Seventy is a priesthood office in the Melchizedek priesthood of several denominations within the Latter Day Saint movement, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Traditionally, a Latter Day Saint holding this priesthood office is a "traveling minister"[1] and an "especial witness"[2] of Jesus Christ, charged with the mission of preaching the gospel to the entire world under the direction of the Twelve Apostles.[3] The office of seventy was anciently conferred upon Church members by Jesus Christ himself, as seventy disciples mentioned in the Gospel of Luke 10:1-2. Multiple individuals holding the office of seventy are referred to collectively as seventies.
In practical terms, the priesthood office of seventy is one which has varied widely over the course of history. As originally envisioned by Latter Day Saint movement founder Joseph Smith, Jr. in the 1830s, the seventy were to be a body composed of several separate quorums of up to 70 seventies each, all of which would be led by seven presidents. These presidents, chosen from the first quorum, would appoint and direct the other quorums of seventy.[4]
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the largest of the Latter Day Saint denominations, the quorums of the seventy are directed and supervised hierarchically by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who are in turn directed by the First Presidency. As introduced by Joseph Smith, the apostles and the seventy had authority only outside the main body of Latter Day Saints in Zion, and in the outlying stakes. Members in Zion and the stakes were led by the High Council of Zion (under the direction of the First Presidency) and stake high councils.
As a body, the seventy in the LDS Church are considered to be equal in priesthood authority with the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. This presumably means that if the apostles were killed or incapacitated, the seventy could take over the function of the apostles. However, in such circumstances, the seventy would be required to act unanimously.[5]
Historically, the First Quorum of the Seventy came into being in 1835 when seven men were set apart as the First Seven Presidents of the Seventy.
In 1837, six of the seven presidents were released because it was discovered that they had previously been ordained high priests. Five of these men were ultimately replaced by others. The other two—Levi W. Hancock and Joseph Young—remained members of the First Seven Presidents for the rest of their lives.[6]
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the members of the First and the Second Quorums of the Seventy are general authorities of the church with responsibilities covering the church as a whole, including areas of the church where stakes are established.
A member of the additional Quorums of the Seventy (currently numbered Third through Eighth) is called an area seventy. Members of these quorums are ordained to the priesthood office of seventy, but they are not general authorities of the church. Area seventies have authority only within a geographical unit of the church called an area.
By the time Joseph Smith was killed, he had already organized four incomplete quorums of seventy. By 1845, there were ten quorums of seventy. The seventies in the first quorum became the seven presidents for each of the other quorums; that is, there were 63 presidents, 7 for each of the 9 other quorums, and the seven remaining members were the presidency of the first quorum. The members of the first quorum were thus spread out across the church, making meetings of the first quorum rare.
Elders were often ordained to the office of seventy immediately before they left on a mission. Quorums were not restricted to geography, so individual quorums were scattered all over the world.
In 1883, church president John Taylor localized the quorums of seventy. Each stake was given a quorum of seventy, and seventies in that stake would belong to that quorum. Taylor also prescribed that the senior president of the first 63 quorums could meet with the seven presidents of the first quorum and that would constitute a meeting of the first quorum. This never happened, however. This organization continued until church president Spencer W. Kimball's reorganization of the seventies in 1976.
Though the number of seventies in the church grew, the number of presidents remained at seven. In the 1930s, the First Seven Presidents were renamed the First Council of the Seventy.
Eventually, the stake quorums of seventy were no longer numbered and in 1936 they were put under the local responsibility of stake presidents. Subsequently, in 1961, church president David O. McKay ordained those of the First Council of the Seventy who wished to be high priests.[7]
In 1975, under the direction of church president Spencer W. Kimball, the First Quorum of the Seventy was reconstituted. The First Quorum was composed of the former members of the First Council of the Seventy as well as new individuals selected by Kimball. The reason for the change was that the growth of the church necessitated the call of more general authorities. In 1976, the First Council of the Seventy, the First Quorum of the Seventy, and the Assistants to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles were all merged into a new First Quorum of the Seventy under a seven-member Presidency of the Seventy.[8] In 1978, some of the older members of the seventy were retired as the first general authorities to be given emeritus status. However, members appointed through 1981 were still granted life tenure.
