Draft:Mormonism and authority
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Within Mormonism, authority typically refers to priesthood authority, or the ability to act in God's name. According to its founder, Joseph Smith, this authority had been removed from the primitive Christian church through a Great Apostasy, which Mormons believe occurred due to the deaths of the original apostles. Mormons maintain that this apostasy was prophesied of within the Bible to occur prior to the Second Coming of Jesus, and was therefore in keeping with God's plan for mankind. Smith said that the priesthood authority was restored to him from angelic beings—John the Baptist and the apostles Peter, James, and John.[1][2]
Priesthood authority was used as a foundation for early political structures in the Latter Day Saint movement. These included the Council of Fifty in Nauvoo, Illinois, and the theocracy established in the State of Deseret.