Or is it acceptable to just choose one or all depending on your mood?
- I noticed another thread where someone expressed a thought that the LDS church was extremely family oriented (or at least couples oriented). But I am not a couple... so will this impact my experience? Would I be rendered ineligible from some facets of church activity due to this? Will it impact how involved I can be in the faith and services? Will it impact my status within the church (I know statuses aren't supposed to be important but what I mean is, will other members sort of look down on me for being "that single guy" and thus refrain from inviting me to participate in things because of this lacking?

I'm sure I have tons of others questions, but I'm trying to look them up or research them myself first so that I don't annoy everyone on the site with a never ending list of moronically stupid inquiries. I apologize in advance, but some things I feel can only be clarified by those with the experience to answer.

[pam]

It's much easier to have one question per thread. That way the answers don't all get jumbled and we can answer them so much easier.

[Eowyn]

They're not dumb questions at all, but you may get more response if you have fewer questions per thread.

A ward is a congregation. Wards are made up of people in the same general geographic area. That area will depend on how dense it is in Mormons. So in Utah, you could have one neighborhood make up a whole ward, but in my friend's old ward in Pennsylvania, some of her ward members were an hour away.

A stake is made up of several wards.

The Bishop is the presiding authority over the ward. A branch president is the equivilant, but branches are smaller than wards. I've never heard of a ward president.

The stake president presides over the whole stake.

"Preside" can seem like being in charge, but it's more like being responsible. Someone who presides is responsible for the welfare of the people they preside over, and to make sure things are being done as they should.

You are assigned to a ward based on where you live, and that ward will be in a specific stake so by default, you will be in that stake.

[Eowyn]

An Elder is someone who receives the Melchizedek priesthood. Men become Elders before they go on their missions, or as soon as they are prepared when they are adults. It's not something your earn so much as grow into. The Elder's Quorum is just all the Elders in a ward.

Some men advance in the Priesthood and become High Priests, and then they are in the High Priest's quorum. That's mostly where old men go to sleep. Actually for the most part, men receive the High Priesthood when they're called to be a bishop or bishop's counselor.

The Quorum of the Seventy is group of men (actually there are at least 2 groups of 70) who are part of the general authorities of the Church. . . meaning they preside and watch over much larger areas. You might hear the term, "Area Authority". That would be the guy who is over several stakes in your area, and they are members of the Seventy.

No one is going to force you to Home Teach and you won't be disciplined if you don't. It is a Priesthood responsibility, but going even deeper, it's a way to follow Christ's charge to feed His sheep. It's also a great way to get to know your ward members.

[Eowyn]

Church service used to be split into different days of the week. So you'd go to Sacrament Meeting on Sunday, and then the other meetings on other days. Now we use what's referred to as the 3-hour block. Most wards I know of now start with Sacrament meeting, but some have that meeting last.

In the middle is Sunday School. It's not childish. Teenagers do have their own Sunday school classes, grouped by age. Children go to Primary, again grouped by age. Adult Sunday School is the class where men and women meet to study and discuss the scriptures and words of the prophets, led by a teacher. As an investigator and then new member, you would go to Gospel Essentials, which covers the nuts and bolts of LDS doctrine. Later, you'd go to Gospel Doctrine, which covers a wider subject matter.

For the last block, the men and women separate. The men go to Priesthood (Elder's Quorum or High Priests Quorum) and have a lesson and discussion there. Women go to Relief Society, which is our organization and a whole other topic, for our lesson and discussion (but some Sundays mostly announcements and planning service, it seems). The teenagers go to Young Men's (Aaronic Priesthood, more accurately) and Young Women's.

[Eowyn]

I don't know how old you are, but there are groups for singles. Those under 30 can attend Young Single Adult (YSA) wards, made up of only singles. If there isn't a YSA ward nearby, there should be YSA activities. Those wards are often tied to the local college/university. If you're older than 30, there are mid-singles groups and they also have activities so that you can fellowship with other singles.

The Church is family oriented, and can be hard for single members. I think everyone tries to include people as much as they can, but as with anywhere, people tend to fall in with those they have the most in common with. And therein lies my advice in that regard: find other men that you have something in common with, and build friendships based on that. You are welcome to all adult activities, but you might have to take the initiative to be there. Don't wait for someone to invite you. Make it your mission to be involved, be friendly, and especially serve others as much as you can. There are a lot of talks encouraging the single members that you can find on lds.org. There are single people here to talk to. There are lds dating websites, but I've heard mixed reviews.

