Priesthood Line of Authority

[jasonhyer]

The latest bright note for ensuring PLA is recorded is version 3.3 of MLS. A change was made to allow Stake Clerks to record Priesthood Ordinations instead of relying upon the Ward Clerks to do so. I have had to make it a habit over the last several years that when we have Stake Conference or a General Priesthood meeting to verify that the brothers who were sustained at the last meeting for ordination to the Melchizedek Priesthood did actually have their ordination recorded. I don't think I ever went once without having to follow up with a ward clerk to get the ordination recorded.

Now thankfully, I can easily perform the duty that is mine as stake clerk to make sure that Priesthood Ordinations are recorded.

I also remember back a few years ago sending sheaves of ordination records to Salt Lake for ordinations that were performed in our stake but hadn't been recorded on member's records. There were only a few that I was able to record myself because many of the brothers no longer resided in the stake. I remember not envying those who had to enter this information for all those brothers who didn't have it recorded.

[russellhltn]

The latest bright note for ensuring PLA is recorded is version 3.3 of MLS. A change was made to allow Stake Clerks to record Priesthood Ordinations instead of relying upon the Ward Clerks to do so. I have had to make it a habit over the last several years that when we have Stake Conference or a General Priesthood meeting to verify that the brothers who were sustained at the last meeting for ordination to the Melchizedek Priesthood did actually have their ordination recorded. I don't think I ever went once without having to follow up with a ward clerk to get the ordination recorded.

Now you just have to make sure the ordination itself is done before you record it.

[davesudweeks]

You are correct, though, that whenever CHQ finds the information, they will add it to the appropriate membership record. So, in your case, if someone else provided the input, the record would have been updated without any action on your part.

Several in my ward have requested their line of authority (I think I was the first after seeing it on this forum and wanted to find out how the process worked). One interesting thing: For every High Priest, after he requested his Line of Authority, his membership record was updated to add his Elder Ordination just above his High Priest ordination.

This runs slightly counter to the instructions in MLS and elsewhere, but I like it anyway. That may be driving other membership updates as the data is linked together through Membership Record #'s and Line of Authority information.

[davesudweeks]

The latest bright note for ensuring PLA is recorded is version 3.3 of MLS. A change was made to allow Stake Clerks to record Priesthood Ordinations instead of relying upon the Ward Clerks to do so. I have had to make it a habit over the last several years that when we have Stake Conference or a General Priesthood meeting to verify that the brothers who were sustained at the last meeting for ordination to the Melchizedek Priesthood did actually have their ordination recorded. I don't think I ever went once without having to follow up with a ward clerk to get the ordination recorded.

Not to complain, but from a ward clerk's perspective, my problem is that the Ordination Form the Stake is supposed to sign during the ordination rarely makes it back to the Ward (at least in my experience). That should be my trigger to record the Ordination in MLS. I think the process would work well if all the steps were followed at both the Ward and Stake Level.

[lajackson]

One interesting thing: For every High Priest, after he requested his Line of Authority, his membership record was updated to add his Elder Ordination just above his High Priest ordination.

The date of the elder ordination has been returned to the membership record. It actually represents the date the member received the Melchizedek Priesthood, and therefore qualified for other ordinances (i.e., temple). Having that date makes other record troubleshooting easier.

[aebrown]

The date of the elder ordination has been returned to the membership record. It actually represents the date the member received the Melchizedek Priesthood, and therefore qualified for other ordinances (i.e., temple). Having that date makes other record troubleshooting easier.

The Elder ordination date also is necessary for determining any lines of authority that include MP ordinations a brother did while he was an elder before he became a high priest.

[jasonhyer]

Not to complain, but from a ward clerk's perspective, my problem is that the Ordination Form the Stake is supposed to sign during the ordination rarely makes it back to the Ward (at least in my experience). That should be my trigger to record the Ordination in MLS. I think the process would work well if all the steps were followed at both the Ward and Stake Level.

In the handbook of instruction it clearly states that it is the Stake clerk's responsibility to ensure that all melchizedek priesthood ordinations are recorded. I have been a stake clerk for 6 years now and have never been able to fully ensure that the ordinations were recorded without double and triple checking membership records, following up with High Councilors and Ward Clerks, and constantly reminding all of them of the importance of recording the ordinance.

With this software change, the responsibility that has always been mine is actually under my control. I would have to look again but either in the release notes or the MLS message announcing the update, it stated that Stake Clerks should now be the ones to record the ordination. That should free ward clerks of that resposibility and should only now have to try and ensure that they get a copy of the ordination record to keep on hand for a year for record retention purposes.

I see it as a win-win situation for the wards and stakes.

[aebrown]

I would have to look again but either in the release notes or the MLS message announcing the update, it stated that Stake Clerks should now be the ones to record the ordination. That should free ward clerks of that resposibility and should only now have to try and ensure that they get a copy of the ordination record to keep on hand for a year for record retention purposes.

Although I certainly agree that this is a great move forward, I would note that you are somewhat overstating the policy change. It's still just fine for ward clerks to record MP ordinations. The exact wording is:

Now both stakes and wards can record Melchizedek Priesthood ordinations (elder and high priest), with stakes taking the lead so that these ordinations are recorded in a more timely manner.

Stakes clearly "take the lead", but it is also clear that "both stakes and wards can record MP ordinations." Stake presidents now have the tools so that they can determine for their individual stakes whether recording ordinations is handled primarily or exclusively at the ward or stake level or at both.

[jhigbee]

Our high councilman came to me Sunday asking if I had heard how in the system a priesthood holder registered on the Church’s website can find and print his priesthood line-of-authority. I told him I seem to have heard that this is now available to members to access (or if not, at least authorized leaders can do so). After spending several minutes searching three different categories for my question, I finally wised up and just entered Priesthood Line-of-Authority in the search box, and found this string from July thru Dec of last year. Now after reading this informative string, I’m quite pessimistic that PLA’s will be available to anyone electronically now, or in the near future. But I hope someone can tell us if any progress is being made in this direction. Until then, the only avenue for priesthood holders will be to request the manual process as Bro. Brown described back on July 8.
Thank you Brothers Jackson and Hyer for your discussion on the history & process of recording the names of phd holders who perform the ordinations. Based on my WM clerk experience from ’03 onward, the period of the 90’s that Bro. Jackson mentioned when the (then) MIS membership system would not even allow us to record the name of the ordainers extended well into 2000’s before the system was revised back again to requiring the names be recorded. As others have mentioned, this became problematic for us memb clerks and phd holders themselves to try and find the names of these ordainers (let alone their other membership info now required to be recorded in MLS). The father in one of my home teaching families is a case-in-point, as he has found no way now of remembering or finding who ordained him as high priest back east in about ‘04. Thus he can’t give his own son his Phd LOA.

[jhigbee]

Any more feedback on whether we’ll see progress soon on making our PLA lines available electronically?