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Theses and Dissertations

1960

The Role and Function of the Seventies in LDS Church History

James N. Baumgarten - Provo

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BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Baumgarten, James N., "The Role and Function of the Seventies in LDS Church History" (1960). Theses and Dissertations. 4513. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/4513

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tebeebTHB ROLEROLB ardaindANDAIRD FUNCTION OF tebeebTHB SEVKMTIBS IN LJSlasLDS chweceweCHMECHURCH HISTORYWIRY

A thesis presentedsenteddented to the dedepartmentA nt of history brigham youngyouyom university

in partial ftlfillmeutrulfilliaent of the requirements for the degree master of arts

by jalejamsjamejames N baumgartenbelbexbaxaartgart9arten august 1960 TABLE CFOF CcontentsCOBTEHTS

part I1 introductionductionreductionroductionro and theology chapter bagragpag ieI1 introduction

explanationN ionlon of and revrevelationlation Sutsukstatementement of problem position of the writer dedelimitationitationcitation of thesis method of procedure and sources II11 church doctrine on the seventies 8 ancient origins the revelation on priesthood the place of seventies in the priesthood summerysummary of points

fartbartpart II11 A general history of the seventies 18351960183519601835 1960 iliIII111 the seventies under 1831836 organization of the seventies early activities in kirtkirbkirtland anointanointing of the savswvseventy7 second andadd third quorums the high priest squabble kirtkirbkirtland camp activities in nauvoo

IV the Seveseweseventiesaties under bribrighambrigbam young 1 18477184 77 31 expansionon of the sevseventieseleseleboies later activities in hauvoonauvoo the seventies eaileelihall in nauvoo Senseuseventiestiesblesbleb in the western exodus the scattering in education andend recreation the seventies hall of science Missionmissionary7 work words to the seventies an apocalypse of orbonorson pratt iii table of contents contcontdI1 d chapter page V revelation and reorganization 187719181877 1918 52 letters and revelations policies the tmturningnung point A Ccallinging lost early beginnings of stakennake missiomissions the Systemsystematictictietle study movement other activities VI sevnevnovsewnewnow movements 1918601918 60 73 combined priesthoodpriestbood auxiauxiliarieses meetings foreign missionary work and a hevhewnevnovnewnow effeffort nevnovsewnewnow movement in stake missionary work projects and activities policies

part iliIII111 leadership VII the first council of 93 succession andend history facts about the first council problems andana cevelodevelodevelopaentsdevelopmentsnbs assistants to the twelve

partpertparb IV conclusion vinyinVIH Ccontributionsributionsj policies adaedaana problems 105 contributioncontributions andend abcaccaccomplishmentslisbmwts policies problemproblems concconeconclusionionlon possibilities appendixesAPPEMIXES I1 origoriginal first quorum 106106log

quorum 9 ii original secsecond 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 107 111 biographical sketches of the council inililiiIII iaiogmphi first MQ of seventy e 9 9 9 9 e lobiob108 bibliography e 0 0 0 0 0 0 130 iv PART I1

magducnon AND TMLOGYTHEOLOGY

vhereforewherefore now let every man learn his duty and to act in the office in which he is appointed in allaliail diligence CHAPTER I1 introduction

Ekplanationexplanation of priesthood waniabiabdwaA revelation the church of christ of latterlattery day saints has a vast lay ministry or priesthood consisting of all worthy miesmlesdalesdaiesmales twelve years olof01 aeage and older this priesthood is divided into two segments the - ic and the melchizedek the latter is usuallyus 1yay conferred upon worthy candidates at about age nineteen an organizational chertchartehertebert on the following pages shows how the priesthood is distributed over three levels of church administration the presides over the entire melchizedek priesth- ood throuthroughh the twelve apostles and stake presidents he presides over the entire aaronic priesthood through the and bishops A stake president presides over the members of his stake as a representative of the president of the church and through the high council directs the melchizedek priesthood uorumsgorums andana the wards in hishiahlahib stake A bishop presides over the aaronic lestMestpriesthoodhood quorum in his wards and directs certain activities of the groups of melchizedek priesth- ood in his ward notice that the group called seventies is not a part of stake organization they are presided over directly by the first council of seventy which at the present time acts conjointlyconjointty with stake authorities in directing the activities of seventies CucuorumsQuquorumsorums

1 2

priesthood qrgabi2atioborgairizatiou OF THB CHURCH 07OF JESUS CBRIST OF iatterLATTERDAYLATTHRDAYLATTERLATTHR DAY SAINTSSAIHTS

w w fleneralfleneralnermi church levellevei 3 istietisitlet normmormgorgquorum of the church assistantsistantsinstants to tbthe twelve 8 I1 twelve Apostapostlsapostleapostlesls 12 patriarch to chot18cnot aOL church bonamuorvmuonam0 abd8bd aruawruavdrvm of the cbjrcchurchha the churchcherchichurchiChurchii

first council of sentyseventy 7 rresldinsiding bibBisbishoprbishopeblahoprlcihoprhopeic i aj3j ardordoed3rd bongaiuorumuongaquorum of the church athoth4th anaaonzaonanonaavorum of the church

seventies Cuormsuonwagonwa 70 each stakeaalke level

histake presidency 3 T stag istakestake 1 saleskae patriarch c I1 stake high council 12 high priest wrumtuoruroTuoruoarumrurozuereuer 1 perr stake elders uouoixmazm 2696 each

ward level w r Aft r ward bishbishoBlahoblahopricpricprielct y I1ljblshltgerdlagerg priest grzyllgrqyllgrquej priests uoruasuouorumsgorumsruas melchizedekreichl edek seventies prpujoraugrauguau kqaq each priesthood aanieannicannleaaronicaaronie I1 eldereidereldoraa uorunsiiuomasl teachersteaToacherschens borumuorumuoruas priesthood I1 81 24gu eachemchaageag riri81

deacons 7gorumsuorumuorums 12 each J

browsvrowsarrowsrrows chow direction of jurisdictiojurisdictionjurisdictionaljuricdictional auuiorltyautliority bisabis1bishopsbibhops1 lopskops helpheipleip direct some activities of melchizedekMelchiaedek priesti0odpriestciood groups in their wards but do not preside over themchem 3 the basic premise underlying priesthood operation in the mormon church is that the president of the church receives continuous revelation and that this condition has existed from the tietletime of joseph smith to the present it is not for the historian to say that he does or does not but to record the results of the fact that people believe he does many of the revelations to joseph smith are recorded in the book known as the the body of the church accepts this book as scripture along vith the and pearl of great price they also accept josephjoweph smith as a prophet the writer villwill refer to them as such in this text

statement of problem this thesis is a historical study of the seventies so far as the writer can learnalearnleann this is the first history of any branch of the mormon priesthood it Is hoped that it will encourage other studies on the other groups and that from these greater understanding might result concerning the nature and duties of the various offices of the priesthood the writer has never understood the purpose of seventies it is generally expressed that their calling is missionary work but they do not seetrseerrseear to be the ones who are doing it most of the men engaged in that vorkwork at present hold the office of many high priests are called and more women are sent out into the field 1 than seventies A primary purpurlepurwx of this study is to discover to what extent the seventies havebave fulfilled their calicaLlcallingling as missionaries

iwomenhomenronenwomen do not hold the priesthood but nayneymaymey serve on missions under the direction of those who do 4

in the doctrine and covenants the seventies are called trav- eling ministers of the gospel to the nations the elders are spoken of as standing ministers of the gospel who may travel as their circumstances permit today these positions appear to havebavebevehayeheye been reversed the seve- nties are made up of family men who are unable to go abroad the young elders are going instead A part of the writers purpose is to record how this came about we have noted that seventies Cucuorumsquorumsorums are not stake ququorumsorums but general church quormsquorums see page 2 yet as members of stakes they must render much of their service to the church under stake direction another purpose of this thesis is to trace the long struggle to resolve their problem and show how the seventies have gradually come under the control of the stakes

there has been a problem concerning the third borumuorumorumuorum of the general authorities known as the first council of seventy or first seven presidents of seventy as to havhovhawhow far their authority should extend in general church duties since they are seventies and natnotnoc high priests like the rest of the general authorities another problem has arisen in re- cent years with regard to this roupgroup with the ever increasing multipli- cation of stakes and wards the need has greatly increased for nanymany high priests and it has been the policy for therethemthermthemm to serve for only a few years with the result that most men of outstanding leadership ability are called to presiding positions and made high priests the members of the first council of seventy cannot be elghhigh priests where then are men found for the first council they must be menman of high leadership ability how is it that they were never called to be prespresidinpresidenpresidingidin high priests 5 position of the writer the writer is not attempting to put forth hishib pen to steady the ark in examining the policies regarding the seventies no criti- cism of the church or its leaders is intended this is not an attempt to solve any problems but to clarify the real problems which exist con- cerning the seventies the writer has full confidence that those in authority will come forth with proper solutions in time the mormon church is not governed by precedent it isitslsiiss governed by revelation nevertheless precedents are sometimes useful as guides it is hoped that this study may help shed a little light on what prece- dents have been set in the papestpastt regarding the seventies anaikark their leaders delimitation of thesis this is a historical study of the seventies of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints from 1835 to 1960 outside of two ancient exampleexamplessj there will be no mention of other religious groups of seventy nor will there be any discussion about any symbolism of the vadvodwodvordvond or number seventy thisinisthib will not be an exhaustive history of the seventies the writer intends simply to give a general history which winwill show what the role and function of the seventies has been and the problemsproblenslems concertinconcerninconcerning them which have arisen method of procedure and sources

we shall first try to gain an understandinunderstandingig of the basic do- ctrines underlying the seventies and their work in doing thispthiapthis only scriptures from the bible and the doctrine and covenants and official 0 statements of joseph smith will be used any significant interpreta- tions or extensions of doctrine by others will be mentioned in the his- tory the general history of the seventies is divided into four per- iods in which attitude policy and activity with regard to seventies are noticeably different except for the first period they aaaxeareaaee roughly equal in length chapter three records the formative period giving the organ- ization and development of the seventies under joseph smith the prim- ary source history church jesus of the prophets 0of the of Z is bistorhistor f christ77 1 7 iat-7 terlalterdalterhaebaeLalday saintstsalnfcg more popularly known as the documentary history of the church chapter four describes a period of expansion and ascendancy for the seventies under brigham yountyounyoum T who greatly magnified their call- ing the mainmeinmelnn source is the journal notormotorhistory of the church a day to day history made up of journal entries correspondence minutes of meetings discourses newspaper and magazine articles and so forth chapter five shows a period of abrupt change the seventies reach a climax and then seem to decline in a number of ways some of the chief sources are the journal history the imarimprimprovementement braera and the conference reports As we follow the history of the seventies the ac- celeceleratingrating growth of the church makeshalkes it increasingly difficult to wtretget any overall picture from reports from quorums and stakes we sshallshalishail1 rely more on statements of the authorities of the church which reflect not only the general activities of the seventies but also their problems andendanaenn the aspirations of their leaders for them 7 in chapters five and six the writer makes use of statistics which he compiled from microfilms of the Missionmissionaryaary record books be-

fore 1860 these records do not livelveiverive the priesthood of mostroostmoost of the mission-

aries but belnninberinberinninC ninnln with 1860 a breakdown of priesthood was obtained by counting them up approximately each fifth year to show the trend over the years after 11199749149 theth card index system filed alphabetically was used exclusively so that a count could not be obtained these stat- istics appear on table I1 of chapter eight chapter six describeedescribes a period in which efforts programs and movements were set afoot involving the seventies in nevnew andaraaro additional functions principle sources are the salsamsameseme as for chapter five in following the general history of the seventies attention will be called to the contributions they have made to the church both in missionary endeavor and other activities

chapter seven is a survey of succession in the first councilcounc41& of seventy and an analysis of that body based on the backgrounds and service of its members biographical material on each member of the council is contained in appendix iliIII111 chapter eight is a summary of the major contributions of the seventies the policies concerning them over the years and a statement of the basic problems existing today CILAPTERCHAPTER I1II11I1

CHURCH DOCTRINE ON THE sevenSEVEYSEVENTIEScilescleesTILES

ancient origins when joseph saithsalthsnithsnithsmith beanbesanbegan to organize groups of seventy in 103518351835. iti lihtmiht have seemed a strunstrangee and different kind of church organ- izationization but it really was no new thinkthingthin in ecclesiastical history he was able to find sufficient precedents though he did not need any for his action it is common knowlknowledvknowledgknowledgeeduedve with students of the bible that mobesmoses had a council of seventy made up of elders from each of the tribes al- though little is said about this group two things are made clear first they were to share the spirit that was in and to help bear his bur 1 2 den second they were made eyewitnesseseye witnesses to the god of israel it is also known that the jewish sanhedrin was composed of seventy members plus the high priest however no historical connection can be estab-

113 lished between it and mobesmoses1mosesmosess council of 70 elders it is further apparent that jesus had groups of seventy to whom he gave power and authority similar to the apostles

lkuinbersabersnbers iiilil111llly1116lll611163030- 2sfixodus&adusoduscdus 29291111 p jsanhedrin31vsanhedrin A concise biblical encyclopedia cambrld7ecambridge university press 1950p1950 p 137

8 9 after these things the lord appointed another seventy also and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place whither he hiaselfhimself would come

and the seventy retreturnedarnedurned againA with joy saying lo1loiloalov101 even the devils are subject unto us through thy name 4 it is evident then that in elaiclaielalclaimirlclaimingmirL a of the ancientancientanclent order in the true church joseph smith was on solid theological broundground in orrorganizinganzineandinganzinganzineL zing groups of seventy the revelation on priesthood one month after the organization of the seventy had commenced the prophet came forth with a revelation it was entitled revelation on priesthood given through joseph smith the prophet at kirtland dated march 28 1835 it isie found as section 107 of the doctrine and covenants and contains most of the passages on seventies that are to be found in that book these will be quoted with verse number to facil- itate reference as the commentary proceeds after naming the twelve apostles as special witnesses of the name of christ the revelation continues

1 25 the seventy are also called to preach the gospel and to be especial witnesses unto the gentilesGrenorentiles and in allaliailau the world thus diffdifferiardifferingeriAr from other officers in the church in the duties of their callielcallinlcalling1 26 and they fonronfonnformronnn a quorum equal in authority to that of the twelve special witnesses or apostles just named 277 and every decision made by either of these quorums must be by the uuanimousunanimous voice of the same that is every me- mber in each quorum must be agreed to its decisions in order to make their decisions of thu saoesamegame power or validity one with the other 28 A majority may form a quorum when circumstances render it impossible to be otherwise

dukelmkeluke 10117101 17 10

just how manymenymemymamy were meant to be included in the group refer- red to by the words the seventy is a matter for interpretation whatever number is meantmeanly they fonstonsformronn a quorum equal in authority to the 5 IVtwelveelveeive the thing they are to be witnesses of is the name of the r lord the same calcaicallinglizullizug as the apostles j at the dedicatory services of the kirtland on march 27 1836 the rolfolroifollowingloving took place I1 next called upon the quorums and congregation of saints to acknavledacknowledgeae4e the presidents of seventies who act as their representatives as apostles and special vitwitnessesnesses to the nations to assist the twelve in opening the gospel kingdom amongamon all people and to uphold them by their prayers which they did by risinrisinitrisingrisingtrising7gt7 Tthere were tvotwo quorums of seventies at that time but it was not indicated how anywnyabanyaaany presidents were so sustained still referring to this indefinite group the revelation con- tinues 34 the seventy are to act in the name of the lord under the direction of the twelve or tratravalinitravelinitravelingvelini4.4 high council in build- ing up the church and rereulatinreulatinting all the affairs of the same in all nations first unto the gentiles andana then to the jews 38 it is the duty of the travtrevtravelistraveliwtravelingeliw high council to call upon the seventy when they need asisaissassistanceistance to fill the sev- eral calls for preaching and administering the gospel instead of any others

51nin verses 353735 37 stake high councils are also said to be quaigualqualequal in authority to the first presidency and quorum of twelve in that case equal authority probably means that members of a stake are just as bound by a unanunenunanimousimmisimmig apclionralonrwlonnision3pcislondision of0 their high council as if the sanesame decision were made by a higher quorum the same would apply to the seventy they are not equal in authority over the church but over those under their jurisdiction 6doetrinedoctrine and covenants 124139 ajoseph7josephjoseph smith history of the church of jesus christ of lat tertartardatardeterbayteriayda saints 111948 Y II11 4 S here- after referred to as DHC ll 11 here the group under consideration are empowered to build up the church and regregulatete any of its affairs when directed by the twelve it is the duty of the twelve to cacallceliceilU upon thenthem for assistance instead of any others finally the revelation concludes on the seventy 93 and it is according to the vision showing the order of the seventy that they should have seven presidents to preside over thethem chosen out of the number of the seventy 949.49gh and the seventh president of these presidents is to preside over the six 95 and these seven presidents are to choose other seventy besides the first seventy to whoawhonwhom they belonbelonabelong7 and arcareaee to pre- side over them 96 and also other seventy until seven times seventy if the labor of the vineyard of necessity requires it 97 and these seventy are to be traveling ministers unto the gentiles firstffirstafirst andang also unto the jews 98 whereas other officers of the church who belong not unto the twelve neither to the seventy are not underurmer theth re- sponsibility to travel among all nations but are to travel as their circumcircumstancestances shall allow notwithstanding they may hold as high and responsible offices in the church notice that the entire body of seventies is to have a presid- ing council consisting of the seven presidents of the first quarmquormquonan it is not stated that the whole first quorum should preside over the other ququorumsorums the reorganized church of jesus christ of latter day selntSaintsaintssj being strict constructonlstconstructionist claims that verse ninety six limits the seventies to seven ququorumsorums under the leadership of brihambrigham young the church ignored the instruction of god limiting the seventy to seven 8Q ququorumsorums but the terntermterraternaterma fl seven times seventy apparently has the same meaning of infinity implied by jesus in regard to forgiving one another

