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Seventy (Latter Day Saints)

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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. 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 is based on the Seventy mentioned in the Gospel of Luke 10:1-2. More than one holder of 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 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]

Early Latter Day Saint Quorums of the Seventy

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 Presidents of the Seventy were released and were asked to become High Priests. Five of these men were replaced by others (Levi Ward Hancock was not in fact ordained a high priest and he returned to his office among the Seven Presidents of the Seventy). The seventh president, Joseph Young (a brother to Brigham Young), was not released and remained Presiding President of the First Seven Presidents for the rest of his life.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today, 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. This result came about after Brigham Young disbanded the High Council in Zion (then in Nauvoo) and led his followers west to present-day Utah. Subsequent stakes in Utah were organized under the direction of the Apostles and the Seventy, rather than under the direction of a new High Council in Zion, as was the previous practice.

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.

History of the Seventy in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Expanding membership

By the time Joseph Smith was martyred, he had already organized 3 1/2 quorums of Seventy. By 1845, there were ten quorums of Seventy, including the First Quorum of the 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 had 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. This rendered the holders of the office of Seventy an anomaly, and subsequently, in 1961, Church President David O. McKay ordained those of the First Council of the Seventy who wished it to be high priests. (The then-Presiding President Levi Edgar Young (1874-1963), grandson of Joseph Young, did not.)

First Quorum of the Seventy formed

In 1975, under the direction of Church President Spencer W. Kimball, the First Quorum of the Seventy was reconstituted with new members alongside the First Council of the Seventy. 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. While members of each body served for life and were ranked by seniority, the opportunity was taken to name as members of the Presidency, whose membership rotated, men who were younger and more active than the senior members of the old Assistants and Council. In 1978, some of the older members of the Seventy were retired as the first Emeritus General Authorities. However, members appointed through 1981 were still granted life tenure.

Second Quorum of the Seventy formed

In 1984, the next step in reforming the Quorums of the Seventy was taken. For the first time since the 1975 reorganization, 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 (all other Quorums of Seventy having been discontinued in 1986). At the same time, the 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.

Since 1989, members of the First Quorum and the Second Quorum have continued as General Authorities of the Church. Sometimes members are called from the Second Quorum into the First Quorum, and Seventies are the most usual candidates to become members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Some flexibility on the terms of service has emerged in recent years.

Area Seventies and Additional Quorums of Seventy

In the 1990s, Church President Gordon B. Hinckley announced the creation of a new leadership position known as the Area Authority. The Area Authorities were to replace the Regional Representatives of the Quorum of the Twelve who had served as an echelon of leadership above the local stake presidents. Eventually, 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. 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 composed of members of the First and Second Quorums of the Seventy. (In exceptional cases, an Area Seventy may be called as a Counselor to an Area President; by reverse exception, Apostles Dallin H. Oaks, Jeffrey R. Holland, and L. Tom Perry have all recently served as Area Presidents, rather than only supervising Area Presidents.)

In 2004, the Fifth Quorum of the Seventy was divided to create the Sixth Quorum of the Seventy.

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. [1]

Current Organization

As of 2007, the Quorums of the Seventy are organized into eight quorums with a presidency of seven. The Seventy fill an important role as emissaries of the Quorum of the Twelve and Presidency of the Church, allowing the group of 15 Apostles to efficiently organize, train, proselyte, and administer 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 organize and act in the place of Apostles, but a Seventy does not hold Apostolic authority. This means that they may have the power to do anything that is required to organize and administer the Church, as long as they are under the direction of an Apostle. Apart from the Seven Presidents of the Seventy, Seventies do not hold priesthood "keys".

Today, with more than twelve million members in the Church, most members will not be able to have face-to-face contact with an Apostle, or even sit in the same room with one, with any regularity. However, the Seventies are able to meet and greet members throughout the world, and thus they become the personal face of the general Church administration to many members across the world.

The Presidency of the Seventy

Historically, seven members of the First Quorum of the Seventy are 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 members of the Presidency of the Seventy often serve as heads of important 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. The management of these Areas is currently the primary responsibility of the Seven Presidents 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 is called to preside over the other six.

The current Presidency of the Seventy and their Areas of responsibility (as of March 2007) are:

  • Earl C. Tingey, Presiding President
North America East, North America Northeast Areas
  • D. Todd Christofferson
North America Southeast Area
North America Southwest Area
Utah North, Utah Salt Lake City, Utah South Areas
North America Central Area
  • Neil L. Andersen
Idaho Area
  • Ronald A. Rasband
North America Northwest, North America West Areas

First Quorum of the Seventy

The First Quorum of the Seventy are General Authorities, meaning they have authority throughout the Church. They generally 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 General Authorities. Emeritus General Authorities may, however, be asked to be temple presidents or mission presidents, and they remain members of the First Quorum.

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 the explicit direction, and they do not teach or give talks 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 in the biannual Church General Conference.

Second Quorum of the Seventy

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 may be asked to speak in General Conference. They are called to serve for approximately 5 to 6 years. Upon their release, they cease to be General Authorities or members of the Second Quorum. However, they do retain the priesthood office of Seventy.

Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Quorums of the Seventy

Members of the Third through Eighth Quorums of the Seventy are not General Authorities, and generally maintain their temporal 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 reorganize and create stakes, train stake presidencies, preside at stake conferences, serve in Area Presidencies, tour missions, train mission presidents, and complete other assigned duties. 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.

  • Third Quorum of the Seventy
The Third Quorum members live and serve in the Africa Southeast, Africa West, Europe Central, Europe East, and Europe West Areas of the Church.
  • Fourth Quorum of the Seventy
The Fourth Quorum members live and serve in the Mexico North, Mexico South, Central America, Caribbean, South America North, and South America West Areas of the Church.
  • Fifth Quorum of the Seventy
The Fifth Quorum members live and serve in the North America Northwest, North America West, Idaho, Utah North, Utah Salt Lake City, and Utah South Areas of the Church.
  • Sixth Quorum of the Seventy
The Sixth Quorum members live and serve in the North America Central, North America East, North America Northeast, North America Southeast, and North America Southwest Areas of the Church.
  • Seventh Quorum of the Seventy
Members of the Seventh Quorum live and serve in the Brazil North, Brazil South, Chile, and South America South Areas of the Church.
  • Eighth Quorum of the Seventy
The Eighth Quorum of the Seventy live and serve in the Asia, Asia North, Australia, New Zealand/Pacific islands, and Philippines Areas of the Church.

Seventies who became Apostles or members of the First Presidency

Other Noteworthy Seventies

{Christopher Golden} First General authority called from african continent.

{Kwok Yuen Tai} First Chinese General Authority

Apostolic United Brethren

There is currently only one functioning Quorum of Seventy in the Apostolic United Brethren, which is geographically split between different congregations. All men ordained to this office are called for life, as was the case in the LDS church prior to 1986.

The Community of Christ

Within the Community of Christ a Seventy is also considered to be an Elder. 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 seven 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 "President of the Presidents of Seventy."

The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite)

The Seventy in this church are called the Seventy Evangelists and strictly limited to that number. Missionary work is the focus of this calling in The Church of Jesus Christ.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ The Doctrine and Covenants, Section 107:97
  2. ^ The Doctrine and Covenants, Section 107:25
  3. ^ The Doctrine and Covenants, Section 107:34
  4. ^ The Doctrine and Covenants, Section 107:27
  5. ^ The Doctrine and Covenants, Covenant 107:27
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