[Eowyn]

If I ate cookies I'd totally reward myself with one right now.

[skippy740]

Originally Posted by Hyena

- I noticed another thread where someone expressed a thought that the LDS church was extremely family oriented (or at least couples oriented). But I am not a couple... so will this impact my experience? Would I be rendered ineligible from some facets of church activity due to this? Will it impact how involved I can be in the faith and services? Will it impact my status within the church (I know statuses aren't supposed to be important but what I mean is, will other members sort of look down on me for being "that single guy" and thus refrain from inviting me to participate in things because of this lacking?

You're asking good questions!

The reason that the church is extremely family oriented... is because we believe that the family unit is and can be eternal - as husband/wife & parent/child.

Will you be ineligible for some church activities? No. There are some callings within the church where it is required to be married... but I wouldn't worry about that right now.

Will it impact your status? No! Not at all. Everyone is on their path of life and we're all at different points. Don't worry about what you can't control.

Depending on the area of the country you're in, there may be a "single's ward" where you can attend and participate in various activities. (You may find "Sister Right" there too!)

[skippy740]

Do you HAVE to become a Home teacher? I may have asked this somewhere before, but again, my concern is I'm rather shy about meeting new people so being assigned to ANYTHING with new and strange people is a bit unnerving for me. I'm not the most confident individual.

As far as being a home teacher... if called to do so (and yes, you can turn it down), you would be assigned a home teaching companion. For you, it would be someone strong in the knowledge of the gospel and living it. He would probably be what I call a 100%'er - meaning that he fulfills his home teaching assignment every month.

Being a home teacher - or just accompanying one brings several blessings to you, such as:
1) Learning about other families in the ward - their needs and their family dynamics.

2) Learning more about the gospel and how to teach it to various ages - little kids up to seniors/widows.

3) Learn how to be an effective home teacher with "on the job" training.

4) You are participating in the work of the Lord, and will help to strengthen you with not only knowledge, but service.

5) You will have more opportunities to hear testimonies and to share your testimony of the gospel in teaching situations.

6) More people will want to know you and your story. We are all edified when we hear the stories of those who have come into the church.

7) I'm almost hesitant to write this one... but where much is given, much is required. You will have more opportunities for increased responsibilities and the blessings associated with it.

8) Imagine how learning and applying these disciplines can carry over into your professional life.

9) You will be honoring your priesthood (which you will probably receive within a couple of weeks of your baptism).

10) You will be setting an example for your family - both parents and siblings, as well as your future spouse and children by honoring your priesthood covenants and responsibilities faithfully and consistently.

11) The temptation to sin will lessen through your service.

12) You never know who you will meet through home teaching service! (That's how my dad met my mom!)


Church callings do a whole lot for us individually as we serve, than they typically do for others. It's a great way to learn to apply lessons in the gospel and strengthen others through our service.

I would strongly encourage you to be open to new experiences through church service.

[Vort]

Very long post to try to answer your questions:

• A bishop runs the ward. He's the head honcho, the guy in charge, the one people go to when they have problems.
  
  
• The "ward president" is the bishop. But I have never, ever heard that term used, except by myself when explaining what a bishop does.
  
  
• The stake president is the guy in charge of the stake (eight or ten wards and branches together). He's the last guy to sign off on your temple recommend. He's in charge of roughly 2000-3000 people, and he knows almost all of them.
  
  
• A ward is a geographical region. All the Church members who live within the ward attend the same congregation. Thus, the congregation is usually also referred to as a "ward". These congregational wards are named, either by location (Cottonwood Ward, Chevy Chase Ward) or by number if there are a lot of wards close together (Redmond 1st Ward, Redmond 2nd Ward, Redmond 3rd Ward).
  
  
• A stake is a group of wards. The stake is the basic unit of organization in the Church where the whole program of the Church is offered. If you live anywhere in the US, you will be part of a stake. As already described, the stake is run by a stake president, his counselors, and a group of twelve men called the high council.
  
  
• You attend the ward you live in. Remember, a ward is a geographical area. If you live in the ward (boundaries), you attend the ward (congregation). And the ward is a part of the stake; for example, my ward, the Redmond 1st Ward, is part of the Redmond Washington Stake.
  
