Apostle (Latter Day Saints)

In Mormonism, an Apostle is a "special witness of the name of Jesus Christ who is sent to teach the principles of salvation to others."^[1] In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, an Apostle is a priesthood office of high authority within the church hierarchy. The term usually refers to a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, although not all apostles have been part of the Quorum. In Mormon theology, modern-day apostles have the same status and authority as the Biblical Apostles.

In the Latter Day Saint tradition, Apostles and prophets are believed to be the foundation of the Church, with Jesus Christ himself the chief cornerstone.^[2] The Articles of Faith, written by Joseph Smith, Jr., also mentions Apostles: "We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth."

Apostles in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles in September 1898. (Reed Smoot is missing on this photograph.)

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Apostle is the highest priesthood office of the Melchizedek Priesthood. The President of the Church is always an Apostle, as are the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. In practice, counselors in the First Presidency are almost always Apostles as well. There are currently fifteen Apostles in the LDS Church: Three members of the First Presidency and 12 members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Thomas S. Monson is President of the church and Henry B. Eyring and Dieter F. Uchtdorf are first and second counselors respectively. President Uchtdorf was recently called to the First Presidency to fill the vacancy caused by Gordon B. Hinckley's death and Monson's appointment to the presidency. The vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve was filled by D. Todd Christofferson in the April 2008 General Conference.

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. Joseph Angell Young was ordained an Apostle in 1864 but was never a member of either the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles or the First Presidency.

The President of the Church is always the most senior Apostle, relative to their calling to that position, rather than age. The second most senior Apostle is always the President of the Quorum of the Twelve. Due to a precedent established after the Succession Crisis which occurred after the martyrdom of Joseph Smith Jr., the President of the Quorum of the Twelve has invariably become the new President of the Church upon the death of his predecessor. On these occasions, it is at the next general conference of the church that the President of the Quorum of the Twelve is sustained by the members of the Church as the "Prophet, Seer, and Revelator" and President of the Church.

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 other large meetings of church members such as ward and stake conferences. Each are sustained by name.

Usually the President of the Church ordains a new Apostle, although any other Apostle may ordain a person to that 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:

[Apostle] was the title Jesus gave (Luke 6: 13) to the twelve whom he chose and ordained (John 15: 16) 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 (Acts 1: 22; D&C 107: 23). 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 (Acts 1: 15-26). 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 (Rom. 1: 1; 1 Cor. 1: 1; 1 Cor. 9: 1; Gal. 1: 1). He applied the titles to James, the Lord’s brother (Gal. 1: 19), and also to Barnabas (1 Cor. 9: 5-6; cf. Acts 14: 4, 14). 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 Heb. 3: 1-2, a designation meaning that he is the personal and select representative of the Father.^[3]

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. (D&C 88:81; Mosiah 18:9)^[4]

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, whome also he named apostles" (Luke 6:13), and upon their shoulders the burden of the kingdom rested after he ascended to his Father (1 Cor. 12:28.) The original Twelve in latter-days were selected by revelation by the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon (D. & C. 18:26-47.)^[5]

Apostles in Community of Christ

The Council of Twelve Apostles is composed of twelve persons who hold the priesthood office of Apostle. Together with the First Presidency and the Presiding Bishopric they comprise the World Church Leadership Council. They are primarily responsible for the church's missionary outreach and field administration. They are called to bear their personal testimonies as a special witness of Jesus Christ and to enable the church to bear its witness as the Community of Christ. They administer the work of the church in the field and they oversee the seventies in the area of missionary work. One of the apostles is set apart as president of the council. Doctrine and Covenants Section 104:11d suggests that the Council of Twelve Apostles is (collectively speaking) in some sense, equal in authority to the First Presidency itself, but the logistics of such equality are unclear.

In Community of Christ, all offices of priesthood are deemed equal, although they differ in terms of responsibilities and administrative seniority. The office of apostle ranks third in terms of such seniority, under the offices of prophet and president (the latter only being viewed as an office in reference to the First Presidency). Generally, only members of the Council of Twelve Apostles are termed apostles. Those who are later called to other positions (such as a member of the First Presidency, or as the Presiding Evangelist) cease to be termed apostles. Likewise, as service in the Council of Twelve is not necessarily for life, those members who are released from the council so that they may retire, are also no longer termed apostles. Some apostles are also released if new positions in the Church are created, and it is felt that someone currently serving in the Council of Twelve would be the ideal person to assume that new position. For example, a few years ago, an apostle was released so that he could concentrate his labors on overseeing a new communications division of the Church, it being felt that he happened to be the ideal person, because of prior life experiences, to assume that role. Modern methods of communications, as well as language translation, is a key ministry of the church, and actually carries an apostolic mission to it: that of better enabling the Church as a whole to reach out to the world and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ as efficiently as possible. Therefore, it was very appropriate for a member of the Council of Twelve to transition out of his full time role of field administration to this other position.

While it is the custom of the Church to not refer to former members of the Council of Twelve as apostles, it does not necessarily mean that their actual apostolic priesthood office is nullified.

See also

• List of Members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church)

References

External links

• LDS Church Leaders' Biographies
• LDS Bible Dictionary: Apostle
• LDS Scripture Index: Apostle
• LDS Topical Guide: Apostles