The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Organization and Global Reach

In 2018, President Russell M. Nelson made a significant request to members and the public: to stop using the nickname "Mormon Church" and instead use the official name of the faith, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This request reflected a desire to emphasize that the church is centered on Jesus Christ, not on the Book of Mormon (the source of the "Mormon" nickname). While "Mormon" had been used by the church itself for many decades in marketing and media, the return to the formal name was intended to clarify identity and to redirect attention to Christ. Members now typically refer to the faith as "the Latter-day Saint church" or simply "the Church."

The official name itself carries theological weight. It proclaims that this is Christ's church, a restoration of His church in the latter days before His Second Coming. The full name distinguishes it from other churches that also claim the name of Christ or claim to be Christian, and it encapsulates the Latter-day Saint belief that they live in a special era of God's work.

Organization and Leadership

The church is organized hierarchically, though not in the manner of the Catholic Church. At the top is the President of the Church, who is sustained as "prophet, seer, and revelator." The current president is Russell M. Nelson, who was sustained in 2018 following the death of Thomas S. Monson. Beneath the President is the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, twelve men who are called to lead the church worldwide and to serve as special witnesses of Jesus Christ. The First Presidency, consisting of the President and two counselors, makes the most significant decisions for the church. Supporting the apostles are additional quorums and boards, including the Quorum of the Seventy (which has 117 members), who carry administrative and spiritual responsibility across the global church.

Below the church headquarters level, the church is organized geographically. The fundamental unit is the ward, a congregation of typically 300-500 members who worship together in a meetinghouse. Each ward is presided over by a bishop (a volunteer, unpaid leader who is a member of the priesthood, usually a professional in secular work). The bishop oversees the spiritual welfare of his congregation, presides over the sacrament meeting, and addresses welfare concerns. A group of several wards is organized into a stake, presided over by a stake president. The stake holds periodic conferences, coordinates youth programs, and oversees larger efforts like temple attendance and missionary work.

At the local level, members do the vast majority of the work. Sunday services include sacrament meeting (a worship service featuring sermons from lay members), Sunday School (doctrinal education), and meetings of auxiliary organizations. Relief Society (the women's organization) meets to provide spiritual instruction and coordinate service. Young Men and Young Women organizations serve teenagers and provide spiritual guidance and recreational activities. Primary provides religious education and community for children. These organizations are led by volunteer members, not paid clergy.

The structure reflects a belief in the priesthood of all believers -- not all believers have the priesthood (the priesthood is conferred on worthy male members), but priesthood authority is distributed widely throughout the membership rather than concentrated in a professional clergy class. This means that the spiritual work of the church is done by thousands of lay leaders: bishops, stake presidents, missionaries, Sunday School teachers, and countless others who are juggling their church responsibilities with jobs, families, and personal lives.

Where Latter-day Saints Worship

The church has grown remarkably since its founding in 1830 with just six members. It was driven west by persecution, establishing a headquarters in Salt Lake City in 1847 under Brigham Young's leadership. Over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries, it expanded globally, though it remained largely concentrated in the American West and the Pacific. The 21st century has seen accelerated growth, particularly in Latin America, the Pacific, and Africa. Today, the church claims approximately 17 million members, with significant concentrations in the United States, Mexico, the Philippines, Brazil, and many other countries.

The church has established several universities and educational institutions. Brigham Young University (BYU), located in Provo, Utah, is one of the largest private universities in the United States and is owned by the church. BYU-Idaho and BYU-Hawaii provide additional educational opportunities with strong Latter-day Saint emphasis. The church also operated a network of secondary schools, particularly in the Pacific region, and maintains the Church History Library, one of the most significant genealogy and historical archives in the world.

The weekly Sunday worship experience typically includes the sacrament meeting (lasting about 70 minutes), in which bread and water are blessed and distributed as a remembrance of Christ's body and blood. The music is sung by the congregation or a choir, and members of the congregation are invited to speak. Sunday School follows, offering doctrinal education. Young Men, Young Women, Relief Society, and Primary meet at various times throughout the week to offer age- and gender-specific spiritual instruction and community building.

Growth and Global Reach

Latter-day Saint welfare and humanitarian work is substantial. The church operates employment centers, helps members achieve financial self-reliance, and coordinates major humanitarian efforts in response to disasters and chronic poverty. The church does not take political positions on most issues, but members are encouraged to engage in civic life according to their conscience. The welfare system emphasizes personal responsibility and self-reliance, with the church providing assistance when individuals have done all they can to help themselves.

Family history work, or genealogy, is central to Latter-day Saint identity. The church maintains the largest genealogical library in the world and has digitized hundreds of millions of historical records. Members dedicate significant time to researching their ancestors and performing proxy ordinances (particularly baptisms) for ancestors who did not have the opportunity to accept the gospel in life. This practice is grounded in 1 Corinthians 15:29, in which Paul references baptism for the dead.

Humanitarian and Community Work

Members are expected to follow the Word of Wisdom (abstaining from tobacco, alcohol, and coffee and hot tea), pay tithing, and strive to live moral lives. Temple attendance is particularly important to Latter-day Saints who have been endowed. Temples are elaborate structures where sacred ordinances are performed, and they serve as both spiritual centers and symbols of the church's commitment to eternal principles.

The church's emphasis on family is pervasive. Members are taught that the family is "central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children." Marriage is valued highly, large families are generally encouraged (though not mandated), and family home evening (a weekly family gathering for religious instruction and bonding) is promoted as a sacred practice. The church's positions on sexuality, gender, and marriage reflect traditional religious views and create both strong internal community bonds and tensions with secular culture.

What distinguishes the Latter-day Saint church from many other Christian organizations is the combination of a hierarchical structure claiming modern revelation, a global organizational reach, significant educational and media infrastructure, strong family emphasis, engaged lay membership, and a comprehensive vision of what it means to be saved -- not merely to avoid hell, but to achieve exaltation and eternal progression toward the nature of God Himself.