  
• All active and faithful men in the Church eventually receive the Melchizedek Priesthood. When they do, they are ordained to an office within that Priesthood. When men first receive the Priesthood, they are always ordained to the office of elder. Many men keep this same office for the rest of their lives. With the office of elder in the Melchizedek Priesthood, you can receive every blessing God has for you. You do not need to be a missionary to be ordained an elder; in fact, every missionary is ordained to be an elder before he is set apart as a missionary. So if you join the Church and are faithful, within about a year you will be ordained an elder.
  
  Every man who holds any Priesthood office belongs, by rights, to a quorum, which is a group of men who hold that office. So the elders quorum in any ward is the group of men in that ward who are ordained to the office of elder.
  
  
• The Quorum of Seventy is one of the three quorums that lead the Church. Men who serve in these quorums are called General Authorities, because they have authority over everyone in the entire Church, not just a ward or stake. These three quorums are as follows:
  
  - The highest quorum is called the First Presidency, and it consists of the president of the Church (currently Brother Monson) and the two men he chooses as counselors (currently Brother Eyring and Brother Uchtdorf). They make all the top-level decisions in the Church. The president is considered the one and only "prophet, seer, and revelator" who actively holds and uses all the Priesthood keys to run the Church.
  
  - The next quorum is called the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, and consists of those men who have been called to spend the rest of their lives as apostles, traveling the world and building the kingdom (currently consisting of Brothers Packer, Perry, Nelson, Oaks, Ballard, Scott, Hales, Holland, Bednar, Cook, Christofferson, and Anderson). The Quorum of Twelve do the bidding of the First Presidency and help run the Church. Each of these men is also considered a "prophet, seer, and revelator", but only the most senior living apostle (who is the Church President and leader of the First Presidency) actively exercises those keys.
  
  - The third quorum is called the Quorum of Seventy, and consists of a bunch of men (maximum of 70) who act on behalf of the Quorum of Twelve and, on occasion, the First Presidency, in helping stake presidents run the Church and assisting in running the many programs and parts of the Church. (There are actually several quorums of seventy, and all are General Authorities, but only the First Quorum of Seventy are called as permanent General Authorities for the rest of their lives -- actually, until age 70, when they are given "emeritus" status and can work as much as they feel up to doing.)
  
  
• Being a home teacher is a right and a responsibility of Priesthood holders. If you really have problems with it, then of course you won't be forced into anything. But home teachers are assigned in pairs, so you will always have a "companion", and he will show you the ropes and help you get to know what's going on. It sounds scary, but it really is not, and it's a chance for you to do a great deal of good for people.
  
  
• Our Sunday services typically last three hours and consist of three meetings:
  
  - The first hour (actually about 70 minutes) is our sacrament meeting. We meet all together as a congregation and partake of the sacrament, which Jesus instituted at the Last Supper. We use bread and water instead of bread and wine. Sacrament meeting is also where ward business (announcements of new assignments and of people being released from assignments) is done, and where ward members and stake visitors offer sermons, called "talks", that last ten to twenty minutes each.
  
  - The second hour (more like 40 or 45 minutes) is Sunday School for everyone 12 and older. Adults attend an adult Sunday School class; there are usually at least two, and sometimes three or more. Most adults attend "gospel doctrine" class. Teenagers attend a class appropriate to their age. Children under twelve spend the second and third hours in a sort of Sunday School class designed for younger children, called "Primary".
  
  - In the third hour, men and women divide into separate groups. The men attend their Priesthood quorums, where they are instructed in their quorum duties, plan service to others, and learn about gospel topics; adult men attend Melchizedek Priesthood quorums, and young men (teenagers) attend their appropriate Aaronic Priesthood quorums. Adult women attend "Relief Society", a meeting similar to the men's quorum meetings -- they even use the same lessons. Young women (teenagers) attend special Young Women's classes designed for their needs and interests. The children attend Primary during this time.
  
  In general, you are greatly encouraged to attend ALL of your meetings. I know that three hours seems like a whole lot of time. But I find that three hours is entirely too little time to spend associating with such marvelous people as I find in my ward. When you get used to it, it actually goes by quite fast.
  
  
• Yes, we are a family-oriented Church. No doubt about that. But we love and embrace our unmarried members. You will not be considered "lesser" or "second-class", though I warn you that some well-meaning people might occasionally try to "encourage" you to date Sister So-and-so or something like that. Marriage is important, and Church members take such things very seriously. But you will not be shunned or disinvited for not being married. You will be welcome to all such adult activities when the time comes.

Hope that's been of some help.