You’re probably already familiar with your ward, a local congregation, but you may be curious about stakes. A stake is a group of wards in one area, being made up of five to ten wards. Just as a ward is led by a bishop and two counselors, a stake is lead by a stake president and two counselors. They oversee the larger operation of the geographical area. The stake president is called by general authorities. He calls and trains the bishops, providing an unbroken priesthood authority. He advises the bishops and safeguards the standards and programs of the church, to be certain all wards are operating under church guidelines. The Lord has wisely built protections into his church, so no small group can wander off in its own directions.
Each ward auxiliary also has a corresponding stake organization. The Stake Primary presidency, for instance, watches over the ward Primary, providing larger scale activities, such as a day for young girls to meet together once a year with all the other girls their own age within the stake. They also provide training and counseling to the ward leaders of the organization.
One building in each stake is designated as the stake center. The stake presidency has its offices there. It’s generally a bit larger than regular chapels and often has a family history center located in it.
Once a month, a representative of the stake high council, a group of twelve priesthood holders who serve under the stake president, will speak in your ward on a topic chosen by the stake leaders. Each of these leaders is also assigned a ward to watch over. He attends their ward often and gets to know the leaders, serving as an advisor in making sure the programs are properly administered and that the leaders have someone they can turn to for help and advice.
In addition, stake conferences are held regularly, where all members of the stake gather together for special services. These services often address larger issues stake-wide, topics the stake would like to bring to the attention of the wards. For instance, a stake presidency might decide to focus on missionary work, so they would choose that as the theme for the conference and provide encouragement and guidance in that topic. Generally there will be an adult session of conference on Saturday night, and then a two hour general session for all members on Sunday morning.
When you’re ready to receive your temple recommend, a member of the high council will interview you, in addition to the bishop. This provides an additional level of security, in seeing that the temple is attended only by those who are worthy.
The late Terrie Lynn Bittner—beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend—was the author of two homeschooling books and numerous articles, including several that appeared in Latter-day Saint magazines. She became a member of the Church at the age of 17 and began sharing her faith online in 1992.
