A stake is an administrative unit composed of multiple congregrations in sects of the Latter Day Saint movement. A stake is comparable to a diocese in the Roman Catholic Church. The name "stake" derives from the phrase "stake in the tent of Zion" and is a reference to the stakes that upheld the Biblical tabernacle housing the Ark of the Covenant. For this reason, a stake is sometimes referred to as a "stake of Zion". The Latter Day Saint movement (also called the Mormonism movement or the Mormon movement) is a religious movement beginning in the early 19th century that led to the set of doctrines, practices, and cultures called Mormonism and to the existence of numerous churches, the majority of which call themselves Latter... Pope Pius XI blesses Bishop Stephen Alencastre as fifth Apostolic Vicar of the Hawaiian Islands in a Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace window. ... The Roman Catholic Church, also called the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian body in the world. ... The holy Jewish scripture: The Torah. ... For the Feast of Tabernacles, see Sukkot. ... A late 19th-century artists conception of the Ark of the Covenant, employing a Renaissance cassone for the Ark and cherubim as latter-day Christian angels The Ark of the Covenant (ארון הברית in Hebrew: aron habrit) is described in the Hebrew Bible as a sacred container built at the command...

History of Stakes

The first Latter Day Saint stake was organized at church headquarters in Kirtland, Ohio, on February 17, 1834, with Joseph Smith, Jr. as stake president. The second stake was organized in Clay County, Missouri later that year on July 3, with David Whitmer as stake president. The Missouri stake was relocated to Far West, Missouri in 1836 and the Kirtland Stake dissolved in 1838. A stake was organized at Adam-ondi-Ahman in 1838 and abandoned later that year due to the events of the Mormon War. In 1839, the church's central stake was established at Nauvoo, Illinois and William Marks became stake president. A Latter Day Saint is a person who identifies with the Latter Day Saint movement, and is a follower of Mormonism. ... Kirtland is a city located in Lake County, Ohio, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 6,670. ... Joseph Smith, Jr. ... Clay County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. ... David Whitmer (1805–1888) is remembered in the Latter Day Saint movement as the most interviewed of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormons Golden Plates. ... Far West, Missouri, was a Latter Day Saint (Mormon) settlement in Caldwell County, Missouri. ... Adam-ondi-Ahman is a historic site along the east bank of the Grand River in Daviess County, Missouri. ... The Mormon War is a name sometimes given to the 1838 conflict which occurred between Latter Day Saints (Mormons) and their neighbors in northwestern Missouri. ... The references in this article must be cleaned up to use the correct form of citation and footnoting. ... There are several prominent men called William Marks: William Marks (Mormonism), an important figure in the early Latter Day Saint movement. ...

Additional stakes were established in the area around Nauvoo in 1840. Immediately after the assassination of Joseph Smith, Jr. in 1844, there was a schism in the Latter Day Saint movement. In 1846, all of the existing stakes, including the Nauvoo Stake, were discontinued as a result of the Latter Day Saint exodus to Utah. The Succession Crisis in the Latter Day Saint movement occurred after the assassination of the movements founder, Joseph Smith, Jr. ... The early history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is shared by the larger Latter Day Saint movement, which originated in upstate New York under the leadership of Joseph Smith, Jr. ...

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the largest sect in the Latter Day Saint movement. After the death of Joseph Smith, Jr., Brigham Young succeeded him as president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and lead the members of this church to the territory known as Utah. The first stake established in Utah was the Salt Lake Stake, established October 3, 1847 with John Smith as president. At the time of the death of Brigham Young (1877) there were twenty stakes in operation with a total of approximately 250 wards. The Salt Lake City temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the largest attraction in the citys Temple Square. ... Brigham Young (June 1, 1801 – August 29, 1877) was the second prophet and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church; see also Mormonism). ... // History Early history Native Americans have lived in Utah for several thousand years; most archeological evidence dates such habitation about 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. ... The Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Salt Lake Citys top tourist draw. ...

New stakes are created when the congregations in existing stakes or districts have grown sufficiently to permit reorganization. Districts may be elevated to stakes, or a new stake may be formed by dividing an existing stake (or by creating three stakes from two existing stakes, etc.) In addition to the size and number of local congregations, the creation of a new stake also requires sufficient Melchizedek Priesthood holders to fill the required leadership positions. At times the absence of available leadership constrains the creation of new stakes and the number of congregations within a stake can be much larger than normal. (Within the United States, such a situation is very common in the Northeast, Midwest, and South, rare on the West Coast, and virtually unheard-of in the Intermountain West.) The geographical area encompassed by a stake varies between countries and regions based on membership density. In densely Latter-day Saint Utah, a stake might be a few square miles in area. A stake in the eastern United States might take up thousands of square miles to comprise a sufficient number of members. In Mormonism, the Melchizedek priesthood is one of the two or three types, or orders of priesthood. ... // History Early history Native Americans have lived in Utah for several thousand years; most archeological evidence dates such habitation about 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. ...

