Editing Episcopal polity (section)

== The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ==
Although it never uses the term, [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (informally known as the LDS Church) is episcopal, rather than presbyterian or congregational, in the sense that it has a strict hierarchy of leadership from the local bishop/branch president up to a single prophet/president, believed to be personally authorized and guided by Jesus Christ.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}} Local congregations (branches, wards, and stakes) have ''de jure'' boundaries by which members are allocated, and membership records are centralized.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}} This system developed gradually from a more presbyterian polity ([[Joseph Smith]]'s original title in 1830 was "First Elder") for pragmatic and doctrinal reasons, reaching a full episcopacy during the [[Nauvoo, Illinois|Nauvoo]] period (1839–1846).{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}