8 11 history calling and function of the seventy saints herald CII november 7 1955519551 101110 11 12 for on may 2 1835 joseph smith said if the first seventy are all employed and there is a call for oremoremove laborers it viviiiwillU be the duty of the seven pres- idents of the first seventy to ccalleeli and ordain other seventy and send them forth to labor in the vineyard untiluntile if needs be they set apart seven times seventy erdardandendedd even until there are one hundredred and forty four thousand thus set apart for the ministry As to where the presidents were to get new seventies it was voted and accepted by the priesthood on that same day that when another seventy is required the presidency of the first seventy shall choose ordain and set them apart from among the most experienced of 10 the eiderseldersersera of the church in verse ninety sevenasevenoseven we see that these seventy chosen by the first seven presidents or in other words all seventies are to be traveling ministers of the gospel as a matter of responsibility

the place of seventies in the priesthood on january 19 1841 another revelation was given which con- tained items about the seventies the last portions of it are devoted to filling vacancies in quorums and setting them in order regarding the seventies it says

and again I1 give unto you joseph youn 4 denieldanieliellellei miles henry herrimanharrimanHerrlaaniaaniman urauremrezera pulsipherPolpulpuisipher levileyl hancock to preside over the quorum of seventies which quorum Is instituted for traveling elders to bear record of aymy name in all the world wherever the traveling high council mine apostapostleslesp shall berasendbendsera them to prepare a way before my face

9dhcHC II11 221

10 DHCDH II11 222 13 the difference between this quorum and the quorum of elders is that one is to travel continually and the other is to preside over the churches from time to time the one hashabhawham the responsibility of presiding from time to time and the otheother hashab no responsibility of presiding salthsaith the lord your god 11 the quorum of seventies spoken of obviously means all of the seventies just as the elders are referred to as a quorum hence the scripture states that seventies are riderseiderseldersers with a special apostolic calling and responsibility to travel and bear witness of the lords name in allaliailoil the world elders and oiherother officers are in no way restric- ted framfrom traveling and doing missionary work as was seen from verse ninety eight of the revelation on priesthood seventies are elders but they are not high priests and adeare not to preside over a branch of the church where a high priest is avail- able speaking on this subject april 6 1837 the prophet said the seventies are also members of the smesame priesthood i1 e the melchizedek priesthoodlpriesthoodj are a sort of traveling council or priesthood and may preside over a church or churchurcheschest until a high priest can be had the seventies are to be taken from the quorum of elders and are not to be high priests they are subject to the direction and dictation of the twelve who hav12have the kekeys of the ministry all are to preach the gospel

Ssummary of pointsintsinto on the basis of what has been covered the following eight points represent in the opinion of the writer whatwhet church doctrine has to say on seventies 1 in the revelation on priesthood 18351835 an undefined group

11 doctrine and covenants 12413812413840124138404o40ao 12dhcDHC II11 477 14

called the seventy are named special witnesses of the name of christ the same calling as apostlesApost lesieslea in 1836183 presidents of seventy were sus tainedbained by the church as apostles to assist the Tvelvewelvetwelve 2 the undefined group referred to above forms a quorum equal in authority to the fuorumquorum of twelve apostles and the first presidency in matters which properly comecomoecomme under their jurisdiction so long as their decisions are unanimous or by the majority of the quorum

3 the same I1 roup under direction of the twelve areaxeexeeme to build up the church and regregulatete its affairs in doinadoin3doindoln so they act as Apostapostlesiestlestlesa and presumably may be empowered to do anything that the twelve can do the twelve are to call upon this group instead of any others when they need assistance in preaching and administering the gospel 5 there is to be a presiding council over all of the seven ties composed of the seven presidents of the first quorum and the sen- ior president is to preside over the council

5D these seven presidents are to choose other quorums of sev enties besides the one to which they belong so lonionlond as there is a need for more theremereweyemeye is no limit set on how many they may call neither maxiammaximmmaximum nornomno minimumBinlmunmum

7 seventies are traveling elders ministers of the gospel who have a responsibility to travel among all nations they are to be chosen from amonaamong the experienced elders 8 A seventy is not a high priest nor can a high priest be a seventy A seventy is not to preside over a branch of the church where a high priest is available PART II11

A GENERAL HISTORY OF teeTHE SEVENTIES 18351960183519601835 1960 CHAPTER liiIII111 tebtesTMTHS sevm11SEVENTIES1tat UMERUNDER josJOSEPH smiteSMTHSMITH 1835441835 44 kanizaorganizationtion of the seventies Follofollowingwirig a sabbath meeting on february 8 1835 joseph swithsmith asked elders brigham and to come to hisbisbig home and sincsirsin for him which they did after the singingsinking the prophet spoke to thenthem with deep feelirvfeeling concerning their recent trials in zions camp he then asked brighamBrigharahamahamm younsyoung to notify the branches of the church to assemble in conference on the folrolroifollowinsollowinfollowinglowin saturday at which twelve special wit- nesses would be appointed and told brighamBrighana you will be one of them after enlareniarenlargingyingring udronuponunwon the duties of the twelve he turnedfumed to joseph young and said brother joseph the lord has nademadee you president of the seve- 1 nties i two weeks after the appointment of the twelve apostles the organization of the seventies took place on the 28th of february the church in council assembled commenced selecting certain individuals to be seventies fromfroin the number of those who went up to with me in the camp and the following are the names of those who were ordained and blessed at that time to begin the organization of ththe first quorum of seventies according to the visions and revelations which I1 have received the seventies are to constitute trav- elineling3 ququorumsorums to go into all the earth whithersoever the

ljosephjoseph youayoun A historbistorhistory cfof the ornanizationganizationorganization of the seventies salt lake city deseret news 18751878 mmpvfflvappp 121 kt2 joseph young was unsen iorlortorbior president of the seventies for over forty three years

15 16 20 twelve apostles sshall1 call them thehe first and second quorum of seventy vabwabvaswas made up in the ttjtaj3 mainamainpmainmaln from that band of men who constituted zions camp ID 0 this cpcampcemp was a ssmallsmellsmeil force that had been organized to rescue the saints who had been driven out of jackson county in 1833 they were uccessfulsuccessfulunsuccessfulim in restoring anyone to their farms and homes arbitration proved farcical and the prophet would not move in by force while returning cholera broke out and took fourteen lives the whoiewhole ththing seemed a disdindismal fail- ure babutbuz joseph declared it had been a trtrial of their raithfaithralthfaithifaitha brethren asome of you are angry vith me because you did not fight in but let me tell you god did not want you to fight he could not ororganizeze his kingdom vith twelve men to open the gospel door to the nationsio of the earth and with seventy men underer their direction to follow in their tracks unlessasbessass he took tthenthemwhen from a body of men who had offered their lives and who had madee as great a sacrifice as did abrabwabraham hownovnow the lord heshas got his twelve and his seventy andend there vill be other quorumquorums of seventies eliedcalled who villwill make the sacrifice and those who have not madee ttheirkheirir sacrifice and their oeofferingsrings now vilwilwllviliwillI uekenekemakee tkhenthemkhem hereafter earlyIY activities in kirtland the new quoquorum lost little time gogoing to vorkwork ten days after the seventies verewere organized a ccalicallcail caisecame for traveling elderseiderszidersers from tvo of the mvdewnew apostles orbonorson hyde and williamwililamw13 liamllamilam MLillinmllinmlellinellin they hadhan called a council to conconsiderlderider requests of the eastern branches for conferences

2DHCdecHC II11 201220102201 022 the names of the men of the origioriginal first andend seesecsecond qquorums of seventy are given in appendixes I1 and II11 ab3bB H roberts the deventseventseventysSevsegentysIs course in theology first year seybsewsnews 1- 707 book seltseitsaltt lakee city desidebideseretrit P 1907 p 5 1 ajoseph4josephjoseph young 0op eitciteltciteeiteelte p 14 17 to be held at the times andend places listed in the ietterletter and that they 1155 be attended by the travetrayevellingtratravellingng fsicj1 elders from kirtland it iris be- lieved that these trayetravelinglinz riderselderseidersers were the seventies since that term is bivenulvenalyengiven them if so this is probably their earliest assizassinassizmentassinmentassizementment on record at the general council of the priesthood held on may 2 1835 at kirtland the seventy were given certain instructions and regulations along with the other priesthood ggroupsups 6 it is evident that the problem of making a living while doing fullfalltimefulltimetime missionary work camecarmecamme up early the seventy are not to attend the conferences of the tweletwelvtwelve unless they are called upon or requested to do so by the twelve the twelve and seventy have particularly to depend upon their ministry for their support and that of their families and they have a right by virtue of their offices to ccallceliceil upon the churches to assist them

1 a a W 0 1 0 0.0 6.6 0 the circicarcicircumstancestances of the presidents of seventy were severally considerconsiderededsedp relative to their traveling in the vineyard and it was unanimously agreed that they should hold themselves in readi- ness7toatoto go at the call of the twelve ahenvhenwhen the lord opens the way twenty seven of the seventies were also considered they were to hold themselves ready to travel at the ccallcailcali of their 1presidents on august 17 1835 in a general assembly of the church the council of seventy along vithwith the other quorums of the priesthood ac

aletter5letterletter to from orson eydebydehyde and wm MILellinmlellinmilellinmilhellinMLellin dated march 8 1835 published in messenger and advocateadvocates I1 marchmarcho 1835o183518350 p 90

6 some of these instructions were quoted in chapter II11

7dhcHC II11 221 a

18

copied and acknowledacknowacknowledgedled aedbed5ed the doctrine and covenants as the word of the lord to the church 8 at the close of that year the seventies came together and aadeamleamiemade a report of their activities in the Drepresencepresence of the prophet sylvester smith acting as clerk made a report of the meeting which was published in the messemessengerr and advocate the seventy in the past season had traveled in various states andaraenaerm generally with good success manyuw have been convinced and 175 baptized into the kingdom of jesus they bore testimony of the goodness of god in the outpouring of his spirit upon them it enabling therthem to preach boldly and stand against the

af1f wlwisdoawisdomadomsdom of this world the seventy are described by this clerk as 11 worthy strong active energetic determined in the name of 9 the lord to go forward and perserperservereperserveravere to the end joseph smith recorded the event in his journal thisthibah Is day ttthe council of the severityseventy met to render an account of their travels and ministry since they were rilo1910 ordained to that apostleship he says that it was interesting and heartening to hear their experiences

anointing of the seveseventy

byimbibm january 1836 the saints had managed to rear an imposing temple in response to commnidmentsccwanandroents and revelations they had been lyengiyengivenglyeniven its TUrpurposeporepose was to provide a place in which they would be ivendriven an en- dowment from on high pentecostal outpouring of the spirit before

8Q A history of the third borumuorum of seventy ms0MSmso p 2 on file at the church historians officerofficeoofficeofflee salt lake city cf 9sylvestersylvester smith report on meeting of the seventy december 27 1835 messengerMesse Wr and advocate II11 january 183601836 appp 253525354253 545 10dhcDHC II11 36346 19 the dedication and the officers of the churchchurchy including the seventies were given anointanointingsings and seasealinsseallnsseallseailmealinslinsns on the 28th joseph smith and the twelve apostles met with the seevenlyeventyseventy in a separate room joseph instructed the twelve and the seven presidents to call unonupon god with uplifted hands vo0 o seal the blessingsbissbiesblessiassins whi-whichch had been promised to them by the holy anointing As the prophet vabvasvaewaswae ormn1z1nor anlzinanezin 3 the seventies president sylvester smith saw a piilpillpilapillarplilar of fire rest down and abide upon the heads of the quorum as they stood in the midst of the twelve when the twelve and seven were through with their prayer joseph called upon president to seal them with uplifted handshandes and when he had done this and cried hosanna that ailall the congregation should join him and shout hosanna to god and the lamb and glory to god in thecheohe high- est it was done so and riderelderbiderer saw a mighty riding upon a horse of fire with a flanflamfiamflaminginq sword in his handband followed by five others encircle the house andana protect the Sainsaintstsi even the lords anointed from the power of satan and a host of evil spirits which were striving to disturb the saints president wmwra smith one of the twelve saw the heavens open and tiietimtiye lordlords host protecting the lords ananointedintedanted president 2 coltrin one of the seven saw the saviour extended before him as upon a cross and a little after crowned with glory upon his head above the brightness of the sun the prophet then instructed the seven presidents to proceeded and anoint the seventy which was done in subsequent meetings ii these amazing things are but typical of the manifestations reported in the various meetings held in the tempitempltempletempie at that time jos- eph wrote in his journal that the twelve had anointed and blessed the presidency of the sentyseventy and given them it power and authority to anoint 12 their brethren and so his entry for january 30 1830 reads in the evening went to the upper rooms of the lordslord house endandaraeraena set the different quorums in order instructed seventy concerning the presidents of the the order of their 13 anointanointingings and requested thenthem to proceed and anoint the seventy

andrew jenson op cit appp 343 4 12dhc12 II11 38283382 83 13dhcdecDHC IIPlipII11 388 20 second and third qluorumsquorums the revelation on priesthood had instructed the presidents of the seventies to choose it other seventy also as the need arose accord

inglyangly on february 3 1836 president alva beeanbeermanbeamman handed in seventy of 14 his quorum designed for another seventy if god will on sunday feb- ruary the ath7th in the evening met with the presidency in the loft

of the printing office in company with the presidency of the seventyi to choose other seventy also 15 the second quorum of seventy was organ- ized subsequently president antoine R ivins of the present first council of seventy has pointed out there aresuresuneeune tvotwo interesting thinathings to be noted here as to the manner of government of the seventies firstafirstfirstp only the first quorum has a presidency and they presided over all the others second replacementreplacementsreplacementstostoto any quorum were taken from the one next louerloverlower in rank the first took itsts men from the second the sec- ond from the third and so on 100 the reorganized church has stated that at the death of the 17 prophet there were less than two quorumsquorums they are in error andrew jenson usin manuscripts on file at the church historians office wrote sylvester smith was the first clerk of the seventies but he apostatized and took the records with him after his dedeparturerturearture

lb14 DHC ililipII11 391 alva beamanbearmanbeamman was president of the elders borumuorum in kirtland DHC II11 370370. 15 31 DHC II11 3039331 1oantoineanoine R ivinsiivinsivinski thee seventy qp3ovewentlaproveuient edazdaera XXXVIIIVliililibii1i april 1935115351935 214 17history17 history calling and function of the severityseventy saintssaints9 herald CII november 7 1955s1955 L FP 10 21 took notes in the roeetinsroeetingsroeetinstings until in 1871837j klaseliaseileseileemias smith was appointed the ffirst regregularregpalarpalar clerk of the quorum the following proceedingproceedingss of the presidents of seventies from dec 20v20 1836 to aarapr 6 1837 were copied by aeliasellaskliaslas smith from the journal kept by hazen aldrich kirtland tuesday evening dec 20 1836 the council met agreeable to appointment in the loft of the stone chapelchepel kirtlandKir clandoland temple to ordain the third seventy three of the presidents namely hazen aldrich joseph young and were present president aldrich opened with prayer and inadetuadeduade a few brief remarks on the responsibility of the offices to which the candidates werehowere to be ordained the then commenced as follows lentytwenty seven names are then listed and grouped under the annesnames of the three Presidenpresidentstso accordiaccording47 to which ordained them again quoting president ivins men were ordained into this quorum in parties of from two to nine until by feb 21sto21st 1837 there were forty seven members in it we are left to presume that this continued until the quorum had seventy members for on may 6 1839 forty five men were ordained seventies wlwithoutihoutshout desidesinationdesignationnationnatton to any particular quorumorlinerorlined15 the hiahlahiohijhig priest squabble josephjuseph smith vaswas to write in 1839 we have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost ajlajiali men as soon as they get a little auth-buth ority as they suppospuppossuppose16 they will mediatelyinmediatelyinsaediatelyinimmediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion bartpartpert of that experience developed soon after the seventies hadbad been organized some of the hihhlaih h priests and a number of the seventies in- trodtroduceduced a oufuestionouestionquestionestion as to which is greatest among them the seventies or the high priests their discussions continued to

