History of Utah, 1540-1886 - Brigham Young University

CHURCH ORGANIZED. 66
By the spirit of prophecy and revelation it is done.
The rise of the church of Jesus Christ in these last
days is on the 6th of April, 1830, at which date the
church was organized under the provisions of the
statutes of the state of New York by Joseph Smith
junior, Hyrurn Smith, Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer,
Samuel H. Smith, and Peter Whitmer. Joseph
Smith, ordained an apostle of Jesus Christ, is made
by the commandment of God the first elder of this
church, and Oliver Cowdery, likewise an apostle, is
made the second elder. Again the first elder falls
into worldly entanglements, but upon repentance and
self-humbling he is delivered by an angel.
The duties of elders, priests, teachers, deacons, and
members are as follow : All who desire it, with honesty
and humility, may be baptized into the church;
old covenants are at an end, all must be baptized anew.
An apostle is an elder; he shall baptize, ordain other
elders, priests, teachers, and deacons, administer bread
and wine, emblems of the flesh and blood of Christ; he
shall confirm, teach, expound, exhort, taking the lead
at meetings, and conducting them as he is taught by
the holy ghost. The priest's duty is to preach, teach,
expound, exhort, baptize, administer the sacrament,
and visit and pray with members; he may also ordain
other priests, teachers, and deacons, giving a certificate
of ordination, and lead in meetings when no
elder is present. The teacher's duty is to watch over
and strengthen the members, preventing evil speaking
and all iniquity, to see that the meetings are regularly
held, and to take the lead in them in the absence
of elder or priest. The deacon's duty is to assist the
teacher; teacher and deacon may warn, expound, exhort,
but neither of them shall baptize, administer
the sacrament, or lay on hands. The elders are to
meet in council for the transaction of church business
every three months, or oftener should meetings be
called. Subordinate officers will receive from the
elders a license defining their authority; elders will
Hist. Utah. 5