Church Organization and Priesthood

Stake
"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 of miles." 

Ward
"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 between 300 and 600 people."

Branch
"A branch is generally the smallest organized congregation of the Church (normally fewer than two hundred members)." Encyclopedia of Mormonism

Districts
"A 'district' is an ecclesiastical unit similar in function to a stake. Districts are found within missions in developing areas of the Church mostly outside the United States and Canada."

Lay Participation and Leadership
"The scope of volunteer service in the Church is extensive, both in the number of people involved and in the amount of their service." Encyclopedia of Mormonism

Common Consent
"Common consent is a fundamental principle of decision making at all levels in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." Encyclopedia of Mormonism

Following the Prophets
"The basic doctrines call for real discipline of self; they are hard because wise self-discipline is hard. Among the requirements that God has laid upon us is to pay heed to His living prophets. In our dispensation this has been described as "following the Brethren." Elder Neal A. Maxwell

Priesthood Organization
Describes how the Priesthood is organized within the Church.

Auxiliary Organizations
"The LDS Church is characterized by two types of organizational entities: priesthood quorums and organizations auxiliary to the priesthood."

Relief Society
"The Relief Society is the official adult women's organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is an essential part of the structure of the Church at general, stake, and ward levels. The organization provides opportunities for association, leadership, compassionate service, and education. Through the Relief Society, 'women of the Church are given some measure of divine authority particularly in the direction of government and instruction in behalf of the women of the church' (J. F. Smith, p. 5)."

Sunday School
"Sunday School in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is held weekly in each local ward or branch. It lasts about an hour. Each Sunday, ward members assemble at the meetinghouse chapel for prayer and hymn singing, following which those twelve years and older attend age-group classes for religious instruction while younger children attend primary."

Young Men
"The Aaronic Priesthood is the basic organization for the young men of the Church, ages twelve through eighteen. The Young Men organization is an auxiliary to the priesthood and includes scouting and other programs designed to help with the full development of young male members of the Church, including spiritual, social, and physical aspects."

Young Women
"The Young Women program of the Church in 1990 reached an international membership of one million young women between the ages of twelve and eighteen."

Primary
"The Primary is an organized program of religious instruction and activity in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for children from eighteen months of age until their twelfth birthdays. Its purpose is to teach children the gospel of Jesus Christ and help them learn to live it."