Presiding Patriarch

In the Latter Day Saint movement, the Presiding Patriarch (also called Presiding Evangelist, Patriarch over the Church, Patriarch of the Church, or Patriarch to the Church) is a church-wide leadership office within the priesthood. Among the duties of the Presiding Patriarch are to preside in council meetings, ordain other patriarchs, and administer patriarchal blessings.

Originally, the office of Presiding Patriarch was one of the highest and most important offices of the church's priesthood. The role was equated by Joseph Smith with Biblical patriarchs from Adam to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and it was expected that the office would descend through lineal succession from father to son. This precedent was set when Hyrum Smith, Joseph's brother, became the second Presiding Patriarch because he was the eldest surviving son of the first Presiding Patriarch, Joseph Smith Sr. When the office was given to Hyrum, he was given "keys of the patriarchal priesthood over the kingdom of God on earth, even the Church of the Latter Day Saints."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Thus, some have argued that Presiding Patriarch is an office of the Patriarchal Priesthood. However, the existence and meaning of the Patriarchal Priesthood is controversial and uncertain.

Community of Christ

Chronology of the Presiding Patriarchs/Evangelist of Community of Christ

	Date	Presiding Patriarchs/Evangelist	Notes
File:Joseph Smith, Sr.jpg	18 December 1833 – 14 September 1840	Joseph Smith Sr.	Father of Joseph Smith
File:Hyrum Smith ca 1880-1920.png	14 September 1840 - 27 June 1844	Hyrum Smith	Oldest surviving son of Joseph Smith Sr.
File:Williamsmith.gif	24 May 1845 – 19 October 1845	William Smith	Oldest surviving son of Joseph Smith Sr. William Smith was patriarch to the church until his name and positions were read at the 19 October 1845 general conference. Conference attendees unanimously voted against Smith being retained as both an apostle and the patriarch.<ref name=Roberts>B. H. Roberts (ed.), History of the Church 7:457–59.</ref> He then lost both offices and was disfellowshipped from the church.<ref name=Roberts/><ref name="October 6, 1845">Hosea Stout journal, October 6, 1845.</ref> William Smith would also be referred to as "Petitioner for RLDS Patriarchate" from April 6, 1872 – November 13, 1893 by the Community of Christ (RLDS).<ref name=HSEP>Howard, Richard P. Lesson 2: A Brief Historical Survey of the Ministry of the Evangelist-Patriarch, page 13. Temple School Course PA 222: Evangelists: Sharing a New World of Blessing, Community of Christ.</ref>
	check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}April 6, 1872 – November 13, 1893
File:Alexander Hale Smith.jpg	April 1897 – 12 August 1909	Alexander H. Smith	Brother of Joseph Smith III
File:Joseph R. Lambert.jpg	12 August 1909 – 20 April 1913	Joseph R. Lambert	Acting Presiding Patriarch
File:Frederick A. Smith.jpg	20 April 1913 – 10 April 1938	Frederick A. Smith	Son of Alexander H. Smith.
File:Elbert A. Smith.jpg	10 April 1938 – 4 February 1958	Elbert A. Smith	Grandson of Joseph Smith, Son of David Hyrum Smith
	4 February 1958 – 4 April 1974<ref name=RAC>Doctrine and Covenants Sec 151:1a and 151:2</ref>	Roy A. Cheville	Left his professorial career at Graceland College to accept ordination. In 1974 he became "Patriarch Emeritus".<ref name=RAC/> First person to serve in that office who was not a direct descendant of Joseph Smith Sr.
	4 April 1974<ref name=RAC/> - 29 March 1982<ref name = RMH>Doctrine and Covenants Sec 155:1a and 155:2a</ref>	Reed M. Holmes
	29 March 1982<ref name = RMH/> – 5 April 1992<ref name = DEC>Doctrine and Covenants Sec 158:2a and 155:2a</ref>	Duane E. Couey
	5 April 1992<ref name = DEC/> – 5 April 1994<ref name = PWB>Doctrine and Covenants Sec 158:1 and 155:2a</ref>	Paul W. Booth	"Presiding Evangelist" became preferred title.<ref name = HSEP/>
	5 April 1994<ref name = PWB/> – 2000	Everett S. Graffeo
	2000 – 6 March 2006<ref name=DAB>Communication to the Church(Belrose Released): March 6, 2006 Template:Webarchive</ref>	Danny A. Belrose
	1 May 2006<ref name = DAB/> – 27 March 2007<ref name = REK>World Conference 2007: Official Minutes of Business Session</ref>	Richard E. Kohlman	Acting Presiding Evangelist
	26 March 2007<ref name = REK/> – 31 March 2016<ref name = veazey2016>Stephen M. Veazey, "Letter of Counsel about World Church Leadership", cofchrist.org, March 31, 2016.</ref>	David R. Brock
	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Jane M. Gardner	First female presiding evangelist
	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> –	Mareva M. Arnaud Tchong	First non-American presiding evangelist and first non-native English speaking presiding evangelist. Arnaud Tchong is Tahitian and was formerly a member of the Council of Twelve Apostles.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} When a Presiding Patriarch has existed, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) has sustained the person as a prophet, seer, and revelator.<ref name="stack20130405">Template:Cite news</ref> In the church's history, there have been eight Presiding Patriarchs, three Acting Presiding Patriarchs, and one Patriarch Emeritus.

