The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is governed by priesthood. This priesthood is composed of two components: a lesser priesthood (Aaronic) and a greater priesthood (Melchizedek). Each priesthood has offices. The Aaronic Priesthood has four offices: deacon, teacher, priest and bishop. The Melchizedek Priesthood has five offices: elder, high priest, patriarch, seventy and apostle. For someone to have the Melchizedek Priesthood conferred upon him and ordained to the office of elder, he needs to meet the following requirements: 1. Be male 2. Be baptised within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 3. Have the Aaronic Priesthood conferred upon him 4. Be ordained a priest 5. Live a relatively righteous life The office of elder is the first office in the Melchizedek Priesthood. As such, it carries with it responsibilities and duties not found in the Aaronic Priesthood. Elders can heal the sick, dedicate graves, bestow the gift of the Holy Ghost and so forth. At the same time, they do not have all the same responsibilities and duties of other offices in the Melchizedek Priesthood. For example, high priests have the responsibility to preside in meetings, whereas elders preside if no high priests are present. In addition, bishops, stake presidents, high councilmen and other similar callings require the individual be a high priest.

Any holder of the Melchizidek (higher) priesthood may be addressed as "Elder." There are three offices of the Melchizidek priesthood, filling many different callings and duties. While one calling may have authority superior to another, the three offices are equal; the newest Elder in the world has the same priesthood as the oldest member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Alatea suggests that it is double-talk to suggest that someone can be equal to another yet still superior, so I will explain it a bit. Imagine that a man grows up and becomes an adult. He has all of the rights brought by adulthood. His father, also an adult, has those rights, thus they are equal in that way. The father, however, will always be superior in that he is the father. Let's say that the son goes to the Naval Academy and comes back as a Marine Corps lieutenant. Dad is a Gunnery Sergeant. The son is now superior to dad in some ways (grade), equal in others (adulthood), and less in still others (family order). Both are called "Marine." In the Aaronic (lower) priesthood, each office is greater in responsibility and authority to the one before. A Priest has more of these than do Teachers and Deacons. In the Melchizidek Priesthood, however, all three offices (Elder, Seventy, High Priest) have the same level of priesthood. They have different duties and responsibilities, but because they are on the same level, all are called "Elder."

FUCK ELDERSS HEIL HITLER 18/88

Aaronic: Only the Family of Aaron could hold this priesthood. Melchizedek: Only Christ holds this priesthood...................................................Mormons have diminished Christ's suffering and death on the cross...................................Removing Christ authority and placing themselves in Christ position of Authority. This is Blasphemy.