0 andrew jensonjens on 22op citeiteltcitacitycitj p ID1 antoine R ivins loc cit p 214 20 doctrine and covenantsovenants 12139 22 increase with so much warmth that it aamountedunled to jealousy at length it attracted the notice of the prophet both parties asserted their cclaims of preeminencepre eminence to his father who took so much interest in the question tthatthab he referred it to his son joseph to decide and the prophet ccalleded a council for that purpose the council was ccalleded together after it was assembled he asked the newly orgorganizedzedbed quorum if any of their numberr had been ordained to the high priests office previous to their as seventies it was not ascertained how many from the seventies quorums had previously been ordained high priests five out of the seven presidentssilentssidents however acknow- ledged that they were high priests before they were ordained seventies these were hazenen aldrichaidrichrich zebedee coltrin lyman Mrarmanshermanmrmanman and sylvester smith accordingly the prophetphetphat invited them to ttakebekekake their places in the hishhigh priests quorum again which was complied with tthus leaving joseph young andaaaana levi 11ancockhancock11ancock in the coucounciliai1 he thought that this was the best way to settle the difficulty and remove allaliail feelinflfeelings with- out deciding the question as to which was the greatest 21 evidently this bickerbickering hadhed dedevelopedloped over some period of ttimstime for the council was not ccalledcelleded until april 6 1837 the prophets journal entry for that date readsre it was ascertained that allelieil but one or two of the pres- ididentss of the seventies were high priests andadd when they hadhed ordaordainedd andendedd set apart any from the quormsquorums of eiderselderser into the quorum of seventies they had conferred upon them the hishhigh priesthood also flefieie the office of hishhighh priest this was declared to be wrongv agingi and not accordaccording to the orderor of heaven hewnevnew presidents of the seventies were accordingly ordained to fill the places of such of them as were high priests and the belbetex ocioocloofficio presidents andend 8suchbuch of the seventies as had been leg- ally ordained hihighah1h priests were directed to unitete with the high priests I1 quorum 2229 it appears that it might have been better if joseph hedhad de- cided the question then and therethereatherej it continued to crop up brigbrigham roungyoung speaking foforty years later to the saints at loganj utahsutahputahubah attacked

21q1qa joseph loungroungyoungyoungo qop cit appp 454 5 HC II11 476 23 the sausamsanesame problem by referring to this earlier trouble this order is not my getting up it is the lordslordaa doings high priests may mourn over it the lord hheshasheb said it and I1 have no right to say it is not soisolso it isitiits so- i know some of you might say did not brother joseph take high priests out of the quorum of seventies and place them in the high priests quorum and put others in their places yes but what did he do this for I1 can tetellteliteilU you it vabvasvesvaawaswaa to satisfy the continual teasing of ignorant men who did not know what to do with auth- ority when they got it andam&m I1 think most of those highhl priests who were so anxious upon this subject afterwards apostatized you have aymy vordword for it I1 believe there were none of the whis peringsnerings of the spirit suggesting that movement and I1 will give you nymy reasons for thinking so they set their watch for joseph whenever he preached on the subjectsubjects they invited him to preach at their quorum meetings on the difference between a high pristpriest and a seventy there had been caviling and bickering in relation to this subject he descendedcondescendercondescendedcon to try to do something for them he preached upon this subject and I1 say he stooped to the level of those vhinersweinerswhiners to try to do something for thenthem when he got through vithwith his sermon I1 thought I1 never heard lessleeslebs brought forth I1 could not discern that he brought forth any light and it was the only time in aymy life that I1 ever heardheardbrother21rother21rotherBrother joseph speak without bringing forth light and knowledge 2 the misunderstanding vaswas still prevalent after the church established itself in nauvoo A portion of the minutes of the general conference held there in april 1840 p rereads A letter was read from the presidepresidentut of the seventies wishing for an explanation of the steps which the high council hadbadhed taken in removing eldereiderer F G bishop from the quorum of seventies to that of the high priests without any other ordin ationaaionationlon than he had when in the seventies and wished to know whither those ordained into the seventies the bamesame ttime F G bishop vabvasveswas had any right to the high priesthood or not after observations on the case by different individuals the president gave a statement of the authority of the seventies and stated that they verewere elders sndand not high priests and consequently brother F G bishop hadbad no claim to that office it was then unanimously resolved that eiderelderer F G bishop be pieepimepiecedplaceded back again

23 23deseret novnowsewsnewsS xxvXXVI junetunejune 606 1877 p 274 TeDeseretseret 2eaenev xiv 0 27 24 24 into the quorum of the seventies another interesting comment on this subject is found in the record of a mayors court held at nauvoo just three years later joseph smith being the mayor it is not necessary that jedediahJededlah and joshua grant should be ordained high priests in order to preside aheytheyihey are too young they have got into zebedee Coltricoltrlnscoltrinscoltrinens habit of clipping off their words and I1 intend to break them of it if a high priest comes along and goes to snub either of them in their presidency because they are seventies letietlot them knock the mans teeth down his throat I1 mean spiritually 255 it is no vonder that joseph grew disgusted with such bickering amongong his people it is indicative of the type of spirit which at timeeptimestimas coupled with hardship and persecution rent the church

kirtkirtland camp A storm of apostasyapostacyapostacy overtook the saints at kirtkirtland in 1837-

38 joseph smith brigbeigbelgbrigham youniyoung4 andend otterotberobber church leaders were forced to flee for their lives A good many of the saints lost their faithfalth and left the church the faithful waited for vordword from their prophet it came they were to gather again this time to missouri a journey of nearly nine hundred miles mlomany of the faithful had no means by which to do this president and the high council attempted to se- cure meanmeenmeansmeens to remove the saints by vaterwater but they were not successful on march 6 1838 the seventies met in the temple ardandarn discussed the mat ter of moving to missouri

24 conference minutes times and seasonbseasons I1 april 1801840 P 92 25dhcHC V 368 25 in accordance vithwith the c0cacommandjnentsntsants and revelations of god and also the practicability of the quorum of the seseventieshentiesrentiesrenties locating in as compact a body as possible in some stake of zion in the west where they could meet together when they were not laboring in the vineyard of the loidllordllordj and also could receive counsel from the twelve and the first presidency in matters pertaining to their mission to the nalnatnationsnationolonoiono with greater facility than they vowould if scattered herebere and there over filln tthe face of the land 25 on saturday march 10thjloth they reconvened and discussed the matter further some of the presidents seemed tothinktothink it was not pra- ctical since the previous atteattempt by the high council and high priests to remove the saints by water had failed and all had beerbeen advised to look out for himself individually and make the best of it he could As the discussion continued the spirit of the lord came down in mighty poverpower and some of the elders began to prophesy that if the quorum would go up I1 A in a body together and go according to the conaaandznentsI1 111ts andend revelations of god pitching their tents by the way that they should not vantwant for anything gnagn the journey that would be nec- essary for them to havebave 6 president james fosterfostersmoster one of the seven while makinging remarks on the matter declared that he savbawsaw a vision in which vabwabvaswaswms shown a com-

it pany 6 starting from kirtland and koingoings up to zion allali herewith accepted the idea and the councilorscouncillorsCouncilors verewere requested to devise the i-bestst 2828.28oq course to be pursued to carry the plan into effect on tuesday morning the presidents of the seventy met with president hyhanhynanhyrum smith and drew up a constitution to govern the campicamp it vaswas adopted at a meeting in the afternoon the seven presidents were to

26 djicajicD HC invdinvilllil 87 this is an interestiaintoresticinteintointerestiaestinrestic comment in view of the scattering which later took place in utahtubah 2tdpcPC ITI 36 28datdaa DHC illiiilii 868988898688 89 26 be the leaders of the camp all saints were invited to go along pro- vided they observed the rules all were to observe decency kepkeep the

4 commandments and heed the that issis no tobacco tea91 ea coffee snuffsnurr or ardent spirits of any kind are to be taken internally every man was to subject his family to the order of the camp allaliail were to provide for themselves and the camp as far as possible those who could not were to pay back according to what they used as soon as pos- sible after arrival refusal to observe the rules would result in being 20 disfellowshipdisfellowshippedped from the camp to travel alone the camp left kirtkintkirfcland july 6 1838 and arrived at far west missouri on october and2nd traveling 870 miles one hundred andend five fa- milies 529 souls began the trip sonesome dropped out because of sick- ness or mishap some because of dissatisfaction some were expelled for refusing to adherere to the rules most of those who began aqcqcame all the way with the group there vabvasveswaswes sickness and some deaths mostly children they camped in tents alon the vayway difficulties were resolved by tent captains andor referred to the council seven presidents funds were earned by hiring out on the way the camp halted for nearly a month on the western border of ohio while the men fulfilled a contract to build a ac turnpike 3c to catch some of the feelings of those who made the jowjomjourneywy we turn to an autobiography of john pulsipher whose father wvabvaswas one of the seven

29 DHC illliiiiiili111 899189 91 30dhc30djlc illliiiliiii111 814898148988 148 2727

on the firthfifthairth clavdayclayaay of july 1838 we started for missouri in the larlargesterestcrestgrest company of saints that ever traveled together in this generation and all the people in the country tawnstownstawnetowne and cities throuthroughh which we passed were surprised it certainly was wonderful at that tiretinetime to see a contcompanypany of benvmenvmen women and children a mile lonzlonolongiong allaliail trtravelingravelintravelingavelin together in order and pit- ching their tents by the way sometimes mobs tried to stop us and at other times men and women threw egsbegseggs at us as we passed at one time a military force was placed ahead of aspuspus but when we came up to the cannoncannons mouth they durst not fire we arrived safely at the city of far west about the first of october joseph and hyrum met us and were well pleased it was a joyful aeetimeetimeetingng 313 kirtland camp was one of the outstanding contributions the seventies have made in church history they came to the aid of the saints at a time when it seemed that none of the other authorities were able to they gaveave full credit to the inspiration of the lord it Is interesting that the inspiration came to the third quorum of the church when a majority of the first and second piwrmsquorums of the church was not present As it turned out the long journey was one out of the prover- bial frying pan and into the fire quoting again from john sipherspulsipherpulsiphersPulpui account

president joseph smith councilcouncllledcouncilledled usua to 30go to adaaadanadam on dldi araonamonemonamaonammon to strengthen a small settlement which had been there commencedc encedencee we did so and found it to be one of the most beautiful places I1 ever saw and being about thirty miles from far west our neigh- bors the old settlers were worse tthan savages for they hadhed com- menced the work of destruction before we arrived and while we stayed thepthere it was one continuous scene of mobbing and persecu- tion j

31 A short sketch of the biography of john pulslpherpulsipher iwaMSiw9 seventies ciorumsCicvorumsorums genealogical records twetpart 1 second lorumnorum biograph- ies appp 22021220 21 microfilm 32f ibid 23

itluclub is beyond our purpose here to recount the persecutions and expulsion of the saints from the state of missouri there wsvasw&swas little opportunity for priesthood activities as such the energies of the entire church were devoted to self defense and self preservation in

the winter anand spring of 1838391838 39 a majority of the saints under guid-aidulduid ance of brifbrigham young made their way to and settled neanear the town of uincyculncycincy subsequently land was purchased and the city built which was named by the prophet naiivoonauvoo

activities in nauvoo

A general Cenconferenceference of the church was held near 1cincyuincy in may 1839 before the twelve left on a mission to the minutes state that fourteen seventies and five high priests have the sanction of the council that they accompany the twelve to europe 11133 it was also resolved thatthatthet it be observed as a general rule that those of the seve- nties who have notloot yet preached shallshelisheilshalishail not for the future be sent on for- eign missions it is evident here that seventies were not aldaysalvaysalways chosen from mansamong the more experienced elders the seventies were substantially increased a year later it was reported that seventy five persons had been baptized during thetho con- ference and that upwards of fifty had beenbeanbeam recereeereceivedived into the quorum of 34 seventies it is eadentevident that in this early period the I1twelve relied up- on the seventies for assistance before calling any others heber C

33dhc33phc illliiiliiii111 347- 34dhc34 iv 110 kinball sentcent a letter to the slintsstints in the states from prelpiespresprestonstonatoneton dated april 17 1810 and stated affairs of the church there it had been moved by elder kimball andane seconded by elder richards that twenty of the seventies be sent for and that it be left discretionary with the president of the twelve to send more if he think proper 35 missionary work began with the inception of the church and has been carried on by all quorums of the priesthood since then but

the seventies in particular have that callincallcalicailln we have seen tlthat at they reported missimisslorarymissiorarymissionaryorary labors at the end of their first year that they have continued active in thistess wovorkworkk is certain but the proportion of their share in it cannot be determined for this early period since the missionazzrecordmissionary record foesdoes not list the priesthood of most of those sent on missions until after 18601960 it appears fromfromm looking over the lists that joseph smith ccalleded about asaa many seventies as high priests and elderseiders but this cannot be said with certainty for instance out of a total of seventy five who were sent or were already encn missions in 1837 it isIB known that twelve were elders sixteen were seventies one vasvaewas a high priest six were apostles and two were members of the first Presidenpresidencyayacyp leaving turtythirtyaurty eight unaccounted for fifty four missionaries were call- edd in that year only sixteen in 1838 eighty in 1840180 in 18131843 the mi- ssionary effort surged upward with the caningcalling of 37437 and 585 the foll- au owing year 3u on the basis of what he could find out the writer be- lieves that from one third to one half of the missionariesralseionarles during this

35dhcDHC IV 116 36missionary36 missionary record cards n 1837441837 44 microfilm on file at the church historians efficeorficeoffice salt lakelmkea city 30 period were seventies the seventies no doubt participated a good deal- in the build- ing of the for they had a penchant for building they began construction of a meetins hall sometime early in 164418441.844 joseph smith recorded some of their troubles with that project sunday march 17 last night nauvoo was visited by a vryvery strong wind from the west it blew down a portion of the weet wall of the new halhaihallhalihailI 28 by 40 feet on the ground which the seventies had commenced on bain street andaw they had raised for the roof firdaybirday 22 I1 advedvadvisediseiisel the seventies to pull down the remainder of the walls and rebuild the seventies hall on a permanent basis from the foundation and not erect for thethemselvesmeivesmelves a trap but build one twtvotwo stories high and stronastrong enough to stand for a gener- ation 37jf the advice was taken and the hall did stand for a generation which was a good deaideal longer than the seventies had use for it as things turned out

7dhcDHC IV 267 271 CHAPTER IV

THE SEVENTIES UNDER MIGHMBRIGHAM YOUNG 1844771844 77 expansionbxpansionionlon of the seventies

with the martyrdom of joseph ladendandmad hyrum smithth in june 1844 1pap the quorum of the first presidencysilencysidency vaswas dissolved accordingly the quorum of the twelve took charge of the church brbrichanbrighan young belnebeingbeirbelrbeix pres- ident in august it vas anjouannouannounceded that the Sseventiesn iesles will be organ- ized andana a presidency of seven men will hebe chosen out of the first quorum i to preside over the first ten ququorumsorums 1 at the following general con- ference in october a motion vabwabwebvaswas entered by george A smithUP that ailallali in the elders quorum under the age of thirtythirbyrby five should be ordainedor ned into the seventies if they are in good standing and worthy and villwill 2Q accept it the motion vabvaswabvaawas seconded and carried 11unanimouslymously over 400 verewere orordainedned that morning and in the afternoon ordinations continued ltvbyitytsy evening eleven quarmequormequorums verewere filled and properly organized and about 3 40 elders organiorganizedsedzed as part of the twelfth quorum the first quorum of seventy waspvaswas in effect dissolved the seven presidents rremainedd as the first councouncilil of seventy the members

journel1journaljournal history MS august 18 18j1844 p 5 on tilefileflie at the church historians office salt lakelekee city 2dhcHC VII 305 idhcidicidecHC VII 307

31 A

32 of the first quorum verewere aadevademade presidents of ququorumsorums numbers two to ten presidents for all additioadditionadditional quinnisquonnisquorums were selected from within their own 4 ranks hencehen e the first council of seventy remalremained as the third quorum of the general authorities of the church andanaena as thebhe body presiding over all the seventies but responsibility over a quorum of their own was re- moved

in the afternoon session mentioned bribrigham YOyoung gave certain instructions to the seventies andend eiderselderserbers given in synopsis in the minutes prespreapresidentident bribrightabrighaa YOyoung then saidseidseldd that the elders yoyoung men who are capable of preaching will be orordainedned seventies j bubbutut do not be anxious you must now magnify your calling1 0 0 6 0 the seventies will have to be subject to their presidents and council we do not want any anaenwenman to go preapreaching until behe is sent if an sidereideteldereiderolder wants to go preaching istletietlot hiahlahim go into the seventies you are allelieil apostles to the nationnations to carry the gospel and when we send you to build up the kingdom1 A we will give you the keyskeysa andww poverpower 655 andww autauwauthoritybority 0 while the saints remairemalremained in nauvoo more quorums continued to

be organized by the lathl9th19th of januarya 1846 the number of quorums bad in creased to thirty whether or not any more quorums than these were organ 6 izediced in nauvoo we do not know just why the seventies were expandedexpendedoxmg aed to such a volume is nowhere mademede clear either the twelve felt that it was what joseph intended to do allelieil along or they meant to send out missionaries in greater numbers andadd felt that missionaries should be seventies which ever vasvesweswas the case the