In 1986, all stake quorums of seventy were discontinued. The church encouraged local leaders to have ordained seventies meet with the local elders quorum or to ordain them as high priests.[9]
In 1984, some seventies were appointed to the First Quorum of the Seventy who were not to serve for life, but for terms of several years. In 1989, these limited-term members were separated into a new Second Quorum of the Seventy . At the same time, the general practice was instituted of retiring all members of the First Quorum at the October general conference following their 70th birthdays, or earlier in the case of serious health problems. Some flexibility on the terms of service has emerged in recent years. Since 1989, members of the First and Second Quorums have continued as general authorities of the church. Sometimes members are called from the Second Quorum into the First Quorum.
Since the 1976 merger of First Quorum of the Seventy, seventies are the most usual candidates to become members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Since 1976, the three (of 15) apostles who did not serve as a general authority seventies prior to their call are Russell M. Nelson, Dallin H. Oaks, and David A. Bednar,[10] with Nelson and Oaks being ordained apostles in 1984 under church president Spencer W. Kimball, and Bednar in 2004 under church president Gordon B. Hinckley.
At the April 1995 general conference of the church, church president Gordon B. Hinckley announced the creation of a new leadership position known as the area authority.[11] The area authorities were to replace the regional representatives of the Twelve who had served as bridge of leadership between the general authorities and the local stake and mission presidents. In 1997, it was decided that area authorities would be ordained to the office of seventy. As a result, these area authorities were renamed area authority seventies, and the church announced that these new seventies would become members of the newly-created Third, Fourth, and Fifth Quorums of the Seventy.[12] Later, the title "area authority seventy" was shortened to area seventy, which is the title currently in use.
The area seventies serve in the various geographic regions of the world called areas in which the church is governed by area presidencies. An area presidency is typically composed of members of the First and Second Quorums of the Seventy.[13]
In 2004, the Fifth Quorum of the Seventy was divided to create the Sixth Quorum of the Seventy.[14]
In May 2005, the Seventh and Eighth Quorums of the Seventy were created. The Fourth Quorum, which had served Mexico, Central and South America had grown to 72 members, and was split into the Fourth and Seventh Quorums. The Eighth Quorum was created to allow better geographic organization of the Third Quorum (not because the number of members exceeded seventy). The Third Quorum previously covered all of Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and the western islands of the Pacific. The new Eighth Quorum serves Southern Asia, Australia, and the western islands of the Pacific. The Third Quorum continued to serve Africa, northern Asia, and Europe.[15]
| Name | Dates as a seventy | Specific quorum or position as a seventy | Dates in other position(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| George A. Smith | 1835–1839 | First Quorum of the Seventy | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (1839–1868); First Presidency (1868–1875) |
| Amasa M. Lyman | 1835–1842 | First Quorum of the Seventy | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (1842–1843; 1844–1867); First Presidency (1843–1844) |
| Erastus Snow | 1836–1849 | Second Quorum of the Seventy | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (1849–1888) |
| Wilford Woodruff | 1837–1838 | First Quorum of the Seventy | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (1839–1889); President of the church (1889–1898) |
| Lorenzo Snow | 1840 | None: was ordained a high priest the day after being ordained a seventy | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (1849–1898); First Presidency (1873–1877); President of the church (1898–1901) |
