Organization (LDS Church)
Based on Wikipedia: Organization (LDS Church)
In October 2019, the leadership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints made a structural shift that rippled through thousands of congregations worldwide, quietly dismantling the ward-level presidency of the Young Men organization. For decades, this body had been a fixture of local life, a group of lay leaders dedicated to guiding adolescent boys through the turbulent waters of their teen years. The decision to discontinue this specific local leadership tier was not an act of neglect, but rather a recalibration of a system that has always viewed its auxiliary bodies as fluid, temporary, and strictly subordinate to a larger, divinely mandated hierarchy. To understand the LDS Church's organizations—formerly known as auxiliary organizations—one must look past the static list of names and understand the theological engine that drives them: the concept that these bodies exist solely to assist the priesthood, a power structure believed to be of heavenly origin, in its mission to nurture the faith of its members.
The term "auxiliary" was the defining label for these bodies until late 2019. It was a word chosen with deliberate precision, suggesting something secondary, supportive, and ancillary to the main event. In the architecture of the LDS Church, the priesthood is the governing authority, the bedrock upon which all other operations rest. The organizations, comprising the Primary, the Relief Society, the Sunday School, the Young Men, and the Young Women, are not independent fiefdoms. They are the hands and feet of the priesthood, designed to execute specific tasks—moral instruction, education, and benevolence—that the priesthood hierarchy directs them to undertake. This relationship is not merely administrative; it is deeply rooted in scripture. The church's theological justification for these bodies points to the Apostle Paul's epistles, where he describes how God has established "helps" and "governments" within the body of Christ to support the apostles and prophets.
This is not a theory of parallel power, but one of singular direction. Harold B. Lee, a former Apostle and later church president, articulated this dynamic with striking clarity. He taught that an auxiliary is to be an aid to the priesthood in watching over the Church and an aid to the home, operating entirely under the direction and cooperation of the priesthood. The goal is singular and spiritual: to "plant and make grow... a testimony of Christ and of the Gospel." Every lesson taught in a Primary class for children, every humanitarian project organized by the Relief Society, and every scripture study conducted by the Young Women is intended to serve this ultimate end. The organizations are the soil in which the seed of faith is planted, but the priesthood provides the water and the sun.
Yet, the most profound insight into the nature of these organizations comes from a perspective that seems almost counterintuitive in modern institutional management: the idea that they are temporary. Joseph F. Smith, who served as the sixth president of the church from 1901 until his death in 1918, offered a vision of the church's future that placed the organizations on a distinct timeline. He viewed them as necessary crutches for a specific era, tools to be used until the priesthood quorums themselves were fully mature in their duties. Smith's prophecy was clear and specific:
We expect to see the day, if we live long enough ... when every council of the Priesthood in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will understand its duty; will assume its own responsibility, will magnify its calling, and fill its place in the Church, to the uttermost, according to the intelligence and ability possessed by it. When that day shall come, there will not be so much necessity for work that is now being done by the auxiliary organizations, because it will be done by the regular quorums of the Priesthood.
This statement reframes the entire existence of the Relief Society, the Primary, and the others. They are not permanent features of the divine order, but rather strategic responses to the current state of human development within the church. If the priesthood quorums were to achieve a state of total spiritual and administrative perfection, the need for these separate organizations would theoretically vanish. This creates a unique tension in the church's history: the organizations are essential for the present, yet their ultimate purpose is to make themselves obsolete. It is a theological paradox that drives the constant evolution of the church's structure, ensuring that the auxiliary bodies remain flexible, capable of being created, modified, or discontinued as the "needs of the church and the priesthood hierarchy change."
The structure of these organizations is a study in centralized authority meeting local execution. At the apex of each of the five organizations sits a "general presidency," a trio consisting of a general president and two counselors. These individuals are not "general authorities" in the technical sense of being members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles or the First Presidency. Instead, they hold the title of "general officers." Despite this distinction in title, their role is one of immense weight. They are "accepted and sustained" by the entire church membership during semi-annual general conferences, a ritual where the faithful raise their hands to sustain their leaders. This act of sustaining is not a mere formality; it is a covenantal agreement where the members acknowledge the direction of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles over these specific areas of stewardship.
