“How do I trace my line of priesthood authority?” Ensign, Dec. 1973, 33
I am trying to trace my line of priesthood authority. I know who ordained me, but he does not remember who ordained him to the Melchizedek Priesthood. Where do I go now?
The archives in the Church Historical Department provide assistance in tracing lines of authority after individual priesthood holders have gone as far as they can go in completing their own line.
The best procedure is to contact the man who ordained you and ask him for the line of authority of the priesthood office he held at the time of your ordination. Also determine the ward and stake and date of his ordination, even if he does not know the individual who ordained him.
Two sources which may be helpful in determining lines of authority are a chart printed by Deseret Book Company and detailing the lines of authority of all of the general authorities, and Essentials in Church History by President Joseph Fielding Smith (Deseret Book Company, 1950), which gives the line of authority for all presidents of the Church.
If all other sources fail you, send the information which you have to the Church Historical Department, 50 East North Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150.
Because of the number of requests which we receive we can only assist in determining the line of authority for your present priesthood office and not for any offices you held in the past.
Although tracing some lines may be difficult, we try to process all requests within one week.