At the end of 2004, there were 2665 stakes in the LDS Church. ("Statistical Report, 2004". 2005 Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. URL accessed on April 19, 2005.) 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located in Salt Lake City, Utah is the largest attraction in the citys Temple Square. ... April 19 is the 109th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (110th in leap years). ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ...

Stake Organization

The stake is an intermediate level in the organizational hierarchy of the LDS Church. The lowest level, consisting of a single congregation, is known as a ward or branch. Stakes are organized from a group of contiguous wards or branches. A stake must be composed of at least three wards, and up to a total of sixteen congregations. Most stakes are composed of five to eight wards, but larger stakes often exist. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a ward is the larger of two types of local congregations (the smaller being a branch). ...

Stake Officers

The presiding officer in a stake is known as the Stake President. The president is assisted by two counselors, the three together forming a Stake Presidency. The stake presidency is assisted in turn by a twelve-member high council, called the Stake High Council. The members of the stake presidency and high council hold the priesthood office of High Priest. The stake presidency handles the administrative and judicial business of the Stake. In Mormonism, a high council is one of several different governing bodies that have existed in the church hierarchy on many Latter Day Saint denominations. ... In Mormonism, priesthood is considered to be the power and authority to act in the name of God, including the performance of sacred rites and ordinances, and the performance of miracles. ... In Mormonism, an High Priest is a priesthood and leadership position in many denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement. ...

In an area where there are insufficient congregations to form a stake, a district (analogous to a stake, but smaller) is formed to oversee the congregations. The presiding officer in a district is called the District President. The district president may or may not have counselors, depending on the number of members in the district. Duties which would be carried out by a stake presidency within a stake are shared between the district presidency and the mission presidency in a district.

In addition to the presidency and high council, stake auxiliary leaders are called to oversee the operation of the various auxiliary organizations of the stake. The stake auxiliaries correspond to the ward-level auxiliaries, and include the Stake Relief Society, (the Church's womens' organization) the Stake Primary Association (for children under 12 years of age) and stake Young Mens (Aaronic Priesthood) and Young Womens organizations. Typically, the stake-level auxiliary leadership consists of a presidency (made up of a president and two counselors) a secretary, and perhaps additional assistants or board members with specific responsibilities within the auxiliary organization. The auxiliary leaders provide oversight, advice and counsel for the ward-level auxiliary leaders, and organize stake-wide activities. Other stake specialists may be called to organize activities, typically sports or drama programs, which are more suitable for the larger numbers of people available to a stake and might be difficult for a ward to carry out on its own. The Aaronic Priesthood is the lesser of the two (or sometimes three) orders of priesthood recognized in Mormonism. ...

Stake Conference

Stakes hold twice-yearly Stake Conferences, under the direction of the Stake Presidency. The conferences are used to conduct stake business (primarily the appointment and sustaining of stake officers) and to disseminate counsel and guidance from the Stake Presidency. Speakers at stake conferences generally include the three members of the Stake Presidency, in addition to other stake members, called upon by the Stake Presidency, to speak on assigned topics. General Authorities of the Church sometimes visit at stake confences, at which times they are the featured speakers. A General Authority is a priesthood leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints whose responsibility is at a church-wide level, rather than localized to a particular area or unit of the Church. ...

Community of Christ

The Community of Christ (previously the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) eliminated the designation of "Stake" as an administrative unit. The church is now organized into "Mission Centers." Community of Christ Temple in Independence, Missouri, USA. Dedicated 1994 Community of Christ, previously known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints or RLDS church is a branch of Mormon Restorationism, and is the second largest denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement. ...

Strangites

Historically, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite) maintained stakes in Voree, Wisconsin, Kirtland, Ohio, and on Beaver Island, Michigan, but today the church has only a single stake in Voree. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, also known as the Strangite church, is a denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement and a part of the Mormon faith. ... Voree, Wisconsin is a former settlement and a historic site on the outskirts of present-day Burlington, Wisconsin. ... Kirtland is a city located in Lake County, Ohio, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 6,670. ... Beaver Island is the largest island in Lake Michigan and part of the Beaver Island archipelago. ...

References

• Smith, Joseph Fielding (1973). Essentials in Church History. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 0-87747-081-2.