4 MSMB pear bpB seventies genealogical Recorrecordsdsadoadop MSPP partpeat 3 book p 15 microfilm

5 DHCH C VII 30708307 08

ab6b H roberts op cit p 9 33 seventies at this time seem to have become the largest body of priesthood in the church and they evidently continued to be for anymanymenyxny years

later activities in hauvoonauvoo the seventies continued to be active during those remaining years in nauvoo in quorum vorkwork missionmissionary7 work and in activities for the be- nefit of the church generally on october 20 181844 the seventies met in their hallheliheii at nauvoo after ordaining presidents who had been selected to preside over quorumsquorums a call vasvaawaswaa mademaaemeaee by request of the major general for thirtyrtyarty wagons and teams to be in readiness at the hallhalihail1 by daylight on the mnrrovmorrow vithwith three days provisions and horse feed sufficient for the journey this call vaswas made to convey witnesses to carthage in safety and for protection during the trltribritrials at court as two of the mmmenman in the church had been murdered in carthage in june and that too under the faith and pledge of the state and since caution is the parent of safelysafelysafety it vasveswaswes dedeemedd inadvisable to venture upon the pledges of others r on december 31t319t eldereiderkideror gordon 89 deuel of the thirteenth quorum made a report of his mission in the kastkaatkeatt it gives us an idea of the type of work done by the average seventy at that time I1 cormencommencedced preaching in the town of lisbon st laurence co sutestatesuzeswate of on the loth of april in the year of our lord 184418441894 after preaching a few disdiscoursesdiadlacourses some came forward in baptism I1 soon organized a branch consisting of one priest one teacher and 21 members I1 ventwent to Ccanadacaneda andendedd preached a few times in lorigiflorigi19 original and baptized some organized a branch 1 teacher 1 deacon and 9 members baptized 4 in lower Ccanadacaneda baptized 3 in camdencarCazfideneideneeden U cpC p baptized some in oswego cojcoboj N Y 1 I believe 4 then in orleanorieanorleans co0coaco N Y I1 baptized one baptist preacher andend one deeDeadeaconconjcong ordain- ed tthem to the office of elder endandena priestpriests preached a few timestiroesbimesthroeswimes in niagerniagaraa co j N Y andnd baptized 5 more in cambria branch preach- ed a few times in michimichlmichigan st joseph co 0 andg baptized 9 preach ed in the norwegian settlement and baptized 5

7tourual7journal history MSMB october 20020 181413441844 p 1

bibid8ibidid december 31 1844piai8 P 1 34 occasionally the seventies had to be cautioned not to carry their zeal too far at a meeting of the first council held in january 1845 joseph young suggested that some be more cautious in their speech some had been saying they considered the twelve to be god to us he

said this wouldvo jeopardize the lives of the twelve since the same hathaa been said of joseph smiththsohs and he felt had hastenedtenedbened his death theythay also dis- cussed the propriety of cutting off wayward brethren for drunkenness and yo thievery and bublispublispublishing their namebnamesnemes 0 bribeibelbrigham young then urged that char- ity endand patience must be exercised toward those affectingdisdisaffecting no oppress- ive action should be taken the presidents of seventies should know how to save men instead of destroying themtheme he said that men under sus dicionpicion of offenseoftenserense should not be madee public but gone to quietly andana worked with that they might have a chance to repent we should preserve a mangs reputation as long as possible tt9 this would seem to show a side of brighansbrigmansbrighamsBrighaeshanshaebhamshemshemb nature that menymany have never supposed existedsted As the nauvoo temple was nearly completed the saints began to enter endand receive the rites for which it vaswas built the presidents of sw-sev- 10 eenty and their wives received their endowmentsovinents on december 12 1845 the seventies also for a timestimebimewime conducted the temple work when the nauvoo temple was ready for use it was necessary to determine the manner of conducting operations therein it was decided that the high priests should first take charge and go through with their familiesileslies then the seventies verewere given charge for a considerable tinetime allail the work done vaawaswaavagwag under

9 9journalnjournal history ms0MSmsomsp january 2727p 184518

idec H C VII 5544 35 the chareecharge of the seventies and the records made a partport of the records of the first quotumquorum andana novnow repose in the archives of the first Councicouncili 11 the seventies hall in nauvoo we noted in chapter two that the seventies began constructing a meeting hallhmil1 early in 1844 in december as it was nearing completion they formed a seventies library and institutetitutetitule association george A smith of the twelve addressed the seventies on the 8thpath8th andandtendt suggested the propriety of the aldersalderearberbare while in foreign or distant lands to gather up all the ancient records that theyy can possibly procure & bring them up to this place that we may establish a library for our own benefit and instruction the hallheilheii1 he stated was a suitable place for the institution spoken presprospreg jos 12 young then abrosearrose bicsic I1 heartily concurring on the irthi5th15th they met again in the eailhallhali and brother smith re- pporteded that the city council had passed his petition granting us full power to form ourselves into an incorporate body for the purpose of erect- ing and supporting a publick librailbralibrarylibraryoryeryo n13j from december 26th throthrough the 30th30thp a special conference was helzheizheldheid which included ceceremoniesoniesonles for the dedication of the helihallheii 0 two quor inume attended each day begibagibeginningng with the second and third and so on the council of seventy andendaraiarxi members of the twelve occupied the stand the sen- ior presidents of each quorum were seated on the right the choir on the left and the brass band in front brigham young offered the dedicatory prayer the first day joseph young did so on the second day two new hymns

11 antoine BR ivins the Sevseventyentys improvement emra XXXVIII april 193501935 215 12seventies12 seventies genealogical recordsKecords MS bartpartparb 3 book B p ko40 13ybidpibid ppe hohlholh40414oaohogh40410bieble 36 were introduced A voice from the prophet codecovecome teto izeme by W W phelps and the seer by john taylorsaylor 14 lain his wayerprayer of dedication brigham

YOyoung invoked a blessing upon edvardecwardedward hunter who had donated the ground he also indicated his feelings about seventies we ask thee our father to accept the dedication of our heartsheartehaerte this morning and oeyoaymeymay we feel the prelude of that power and authority vithwith which thy servants ashall1 be clothed when they 3shalishallshail go forth and oienolenopen the door of salvation to the nations andaraanaarm kingdoms of the earth even thy servantsservante the seventies upon whom the burden of thy kingdom does rest aadandamdang to whom the keys of the sawsamegamgemgame sshall1 be crucrunittercomalttednittermitter frowsromscow lime tc titimepneyne 155 mabamabeammasa M lyman was one of the speakspeakersrs on that first day of the conference he remarked that the seventies were desdebdesigneded to be messengers to every 1land andana kingdom under heaven and consequently they will have ample opportunitiesapportopport tiestieb to gather rawwraanyrauw antiquities with various books charts etc to deposit in the library for the advancement of art and scleescienceselence which vitgviegvithwith just principles villwill go heart and henihenl unto perfection 1303 0 speaking on the 27th saidsaidibaldtbaldigaldgeld seinesernesomesorne of you mvmay be called to go to foreign lanianlands to admi-in nister salvation to nations that to you are unknown the redem- ption of your deceased relatives are also0 required at your handsso 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 when you go forth lift uiup yourur headsbeadsheeds like kings and trust in the name of israelsisraelis god 17 john E raberagepage addressing those presentpregent on the 29th said thatbhatthattwhat

14 DRCDHCdec VII 33045330 45 15dedication15 dedication of the seventies hall V 79498794 98

decDHCD HCH C VII 339

17 decDRCDHC VII 342 37 the seventies were in the hands of god as a lever by which he voaidwould turn the world upside down andestablishandana establish his covecovenant with 1 aniaani8 the inhabitants of eveveryry 0 0 0 thesese remarksfennewfunnewke serve to shavshewshawshemshow how the twelve felt about the mission and calling of the seventies after the helihallheii was completed the seventies managedmenageded to find time for othetother Cbristianchristian construction on february 17 1845 a meeting of the presidents of seventies webvasvanweswms heldheidhold in nauvoo measures verewere adoptedptedapted to facilitate the buibulbuildingng of pros joseph youngs house mig like the temple the HT was not to see much use toon october 3431 1845 the general council at bauvoonauvoo wrote a 1letterieblerer to johnjobu B purcell catholic bishop at cincinnstticincinnattiCincinnatti ohionohiojohio offering the hallheilheii1 with other proper 20 ties for sale there is no record thatwhatwhet it was sold in marchmerchxchp 1847 it was reported that the Swseventiesenties heilhallheii vasvaaveawaswaa bebeing used as a schmischool house 21 by those who moved into nauvoo after the saints left an engraving of the appeared in the contributor magazine in 1887 and an fcc&ccaccompany- ing item the upper story of the origioriginal vabvaswabwebvagweg takenbakenen down several years n22 ago andana the house is now employed as a one story schoolhouse it did ststandswendsuenaand for a generation in accordance vithwith the prophetprophets wishes

cac18dhcchc VIIsyilyllVII 33343 19t tt 19journal19 journeljournal Hishistorytorys mspmsoMS february 17 1845 20nid20ibid20Ibid october 31 184518450 p 1

21 ibid march 9aj9j 1847

22the22nle contributor VIII may 1887 241 p 272 38 sevseventiesatiesuties in the western exodus under continued pressure of mob violence the church leaders fifinally agreed to leave hauvoonauvoonauvooj beginning in the spring of 1846 on feb- ruary ath4th those who were able to travel followed brigham young across the mississippi river and began the long trek vestwest headquarters for the church were esestablished1 isheddished that year at a site which was named winter quarters

Brighabrighajmjm young received a revelation there known as the word and will of the lord now constituting section 136 in the doctrine and covenants on january 16 1847 the members of the quorum of twelve who were there met with the presidents of seventy the word and will of the lord vesvaaveavenvanwas read and the presidents of the seventies andana clerk voted unanimouslymously in favor of its being ac- cepted presprosso joseph young asked if it were right to adaadd other seventies when it webvaswaswms imunknown where the members were prebprespros brig hemham yoyoung decided that it webvanweswaswen not wisdom to add to wanyauyV quorum un- less it was known there were yacanvacanciesiesles either by death or apostasyapostacyapostacy 233 the seventies construction experience always stood them in good ststead on Jjanuarymmaryurynry lthithalth17th sizbizsixbix of the seventies volunteered to split 24oh and hew luncheonspuncheonspuncheons to lay a floor in the council house tomorrow their effort was rewarded on january 23rat23rdt in the eveningelenixevenix prebprespreepees yoyoung attended the council of seventies and made arrangements for bevsevsayseveralrelralrei dances endand festivals in the nevnew couconcounciliai1 rowromrooeroom prebprobprespros young told thebhe brethren eadendand sisters he wowould show them how to go forth in the dance in an acceptable manner before the lord rresprebpresprospregprog young then kneltkneitkneiz down andend prayed to god in behalf of the meeting imploring his blessing to rest upon thosese present andend dedicating the meeting aadeadandadd house to the lord at the

23 MS 16 journal history 0O january j 1847

24 ibid january 1717.1 1847 3039 bound of the music presprospregpuesprog yoyoung led forth in the dance accom- paniedled by elderseiderskn ders heber C imbarlimba3lklxaball joseph young albert P rockwoodrockKockvoodwood henhenry harrinanherrimanharriman ool005001 others the dance ventwent off with much satisfactionsatisfactionssatisfactiong aadand on the 28th the twelve and a third company of seventies spent the day and evening in the council house singing81 ng praying dancing andendarid lkiagbakingoaking merry before the lord these ccompaniesOs of men mostly seventies verewere accorded thisa privilege of dancingdaucing in the council house at Wwinterwinberer quarters because they hadhed laid the floor in said building and were divided into three companies so that the house could be used vithwith pleasure andanaena natnot be crowded the brethren andend sisters took their refreshments vithwith theathenthemkhem and partook at dusk and then proceeded witvibvith theuhe dancing the baadbeadband kindly gave their ser- vices gratuitouslyvit in june of 1846 amyarmy officers hadbad recruited a force of the saints known as the for service during the mexican war their overlandover march to califocalibocalifornia is veliveilvellwell known seventies verewere a prominentpr nt part of the battalion As many of the menman of the battalion verevezewereweze members of the seventies ququorumsquormsporums seventies meetings verewere alsoeibo0 heldheidbold occasion- ally wheewhen circumstances would permit they verewere elvosalvvs tresidedTrepresidedtresidertee sided over by brother babcockbancockcock in his capacity as one of thebhe first presid- ency of that organization brother babcockbancockock vaswas very zealzealousouss and did his best to influence the men to live as their religion taught underor every circunscircumscircumstancee he vaswas really deserving of much credit for the zeal eodend diligence hebe manifested in missionary vorkwork amanongamongong his bbrethrenthren but it vasveevaewaswae very ayparentpezentapparent that some officers regarded his action asan officious andend ertainedentertainedpertainederlaertained a feelfeeling of jealousy towards him on that account 2 f in a letter to levileyl hancockcock joseph yoursyourgyounsyoung informed the battalion seventies of activities at winter quarters we have held general conferences of the seventies once a veekweek since vewe have been in winter quarters and have done con- sidsiderableerable business j but vewe shalla omit organization of the quorums until vewe arrive at our destined location where vewe shallbhail hear the

25ibid january 23s 1847 26im26nid january 28j28 1847 27 ibidpibid rebrrebruaryjpebruaryfebruaryuary 83 1847 40 lavlevlawlewiem of the lord and I1 trust we shall be able to keep allmilmii his statutes and walk in all his ordinances and havehevaheyaagqg a more per- fect organization than we have ever hadbadhedbed before seventies were a majority in the vanguard pioneer company which crossed the plains and entered salt lakelekee valley in 1847 brigbrigham YOyouneyoung found it necenecessarynecesearyseary on may 29th to call down thosethobe brethren who were giv- ing way to trifling dancing and card playing it the company entered in- to a solemn covenant with the lord that they would repent of their fol- lies cease their evils and berveserreserve god according to hishichiehiohlo laws in dodoing this the brethren voted by priesthood and it was fofoundround that there were present eight apostles four bishops 151 high priests 78 seventies andana 29 eielteiehteiehleigit eidersElderselders29erbers on october 2 1848 bribrigham young now back at winter quarters wrote to the brethren in he mentioned priesthood ac- tivitivitiesties the high priests have met on the ist sunday of every month and the seventies on the ard3rd sunday the weetmeetmeebmeetingsis havebavehayeheyebaye been well attended frequently more than could get intoinno the house and the spirit of the lord has been presentbentbenlsent we have sent out a number of siderseiderselders to preach in every part of the country theyzhaywaymay generally go two or three together addand almostat every branch is visited regularly every sabbath and when the high priests meet the seveseyeseventiesieslesleg go and preach in their pplacespinceses andend also preach at other times it30 in csaklrging nevnew settlements in the vestwest the seventies of course did their partpertpelmpeim for instance on vembernovemberRo 3 1850 ceorge A smith and other elders were appointed to makemekee a settlement in little salt lake valley eldereiderer george A smith and ezra T benson attended a seventies meeting in 28 ibid marchachrch 29 1847184710 29 may 1bidibid 0.0 29 1847 301bide301 ibidbide october 2 1mam1848 9.9 p 5 41

the evening and c0cacalledled for volunteers to accompany the mission 31

the scatterscatteringaqnq in israel in those days whenever a man vaswasvmswms ordained0 ned a seventy he became a member ofor a partlpartiparticularpayticulaw quorum and usually stayed a member of it as long 32TO as he vabwabvaswaswms a seveseventy 1 As a result when the saints came vest and settled

in the various settlements of deseret or P these quorumsquorume became co- mpletely scattered in a letter from president of the 2tthotth27th quorum to the deseret news published december 4 1851 he reported that hihishibs quorum haaheahad been meeting at his househoube every wednweanwednesdaysdayaday evening since october confftconferenceencee hebe listed those on the quorum role who verewere accounted for fifteen in great salt lakeimkelmke valleyvailey four in weber county one in davis county six in utah county four in iron county one in los angelesansAnglesslesp ten in iowa tvotwo in st louis one on a mission in scotland one on a mission in the sandwichvichwichwlch islands one with parley P pratt andlendl one on a mission in nevnew york he listed twenty three unaccounted foraroraforror andend asked that they or arvoneanyone who knew about themsrhemsthem get in touch with him33him 33 elceletheQIC shepherds were also scattered with the sheep it was reported that there verewere iollol104 presidentssilentssidents of seventies in the valley fifteenfift6en on missions five in the

mines p one in illinoisinoisanois six in missouri and six whose place of residence 3434.343 vasvaewas not known 6 in february 1853 the deseret news published upon requesrequesttp a

