How does one become a high priest in the Mormon church? What are the qualifications?

Question

I have heard that the LDS church has "high priest". I have never met one but wondered what that title means and how do they obtain such a title? What are the qualifications?

Answer 1

The title "High Priest" is given to those who are generally older in age ranging from 35 and on. However that is not a requirement. The title is the highest office of the Priesthood that one can hold in the Church of Jesus Christ, Latter-Day Saints. The only requirements are that you've been a member for over a year and have already become an Elder in the Priesthood. Your Bishop, the person who presides over local congregations, is the one who will pray and decide when you are ready to receive the title of High Priest. The Stake President, the person in charge of a large area or bordering towns, will interview you and pray to determine whether or not you're ready for this title.

*Edit* Polygamy, or the act of having multiple wives was abolished by the Church of Jesus Christ, Latter-Day Saints over 100 years ago.

The Priesthood is only given to men. The reasoning behind this is because women already have such a great power in childbirth, that they do not "need" to hold the Priesthood.

Answer 2

A "High Priest" is a man who holds the Melchizedek Priesthood AND has been called by God and set apart by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority to do so, to hold the particular calling they have received. Every man in leadership positions are High Priests. The only ones who are not necessarily High Priests, are the ones who lead the young men (even some of them are), and the Elders Quorum.

Bishops, Branch Presidents, Stake Presidents, etc.

Edit: Scott R--The highest office in the Priesthood is that of Prophet. Yes he is a High Priest, but a Prophet holds ALL the keys to the Priesthood, where other Hight Priests do not (read a Marvelous Work and a Wonder, all this is explained quite well). He is the only individual with these keys. However, the Quorum of the 12 together hold these keys. This is why the Church does not quit functioning when the Prophet dies.

Answer 3

Yes. But for a Mormon that means he was once a bishop for 5-7ish years with duties similar to a pastor in other churches except that he didn't get paid. Is Harry Reid a high priest anyone know? As far as the church goes there are a lot of High Priests. There have been plenty of people with church responsibilities in the government before. How are we combining religion and government?

Answer 4

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
How does one become a high priest in the Mormon church? What are the qualifications?
I have heard that the LDS church has "high priest". I have never met one but wondered what that title means and how do they obtain such a title? What are the qualifications?

Answer 5

Lds High Priest

Answer 6

Really, I think they make all old people High Priests by default.

Like, after they are too old for Elders Quorum, they go into being a High Priest. There's nothing special about it. Anybody can do it as long as they don't die before turning say, 50 or so.

Oh, except Women, they'll never be anything.

Answer 7

Here's what a high priest is. http://scriptures.lds.org/en/bd/h/49
If you really want to know what the qualifications are and how people become high priests. Email me at [e-mail].

Answer 8

Men who have been in teh church for several years, and are of a certain age, or men who are bishops or in the bishopric are high priests. But technically, they are no different or better than elders.

Answer 9

The qualifications of a high preist as set forth in the sciptures:
(summary is below if you don't want to read all this...feel free to skip down...)
1 AND again, my brethren, I would cite your minds forward to the time when the Lord God gave these commandments unto his children; and I would that ye should remember that the Lord God ordained priests, after his holy order, which was after the order of his Son, to teach these things unto the people.
2 And those priests were ordained after the order of his Son, in a manner that thereby the people might know in what manner to look forward to his Son for redemption.
3 And this is the manner after which they were ordained--being called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works; in the first place being left to choose good or evil; therefore they having chosen good, and exercising exceedingly great faith, are called with a holy calling, yea, with that holy calling which was prepared with, and according to, a preparatory redemption for such.
4 And thus they have been called to this holy calling on account of their faith, while others would reject the Spirit of God on account of the hardness of their hearts and blindness of their minds, while, if it had not been for this they might have had as great privilege as their brethren.
5 Or in fine, in the first place they were on the same standing with their brethren; thus this holy calling being prepared from the foundation of the world for such as would not harden their hearts, being in and through the atonement of the Only Begotten Son, who was prepared--
6 And thus being called by this holy calling, and ordained unto the high priesthood of the holy order of God, to teach his commandments unto the children of men, that they also might enter into his rest--
7 This high priesthood being after the order of his Son, which order was from the foundation of the world; or in other words, being without beginning of days or end of years, being prepared from eternity to all eternity, according to his foreknowledge of all things--
8 Now they were ordained after this manner--being called with a holy calling, and ordained with a holy ordinance, and taking upon them the high priesthood of the holy order, which calling, and ordinance, and high priesthood, is without beginning or end--
9 Thus they become high priests forever, after the order of the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, who is without beginning of days or end of years, who is full of grace, equity, and truth. And thus it is. Amen.
10 Now, as I said concerning the holy order, or this high priesthood, there were many who were ordained and became high priests of God; and it was on account of their exceeding faith and repentance, and their righteousness before God, they choosing to repent and work righteousness rather than to perish;
11 Therefore they were called after this holy order, and were sanctified, and their garments were washed white through the blood of the Lamb.

There are many other references, but I just wanted to put that one up. It probably doesn't make sense, for the most part, to most people.

Basically, a high preist has to be a person who is close to the spirit and have proven themselves worthy of the calling both before this life and during this life. Not all older men in the LDS Church are called to be high priests. There are many men who remain elders for the duration of their lives. No church office is automatic based on age - at least it isn't supposed to be. Sometimes the members make a mistake and base some of these things on age but that's because we are all imperfect. The Church strives toward perfection, however. Here's some more info, if you'd like it:

Info on the orginization of the Priesthood:
http://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,11-1-13-21,00.html

Info on the Priesthood itself:
http://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,11-1-13-20,00.html

If you really want to understand what is going on, read the above links, bottom one first then the top one second.

Answer 10

Have at least 22 wives and make at least 5 Earth-shatteringly racist statements.