Priests

The office of a Priest is one of the priesthood offices of authority in the Mormon Church, each of which holds different rights and responsibilities of service.

Worthy young men in the Mormon church may be ordained priests when they are at least 16 years old. A priest has all the responsibilities of a deacon and a teacher. Some of their additional responsibilities include following counsel, and setting a good example. A priest may "preach, teach, expound, exhort, . . . and visit the house of each member, and exhort them to pray vocally and in secret and attend to all family duties" (Doctrine and Covenants 20:46-47); "administer the sacrament" (Doctrine and Covenants 20:46) by worthily officiating at the sacrament table and offering the sacrament prayers when authorized (see Doctrine and Covenants 20:77, 79); baptize when authorized by the bishop (see Doctrine and Covenants 20:46); confer the Aaronic Priesthood and ordain deacons, teachers, and priests when authorized by the bishop (see Doctrine and Covenants 20:48); and assist the bishop. One of the most visible and commonly-performed duties for priests is to bless the sacrament, a holy service for Mormons.

The priest quorum is presided over by the bishop of a ward. Bishop Keith B. McMulin of the Presiding Bishopric said, “Without the bishop present, a priests quorum meeting is just a class for young men of a certain age. Through the keys that he bears and the impressions of the Holy Spirit, the bishop will have a sense of the work that needs to be done. When you see a bishop who is really engaged in the quorum, you see a different quorum. You see a different group of priests" ("The Priests Quorum," Ensign, March 2005).

In addition to these religious duties, priest quorums also provide socializing and service opportunities for young men. These quorums are often associated with a Boy Scout troop and the members of the troop have weekday activities such as camping trips, service projects, and so on.