31 1850 ibid p vembernovemberBo 3 105100180 32 J A seventy could be transferred into the next quorquorumquorumam lower in number but the writer could find no evidence that this vabvesvaswas done after the

33 MS mourjoural history 9 december 4 9.9 1851 34 ibitiibisiibideabide february 13 1851 p 1 42

report of the second quorum and saidasaidpseidsaidseld we would be pleased with the privilege of doing the same for allailali the quorumquorumsququorumspodumsorumssp w and urged all seventies to subscribe so that the service would reach all of them 35 subsequently the first coilcouncilil of seventy instructed all quorums to report throthrough the deseret news and reports began to come in A report of the 24th21fth quorum is typical they listed six preslpresipreelpresidentsdenttsdentes and only eight members and made the following request i

we wish allailali the members wherever located to XWreport1plort tbemteemthem- selves and their standing forthwith and to report what they know of other members who may have been scattered apostatized been cut off or have died and furnish urus vithwith authenticic documents that we may add fresh members in their placespieces as vewe desire to keep up meetstingsjestingsmestingsme s regularly and have a lively quorum that we may assist in oj6humbleourAouraumbleourm unbleumble sphere to carry out allelleil the measures of the authorities 30 the practice grew up for seventies in any particular to gather together in general meetings and to form masansmass quorumsquorums seve- nties of the lilril114normonmormonormon battalion appear to have been the first to organizeorganiseanize such a quorum at los angeleo11 eles on april 18 18471347 they selected a senior 37 president and six others church leaders made no move to organize the seventies thevchevthey were left pretty much to themselthemselvesvessvesp since they were not regarded as a part of ward and stake ororganizationizationization aaAs a result an attitude of exclusiveness developed among thenthem which led to petty rivalry and jealousy briBrigbrighaunhauthaun yoyoung placed the blame on the ququorumsorums

35 ibid february iks14 185318530 p 2

36ibid36Ibid december 12 1851855 P 3 371bidibid april 18 1847 433 the iseyseventiesatiesnties are scattered all through our settlements vewe do riotnot orbeorgaorgeorganizemizemlee themithem they are already organized in their several quorumsquorums As for mass quorwasquorumsquorums I1 do not acknowl&eacknowledge such organ- izatizationsions in consequence of operations carrieacarried out under that name I1 have felt to echangee it aaieniandemi instead of calling them mass quormsququorumsorums name them muss ququorumsorums at almost feryevery place where they have met together there has been quarrelingrebetween the seventies and the bishop thisa was first brought to my notice by learning that when bishops gave out notice ncr the people to come together at a certain tileptimeptime it was not an infrequent thing for the presidents of the mass quorums of the same wards to give out their appointments for the seventies to meet at the same hour this wowould be done for the purpose of showing whatwhet great authority they had andabodajodsndA nd to get up a quarrel A 8residentpresident acting in this manner ought to be cut off from the churchchurch3churchy 3 it seems strange that more definite steps for 0organizationzationbation were not taken durduzduring allailali these years these mass quormsquorums and general meetings were the only possibility given the seventies for any type of group activ- ity therheme folfoifollowinglovingis given as an example of what vabvasveswaswes done in general meetings at provo in the afternoon a general council of the seventies composed of delegates from every settlement in the county met in the meeting hallhalihail they meet once a month to report the coconditionstion of the quor amsums and the branches ai&ialsoaiso0 the standing of the seventies on the subject of exertexerting themselves to 0enlargege the subscription list of the deseret news and upon the necessity of the young elders observing the wordvordword of vladamwisdom recommended that the elders as far as consistent dispense witvithwith the use of tea coffee tobacco and spiritous liquors entirelyirelyvit3 arriandanaarmiarmm at salt lakeleke A general meeting of the seventies was held in G S L city two nevnovnewnow emberemmberenwabers were ordained and a committee of one was

401 4040.40 arolnamoinappointedted for each ward to see that every seventy paid his titithingag

38Q deseret news XXVI june 6 1877 L 274

39 w 39journaljournal history MSMB march 3431 1855 P 1

4oibidibid october 19 1851 P 1 m-

444 education and recreation As the missionary body of the church the seventies were con- stantly urged to pursue all fields of knowledge and to engage in activ- ities which would elevate their intellects sndand broaeenbroaden their background so as to aakenakemake therthenthem better potential missionaries en who could hold their own in association with all classes of society these pursuits took many forms a few examples of which are given here before the seventies hailhallhali1 was dedicated in nauvoo a fencing 41 school was held there just how long this was continued is not known

in january 1848 the 0seventieseventies held a five day jubilee at the log in the pottawattmiepottawatomiepottawattamie lands iowa they listened to speak-

ers sangansanggenggeug the soiigssojagasoljaga of zion danced to band music and john mckay the

lt42 favorite singer of the camp also sabenehengsang several times 0 on the second day of the jubilee rules of conduct were adopted which are rather interesting istlot it is enacted by the high council of this place that no liquor shall be brought here under penalty of 1 to be col- lected by the marsmersmershallmarshall for each trantrpntransgressgrebgressionegressiongres ionlonsionbionblon and2nd no loud tatalkingng nor whispering allowed after the exer- cises of the day are comemcedcosaaenced excepting in cases of necessity ard3rd let due respect be paid to old age and infirmity to the sick and to cripples ath4th let a1aaallailali1 persons who have business at the stendstand do it immediately and retire leaving it for the councillors whose seats ateoteoreaxeame there and the music ath5th bono privileges of recreation in dancing can be allowed to any save those who are in good etstandinging as members of the church or those invited by proper authority ath6th kono gentlemen will be allowed to have two privileges of dancing while others have not haahad one andend if a transgression of this rule is observed the penalty will be the public calling of the sentsenkgentgentlemangentlemansgentlemenslemans nanename

41roidibid december 4 18441344 421bidibid january 20 1343 45 tthath7th preaching exhortation etc will commence at the hour appointed and will continue till 1 pm when an hours intermission will be given for partaking of refreshments and administering to the vantswants of the sick after which the saintsntsants will join 4nanin prais- ing the lord on their instruments of music and in dance 3 A second jubilee was held in salt lake in february 1856 eight quorums attended each day children not eligible to instruction were LL mam& 44 toidotvo410 be left at home the festivities were ssimilarlar to the first jubilee on january 23 1848 a seventies school was held at winter qua- rters at which elder korsonorsonorgon pratt delivered an instructive sermon on the gospel and on science followed by wilford woodruff on philosophy 455 in may of 1848 president albert rockwoodrockBockwood of the first council of seventy was given a letter of introduction to the saints in the east in which they were asked to contribute to the sending of news of the worldworldsworldm to the mountains and so he could bring books and stationery for the use of the 46 Ququorumsqwrumseorums in february 1850 the 27th quorum met at thomas bullockbullocks 8 house Wllwillardlard richerdRichardrichardssp endandtandtendjand others spoke on the necessity of the brethren learning the german and french languageswaesmaesmues and preparing tt4747 tthemselvesiselves for missmibsmissionsionis in novembernovembers 1851 the seventies met in the w48 lower roanroom of the council house GSLGBL city and organized a lyceum

4 a 431bidibideabide january 20 18481348 44 ibid january february 131613 16p16 1856 451bidibid january 23 184801848 p 1 46 ibid0ibid may 818 18481848p p 1 471bid471bidibid february 24024 1850 p 1 481bid481bidibid november 2 1851 ho40

on june 06 1856 brigham young attended literary and musical entertain- 49 ment at the seventies eailhall1 9 on larchmarch 12 1862 iaderkader nathanielnat e1ea felt lectured at the seventies hall on egyptian history 50 these samplings serve to show the character of the endeavors of leaders of the seventies to foster wholesome recreation and educational and cultural advanceadvancementwentment for their membersmemberg

the seventies hall of science the seventies desire for a building of their own came to the fore again after the saints were established at salt lake it is recorded in a meeting of brigham young with the first council on october 27 1650 that 02005200 had been subscribed in shares of 252 each for the building 51 cfof a seventies hall1 of science A special seventies conference was held in salt lakee city in january 1851 during the first day 104 elderseiderselderseiders priests and members were ordained seventies after A P roekwoodpockwoodroekboekBockwood and J M grant spoke about the hall of SciensciencecePcea truman 0 angel 11 presented11presented a perspective bicifricifsici view of the intended rotrotundaa and diagrams of the tt 52 building 0 at another conference in novemberHovnovamberomber joseph young was appointed trustee and superintendent of the work the foundation is

w 53 coencommencedced on eastembtemstt temple and second streets

4 ibid june 6 1856 501bldibid march 12 1862 51 51ibidibid october 27 185018500 p I11 52ibidibid

531bid531bidibid april 7 1851 P 3 47 however president bribrigham young felt that the temple came first and that allailali means should be used to further that vorkwork before any con-

structionststrucructionton such as the seventies ververewere DIplanningI1 I1 will say a word to the seventies some of tthemtham have in- correct notions touching the seventiesseventies11 hallheilheiihaiiehaile andana I1 vish them to undunderstandrstandestand thetthattheluhelkhel the temple must be first thingag in our thoughts and if I1 vantvankwantwank all the funds that have been collected for the seventiesseventies11 eelihall for the erection of the temple I1 calculate to use them 54 in mermeymay 185318530 bribrigham published notice to allaliail seventies that wingowing to the urgent press of public business and the immensean e amount of labor required making improvements fencing building housesbouses andana barns in allaliail parts of the territory I1 have determined to suspend operation on the seventies hallhalihail for the present the seventiesiesles verewere asked to give their money for the temple and they would be given credit for that amount 55 on the hallheilheii 0 A seventies council helihallheii was dedicated in december 1854 it vasveswaswes intended to be an aneaweappendagee to but not to supersedesupercedesupercede 19 the hallhali of science the building vabvasvaawaswaa 53 feet by 25 feet and consisted of a hallhailhali gallerybaileryierylery basement and antanteroomerom it vwill cost when completed about w5656 3000500 16 10 in april 1855 the seventies formed the deseret theological in- stistitutetute it vaswas to be a seminutseminukseminary housed in the eailhall of Sciencesciencesscience5science57575 an

54 journal of discourses gartner printing andaw litho coopco 1956 11 996

journalliournelurnal history MS waymay 28 1853 P 2 565 ibid december 25v25 1854 p 1 571bid571bidibid april 7 1855 P 1- 58 ibid june 26 1861p1861 p 3 48

aannouncementement was made in june 1861 the seventies throthroughoutut the territory and those abroad among the nations wiwillU isamleamlearn vithwith satisfaction that pros brigham yoroungyoung the elected trustee in trust of the hallheilheii1 of science heshasheb now everything in a forward state for the immediatelate erection of that edifice 5950 there beensdeensseems to be no information as to just why the ball1 of science vasveswaswes never finished but such is the case it may be that funds were never quite sufficient perhaps the events of the civil war period interfered in some way orsor possibly by the ttinetime they were able to build other structures in the city were found to be sufficient for theirwheirir needs theycheymeymay did however open a readreading room and library in 1863 presumably 59 at thetheirir halihallhail I1 it contained baksbooks and principle periodiperiodicperiodicalsis of the llyflyday mebMosmesmissionaryioner work for the years l86o18607575 the seventies represented approximately 70TO per ccent of all the missionaries sent into the field this policy con- tinued almostelmostcatoat without interruption until the twentieth century from looking over the listaklistaplists it is seen that from one third to one half of the seventies going on missions were already members of ququorumsorums MMWmenymany of tthem were men with families who went at considerable sacrifice in leaving their ffamiliesliles to care for themselves or in the care of their brethren the others who went out were ovelaordainedined asan they received their calls from 60 aldereeldereerbers v aaronic priesthood members and others

58 58ibidibid june 26 1861 p p 3

591bidibid april 15015 1863 p 2

60 w missionary recordrecords MS p booke ACA C this is a series of man- uscript record books giving nalsnalenamenames of missionmissionariestries in chrochronologicallogi order as ccliedcalledcelledlied with name of fatfabrabratherfatherfetherretherfabberherber ward andend stake priesthood dates of ccalleail and releasereleases and mission 50 words to the seventies brighbrightabrighaa young often found it necessary to caution the seventies about the tendency toward exclusiveness tl joseph smith never vowoulawould per- mit the seventies to get together and believe themselves a separate body from the rest of the church if a bishop ccalleded upon a seventy to act as a teacher he had no right to neglect his duties as a teacher to at- tend quorum meetings the samesaucesaune held true for a high priest allaliail in a ward wewere to be accountable and subject to the bishop 61 on the matter of how to properly ordain seventies president young hadbadhed this to say I1 suppose I1 ordained hundreds of seventies in early days brother joseph smith hashes come to usUB mwnanynenymeny times saying brethren you are going to ordain swseventiesenties ordain each of themthornkhornthomm to the high priesthood and to be one of the seventy apostles w that was my 1language in the ordination ofor the seventies andadd that is the way I1 ordordainad n them now W againin on the matter of apostleship

I1 say unto you 9.9 latter day saints that the seventies follow the twelve apostles and the twelve apostles follow in the wake of the first presidency andaddwadw3dang the first residencypresidency follow in the wvakewake of beterspeterspeter james aadand john but for the akseventiesiesles and twelve to have equal authority in their decisionsdecisionndecisiono with the first pres- idency they must be xmaniioous as is written in the book of doctrine and covenants bab30 an item by wilford woodruff would iindicatecatecabe that perhaps the wardword apostle should be taken rather broadly i let the twelve apostles and the seventy apostles and the high priest apostles and all other apostles we rise up endand keep pace with the work of the lord 0.0 for have no time to

61 journal of Discodiscoursesursee loblubloslus angeles grg&rtnergertnergartnerrtnerartner printing and litho co s 1956 1 UsIX 92 62 deseret news XXVI june 6 1877planl8n 274 631hidibid 51 leepsleepleep6464 aaan apocalypseMcMmcamcase se of speaking in 1859 orsonoraon pratt voiced his belief that the seve- nties had a great future mission the day will come uhenwhen the nations of europe will have warred among themselves sufficiently long and those despotic governments are torn down and when the hand of oppression and tyranny hashesheb been eased up and when principlesiplesaples of religious liberty havebave be- come ismelaweacrejamemore fully and widely spaspreadreedmeedmead that the eldersersereore of this church villwill traverse all these nations and then we ashalldheil1 have use for these seventies that havebevebave been ororganizingeingzingxing so 1ionglong they have apparently been resting on their oarseoarsqoars veitveltwaitveltingwaiting to be ccalledd into the vineyard of the lord then will be the time for missions and callings to be given to you there are some sixty quorums of seventiesseventiest these have been ororganizingZ for years being instructed by their presidents being taught in the things of the kkingdom of god what is your missions the book of doctrine and covenants telatellsteus me it is among the nations of the earth that the twelve are to open the doorsdoorsj and wherever they cannot go they were to sendisend andana when they send they shallis call upon the seventies in preference to wwany others because it is more particularly their mission to go and preach to allali people under heaven you have not yet had an opportunity to magnify your your among calling great missimmission iia95still in the future the nations and kingdomkingdoms of the gentiles 5

64 journal of discourses IV 147U

65 651bid651bidibid VII 18687186 87 CHAPTER V

revelation AND reorganization 187719181877 1918

letters and revelations the scattered condition of the Sseventiesiesles quorums made admi- nistration extremely difficult for the first council and presidents of quormsquorums alikeellkealeke there was a strong need for integration of seventies with wards and stakes As we have noted the lack of such integration developed a tendency toward an attitude of exclusiveness among the sev- enties by sheer necessity they verewereve e already operating on a geograp- hical basis rather than by quarumsquorumsquarumsorums even thobhowhothoughbhough quorum contacts verewere maintainedstainedntainedntained it is no wonder that the permanent quorum system was aban- doned the wonder ie that it ever existed and that it lasted so long the first official step towards a geographical quorum system is evidenc- ed by a letter from joseph yoyoungxoung to presidents of ward orgorganizationslationszationszatzetionslons N sent culoulcutout abouaboutt 1881 it read in part you have been appointed to preside over the seventies of the above vardward in a vardward capacity which organization has been effected in accordance vithwith a resolution of the first council of the seventies under direction of the council of the apostles and vithwith the approval of the first presidency of the church tasthisraschisMAs appointappointmentmmA is temporary in its nature and villwill be helaheiaheldhold by you subject to your faithful and fatherly conduct 1

ljosephjoseph yoyouneyoung form letter to presidents of vardward seventiesseventies11 organizationorganizations 1881 no derdefdefinitete date given on file at the church historians officesoffleeoffice salt lake city

