Setting Apart

From The Encyclopedia of Mormonism
Jump to navigation Jump to search

See this page in the original 1992 publication.

Author: Thompson, Dennis L.

"Setting apart" is a priesthood ordinance that is performed by the laying on of hands, authorizing a man or woman to serve in a Church calling. It occurs after one has been sustained by common consent to perform certain duties and responsibilities in a specific calling in a geographical or organizational part of the Church. It is performed by, or under the direction of, the one in authority over that unit. One is "ordained" to priesthood offices, but is "set apart" to preside or serve. In the setting apart, one is given the authority and charged to act; he or she is also counseled, instructed, and blessed. The blessings are conditional upon faithful performance.

The meaning of being set apart to service in the Church is symbolically a setting apart (a separation) from the world to act on a higher plane (Lev. 20:26; Num. 8:14; Ezra 8:24; Rom. 1:1). The act of setting apart is referred to in the Bible in a number of places, though not always using the same terminology. Moses was told to "put some of thine honour" upon Joshua that the Israelites might be obedient to him (Num. 27:20). Seven men of honest report were "set before the apostles," who laid their hands on them to take charge of temporal matters in the early church (Acts 6:6). The early Twelve were told to "separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them" (Acts 13:2). The Book of Mormon writers appear to use the terms "consecrate" and "appoint" to describe a setting apart (Mosiah 6:3).

Settings apart concern both the Church unit and the person. When men and women are set apart as presidents of Church organizations, they are given the authority as well as the obligations and responsibilities to act in their offices. The president is always set apart before the counselors, since counselors are set apart as counselors to the specific person serving as president.

In the early days of the Church, the words "ordain" and "set apart" were often used interchangeably for both ordination and setting apart. Therefore, the Doctrine and Covenants speaks of men being ordained high councilors and women being ordained to preside over auxiliaries (D&C 20:67;25:7). In modern usage, both these would be instances of being set apart.


Bibliography

Allred, Rex. "Where Does the Church's Practice of Setting Apart Come From?" Ensign 13 (Mar. 1983):67-68.

DENNIS L. THOMPSON


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