History of Utah, 1540-1886 - Brigham Young University

346 MORMONISM AND POLYGAMY.
member of a seventy, and an elder may, in common
with an apostle, administer in other spiritual offices.
All superior officers are frequently called elders.
Thus an apostle is an elder; and he may baptize, and
ordain other elders, priests, teachers, and deacons.
It is his calling to administer bread and wine, or bread
and water, emblems of the flesh and blood of Christ;
to confirm the baptized by the laying on of hands for
the baptism of fire and the holy ghost; to teach, expound,
exhort, and to lead in meetings as he is led by
the holy ghost.
A bishop who is a first-born and a lineal descendant
of Aaron may sit as a common judge in the church
without councillors, except in the trial of a president
of the high-priesthood. But a bishop from the highpriesthood
may not sit as a judge without his two
councillors. Over all the bishops in the church there
is a presiding bishop.
The duties of a priest are to preach, baptize, administer
the sacrament, and visit families and pray
with them. The duties of a teacher are to watch over
and strengthen the church, and see that no iniquity
creeps into it, and that every member performs his
obligations and conducts himself without guile. The
duties of the deacon are to assist the teacher and the
bishop, attending to the temporal affairs of the church,
looking after the houses of worship and the necessities
of the poor. Teachers and deacons may instruct and
exhort, but they are not authorized to baptize, lay on
hands, or administer the sacrament. No one can hold
office except by authoritative call and ordination, or
by special appointment of God.
The seventies are organized into various councils of
seventy, commonly called quorums. Each council of
seventy has seven presidents, chosen out of the seventy,
one of the seven presiding over the others and over
the whole seventy. The seven presidents of the first
council of seventies also preside over all the councils