| Jedediah M. Grant | 1845–1854 | First Council of the Seventy | Apostle (1854–1856); First Presidency (1854–1856) |
| Abraham H. Cannon | 1882–1889 | First Council of the Seventy | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (1889–1896) |
| George Q. Morris | 1889–1908 | Stake seventy | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (1954–1962) |
| Richard L. Evans | 1938–1953 | First Council of the Seventy | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (1953–1971) |
| Bruce R. McConkie | 1946–1972 | First Council of the Seventy | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (1972–1985) |
| Neal A. Maxwell | 1974–1981 | First Council of the Seventy (1974–1976); Presidency of the Seventy (1976–1981) |
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (1981–2004) |
| James E. Faust | 1976–1978 | Presidency of the Seventy | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (1978–1995); First Presidency (1995–2007) |
| Alvin R. Dyer | 1976–1977 | First Quorum of the Seventy (only person to be ordained a seventy after being ordained an apostle) |
Apostle (1967–1977); First Presidency (1968–1970) |
| M. Russell Ballard | 1976–1985 | First Quorum of the Seventy; Presidency of the Seventy (1980–1985) |
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (1985– ) |
| Robert D. Hales | 1976–1985 | First Quorum of the Seventy | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (1994– ) |
| Joseph B. Wirthlin | 1976–1986 | First Quorum of the Seventy; Presidency of the Seventy (1986) |
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (1986–2008) |
| Richard G. Scott | 1977–1988 | First Quorum of the Seventy; Presidency of the Seventy (1983–1988) |
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (1988– ) |
| Jeffrey R. Holland | 1989–1994 | First Quorum of the Seventy | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (1994– ) |
| Henry B. Eyring | 1992–1995 | First Quorum of the Seventy | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (1995–2007 ); First Presidency (2007– ) |
| D. Todd Christofferson | 1993–2008 | First Quorum of the Seventy (1993–2008); Presidency of the Seventy (1998–2008) |
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (2008– ) |
| Neil L. Andersen | 1993–2009 | First Quorum of the Seventy (1993–2009); Presidency of the Seventy (2005–2009) |
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (2009–) |
| Dieter F. Uchtdorf | 1994–2004 | Second Quorum of the Seventy (1994–1996); First Quorum of the Seventy (1996–2004); Presidency of the Seventy (2002–2004) |
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (2004–2008); First Presidency (2008– ) |
| Quentin L. Cook | 1996–2007 | Second Quorum of the Seventy (1996–1998); First Quorum of the Seventy (1998–2007); Presidency of the Seventy (2007) |
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (2007– ) |
| David A. Bednar | 1997–2004 | Area seventy; Fifth Quorum of the Seventy | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (2004– ) |
| Name | Dates as a seventy | Specific quorum or position as a seventy | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elijah Abel | 1836–1884 | Non–general authority seventy | First black seventy |
| Ángel Abrea | 1981– | First Quorum of the Seventy (1981–2003); emeritus general authority (2003– ) |
First resident of Latin America general authority |
| Joseph Anderson | 1976–1992 | First Quorum of the Seventy (1976–1978); emeritus general authority (1978–1992) |
Oldest-lived general authority in LDS Church history (102) |
| Merrill J. Bateman | 1992–1994; 1995– | Second Quorum of the Seventy (1992–1994); First Quorum of the Seventy (1995–2007); Presidency of the Seventy (2003–2007); emeritus general authority (2007– ) |
Presiding Bishop of the church (1994–1995); President of Brigham Young University (1996–2003) |
| Samuel O. Bennion | 1933–1946 | First Council of the Seventy | |
| Gladden Bishop | c. 1837–1842 | Non-general authority seventy | Abandoned the church in 1842 and established his own Latter Day Saint sect after 1844 |
| Clayton M. Christensen | Area Seventy; Sixth Quorum of the Seventy | Professor at Harvard Business School | |
