Seventy (LDS Church): Difference between revisions

{{short description|Ecclesiastical body in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints}}

{{About|the priesthood office of Seventy within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|usages of the term Seventy within the broader Latter Day Saint movement|Seventy (Latter Day Saints)}}

'''Seventy''' is a [[Priesthood (LDS Church)|priesthood]] office in the [[Melchizedek priesthood (Latter Day Saints)|Melchizedek priesthood]] of [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (LDS Church). Traditionally, a church member holding this priesthood office is a "traveling minister"<ref>{{sourcetext|source=The Doctrine and Covenants|book=Section 107|verse=97|showsource=x}}</ref> and an "especial witness"<ref>{{sourcetext|source=The Doctrine and Covenants|book=Section 107|verse=25|showsource=x}}</ref> of [[Jesus in Christianity|Jesus Christ]], charged with the mission of preaching the gospel to the entire world under the direction of the Twelve [[Apostle (Latter Day Saints)|Apostles]].<ref>{{sourcetext|source=The Doctrine and Covenants|book=Section 107|verse=34|showsource=x}}</ref> The church teaches that the office of seventy was anciently conferred upon the [[Seventy Apostles|seventy disciples]] mentioned in the [[Gospel of Luke]] {{sourcetext|source=Bible|version=King James|chapter=10|verse=1|range=-2|nobook=}}. Multiple individuals holding the office of seventy are referred to collectively as '''seventies'''.

 

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 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 General Authority Seventies.<ref name = tingey>Earl C. Tingey, [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2005/08/the-quorums-of-the-seventy?lang=eng “The Quorums of the Seventy”], ''[[Liahona (magazine)|Liahona]]'', August 2005, pp. 30–32.</ref>

 

 

In April 2018, church leaders announced that, effective August 1, 2018, three-man presidencies composed of General Authority Seventies would once again oversee areas in the US and Canada. These areas will continue to be administered from church headquarters. The church indicated this will enable the Presidency of the Seventy to more fully assist the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and to fill other assignments as needed.

The Presidency of the Seventy is unique in the church in that not only are there seven members but all seven hold the priesthood "keys" of presidency.<ref>[https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/handbook-2-administering-the-church/priesthood-principles/priesthood-principles?lang=eng "Priesthood Keys"], ''[[Handbook (LDS Church)|Handbook 2: Administering the Church]]'' (2010, Salt Lake City, Utah: LDS Church) § 2.1.1.</ref> 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.

 

* Jose A. Teixeira (August 1, 2018).<ref name="Aug 2018 changes" >[https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/church-adds-area-presidencies-for-us-and-canada-announces-other-2018-assignments?lang=eng Church Adds Area Presidencies for U. S. and Canada, Announces Other 2018 Assignments], churchofjesuschrist.org, 5 April 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2018.</ref><ref name="Oaks Apr 2018" >In an unusual move, President [[Dallin H. Oaks]] led the Church in sustaining these changes during the April 2018 General Conference, 4 months before they would go into effect, marking perhaps the first time this occurred in Church history. That can be verified [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2018/04/the-sustaining-of-church-officers?lang=eng here]).</ref>

 

===First Quorum of the Seventy===