Aaronic Priesthood

The lesser of the two levels or orders of priesthood in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Aaronic Priesthood is conferred upon faithful male members of the Church beginning at age 12 and each man is ordained individually by the laying on of hands. Those who have been so ordained are said to “hold” the priesthood; the majority of Latter-day Saint men and boys are priesthood holders.

Mormon Baptism — Baptism into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints requires full immersion in water by a person who holds the priesthood authority to baptize. It is the means by which people join the Church. Those who are baptized into the Church are cleansed of their previous sins and placed under covenant to live the principles of the gospel.

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Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference.© 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.

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There are three levels, or offices, in the Aaronic Priesthood: deacon, teacher and priest. Usually, deacons are ages 12 to 14, teachers ages 14 to 16 and priests ages 16 to 18. Men who join the Church after age 18 do not need to go through each step and generally begin as priests.

Those who have the Aaronic Priesthood prepare and offer the sacrament (communion) to Church members during Sunday worship services, help visit members in their homes, collect contributions for the poor and perform other service duties. The name of the Aaronic Priesthood comes from Aaron, brother of Moses, in the Old Testament.

See also: Melchizedek Priesthood, Priesthood