| Kim B. Clark | 2007– | Area Seventy; Fifth Quorum of the Seventy | President of Brigham Young University–Idaho (2007– ); Former dean of Harvard Business School |
| John Van Cott | 1847–1883 | Non-general authority seventy (1847–1862); First Council of the Seventy (1862–1883) |
Missionary to Scandinavia |
| Charles A. Didier | 1975–2009 | First Quorum of the Seventy; Presidency of the Seventy (1992–1995; 2001–2007); emeritus general authority (2009-) |
First resident of Europe general authority |
| Paul H. Dunn | 1964–1998 | First Council of the Seventy (1968–1976); First Quorum of the Seventy (1964–1989); Presidency of the Seventy (1976–1980); emeritus general authority (1989–1998) |
in 1991, publicly admitted to falsifying and embellishing stories of personal experiences in past sermons and books |
| John H. Groberg | 1976– | First Quorum of the Seventy (1976–2005); Presidency of the Seventy (2004–2005); emeritus general authority (2005– ) |
2001 film The Other Side of Heaven is based on his missionary experiences in Tonga |
| Zenas H. Gurley | c. 1840–1844 | Non-general authority seventy | Led a group of dissenters after 1844 and in 1853 became an apostle in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints |
| Han In Sang | 1991– | Second Quorum of the Seventy (1991–1996) | First Korean general authority |
| Milton R. Hunter | 1945–1975 | First Council of the Seventy | co-author of Ancient America and the Book of Mormon |
| Jon Huntsman, Sr. | Area Seventy; Fifth Quorum of the Seventy | American businessman and philanthropist | |
| Yoshihiko Kikuchi | 1977–2011 | First Quorum of the Seventy | First resident of Asia general authority |
| W. Rolfe Kerr | 1996– | Second Quorum of the Seventy (1996–1997); First Quorum of the Seventy (1997–2007); emeritus general authority (2007– ) |
Commissioner of Church Education (2005-2008) |
| J. Golden Kimball | 1892–1938 | First Council of the Seventy | Legendary general authority wit |
| Adney Y. Komatsu | 1976– | First Quorum of the Seventy (1976–1993); emeritus general authority (1993– ) |
First general authority of Asian descent |
| George P. Lee | 1975–1989 | First Quorum of the Seventy | First Native American general authority; most recent general authority to be excommunicated |
| Augusto A. Lim | 1992– | Second Quorum of the Seventy (1992–1997) | First Filipino general authority |
| Gerald N. Lund | 2002–2008 | Second Quorum of the Seventy | Author of The Work and the Glory novels |
| J.W. Marriott, Jr. | 1997– | Area Seventy; Sixth Quorum of the Seventy | American hotelier and businessman |
| Helvécio Martins | 1990–2005 | Second Quorum of the Seventy (1990–1995) | First general authority of black African descent |
| A. Roger Merrill | (? – 2004) | Area Seventy | General President of the Sunday School (2004– ) |
| James O. Mason | 1994– | Second Quorum of the Seventy (1994–2000) | Acting Surgeon General of the United States from 1989 to 1990 |
| Joseph White Musser | 1892–1921 | Non-general authority seventy | Early leader in the Mormon fundamentalist movement after being excommunicated in 1921 |
| Robert C. Oaks | 2000–2009 | Second Quorum of the Seventy; Presidency of the Seventy (2004–2007) |
Former commander of Air Training Command and United States Air Forces in Europe |
| Warren Parrish | 1835–1837 | First Quorum of the Seventy | Scribe for Joseph Smith, Jr.; apostatized in 1837 |
| Rafael E. Pino | 2008– | First Quorum of the Seventy | The first Venezuelan general authority. |
| Zera Pulsipher | 1838–1862 | First Council of the Seventy | A missionary who preached to Wilford Woodruff; excommunicated in 1862; rebaptized the same year |
| George Reynolds | 1866–1909 | Non-general authority seventy (1866–1890); First Council of the Seventy (1890–1909) |
Secretary to the First Presidency; party to U.S. Supreme Court polygamy case Reynolds v. United States |
| B. H. Roberts | 1877–1933 | Non-general authority seventy (1877–1888); First Council of the Seventy (1888–1933) |
Prominent Mormon historian and apologist |
| Cecil O. Samuelson | 1994– | First Council of the Seventy; Presidency of the Seventy (2001–2003) |
President of Brigham Young University (2003– ) |
