Clergy

From The Encyclopedia of Mormonism

See this page in the original 1992 publication.

Author: Keller, Roger R.

The word "clergy" generally designates those who are priests or ministers within the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, or Protestant traditions. Since the term refers to full-time paid professionals, it is not used by Latter-day Saints. They refer to their Church officers as branch presidents, bishops, or stake presidents. These individuals are laypersons who, without professional training in theology, are called to these positions for limited periods of time by those having authority.

Some Latter-day Saints have ambivalent feelings about the clergy of other Christian traditions, in part because some professional ministers participated in the early persecution of the Saints and others in current times continue to produce anti-Mormon publications. Also, because Latter-day Saints believe that the Lord has revealed the fulness of the gospel through his modern prophets, the professional clergy have been viewed as teaching only part of the truth. However, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints readily acknowledges the extensive contributions of Jewish, Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, and other clergy to the spiritual and moral well-being of their communities and their parishioners.

Bibliography

Bangerter, William Grant. "'Tis a Two-Way Street." Ensign 10 (July 1986):66-71.

ROGER R. KELLER

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z