The general presidency is the brain of the organization, setting the curriculum, defining the programs, and issuing the guidelines that flow down to every ward and stake in the world. However, the execution of this vision relies on a vast network of local leaders. In the decades prior to 2019, the structure was remarkably uniform across the board. At the ward level, which is the local congregation, each organization had its own presidency. A ward Relief Society presidency, a ward Young Men presidency, a ward Young Women presidency, and so on, each led by local lay members who volunteered their time. These ward officers worked in tandem with the stake organizations, which covered a larger geographic area comprising multiple wards. The stake president, a priesthood leader, would oversee the stake-level presidencies, ensuring that the local work aligned with the general directives.
The Sunday School and Young Men organizations, however, always possessed a slightly different flavor, hinting at the shifting tides of church policy even before 2019. The stake Sunday School organization was unique in that it did not always have a full presidency in the same way other stake organizations did. Instead, a member of the stake high council served as the stake Sunday School president. This individual might serve with counselors and a secretary, or they might operate with a leaner structure, depending on the specific needs of the stake. This flexibility was a precursor to the more significant changes that would arrive a few years later. Similarly, the Young Men organization at the stake level had its own distinct leadership patterns, often integrating more directly with the priesthood quorums than the other auxiliaries.
The October 2019 announcement marked a decisive break from this century-old pattern of universal ward-level presidencies. The church declared that the ward-level presidency for the Young Men would be discontinued. This was not a reduction in the work of the Young Men, but a reorganization of how that work was managed. The responsibility for guiding young men was to be absorbed more directly into the priesthood quorums, specifically the elders quorum. This move was a direct echo of Joseph F. Smith's prophecy. It was an acknowledgment that the priesthood quorums were stepping up to assume responsibility that had previously been delegated to a separate auxiliary body. The Young Men, who had long been led by a dedicated ward presidency, were now to be shepherded by the fathers and elders within the elders quorum, blurring the line between the auxiliary and the priesthood.
This change sparked a quiet but significant transformation in the daily life of the church. For generations, a young man in the church would have a specific set of leaders—the Young Men presidency—who were distinct from his father's priesthood leaders. These presidencies were often composed of volunteers from the community, bringing a specific energy and focus to the lives of adolescent boys. With the discontinuation of the ward presidency, the dynamic shifted. The elders quorum presidency, which had previously overseen the Young Men from a distance, now became the direct leaders. The structure became more integrated, more streamlined, and arguably, more in line with the vision of a priesthood that fully assumes its duties.
The role of the "ward officers" and "stake officers" remains central to this new reality. These are the local leaders who carry the torch of the general presidency's vision. They are the teachers, the counselors, and the organizers. They are not paid professionals; they are neighbors, parents, and community members who serve for a set term, usually three to seven years, before being released and replaced. This system of lay leadership ensures that the organizations remain deeply connected to the community they serve. A Relief Society president in a rural ward in Utah knows her sisters by name; a Young Women leader in a bustling ward in Brazil understands the specific cultural challenges facing the girls in her congregation. They are the interface between the high-level theology of the general presidency and the gritty reality of daily life.
The Genesis Group serves as a unique example of how these organizational principles adapt to specific needs. Originally formed in the early 1970s to assist Black members of the church, the Genesis Group was an auxiliary organization created to provide fellowship and support in an era when the priesthood ban was still in effect (prior to 1978) and persisted for some time after. It was a body established for benevolent and moral purposes, filling a gap that the standard priesthood quorums could not yet fully address. Its existence and eventual evolution into a more integrated structure within the church reflect the very flexibility that Joseph F. Smith described. It was a temporary body, created for a specific need, and its status has shifted as the church's circumstances have changed. The Genesis Group stands as a testament to the idea that the church's organizations are living entities, capable of birth, growth, and transformation.