| Joseph W. Sitati | 2004– | Area seventy (2004–?); First Quorum of the Seventy (2009–) |
First black African general authority of the church; Second general authority of black African descent[16] |
| Edward Stevenson | 1847–1897 | Non-general authority seventy (1847–1894); First Council of the Seventy (1894–1897) |
Widely-traveled Mormon missionary |
| William W. Taylor | 1875–1884 | Non-general authority seventy (1875–1880); First Council of the Seventy (1880–1884) |
Son of John Taylor; Mormon politician |
| Jose A. Teixeira | 1997– | Area seventy (1997–2005); First Quorum of the Seventy (2008–) |
First Portuguese general authority |
| Earl C. Tingey | 1990–2008 | First Quorum of the Seventy; Presidency of the Seventy (1996–2008 ) |
Senior and Presiding President of the Presidency of the Seventy (2001–2008) |
| Benjamin Winchester | 1835–1844 | First Quorum of the Seventy | Editor of first independent Mormon periodical; became a Rigdonite apostle after 1844; ultimately repudiated Mormonism |
| Richard B. Wirthlin | 1996– | Second Quorum of the Seventy (1996–2001) | Chief strategist and pollster for Ronald Reagan |
| Joseph Young | 1835–1881 | First Council of the Seventy | Senior and Presiding President of the Seventy from 1835 to 1881 |
As of 2008, the Quorums of the Seventy are organized into eight quorums with a presidency of seven. The seventy act as emissaries of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and First Presidency of the church in organizing, training, proselytizing, and administering to millions of people scattered all across the globe. The seventy are the layer between local church administration and general church administration.
In general, seventies must first be at least elders in the Melchizedek priesthood, but in practice most have previously been ordained to the office of high priest. Seventies, being equal in authority, act under the direction of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as they labor in their apostolic ministry. [17] Members of the Church of Jesus Christ understand that being “equal in authority” (D&C 107:26) means they preside over the Church when the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve are not constituted. [18]
This means the seventies have the power to do anything required to organize and administer the church, as long as they do so under the direction of the First Presidency or the Quorum of the Twelve (D&C 107:33–34). They do not, as a Quorum, preside over the Church, by their own authority, unless the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve are no longer in existence. Apart from the seven presidents of the seventy, seventies do not hold priesthood keys but are delegated the necessary keys to perform their duties. Seventies hold apostolic authority in the sense of being “especial witnesses of Christ.” [19] and the Quorum of the Seventy may become the Presiding authority over the Church if the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve cease to exist.
Historically, seven members of the First Quorum of the Seventy were called to serve as the Presidency of the Seventy. This precedent was broken, however, when in 2004 Robert C. Oaks of the Second Quorum of the Seventy was sustained to the Presidency to fill the vacancy created by Dieter F. Uchtdorf's call to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The church now states that the seven presidents are drawn from the “members of the First or Second Quorum of the Seventy.”[20]
The members of the Presidency of the Seventy often serve as heads of various church departments. In 2004, all area presidencies in the United States and Canada were dissolved; these areas were put directly under the jurisdiction of the Presidency of the Seventy.[21] The management of these areas is currently the primary responsibility of the Presidency of the Seventy.
The Presidency of the Seventy is unique in the church in that not only are there seven members but all seven hold the "keys" of presidency. The man with the longest tenure of uninterrupted service in the presidency is called to preside over the other six as the presiding president or senior president of the seventy.
