Transformation of Charisma in the Mormon Church : A History of the Office of Presiding Patriarch, 1833-1979
University of California at Los Angeles
1991
Ph.D. diss.
"During the one hundred and sixty years of its existence the Mormon Church has evolved from a charismatic movement founded by the Prophet, Joseph Smith, Jr., in 1830 to an institution of more than seven million members worldwide. Despite the development of a large bureaucratic structure within the Church, its authority stemming from a central hierarchy, the institution has managed to retain elements of charismatic authority. The three men who comprise the First Presidency, as well as the Council of the Twelve Apostles, are designated "prophets, seers, and revelators," chosen by God, and led by divine revelation. The charismatic authority vested in them by virtue of office is bestowed by the laying-on of hands by existing officers. In contrast, the office of Presiding Patriarch, also described as "prophet, seer, and revelator," was modelled on Old Testament hereditary patriarchs. Based on "familial charisma," which is dependent upon kinship ties, the Patriarch's charismatic authority was deemed inherent in the blood. Max Weber proposed that the desire to preserve charismatic leadership in any movement can only be fulfilled by its transformation. In terms of Weber's theory the Mormon Church was faced with the task of choosing between a leadership embracing "office charisma" and one accepting "familial charisma." This study examines the difficulties encountered in trying to accommodate both "office charisma" and "familial charisma" within a fast-growing institution demanding predictability and control. The ultimate resolution of the problem--the elimination of the office of Presiding Patriarch in 1979--required the sacrifice of the "familial charisma" upon which Mormonism had been founded." [Author's abstract]