God of Order, Order of Saints

Even before man’s dominion on the earth, God has always had an organization for His Children.

Organization in it’s purest and uncorrupted form prevents/corrects false doctrine, protects/rewords individuals and allow the work to move forward.

Some have wondered how the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints function as a church and growing organization.

So here the main chain of command.

Chain of Command [Broad]

On the top is God [if you can’t accept this, ask him yourself]

God talks to his mortal spokesman the Prophet [who receives revelation on behalf of the church] and his counselors [who uphold him]. His jurisdiction covers the world in general, so his commandments are general.

Next are the apostles who make up the body of twelve individuals. They act as the Prophet’s assistance and support.

The apostles oversee the quorums [or sets] of the Seventy [as the name suggest, each quorum holds about seventy individuals]. The Seventy oversee several areas in the world called “Stakes” [like a tent stake, only for the church].

Each individual “Stake” is under the jurisdiction of a Stake President. A size of a stake can very depending on the number of wards and branches.

A ward is under the jurisdiction of a Bishop. It contains the congregation in a given area and exist depending on the number of active members and priesthood holders.

A branch operates much like a ward, only it’s much smaller then it’s counterpart [it’s under the Branch President’s jurisdiction].

Here’s a simple* recap of the main organization:

God

↓

Prophet and Counselors

↓

Apostles

↓

Quorum of Seventies

↓

Stake Presidents

↓

Bishop or Branch President

Chain of Command [In sub-units]

So what of these Wards and Branches?

The Bishop/Branch President holds charge of the Aaronic Priesthood which helps the physical needs of the saints in his area.

However, the spiritual wellbeing is governed by the Stake President, who ordains [or sets leadership over] members in the ward as priesthood and axillary leaders.

These Priesthood/Axillary Leaders watch over their own quorums of members, ensuring they get their duties done and that they are strengthened in their own callings.

Calling?

Admittedly those who enter into the church are asked to sacrifice time.

However, the genius of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is that ALL are called of God to perform their callings to edify one another.

God gives his confidence in those who are called, and will ALWAYS provide a way to accomplish them. 

To end, here is a word to those who are uncertain of organized religion for whatever reason: It boils down to if the gospel is true. If it is, the same is true with the following statement from the prophet Joseph Smith:  

“We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.”

Article of Faith 1:6

Those who uphold their callings find that they help bring their brothers and sisters to Christ and even learn things better in their active participation.

Due to time, only a basic picture has been painted. For additional information, see the following links:

Scriptures concerning Church Organization http://www.lds.org/scriptures/tg/church-organization?lang=eng
Chain of command http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/leadership-and-organization/
Lay Ministry http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/mormon-lay-ministry