The LDS Church effectively discontinued the office of Presiding Patriarch in 1979, indicating enough local patriarchs existed so that the church-wide position was no longer needed. However, E. Gary Smith, the eldest son of the final patriarch, Eldred G. Smith, rejected this explanation, suggesting instead that the dissolution of the office was the inevitable result of longstanding tensions rising from the incompatibility of a hereditary position with the broader church hierarchy based in "office charisma," consistent with the Weberian model of bureaucracy.<ref name="Bates Lost Legacy" /> Until that time, the role and duties of the office had varied.<ref name="Bates Lost Legacy" /> The Presiding Patriarch sometimes appointed local patriarchs in the church's stakes and presided over them as a loose "Quorum of Patriarchs." Like the local patriarchs, the Presiding Patriarch was also empowered to give patriarchal blessings.

Chronology of the Presiding Patriarchs of the LDS Church

	Dates	Presiding Patriarch	Notes
File:Joseph Smith, Sr.jpg	18 December 1833 – 14 September 1840	Joseph Smith Sr.	Father of Joseph Smith
File:Hyrum Smith ca 1880-1920.png	14 September 1840 – 27 June 1844	Hyrum Smith	Oldest surviving son of Joseph Smith Sr.
File:Williamsmith.gif	24 May 1845 – 6 October 1845	William Smith	Oldest surviving son of Joseph Smith Sr. William Smith was patriarch to the church until his name and positions were read at the 6 October 1845 general conference. Conference attendees unanimously voted against Smith being retained as both an apostle and the patriarch.<ref name="Roberts"/> He then lost both offices and was disfellowshipped from the church.<ref name=Roberts/><ref name="October 6, 1845"/>
File:John Smith (uncle of Joseph Smith).jpg	1 January 1849 – 23 May 1854	John Smith	"Uncle John"; brother of Joseph Smith Sr.
File:John Smith (nephew)1895.JPG	18 February 1855 – 6 November 1911	John Smith	Son of Hyrum Smith
File:Hyrum G. Smith2.jpg	9 May 1912 – 4 February 1932	Hyrum G. Smith	Grandson of his predecessor John Smith; great-grandson of Hyrum Smith
File:Nicholas G. Smith.jpg	4 February 1932 – 1934	Nicholas G. Smith (de facto Acting Presiding Patriarch)	Son of apostle John Henry Smith; grandson of apostle George A. Smith; great-grandson of former presiding patriarch "Uncle" John Smith; was never officially called, set apart, or sustained as the Acting Presiding Patriarch, but carried out the functions of the office
File:Frank B. Woodbury.jpg	1934 – October 8, 1937	Frank B. Woodbury (de facto Acting Presiding Patriarch)	Unrelated to Smith family; was never officially called, set apart, or sustained as the Acting Presiding Patriarch, but carried out the functions of the office
File:George F. Richards 1920.jpg	October 8, 1937 – 8 October 1942	George F. Richards (Acting Presiding Patriarch)	Unrelated to Smith family; unlike Nicholas G. Smith and Frank B. Woodbury, was officially called, set apart, and sustained as the Acting Presiding Patriarch
File:Joseph Fielding Smith (presiding patriarch).jpg	8 October 1942 – 6 October 1946	Joseph Fielding Smith<ref name = JFS>Not to be confused with his uncle of the same name, Joseph Fielding Smith, who served as church president from 1970 to 1972.</ref>	Great-grandson of Hyrum Smith; not a descendant of previous presiding patriarch Hyrum G. Smith; ordained as "Patriarch to the Church" rather than "Presiding Patriarch," a change in title that was accompanied by a reduction in the scope of the office, as Smith was not permitted to ordain or formally supervise local patriarchs.<ref name="Bates Lost Legacy">Template:Cite book</ref> Released by church president George Albert Smith amid reports of homosexual activity.<ref name=Quinn>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp <ref name=Transgression>Template:Citation</ref>Template:Rp<ref>"Patriarch to the Church: Released from Duties", Improvement Era 49 (November 1946) pp. 685, 708.</ref> Restored to "priesthood status" in 1957.
File:Eldred G. Smith.jpg	10 April 1947 – 4 October 1979	Eldred G. Smith	Son of former Presiding Patriarch Hyrum G. Smith; great-great-grandson of Hyrum Smith. Patriarch emeritus from 4 October 1979 to his death on 4 April 2013. No longer sustained as "prophet, seer, and revelator" following designation as patriarch emeritus.<ref name="Officer Sustaining Oct 1979">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Position abolished {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}

See also

• Lineal succession (Latter Day Saints)
• Patriarch (Latter Day Saints)
• Patriarchal priesthood

References

• Template:Cite journal.
• Template:Cite book.
• Peggy Fletcher Stack, "Century Mark: Church leader with historic position nears 100th birthday", Salt Lake Tribune, December 29, 2006.