52 i

53

the letter vent on to bayisayibaysaytsay that the purpose of these organiz- ationsactions waswmsas to enawenablele better contact between the first council and allelieil seventies they verewere not to interfere with or abrogate the quorum organizationsor lationszations already existing and were not to conflict with ward and stakestalmswalm authorities seventies of each ward were to meet at least once a month andana a clerk appointed to record allaliail proceedings A list of all seventies in the wardwayd giving name quorum number standing date of birth finanfinancialiallai conditconditionloniioni andana nationatlonationalityity was to be sent to the first cou- ncil another list was to accompaaccompanyny it of those qualified and able to go on missions elderly members were to be excused from active foreign

service but natnot from laboring among the saints at homehormehomme the ororgan- izatizationsions were to care for any needy familieses of seventies on missions if they or the uardvardward could not do so the names of such families were to be forwarded to the first council A plea was made for contributions for meeting the business expenses of the first council five or six hundred dollars per year very clearly such organizations were already the ded facto quormsquorums of seventies

on october 13 1882 p a revelation was reportedly given through president john taylor in it mention is made of organizing the seventies

& and tthen proceed to flufiuriufill up the presiding quorum of seve- nties and assist in organizing that body of my priesthood who are your co laborers in the minisministry 0 you may appoint seymore B young to fill up the vacancy in the presiding quorum of seventies and then proceed forth- with and call to your aid any assistance that you mevmeymayW require from among the seventies to assistsist you in your labors in intro- ducing and ntainingmaintainingcwiwwistainingnkantaining the gospel among the lamanitesLamanites throughout the lanaianaland 0 and then let aioalohiohigh priests be selected under direction of the first presidency to preside over pethe various ororganizationslationszations that shall exist among this people a

2roskellyroskelly journals N MS cache Vvalleyvelleyveileyey Ffilmsflims reel 4pap4 book 4 appp 131 3 on file ateu the church historians office salt lakea city 54 apparently the presidpresiding quorum to be fifilledlied up referred to the first council of seventy not to the first quorum it is interesting tthetthat seventies were to be called to assist the twelve president joseph F smithsm th was to say in 1907 the seve- nties are called to be assistants to the twelve apostles indeed they are apostles of the lord jesus christschrist subject to the direction of the 3 m n3na twelve a it is also to be noted that this revelation in speaking to the

various stake priesthood orgorganizationslationszations by names does not include the seventies quorumsquorums president B H robertsrobertso of the first councilcouncils wrote in 1908 the seventies quorums are not vardverdwardwerd organizationsor zationso nor stake organisationsorganizationsor zationeszetzationes but general church cuorinquorinququorumsorums s bevinshevinghavingbavingbeving their locallo10 presidency in the councils of the respective ququorumsorums and a gener- al presidency in the first coumilboumilcouncils in their quorum capacity and laborslabor they are under the jurisdiction of these councilcouncilsss and may not be properly excused from quorum duties and appointiaentsappoiappod Ss ex- cept by had and consent from consultation P obtainobtainededs the local 4 council as to members and with the first council as to presidenpresidentstsetso nevertheless comegome sort of integration vithwith vardawardswarda and stakes kabvabvasvanwas essential in 186318831883. the geographical quorum system beemabecanebecame officofficials and is still in use today also the whole first quorum was neldnamed as the sevenzseventy spoken of in section 107 of the doctrine and covenants this cabecebecehecewecame about by way of a letter composed by the first presidency of the church which outlined the ororganizationzatzazionlon of the seventies followed by a state- ment which isie regarded as a revelation these are here given in full

3 joseph F smith conference reports a-clivilrili lisils 1907 P 5

4 B H robertsrobertssrobertsa seventysSeventys council table excusing seventies from claciaclasss meetings IMimprovementz0zavement srbsra XI tunejune 1908 63463 55

salt lakeimkelmke city U T april 13 1883 in the orgorganizationzationbation of these quorum in october iaklak1841 there were ten ququorumsorums each provided vithwith seven presidentpresidentspresidentspsp which pres- idents constituted the first quorum of seventiessev atiesuties and of which the first seven rreldentsidentsidenta verevezewereweze members and over which they pre- sided but as the seventies have greatly increased these regu- lations will not apply to the present circumstancecircuinstancesjcircumstancesjsj and further- more the first quorkquoxixi4quoru according to the present organization has not acted in a quorum capacity but it would seem there are duties devolving upon its members as a quorum tthatkhekwhet may require their official action the first quorum of seventies may be composed of the first seven presidents of the seventies and the ssenioror president of the first sixty four quorumquorums these may form the UYseventyy referred to in the book of doctrine and covenants and may act in an offic- ial capacity as the first quorum of seventies the issenioror presidents of the other quorumquorums over andend above the sixty four may meet with the first quorum in their assemblies in wwany other thankhenwhen an official capacity but in case of the absence of any of the members of the first Ququorumorums they caacan actsacksact in the place of such8 members with the first quorum during ssuchbuch absence in any caseseases of importance that may arise the headquarters of the different ququorumsorums and the record thereofwhereofreofbeof may be distributed through the various wards and stakes underor the direction of the first seven Presidentpresidentssp as the number of the priesthood residing in such localities may seem to justify andana anyavyauy vacancies that existst either in the presidency or membershipmeamoaMOM hip oftheodtheof the different quorums may be filled by the ordination of personpersons resireslresiding in the locality in which the respective quorums are or- gbaalganiganizedzed any of the wabersmabersmembers or presidents of other quorums who are in good sstandingaddand I1 ag may have the privilege of joijoljoining the quorum located in the in which they reside but in ssuch cases they should first obtain a certificate as to their atstandingRndinganding in the quorum from which they desire to withdraw to obtain which it would only be zmnecessaryessary to procure a certificate of theirir good standstanding fromtromM the bishop of the ward to which they belong provided their names are found upon the record of their quorum asan in good 95standinging the presidents of the quorum rebidresiding in the district where their respective quorum are organized shali have a generalgenerelM super- vision of all the seventies residing in their district in allelleil cacasesas where members of quorums are calledled in question a majority of their respective quorum willv have jurisdiction in all cases involving their standstanding in the quorum but in case there is not a majority residing in the district wherewhe the quorum is organiorganizedeedozedo or in the case of scattered membermemberssp the members present should investigate the matter and report their findings to the first seven asidpsidpresidentsa any complaints regarding the pres- idents of quorums shouldshobho be madea to the first seven presidents of the seventies who may suspend asuchbuch presidents if their conduct seem to justify itpftpit pending the action of the first quorum AZWany presidentssilentssidents or members from wwhom fellowship hasbasbeshes been withdrawn by 6 the cuorwrsququorumsorums should be reported to the high council having jurisdiction the seventies when abroad if anything shouldshogho occur requir- ing their supervision in the absence of other authorities may act upon the case of any delinquent belonging to the seventies and should report their decision to the first sevenseyen presidents of the seventies your brethren in the gospel joekjoenJOHKJOHN T YLCRAYLOR GBORGA Q carlnoncannonCAHHON ITOISjosepeJOSEPH F SMITHSMLMI first presldencbpesidency af0 the church of jesus christ of latter day saints A revelation gigivenyenxen through president john taylorlor at salt lake citcstcityciby on saturday arriarrlapriaprilI1 14thqIVmm1863188382s inin anaveranswer to the suesquestiontionblonwion show unto ubaUSAus 00 lordalord&lord concerconcerningnim the ororganizationzationbation of the seventies TT what ye have written is my wiufwiujwill and is acceptable unto me andareara furthemorefurthemorefurthermorefurtherroore P elusniusthus saithbaithbalth the lord unto the first presidency unto the twelve unto the seventies and unto allelleil aymy holy priesthood let not your hearts be troubled neither be ye concerned about the managementnt and organization of my church and priesthood and the accomplishment of nymy vorkwork fear meroemoe and observe liwirymy ievelaws and I1 villwill reveal to you fromfromafromm time to tizaetimeatimej through the channelschanehanchamnelsnelbneib that I1 have appointeappointeddj everything that shallshails be necessnecessary7 for the futurefixture development and perfection of my nchcinchchurchClmch for the adjustment and rolling forth of aymy kingdom and for the building up and estab- lishlisblishmentment of aymy zion23 on for ye are haybaymyaay priesthood and I1 am your god evereven so amen5amenamena accordingly the reorganization of the seventies commenced in lmh1884 a circular letter to quorum presidenciespresidencies from the first council said e pursuant to the instructions and revelations from the first presidency aniaoiandabdendami underr the direction of the twelve apostles given april 13th and lathl4th14th 1883 we your brethren have been engaged in visiting tadgad laboring in most of the settlements in this and some of the adjoining territorieste torlestories in locating organ- iziizingrg ordainiordainsordaining fifillingng up and setting in order the q90rmquorums of seventies which novnowv number eighty two Ququorumsorums

ab5bB H roberRobarrobertstso op citcitowcitop PPSppe 91091009 10ioeloe100 gristgririrstbirstst council of seventy circular letter to quorquorum presidenciespresidencies 1884 no definite date given on file at the church historianhistorians 0officeifficep salt lake city utah 57

all seventies and elderseidersers who were to be 0ordaineded were to obtain certificates of membership and goodgoca standing fanfrom their bishops before their names could be added to quorum roles seventies moving from wards n were to take a transfer as good and worthy menibersroemetnoemen tiberibers 3 and join the quorum where they would reside genealogy sheets had been sent out thesthesethepthebetheba verewere to be filled out and returnelreturned to quorum clerks and added to quorum rec- ords lists of those qualified for missions were to be sent in as be- fore quorums verevarewere asked to give fifty cents per member per imarvearyear for the seventies general fund to defray expenses of the first council for business all seventies were to obtain a license quorum meetings were to be held once a month and theological classes weekly seryweryevery quorum vaswas to have and keep a record book and roll visiting committees were to be appointed in each quorum to visit members who railedfailed to at- tend meetings policies the turning point A comidconsiderableerable periodperiodcfperlodcfcf time bedhadbadhed passed since the twelve had expanded the seventies by ordaining elders under thlkhithirtywhitty fiveflye many seventies were novnow quite elderly and not physically able to do foreign missionary vorkvonkworkwonk therefore in december j188988 in regard to ordaining seventies and filling up depleted quorumsquorums we have a letter from the first presidency giving us perpermissipermissionmissi to select from the elders Ququorumsorums good and respons- ible wnen to be ordained into the seventies quorums by and vithwith consent of the presidency of the stake and the presidents of the elders quorums there are a large number of elderly sev- enties in nearly all of the quormsquorums who are not physically able to do active dutyd ay&y in the mission field all such havebave the con- sent of the first presidency of the church to be recommended to the high priests quorum these w4waillsilsiiwill readily perceive that able bodied men are needed in allaliail odorsouorsquorums ol01of seventies in order 58

that this council mymay be able to supply any demand made upon them for a large number of able bodied miesionarmissmlesmiesmissionariesionarlonar ee to spread the gospel throughout the nations of the earth president joseph 7 smith repeated this recommendation in 1905 gather in from the elders quorums those who have proven themselves worthy and have gained experience and make seventies of them so that the quorums of the seventies may be realenreplenreplenished4shed and the aged ones whose physical condition will not permit them any longer to do missionary duty in the world let them be or- dainednednod high priests and Patriarchpatriarchsms to bless the people and to minister at home gather in the strong the vigorous the yoyoung the able bodied who havebavebevehayeheye the spirit of the gospel in their hearts to fill up the ranks of the seventies that we may have ministers to preach the gorelgospel to the world they are needed we cannotcannaann t now meet the demand 0 even thothoughbhough seventies quorums were being integrated to some ex- tent into stalasstakesstalag andend wards the stakes andana wards were not at this point allowed to assilassume control of them in march 101 the first p-esidencyresidencypresidencyreslesidencydeney andana quorum of the twelve decided that when a president ofolfoiz seventy is called to fill any position in the ward or stakedstakepstake the first council of seventy should be consulted 9

howeverHcnever at april conference in 1903 Rrespresidentident B ii roberts made a request that bishops and stake presidents get men for offices from siderseiderseldersersera and high priests qwrumsquorums first it was a big job he said to kenkewkeep in touch with nearly ten thousand seventies and keep their presidenpresidenciescies filled up he radenade the suggestion that those of the aaronic priesthood

7firstfirst council of seventy letter to presidents and seventies december 1 1889 on file at the church historians office salt lake city josephjosePh F sraithbraithith conference Preportsorts tolberoctoberOc 3 1905 appp 959695 96 0 journal history march 27 190119012 p 1 59 be watched very closely and their abilities observed if they seemed to manifestfastfest executive or jjudicialcialclai abilities they should go into the riderseldersersera and then the high priests quorumsquorums whose business it is to pre- pare men for presiding andana judicial ccallingsnbsngs in the church if a man shovedshowed ability to teach and had a strong testimony let such be directed into the quorums of seventy 10 it would appear that the first council was not being consulted when its presidenpresidenciessidenciessidengidencieseleseleb were tapped for ward and stake offices on august 29 1901 a most important bit of discussion took place at a council meeting of general authauthoritieswities in the it having been remarkeded that a certain brother who heldheidhold the office of SeveseventynaltynAtty dcdeclinedlined to be ordained a high priest president smith ssaidbaidbald that if the seventies generally could be convinced that they were simply elders with a special ehllemllcallingimaim9 as aids to the apostles in preaching the gospel in foreign landslendsS P and their minds could be disdisabusedabused of the idea placed there by the teacdeacteachings of the late ridereiderelderor joseph young 0 0 0 thalthat the seventies were apostles scmsomsome of thenkhenthem wowould not perhaps feel asan they now do brother cowley related a conversation he once haahad with thebhe late presidentsidentaident john taylor to the effect that a man hoidholdholding the office of an elder had allaliail the authorityty twerwezwenecessaryessary to preach the gospel and believing this to be krueptrueptrue thought the eiderselderserbera shoulashould not be ordained seventies in a wholesale way as they verewere novnow being ordalordained but that they shouldahoulil be chosen accordaccording to their fitness to beemebecome aids to the Apostapostleslese president snow remarked that abenvbenwhen elders were ordained seventies no more Priestpriesthoodhoadboad webvasvesweswas conferred upon thehchehthem but that they were merely ccalledcelled to vorkwork in a special field this appears to have been the turning popoint in policy on the seventies the change seems to have resulted from an overoyeroveraccumulationac IM 3 ionlon of seventies in the wards and stakes hanymany seventies vedewedeverewere wabiemableunable to

10 B H roberts conference rugnereports april 1903 appp 111211 12

journal history msjmajMS august 29 1901 appp 121 2 60 accept mission caliscallsls due to debts and familyilyllyliy responsibilities their tendency toward attitudes of exclusiveness and superiority on account of apostleshipapostleepostleshipchip caused friction and retarded their usefulness at honehome it simply vabvaswabwas not practical to havehayeheye such a larbelargege group of priesthood so un wieldy but the cure became the habit in march 19w1902 certain departures from the established order of the priesthoodpriesthoodn were noted and rebuked A seventy was found acting as counselor to a bibishopp presiding over a priests quorum and other cases were heard of where seventies were presiding over teachers and deacons 12 quorumquorums

A significant step in vardward control over the seventies ccame in 1909 in the letters of instruction sent out in 1881 to presidents of ward organizations of seventies they verevezewere directed to prepare lists of seventies qualified for missions submit thenthemthom to their bishops for en dordorsdoredorsementdoreementworsementementsement p and turn them over to presidents of stake organizations of of seventies to be compiled endorsed by Sstaketairetre presidpresidentssp and sent on 13 to the first council of seventy at a special priesthood meeting at salt lake city on april 7 1909 the policyPOUCY changed presidents and members of the quarumsquorums of seventy villwill there- fore undunderstanderstandersland tthat requisitiorequisitionrequisitions for missionary calls from their ranks villwill hereafter ccomscome from bibishopsps the word of the lord is ehethentheanthe seventy are also0 ccalleded to prepreach the gospel and to be especial witnesses unto the gentiles and in all the world it is the duty of the traveling high council to call upon the seventy when they need assistance to fill the several calls for preapreaching and administering the gospel instead of IManyenyeuy others

12 ibidibideabide march 1 1902 p 10 it 13jbidqibid february 14 1881 10 p 61

the bishops are urged to keep in mind the doctrine here set forth and in fifillingng the requirements madee upon tthem for mission aries to choose if possible from the ranks of the seventy arriandardierdi fill the requisitions wherewhereverwherevexveivex it is consistent from their numbersmanmunbers instead of Lianyenyyothersothers as the lord has said when the bishops come to scan the quorunsquorums of seventy for missionariesmissionariesif if they find there are not sufficient men of missionmissionary7 calibrec bre to meet the demand p let this lack of properper material be an incentive to them to use their influence towards having the cuorequorequorums of seventy filled with the right class of men that the quorums may become whatwhet the lord iintendedendedgnded them to be that issis the missionary force of the chwahwchurchh iai4 evidently the seventies quorums verwerwevverewere never filled with the right class of men 9 for they were called upon for missionmissions less and less ex- cept in times of varvazwarwaz when the younger eiderselderserborbore were not available

