Major changes and additions announced Saturday to the organization of the LDS Church's Quorums of the Seventy reflect the flexibility of the office's function.
That flexibility has precedent throughout the history of the priesthood office of Seventy and its quorums and includes numerous changes that have been made during its 162-year modern-day history - with most revisions related to church growth.The Encyclopedia of Mormonism's third volume contains four and a half pages of history on Seventies, the First Council of Seventy and the Quorums of the Seventy.
Seventies were part of the ancient church during biblical times. God commanded Moses to take 70 elders unto the holy mount (Exodus 24). Another time (Numbers 11), Moses gathered 70 men from the elders of Israel to assist him in ministering to the Israelites.
The church's First Council of the Seventy was organized Feb. 28, 1835, at Kirtland, Ohio, by the Prophet Joseph Smith after he received a revelation on the organization of priesthood offices (Doctrine and Covenants, Section 107).
That original First Council comprised the first seven presidents of the First Quorum of the Seventy and included members of Zion's Camp - Hazen Aldrich, Joseph Young, Levi Ward Hancock, Leonard Rich, Zebedee Coltrin, Lyman Royal Sherman and Sylvester Smith.
This First Council assisted with the dedication of the Kirtland Temple and called and led the Kirtland Camp in 1838 on its march to Missouri and Far West. It also initiated the organization of the First Quorum of the Seventy, then simply a non-general authority group of men ordained to the office of Seventy in the Melchizedek Priesthood.
The number of Seventies quorums expanded quickly, since all elders under age 35 were ordained to be Seventies and the call was presumed to be for life. To direct this rapid growth, the 63 members of the First Quorum, who were not in its presidency, were split into nine presidencies of seven members and assigned to preside over the next nine quorums.
During the exodus of Latter-day Saints from Nauvoo, Ill., to the Salt Lake Valley, the number of quorums had increased to 35. After the pioneers arrived in Utah, the Seventies were dispersed over the Territory of Deseret and gatherings of the Seventy were infrequent.
President John Taylor received a revelation in 1882 calling on the Twelve Apostles and the seventies to increase missionary work among the Lamanites.
By 1884, there were 76 quorums of seventy. By 1904, the number had grown to 146 - or approximately 10,000 members. At that time, President Joseph F. Smith reaffirmed missionary work as the primary calling of seventies - one of three Melchizedek priesthood offices, along with elder and high priest.
The various seventies quorums were placed under the supervision of stake leaders in 1936.
Stake presidents were given the authority to ordain seventies that had been approved by the governing First Council of Seventy beginning in 1974. Also at that time, all seventies units were replaced by stake quorums and their identification was designated by stake name, rather than by the traditional number system.
On Oct. 1, 1976, the First Quorum of the Seventy - comprised of general authorities - was organized. The members of the First Council and assistants to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles were released from those positions and sustained as members of the First Quorum of the Seventy. Thus, the First Council and assistants to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles ceased to exist at that time.
Additional general authorities were also added to the First Quorum during 1976 to assist in leading the worldwide church.
In 1984, new members of the First Quorum of the Seventy were called for a period of five years.
Stake seventies quorums were all discontinued on Oct. 4, 1986, and a members of those quorums were relocated to other Melchizedek Priesthood quorums.
The Second Quorum of the Seventy was created April 1, 1989, because of the continued and rapid growth of the church. The initial members of the Second Quorum were general authorities who were serving under a five-year (1984-1989) call in the First Quorum of the Seventy. All members called directly to the second quorum in 1989 also came under the five-year policy.
In 1990, the First Quorum members were given an indefinite length of service, depending on age and health factors. Today the members of the First Quorum of Seventy serve to age 70. Second Quorum members serve for a three- to five-year period.
As announced Saturday, the designation Area Authority Seventy is a new, voluntary service level of indeterminate length to function on an administrative level in between general authorities and stake leaders. This new level comprises the third, fourth and fifth quorums of the Seventy.
It also establishes a broad pattern of leadership that will accommodate the church's rapid growth, allowing worldwide administration as membership continues to expand.