Editing General authority (section)

== Composition and distinction from general officers ==
By definition, general authorities are members of the church's [[Priesthood (LDS Church)|priesthood]].<ref name=eom/> In order of precedence,<ref name=eom/> the general authorities include the members of the following leadership organizations:

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Organization
! Membership
! Title given to members<br />(e.g., ''Title'' Smith or ''Title'' John J. Smith)
! Tenure
|-
| '''[[First Presidency (LDS Church)|First Presidency]]'''
| [[President of the Church (LDS Church)|President of the Church]] and his chosen counselors
| [[President (LDS Church honorific)|President]]<ref name=eom/>
| [[President of the Church (LDS Church)|President of the Church]]: Life<br />Counselors: Until own death, death of the President of the Church, or release at the discretion of the president
|-
| '''[[Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church)|Quorum of the Twelve Apostles]]'''
| 12 [[Apostle (Latter Day Saints)|apostles]]
| Elder;<ref name=eom/><br />[[President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church)|president]] or [[Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles|acting president]] of the Quorum: [[President (LDS Church honorific)|President]]<ref name=eom/>
| Typically life; may be removed from Quorum to join First Presidency
|-
| '''[[Presidency of the Seventy]]'''
| 7 [[Seventy (LDS Church)|seventies]], typically drawn from the [[Seventy (LDS Church)|First]] or Second Quorum of the Seventy
| Elder<ref name=eom/>
| Variable (usually 5–8 years); until release at the discretion of the church president; may remain a member of the First or Second Quorum of the Seventy when released
|-
| '''[[Seventy (LDS Church)|First Quorum of the Seventy]]'''
| Up to 70 [[Seventy (LDS Church)|seventies]]
| Elder<ref name=eom/>
| Life; will typically be relieved of active duties and granted [[emeritus]] status around age 70
|-
| '''[[Seventy (LDS Church)|Second Quorum of the Seventy]]'''
| Up to 70 [[Seventy (LDS Church)|seventies]]
| Elder<ref name=eom/>
| Variable (usually 5–7 years); until release at the discretion of the church president
|-
| '''[[Presiding Bishop (LDS Church)|Presiding Bishopric]]'''
| 3 [[Bishop (Latter Day Saints)|bishops]]: one [[Presiding Bishop (LDS Church)|presiding bishop]] and two counselors
| Bishop<ref name=eom/>
| Variable (usually 9–12 years); until release at the discretion of the church president; will typically become a member of the [[Seventy (LDS Church)|First Quorum of the Seventy]] upon their release<ref>From 1961 to 2012, every member of the Presiding Bishopric had been called to be a general authority in another capacity upon being released from the Presiding Bishopric. Most have become Assistants to the Twelve or members of the First Quorum of Seventy; [[Robert D. Hales]] was called as member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. In 2012, [[H. David Burton]] and his counselors were released and designated as emeritus general authorities.</ref>
|-
| '''[[Presiding Patriarch (Mormonism)|Presiding Patriarch]]'''
| Defunct (was 1 [[Patriarch (Latter Day Saints)|patriarch]])
| Elder
| Defunct; Life; In 1979, [[Eldred G. Smith]] was released from active duties and given general authority [[Patriarch emeritus|emeritus]] status. A new presiding patriarch has not been called since his death in 2013.
|-
| '''[[Assistants to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles]]'''
| Defunct (was variable)
| Elder
| Defunct; All [[Assistants to the Twelve]] were added to the [[Seventy (LDS Church)|First Quorum of the Seventy]] in 1976 and the position was eliminated.
|}

=== General officers ===
Not all church leaders with church-wide responsibility are considered general authorities. The [[General auxiliary presidencies|general presidencies]] of the church's [[organization (LDS Church)|organizations]], which are sustained as general officers of the church, but are not general authorities,<ref name = eom/> include the general presidencies of the following organizations:

* [[Young Men Organization|Young Men]]
* [[Sunday School (LDS Church)|Sunday School]]
* [[Relief Society]]
* [[Young Women Organization|Young Women]]
* [[Primary (LDS Church)|Primary]]

The latter three groups are composed of women and represent the only three organizations in which women are given church-wide authority.

Also excluded from the definition of general authorities are members of the [[Seventy (LDS Church)|Third through the Twelfth Quorums of the Seventy]], who are called ''[[Seventy (LDS Church)|area seventies]]'' and have responsibilities relating to a limited [[Area (LDS Church)|geographical area]], not church-wide authority.<ref Name="Quorums of the Seventy">{{citation |title=Quorums of the Seventy |url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/leaders/quorums-of-the-seventy?lang=eng |department=Organization |website=LDS Church |access-date=2013-03-14}}</ref>

Until 2004, general leadership for the Sunday School and Young Men organizations had historically been filled by general authorities. However, in the church's April 2004 [[General Conference (LDS Church)|general conference]], [[Thomas S. Monson]], of the First Presidency, announced that "a recent decision [has been made] that members of the Quorums of the Seventy [will] not serve in the general presidencies of the Sunday School and Young Men."<ref>{{citation |url= https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2004/05/the-sustaining-of-church-officers |title= The Sustaining of Church Officers |journal= [[Ensign (LDS magazine)|Ensign]] |date=May 2004 |page= 24 |first= Thomas S. |last= Monson |author-link= Thomas S. Monson }}.</ref>

Due to this change, no general organization presidencies are composed of general authority seventies. Rather, the general authorities remain active in general church committees and have less jurisdiction over local [[Stake (Mormonism)|stakes]]. Generally, [[stake president]]s now report to area seventies, who in turn report to [[area presidencies]], which are usually composed of general authority seventies.

Typically, general authorities are given the [[sealing power]], while general officers and area seventies are not.