Head of the "Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints believe that Jesus Christ is personally the Head of the
Church, leading and guiding it by revelation (D&C 10:69; 3 Ne.
21:22)." "All offices and callings are filled by lay leaders, as
the Church has no professional clergy. Even full-time
missionaries and General Authorities are drawn from the laity"
the Brethren: A Forgotten Art? Latter-day Saints who publicly
criticize Church Leaders forfeit any hopes of salvation. "Stakes
are an intermediate unit of organization between Church
headquarters and the local wards. A stake ordinarily comprises
between five and twelve wards, totaling at least 3,000 members.
Depending on LDS population density, a stake may cover only a
small part of one city or include many towns or cities spread
over hundreds "The ward is the basic ecclesiastical unit in The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is comparable to
a Protestant congregation or a Roman Catholic parish. Normally,
its membership ranges be