A calumcalling lnlostloskloge0qt A few figures willwili serve to show vhalwhetwhatwhal happbapphappenedened in 1871875 76 per cent of the missionaries sent out were seventies in loo10011000 92 per 15 cent were seventies but in 1915 only 17 per cent 1 the elders re- placed the seventies as the missionary force of the church and became by far the largest body of priestpriesthoodpriesthoodshoodshoode in the material to follow some indicationcation isin elvgivengiyenglyen as to how and abyvhyvby this came about A primary purpose of the earlier general meetings of seventies was to determine eligibility of members for missionmissions at salt lakee city

on december 19 1877 0 the general meeting of the seventies in the council house was wewenveilveliwellU attended last eveevening the principle business was ccallinging over the rollsro of the ququorumsorums to ascertainweertain who were eligiblee ibleibie morally religiously financially etc v to go on missions

14 priesthood awrumqwrumQuquorumsorums table bishops will select &seventies for missionary service tt improvement lroalrosraeraero XXIIXXXI november 1900p190igo 91 15seesee table IsI1 chapter VIII 62

those who had recently returned from missionssions and thothosethobe19 over fortyfiveforty five years of age were not accepted as eligible A large number of 0seventieseventies of the lobanlogan stake altattattendeded a meet- ing there in september 1878 the object of the meeting vasveswabwaswes to bring totogetherr the seve- nties of the stallstalestatestake for the purpose of effecting an ororganizationzationbation with a view to ascertain from timetisae to time the eeligibilitybilityability of seventies missicmissionariesiesj and to secure greater unionon and for iese 1 efficiency in those quorums to which thatheywhey belobeiobelonginglog 17 theche seventies were continuously urged to prepare themselves for their work throthrough study finanfinancial management and sacrifices president horace S eldridge reported the gegeneralrairal progress of the seventies in 1887 there verewere ninety nine ququorumsorums most verewere full and sosome ovrflovingoverflowingrfloving he said that the quoquorumisquorumsruaisrualsrumis were flouriflourishingabing a e e they were generally scattered but yet majoy well attended meetings verewere heldheidboldhoid maumanymenyy of the seventies verewere upon missions theologitheological Cclassesbessesbeg vereverowerewero held to make the brethren preacherspreacbere of the Goigolgospelspeispel n he saidbaidbaldisaid hebe vabwabvaswas pleased to know that bretbrethrenhrenbren calledcallad on missions were viwillingng to place alleilmii on the altar of sacrifice and leave everything in the hands of god andadd he wanted it understood that no one received a mission call 18 through spitespited joseph W McMmcmurrinwringrin speaking at general conference in april 1902 said I1 have felt in meetingrneetiz with the Coucouilcouvlcommit of the seventy and with the apostles to set apart missionariesvl that therewhere isin a lack of men of experience going abroad to represent the latter day saints a 16 journal history ft Mm3ma cembercamberdecemberDc 1019 187718770 p I11 17 ibid september 17 1878 p 2 trl18irb ibid december 4 1887 appp 454 5 63 I1 believe that god almightyghtygaty hasbasbesheshab placed the responsiblityresponsibility of preaching this gospel upon the shoulders of the smmammseventy that it is their peculiar callcailcalicalling that the lord expects men who have receivereceived this appointment to be in preparation for the accomptaccomp lisilsilellbhment of the labor that specifically belongs to them andana I1 do not think that the presidentssilentssidents of the stakes and bishops when required to furnish missionaries sshouldd look to the young men only but they should look into the quorums of seventy and be anxious to fiuflufill the ccallss made upon them from titimebimewime to timebimet1tawime from the rrankss of the seventy to a greater extextent tthan they are now being fluedfinedfilled 1 he felt that seventies would strengthen the handsa of mission presidprebidpresidentss andendedd alsoelsoeiso0 provide coubcouncounsele1ea and guigulguidancece for young elders president seymore beB yoyoung son of joseph young spoke at a seventies conference in december 1912 and reiterated the hope of his

we expect Sseventy O father the to be ever valiant for thebhe truth 0 and to become the humble echolschoLscholarsns of the church ever ready to explain the principles of the gospel intelligently and with a sincebincesincerelyretyreby that car 200 ries conviction B EB roberts urged the seventies to keep themselves free from 21 debt so as to be free to perform missionarymissionazy serviservicecef to do this in those titight money days vasvesweswas no smalls 1 miracle in earlier days men were expected to go on missions whether they could afford it or wtnot but the hardships thus brought upon their familiesea in many cases led to the discontinuance of such practice when times got better joseph young speaking at a seventies meeting in the council house in 1878 strongly urged friendly visits ajda assistance to the poor and the needy families of absent missionaries by those who verevenewerewene far better off in regard to the 19 W joseph mcmurrin conference reportreportss april 1902 9.9 appp 454.5

20 N qwrumsquorums reysey .9 Priestpriesthoodhoodbood Quorums tabletabietablet the Revseventiesenties conferenceConfereace 9 improvement braera XVI december 1912 174 B H roberts conference reports april 1903 p 12 64 22 temporalbenrtenyzenyporal things of ifelifeilfe1 in the circular letter of december 1889 the first council said only in rare instances is it now necessary for n23 men in destitute circumstances to go abroad on missmissionsiglglonslong16.16 still considerable sacrifice continued to be nade J golden kimball13 spoke on this subject at april conference in 1903 in the past year 497 nalsnamesnemes hmhad been nestedsuggestedsu for missions by the quorumsquorums theeheTIM number finally reported to the missionary committee of the apostles vasvaawas 163 of these 131 veverewere in debt they verewere asked to get out of debt in one year and in any case report their financial status to the first council in that time but most had been willing to go out of 497 only five declined and I1 believe if we had fully understood their letters and started the presidents to labor with them there would not be found probably more than one out of the wholewhoie number who would decline to go I1 tell you it is a remremarkable thing the christian church cannot show anything like ititwble24 thenrhannennhanmen in a plea for their assistassistanceanceo he said if this gospel must be preached and we must spend 280000 to preach it you men that stay honehome must help earrycarry the burden andana noznocnox havebavebeve our brethren mortgage their homesGs and sell out eveeyeeverythinghinshing to do this work there are not two rich seventies in the whole number we have reported to the missionary ccommitteeitteeattee of the apostles they are allaliail poor men andadd some of their letters would brbring tears to your eyesS when they write to us explaining the little they have but they say 1I am ready to go I1 know god almighty villwill bless us some interesting and enlightening concomcommentsentsants were made in re- gards tcto the changing missionary picture during the april conference of

1915 francis M lyman of the twelveVelvewelveI read from the doctrine and

22 w journal history MS february 13p13 1878 P 1 2nan first council of SevenseventytyO letter to presidents andanzan seve- nties december 1 3889 24 J golden kimball conference reports april 1031003003o appp 333433 34 65

covenants section 107107.10 and noted that the twelve are trevelingrwvelingtraveling elders and that the seventies aiso0 araare traveling elders andmadmaa are expected to join the ministry of the lord to preach the gospel throthroughoutut the earth bownovnow it is disclosed here that instead of other men it is required of us to first call upon the seventies to assist us in the preaching of the gospel andanclanci we have set a proper exampleexaarple by taking hold of the first seven prealprecipresidentsdents the first council of seventy and you villwill notice that they always travel with us have you noticed that they go from ststake to stake as we do that they labor with us and assist us and areammre in council with us and that they give attention to the calling of seventies the ororganisationorganizationzallon of quorumquoruas and so forthaforth and preparing the brethren for their ministry abroad now we have latterly been giving a little more defdesdefinitete thought to the ministry in the world a little more definite thanbhan we have done in the past and we have found this to be the camotepcabecebecase that other brethren of necessity I1 want to sayaayanysmy of necessity anweredanswered the ccalleail 0 the high priests and the elders have generally gone into the field and are todayaccomplishingtoday accomplishing the work of preaching the gospel more gen oreilyorallyorelly tthan ought to be required of them for the reason thatbhatkhatkhab the severrseventiesbiesbles have not been called the reason that they have not been called is because they are men occupied in all business af- fairs their hands are full of business of all kindspkinds and they have been excused we havebavebeveheye excused them morebmorejmore possibly tthanuhan we ought to havehove done I1 rather think but at any rate vewe hahavee come to the conclusion it is time now that the thousand seventies that we have in the church should have the right of way to give them opportunity so that every seventy sshall1 go into the fifieldeideld at least once and dreachpreach the gospel we want the seventies to come to the x escuerescue and help us in preaching the gospel and we expect to call upon them insteadtead of any others but remmlerreiaremmberretareiaemberreyaember that the seventies may not be able to monopolize the whole field hence there vwill be room for elders and high priests and for other experienced men outside of the seventy and vewe want ahmthmthem considered also 255 thisthiachisthim call for more seventies bore no fruit in the years foll- owing the percentage of seventies sent on missions dropped even loverlower the reasons why seventies did not go have been evident but what no cnecueaueaneone has ever explained Is why seventies quorums have reremainedined filled with

25 francis M lyman conference reports april 1915 PP 424342 43 66 men who could not fulfill their ccallingig at the sainebainebamesame conference J golden kimball spoke of the need to enthuse the seventies you need not be afraid of getting them over excited we are almostelmostt immune to missionary work and the reason for this is we havent been called udonupon for a long tletie only a very ftmfewfamsew seventies are filling foreign missions at present 0 0 we havehayeheye few cowards in our band but some of them have served tables so lorg aand settled difficulties and been ward teachers and slept in good beds and remeremained home that it is just possible some of them have cowardlycovardly thoughts and the reason for this is they have been home so loneionelongAbeythey have become attached to their heshomes and they need weaning spespeakingng right after brother kimballkimb&ll rulon S wells said in our labors anongamongabong our brethren we have discovered this that more tthan half of them have already filled missions in the world and althoelthoalthough we now havehaye comparatively few dodoing missionary work out of the vast arayarnyarmy of the seventy there are bohoweverveverveyerweyer many who are supporting their sons now laboring as elders in the missionary field some of them having two or three the expense of whom are being met by their fathers who are numbered among the seventy so I1 dontdons think that we ought to reproach our brethren of the seventy because of the fewness of their numbers now in the field for they have done valiant ser- vice and mw of them have filled one or two and some of them three missienmissinnmissions abroad and I1 glory in the work which they have performed 27 mrugarly beginnings of stake Nisnusmusmissionssions acAs we have seen the scriptures and the concentusconcensusconcensus of church opinion at this time declaredeciaredeclawe that the seventies were supposed to be mi- nisters of the gospel abroad andana the eiderseldersziderserbers were supposed to be primarily standing ministers at homeihome although no tight inflexible lines of re- sponsibility were drawn joseph F smith stated precisely this when he outlined the duties of the melchizedek priesthood troupssroupffzroups in a conference

26P J golden kimballKiakimballbalibail conferenceconfebonfe enceenee reports s april 1915 PP 133313334133 334 27ruonrulon S wells conference reReportreportsjoortssj april 1915 p 135 67 28Q address in october 190 francis M lyman speaking ten years later put it this way I1 hold that no man should be ordained a seventy unless he isie prepared to work that is vortvorkwortwork in the ministry abroad it isbitisnitisnt necessary that men should be ordained seventies to work at home for the elders have ample authority to vorkwork at home in the home mission fields so far as that isL concerned the seventies are perfectly competent but they are expected to labor in the foreign ministry as those upon whom the twelve de pend and call upon in preference to allkilkii others we want at least one of tthenthem by the side of every two elders or inexper- ienced men we dontdonzdong think it necessary to multiply sev enties and keep them here at home ncqnogmcqnot at allmilmii we want them pre- pared and ready to preach the gospel 2cac in the course of time a curious paradox took pieceplace the eiderseldersers replaced the seventies as the ministerssters abroad and thenokhenakhenothen as the patterns of stake missionary work began to emerge the seventies having either lost or forfeited their former calling stepped neatly into it andaw became mministerssters at&t home As early asae 1878 hwehome missionary work was mentioned during a seventies meeting at logan president francis gunnell suggested the propriety of the seventies having hanehome missionimissions which would qualify 30 them to go on foreign missions when ccalleded on an editorial in the deseret nevasewsnewsnewa in 1897 said seventies not on missismissions are still special witnesses and should engage in preaching the gospel on home missions to their neighborneighborsneighborspsp to the youth lidandwidmid as 31 teachers and officers under the direction of ward and otherotberobber authorities 28 joseph F smith conference re2231sReportreportsjSj october 1904 ppe 242 A4 29QQ francis M lyman conference reports october 1914igi191 P 29 30 journal history tt MS november 1 1878 p 2

31 r ibid march 27027 18971 0 appp 6677 68 in the february 1912 issue of the ise21improvementamentement era the need for local missionary vorkwork wabvasveswbbwaswes said to be dawdawningdamningdavdawningning upon a number of stake authorities A letter from the utah stake presidency to the first presidency of the church was cited already we have emphasizedem leed this feature with our ward teach- ers but ve fear they vill not be asso successful in placing the gospel before the outside population as would specspeespecial mission- ariarlarieses calledcelled for this purpose it seems to us that here is an axceexceexcellentU apportopportopportunityty for the seventies to do a good work very few seventies are nounovnow in the mission field lastt year there were only five representatives from the five quorums of scerreseerreseventymmyammy in the stake our foreign mis sion work isin carried on almostat exclusivelyexclusive3y by the elders and high priests we bellevbelievebelleve that vewe could select bretlenbrethren from the sev- enties quorums who are capable and who are willing to work ex- cluclusivelysively say for six months pultputtputting in alleileli their time at any rate we cocould find brethren who wouldOV put in part of their time and no doubt bouldvouldwould accomplish much in october of that year joseph MurrinmcmurrinMe said in confereconferencece I1 dontdong suppose that we can imagine that the seventy are to be constantly away from home or that they are aivarsalwayselways to be absentabeabb from their families it is a pettpertpartparb of the gospel planpianp1pa that menamm shallshalishails 1 give attention to their f11familiestebtes and shallahall8 pro- vide for them the gospel teateaches9 that he who will not pro- vide for hisbis ffamilyly is vorbevorisevorseworse than infidel and hashnshab already denied the faith e it vowould be much more reasonable to decide that in addition to our missionary work abroad there must alsoaiso0 be a missionary vorkwork at home we are ggladgiad to say as a council that some of the raipresipreslr8i denciesdennies in the stakes of zion havebavebevehayeheye been impressed during recent months possibly for more tthan a year with the advisability of exercisexerciseexercising this galatg5latgreat body of men in the preapreachingng of the gospel here at homehornedohorned0 he asaidbaidbald further that one of the salt lakelmkeimkee atstakess had recently calledC 200 seventies to labor among the inactive members and non members living in their area

332 priesthood quormalquorums1 table localal missionary wom improve- mentment braera XV february 1912 37778377 78

33 W L18 33josephjoseph V mcmurrin conference rerdreddredoreports8 9 october 1912 9.9 appp 202220 22 Z OV69

A ssimilarlar movement was reported by the presidency of the star valeyvalleyvailey stake in june 1918 they had called brethren high priests and seventies for a special mission in march their duty vabvaswas to go into the homes of the people and preach the gospel through fireside conversations and cottage meetings this vorkvonkworkwonk was in addition to reg 34oh ularulervier vardward teaching allailali famfamilieses had been reached by the end of april J Sstakee missions vetewere not orgorganizedeedzed on a church wide basisis untiltil the 1930s by that time the feeling was quite general that the seve- nties verewereweme the ones who should carry out mostmowt of that vorkoworksworkovorkwork and they did in that decade the systematic stiastimstudyZ Mmovement perhaps the finest ccontributionribributionution the seventies made to the church in this period outside of missionary work was to pipioneerer the systematic study programs of the church an article in the september 1907 issue of the improvement braera described the bebibeginningsnbsngs of the movement in june the seventies quormsquorums had no regular time for quorum meetings on a church videwide basis they were all directed to meet regularly on sunday mingsmorningsroomoo in order to bet- ter pursue those studies necessary to equip them for the special vork of their ministryskrypstryp inasmuch as they constituted more speciallyespecially the missionary force of the church the first council hadhed been directed to outline a systematic course of theology that 0shallshalishail havebavehayeheye special refer- 35p ence to queilqualiquellqualifyingag men for labor in the mission work of the church

34 341riesthoodpriesthood Quoquoruralquorums1ruralduraldunal table missionary work in star Vvalleyvaileyey juneo stake ifliyrovementement braA XXI junesjune 1918o19180191&l 72742 35e&wardedvardedward H andersenanderson nevmevnewmew movement among seventies improve- ment braemera X september 190ligol1901 9123927289279128 28 70 in Kovembernovember the braera became the official organ of the seventies as veilvellveliwellweli as the MMIAI1 A orsorgorganizationslationszationszatzabzebionslons A section by B EH roberts under title of Sevseventysentys council table commenced in that issue era direct 36 ors were appointed and a drive for subscriptions begun amongng the seventies A gengeneralgenerelralrai conference of the seventies was held on october 5 1907 said to be the first asincee 1844 the purpose of the new move- ment and outline of the first yearbyeasyears course in theology was outoutlineded 37 by B H roberts in 1909 it was reported that the newnow system was to be adopted by allailali priesthood quorums of the church theshenhe seventies were the pioneers in the matter beginning their uniformform weekly study in the fallyellyeii of 1907 and they bahave so far issued tvotwo yearbookyearbooksyearyearbookspbookssp and made spibpisplendidid progress in qual- ifying themselves for the work of the ministrystry abroad among the nations of the earth which is their legitimate calling at the april 1908 general conference of the church presi- dent joseph F smith comcommendedMed the efforts of the seventies he also sounded the keynote for asimilarlylarlybarly organizing allail the other priesthood quorumsquorums vithwith uniformfo courses of study for the pur- pose of formally studying the doctrines and principles of the gospel and for qualifying theasethemsethemselvesiges in the active duties and labors of their several callings in 1914 the movement went a step further all melchlzedekmelchizedek 39 priesthood quorums began using the same course of study each year effects of the movement were noted in may 1914