The current Presidency of the Seventy and their areas of responsibility (as of August 2009) are:
The First Quorum of the Seventy are general authorities, meaning they have authority throughout the church. They usually serve until their 70th birthday or until their health fails them, at which time they are given emeritus status and released from active service as a general authority.[20]
Members of the First Quorum of the Seventy serve under the direction of the Quorum of the Twelve and the Presidency of the Seventy. They do not visit local units of the church except under explicit direction, and they do not teach or give sermons in church meetings except with permission. Often, members of this quorum will accompany the Twelve on their visits to missions and stakes throughout the church. Other times, they will be sent to act in behalf of the Quorum of the Twelve to stake conferences and to provide training and support to stakes, missions, areas, and temples. As general authorities, members of the First Quorum are often asked to speak at church general conferences.
Although no longer fully functioning general authorities, emeritus general authorities may be asked to be temple presidents or mission presidents. With the exception of Eldred G. Smith, all emeritus general authorities in church history have served as members of the First Quorum of the Seventy. They remain general authorities until their deaths, but an emeritus general authority is not a member of a seventies quorum. John K. Carmack, the head of the Perpetual Education Fund and W. Rolfe Kerr, a former Church Commissioner of Education, are both emeritus general authorities. Jacob de Jager served as a bishop after he was given emeritus status. In the general conference meeting in which Ezra Taft Benson was first sustained as president of the church, the emeritus general authorities were sustained.[26] However, when Howard W. Hunter was sustained as president of the church the emeritus general authorities were not mentioned in the list of church officials that were sustained.[27]
Members of the Second Quorum of the Seventy serve a similar role to that of the First Quorum. They are general authorities, which means they have authority throughout the church and are frequently asked to speak in general conference. They are called to serve for approximately five to six years.[20] Upon their release, they cease to be general authorities or members of the Second Quorum. However, they do retain the priesthood office of seventy.
Members of the Third through Eighth Quorums of the Seventy are not general authorities, and generally maintain their non-religious vocations. Unlike apostles and members of the First and Second Quorums, they are not required to relocate to Salt Lake City in order to be close to church headquarters. Members of these quorums are area seventies. As assigned, they carry out the duties typically carried out by members of the First and Second Quorums of Seventy,[20] which include reorganizing and creating stakes, training stake presidencies, presiding at stake conferences, serving in area presidencies, touring missions, and training mission presidents. They serve in their callings for approximately six to ten years. Upon their release, they cease to be area seventies and members of a quorum of the seventy, but they retain the priesthood office of seventy.
Members of the First and Second Quorums of Seventy receive the sealing power which authorizes them to seal husbands to wives, and children to their parents, in any of the church's temples. Members of the other quorums of seventy do not receive this as part of their calling.
Within the Community of Christ, a seventy is also considered to be an elder but are not High Priests. Part of function of the seventy is a missionary role and they work closely with the apostle in charge of the mission field they are in. They are organized into ten quorums, each quorum is presided over by a president. These presidents make up the Council of Presidents of Seventy, and are collectively led by the Senior President of the Presidents of Seventy. All ten quorums are equal with one another. When someone is ordained a seventy, that person automatically becomes a member of one of the Ten Quorums, and remains a member of one of the Quorums (although the specific quorum may change based on residency) so long as that person remains a seventy. In other words, it is not possible to be a seventy and not belong to one of these quorums.
The current roster of Presidents of Seventy include:
Historically, there have always been 7 quorums, with a maximum of 70 members each. However, on January 17, 2010, President–Prophet Stephen M. Veazey announced that the number of quorums (and presidents) could be flexible and based on the current needs of the church.[28] The change from seven to ten quorums occurred after the passage of Doctrine and Covenants Section 164 at the World Conference in April 2010.
The seventy in this church are called the Seventy Evangelists and strictly limited to that number. They are ordained evangelists, not seventies. Missionary work is the focus of this calling in The Church of Jesus Christ.
There is currently one functioning Quorum of Seventy in the Apostolic United Brethren, and its members are geographically split between different congregations. All men ordained to this office are called for life.
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