I know. I lurk most of the time, and I'm not about very often anymore. To be honest, I generally only visit rfm out of nostalgia, since I feel pretty much recovered from it all. I've been out for ten years and a bit of wiggle room, now, and I'm forgetting things about the church--and that's utterly fantastic. I'm seriously hoping that particular grey matter has since been devoted to something far more pleasant, or even useful.

Here's my problem, though: A good friend is writing a post-apocalyptic novel set in the midwest, and I've been her source on Mormon culture. Only I've forgotten when boys get ordained into the Aaronic Priesthood. Was it 12? Did they do that during Sacrament? I remember converts getting it immediately after baptism, but that's sort of vague and fuzzy, too.

I was a girl and not worthy to wield the peni--I mean, priesthood, so I never worried much about ages and whatnot for the boys.

This of course applies to boys who are members at that age. If they come in as converts later on and are 16 or older, they can be ordained as Priests, assuming that they aren't drinking coffee out of a thermos jug during sacrament meeting or committing other sins.

The standard progression is as follows:

Age 12: Deacon

Age 14: Teacher

Age 16: Priest

Missionary Age (usually 19): Elder

Important leadership position: High Priest (The High Priest promotion also comes generally to anyone who looks like a grandpa--even if they haven't been in an important leadership position).

Where's my like button?

The priesthood ordinations are done ... well, I don't really know where but not in the sacrament meeting. No personal experience, sorry. It's either during the priesthood meeting or after meetings in bishop's office I guess.