The theological underpinnings of these organizations are as important as their structural mechanics. The church teaches that the priesthood is the power and authority of God delegated to man. It is the key that unlocks the blessings of the gospel. The organizations, then, are the channels through which that power is applied to specific segments of the church population. The Primary is the channel for children, the Relief Society for women, the Young Men and Young Women for youth. Without these channels, the priesthood power might remain abstract, disconnected from the daily needs of the members. The organizations provide the structure for the priesthood to "watch over" the church, to teach, to comfort, and to build up the faith of the members.
This relationship is not without its complexities. The distinction between the "general authorities" and the "general officers" can be confusing to the outsider. General authorities are called for life (or until death or resignation) and are members of the top governing bodies of the church. General officers are called to lead a specific organization and may serve for a set number of years. Yet, both are sustained by the members and both are under the direction of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve. The general officers are the specialized experts in their fields, the ones who develop the curriculum for the Primary or the humanitarian projects for the Relief Society. They are the architects of the church's educational and benevolent programs.
The local structure, with its ward and stake officers, is where the rubber meets the road. These leaders are the ones who organize the Sunday school lessons, plan the youth activities, and coordinate the service projects. They work under the direction of the bishop and the stake president, who are the presiding priesthood authorities in their respective jurisdictions. This chain of command ensures that the work of the organizations is aligned with the overall mission of the church. It prevents the organizations from becoming independent fiefdoms and keeps them focused on their primary purpose: to assist the priesthood in building the kingdom of God.
The 2019 changes to the Young Men organization were just one example of this ongoing evolution. They demonstrated that the church is willing to dismantle long-standing structures if it believes it will better serve the mission of the priesthood. It was a bold move, one that required a shift in mindset for thousands of leaders and members. But it was consistent with the church's historical pattern of adaptation. From the early days of the church, when the Relief Society was organized to provide relief and charity, to the modern era, with its focus on youth and family, the organizations have always been in flux.
The future of these organizations remains a subject of speculation and hope. Will the day come, as Joseph F. Smith predicted, when the priesthood quorums are so fully capable that the auxiliary organizations are no longer needed? Or will the organizations continue to evolve, taking on new forms to meet new challenges? The answer lies in the hands of the church's leadership and the willingness of the priesthood to assume their responsibilities. What is clear is that the organizations are not static monuments to the past. They are dynamic, living systems, designed to serve a higher purpose and capable of change when that purpose demands it.
In the end, the story of the LDS Church's organizations is a story of service. It is a story of men and women who volunteer their time and energy to help others grow in faith. It is a story of a structure that is constantly being refined to better serve its members. From the general presidency in Salt Lake City to the ward officers in the farthest corners of the globe, the organizations work together to plant and grow the testimony of Christ. They are the hands of the priesthood, reaching out to touch the lives of millions. And as the church moves forward, they will continue to adapt, to change, and to serve, always under the direction of the priesthood, always working toward the day when the work of the kingdom is done.
The elimination of the ward Young Men presidency in 2019 was not an end, but a beginning. It was a signal that the church is moving toward a future where the priesthood quorums are more deeply involved in the lives of the youth. It was a step toward the fulfillment of Joseph F. Smith's prophecy. And it was a reminder that in the LDS Church, nothing is permanent except the mission. The organizations may change, the leaders may come and go, but the goal remains the same: to build the kingdom of God and to help every member of the church grow in faith and understanding.
This is the essence of the organization in the LDS Church. It is a system of support, a network of service, and a testament to the belief that the church is a living entity, capable of growth and change. It is a system that puts the priesthood at the center, but relies on the auxiliary bodies to do the heavy lifting. It is a system that is constantly evolving, always looking for new ways to serve its members. And it is a system that, at its heart, is about people. It is about the Relief Society president who visits the sick, the Primary teacher who sings with the children, the Young Women leader who listens to the struggles of a teenager. It is about the work that gets done, the lives that are changed, and the faith that is built. It is the story of the church, told through the lens of its organizations.