36 J B H Roberrobertsrobertsptojtop Seversevenseventyseveritysitys council table congratulations hz0vimprovement era XI november 19071907 636463 64 37bidopibidibadibld ppe 656665 66 QQ 38 w priesthood quorums1qwrums tabletabietables I1improvement &sraeraa XII february and march 1909 31821318 21 0.0 397400397 400 OQ 39 w priesthood quoruon1quorumn table studies lvimprovementjerovejprove t sraeraere XVII may 191401914 69293692 93 71 it is six years since the general authorities of the church madee the appointment of a priesthood outlines committee this period has been markeded by a farreafar reareereachingng increase in priesthood activity and a realization of the importsimportaimportancee of priesthood vorumsgorumsquorums as compared with auxiliary organizations the outlines comitcommitteetee does not take credit for the change its vorkwork was only incidental to it when the weekly meetingmeekingmeetmeeb of auorbquorsquoosquorums and cclassessessea vasvaawaswaa titutedinstituted it webwabvaswas extremeextremelvextremelylv hard for many of the wards to accept the change and practically impossible to continue the classes during the slzmrsuflsaer now the weekly meetmeeting is established throughout the church and the cclassessessea continue in about e4ptyemptyeighty per cent of the wards without interruption the year roround 40 other activities it is not to be assumed that missionary work was the only endeavor the seventies engaged in like the other quorum of priesthood they carried out numerous projects in their wards andana stakes in the general records and church organs only outstaoutstayoutstandingung projects areara me- ntioned for instanceinstances in 1918 the priesthood duonsquonsquorums of the church par- ticipated in a potato project joseph F smith offered a prize of 1000 to the quorum obtaining the bestbeetbeat yield per acre the prize was won by the 85th quorum of seventy kaneb ward with a yield of 825 41 bushels per acre from the cchangee of 1901 until stake missionmissionaryazyaxy work got underer way the activities of the seventies were confined pretty much to these local projects in 1914 elder kimball declared today that the chief work of the seventies now is home service vorkworkworks devoting a large part of their time to ward teaching in additiontion to this work however

40priesthood40 priesthood Ququorumsorums tabletabietablet report of the general committee improvement &era& XVII may igi1911914 69293692 93 414.1kihl journal history MS june 18 1918 p 4 72 the members of the quorums of seventy are active in the alxiliaryauxiliary ororgan lationszations of the church thereere are novnownnw 88000ooo000 offices in these organizations filled by seventies 4n in 1913 the goth quorum maricolamaricopaMaricopa stake met to discuss pplanss for carrying out the work assigned to them forrorzorloorioor the winter by the stake

434 5 presidency that of laboring among the wayward boys also about this time consent cfof the first presidency was given the Y M M I1 A to use seventies in their program of vocatiovocationvocational coun- seling whenever a member of the Sevseventysentys quorum is fifinallyly selected for this workeworkpvorkwork that appointment should be regarded as a ccallcmil to locallaeinelne&al missionary vorkwork the same as in appointments to vardward teach- ing and home missionary service as there is no timrimelmmoremove im- portant holhowhome work that seventies can engage in tthan this

42ho ibid january 10 1914igi191 P 2 43iriestiwodpriesthood qwrumstquorums1 table the ninetieth quorum of seventies tt improvementent breereera XVII march 1914igligi191 486 44priesthood44 priesthood Ququorums1quorumsorums tabletabietablet hevkewnevmew york Vvrr the seventy improvementement eragra XVIIXVH august 19141914.igi191 992 tr CHAPTER VI

nvnemNEW MOVEMENTS 1918601918601918 60

combcombinedd priesthood auxiliary meetmeetings there were a number of programs or movements in this latter period of church history which affected the seventies either in par- ticular or as part of the body of the priesthood after the systematic study programs were developed andend became general there vas still a need to coordinate the meetings and study courses of the priesthood with those of the auxiliaries in some way which would eliminate coconflictingctingacting meetings and at the same time en- courage participation in both priesthood and auxiliary activities pres- ident rulon S wells in 1930 spoke of a plan which had then evolved in connection with this latest move in which a more active cooperation vithwith the presidents of the stakes was earnestly solicited an extenextensiveiveiyelye program of study and activity was under-er taken and the auxiliaries of the church sunday schools and mulmutmutual improvement associations were brought into requisition to the former was assigned the duty of conducting the priesthood cclassesbesbeesee outlines for which were to be provided by the general authorities of the church and in connection with the latter the quorums were to meet in what is called theirir tuesday night priesthood MIA meeting in which reports of allelieil their activities were to be made and assiassignmentsentoonto for the ensuing week verewere given this pianplan is now with some minor modifications andana vithwith vary- ing degrees of success in active operation but nevertheless mymay still be conconsideredideredideaed more or less a noble experiment edaandedd is even now under earnest conconsiderationiderationidesiderationigerationrallon by the leading councils of theuhe church with the confident expectation that eventually a planplenpien will be evolved wherein the great body of tethe priesthood shall qualify for its high desmresmresponsibilitymibilityability IL 2 lrulonwrulonulon S wells eheetheuthethe41he seventy improamproimprovementnelvelvei nt era XXXIII april 1930 406406kog t3ta 74

A directive vent out in 1934 to stakes and wards directing quorums to hold their classes during sunday school cclasss time 2 appa- rently the program was not satisfactory andendaraanaarm in october 1937 it was dropped in favor of holding priesthood meetings before or after sunday school as is done at present 3J

foreign Missimissionaryenaagnem work and a hevhewnevnew effort most of the problems of the former era continued to beset the seventies and hinder their going on foreign missions in this period J golden kimball speaking at october conference in 1921 seldseidsaidsaidtseidtseids I1 havent heard of anyone breaking his neck to go on a mission not lately novnow bretbrethrenhrenbren I1 know what the trouble is you re- member not veltvertvery long ago that brother byruahyrumbyrum M staithstoithth while hebe presided over the Evroenroeuropeanpean mission sent word to us and gave the sign of distress like allail these mission presidents are doing now he wanted one hundred capable efficient 9.9 competent men just whetwhat they need in every mission in the world so the first council started out to get them we mademaaee a thorough canvas andana we never dreamed but what we could get one hundred out of the councils of ququorumsorums the presidents of seventies without any we trouble at allelleil 0 interviewed them looked tthamthemwham in the face and we never found one single president that was not willwilling to go not one that I1 remember but when vewe looked into their fin- ancial affairs they could not go they seemed to be allaliail right spiritually4spirituallybutspiritually butbul it was their fidancfinancfinancial troubles that is their trouble now 4 in 1922 the 171st quorum published in the lnimprovementvement braera a crcreedcreddd which they adopted andanclanol among the items was this

2lchizedek2nltelchl2edek priesthood improvementement sra XXXVIIIVIII january 1930 406 31mprovementimprovement as&seraena XL december 1937o193701937 768 4 J golden kimball conference reports Octoctoberobero 1921 appp 848584 85 75 we believe that most seventies would like to be engaged in missionary service abroad but for various reasons they are denied this honor one of the most frequent and chief reasons is the lack of ready means and so ve believe that our missionary fund should be enlarged from time to time so that if any of our members need assistance to go on a mission or to sustain them chilevhile they are theretbereabere that we can materially assist and thereby be in barmontbarmon5hermonyharmony with that fine spirit of the gospel 1 I am my brotherbrothers kerkeeper 0 the practice has now become general for allmilmii melchizedek priesth- ood quorums to raise funds to contribute to the support of missionmissionariesaxlesexies who cannot support themselves in the mission field the deseret news on june 17 1933 reported that each seventies quorum as a projectjecteject was to have at least one representative inn the mission field all of the time preferably someone who could finance 6 himselfselfseif if not the quorum vaswasvmswms to raise the necessary funds on october 6 1934 elder melvin J ballardb&llardladdlaxd spoke at a seventies conference in salt lakelmkee city he announced planplans for a program to use more seventies in the mission field the deseret news reported the cchangee in the order of ordinations in the melchizedek priesthood announced by eiderelderbider melvin J ballard of the council of twelve includes the ordination of a boy at the age of 12 totu the office of a deacon in the aaraaronicc priesthood at the age of 15s15 if he is vworthykqaq he is advanced to the office of a teacher at 17 he is made a priestjprieste at 1618 he is ordained an elder in the melchizedek priesthood during the next tvotwo years he is given a thorough training in missionary work through the sunday school andendsandsend at the age of 20 he is ordained a seventy this nevnew order is designed bider 1sllardballardb&llard said to promote quorum activity a greater desire for advancement in the priest- hood andend a greater understanding of the duties and privileges of holders of the melchizedekMAlchisedekzedek priesthood heretofore he de- clared manymeny men havebeveheyehaye been priests until they hivehavehiyebiyehaye gone on mis- sions or havebavebayehayeheye been married in the temple and havebavebayebeyehaye had little or no training as elders or seventies

screed5creedcreed of the 171st1718t quonnquorum of seventy Inroimprovementvement fira UVXXV olmeswlmerpimesjune 1922 757

6 M journal history MS p june 17 1933 P 8 76 the speaker rejoiced that a new day has dawned for the seventies in that the prepresidingpreeidingeiding councils of the church have decided to hold more strictly to the rule to useuge seventies as missionaries abroad in line with the new order allaalaai mission- aries going into the field from now on over 21 years of age will be ordained seventies prior to their departure those who are under 21 and have had training as elders will also be or- dained seventies and those under 21 who have not had training may be retained as elders or ordained seventies at the discret- ion of the authorities before going into the mission field at the end of two years eiderelderer boliardbollardboulardba L predicted we will be in a Dosipositiontion to ordain all nisslnissimissimissionariesiesles seventies before they leave thirty years ago practically allailali missionaries abroad were seventies then came a change in the program and more elders were sent out now we have come back again with a clearer understanding of whatwhet missionaries shoshould be and of whatwhet seventies should be it is plain in the reverevelationslorm that the lord had in mind using seventies as missionaries 9 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 presidents of stakes areoreaye now orborgorganizingzing the wards into dis- tricts for the prosecution of missionary work the speaker said and he urged that allaliail seventies become active in preaching the gospel elder ballardbailardrd urged that from october to april two nights a week be devoteddevoieddevoted by allaliailaU seventies to missionary work in the wards 0 0 speakingspe ng at a seventies conference one year later president J boaengodengoldengoidengoaen kimball said we feel encouraged I1 am here to tellteliteilteuten you that during the hh44 years of my training in the council under the finest menmon there has been no time we had as much freedom in ordaining seventies 8 as now president samuelsamimi 0 bennion said thetheibe seventies will soon be the meinmainmelnn body of missionaries in the field he alsoaiso0 expressed the idea that older men working with yoyoungerer missionaries and local mission n9naQ aries voulawoulawould act as a balancebatbal ce wheel for thanthem

7 7ibidbibidibid october 6 19319340 p 9

aibidaigidid october 5 101935135t P 10 91bid91bidid october 5 1935 P lo1010 78

in april 193519350 president antoine R ivins wrote in the the titiuetimetinaeraenae came when for some reason the outgoing missionaries were mostly elders perhaps that was because they are mostly young men often not having attained to their majority right now the pendulum seemsseema to be back on its stroke addand more and more of the outgoing missionmis3ionmissionariesiesles are gogoing equipped with the priesthood of a seventy which seemseamseemsseams entirely concordant with the rerevelationsVIM lations vewe have upon the calling of missionaries the opening up of local missionary activities offers an ou- tlet for the activities of a vast number of seventies who are not able to accept missions abroad but who vantvautwant to serve their pur- pose in the economy of the church and a rreal revival is noted among the seventies of the church we look to this activity to keep alight the fires of enthusiasm in the hearts of our special witnesses 11 the seventy 10 it is clear that a movement was afoot but the program was never carried out to the extent outlined by brother baballardball&rd1 11krd president antoine R ivins says that it never became a policy to ordain men sev- enties when they became twenty or twenty one years of age 11 so far as the program concerned the aaronic priesthood boys it evidently was carried out since that procedure is standard today the seventies did not become a majority of the missionary forcedforceoforce but their percentage in the field did increase in the years 1938 1940 andana 1941 seventies total percentage year seventies missionaries of total 1935 87 669 1112 1936 48 881 5 1937 169 10621062 16 1938 343 1135 30 1193919090139 142 1075 13 1940 325 u931193 27 1941 354 1256 29

lo R loantoineantoine ivins the seventy improvement era 1 XXTIIIXXXVIII aprilaprils 1935p1935 215 11 perspersonal interview with president ivins april 12 1960 7 with the outbreak of world war ilslipII11 the missions overoyeroverseasceabcaesceas were closed down and few men were available for missionary work to keep the fissionsnissionsnistrussionstrUs sionsblons in the states operatingoperetingeningewing it was necessary to greatly increase the number of women and ughhigh priests called to that work the missionary record books show that following the war they continued to call more women than seventies the korean conflict hedhad a similar effect except that no mis- sions verewere closed and only the young men subject to military servicesservice verewere ineligible for mission calls the church turburturnedburned to the others antoine RH ivins wrote in the Uimprovementnxvvewera exaexera a in 1951 right now because of the nationalionallonallonai emergency that vewe are facingracingfacings the flow of yoyoung men into the mission field hashae been vertsvery very greltlygreatlygre&tly reduced and as I1 think of itsitaibait quite nat- urally I1 think of an amyarmy of twenty thousand seventies every one of whom is pledged to the service of his god and of hishits fellow mensmexi and I1 wonder if we can get from that group of men now tthe recruits that we shallsh&llr need to carrycerrycarmy on thiswhis8 missimissionaryOrAU work 12 the ccallcalicail waswag not sufficiently ansannansweredvered the writer was on a mission in the west central states from 1991952541952 54 and witnessed that a number of seventies and high priests vereverawerewera called into the field at that time but most of tthem were able to remain only for sisixgixtr months at the close of 1952 the shortage was so acute that the church authorized mis- sion presidents to callcail1 yoyoung peoplepeoples some of them only seventeen years of age to fill full time missmissionsioan in other puhapartspartapure of their own mission tha missionary record books end in january of 1950 after that time the card file was used exclusively and we are not able to get a

12antoine12antoine Rre ivins improvement ereserasera LIV june 19511 457T 80 record of the proportions by priesthood gogoing on missions but from allailali vewe can learn the trend continues seventies still continue to be only a minor fraction of the foreign missionary force of the church

kewkeynevnew movement in stake missi2narmissionaryZ work we harehavehayeheye noticed that before the turn of the century seventies were being urged to do hornehoane missionary vorkwork stake missionary work be- gan in some of the stakes around 19121932 in october 19211 slierkhierkuderer rulon S wewells spoke on the missionary work with non members of the church in the ststakess of zion reading frmarmfromtrom a report he said that less tthanwhanwhen 50 per cent of the seventies hadbadbed been on missionmissions andadd less tthanbhan 3 per ccent were in the mis sion field at the present time he ddeclaredc tedled there should be more activity in the home mission fieldsfields 103 at the seventies conferconferencece in april 1934j193 presidpresident kimbaltkimball reported that there verewere 182 seventies on foreign missions and 903 on stake missiomissions at that session eiderelderer david 0 mckay saldsaiddad40 ivery seventy in the church can go anon a mission for those who cannot go abroad can do missionary vorkwork at home among the nonmembersnon members who reside in their wards e 9 we had maremoree converts in the organized stakes tthan in the foreign missions in 1933 llisibisthisthib shawsshows vhalwhatwhetwhak can be done at homee andadd every stake president should call upon the nventiesNvseventiesenties for this missionary work and they will answer the ccallceliceil in 1936 stake missionary work was organized on a church videwide basis and the entire program placed under the direction of the first council of seventy in order to facilitate the undertaking it is proproposedposedposod that a mission be 0organizedzedbed in each astakee thebhe general supervision of which will be underer the first council of seventy who will 13 journal history 9sj9MS october 9 1921 p 3 14 ibid april 8 1934p193 POP 6 81 operate directly through the presidenciespresidencies of stakes A seventy will be given immediate charge of the mission although this position may betoeboe occupied by a high priest prospective missionaries who are taking the missionary course in bardsvardswards and stakes and also yoyoung vonenwomen may be ccalleded to act in these missionary labors participating in local missionary work must be allali this 155 Ccalledcelleded by the presidency of the stake in which they reside the improvement eragra reportreporting the plans in may addeded an eiderelderkiderer would havebavebayehaye to be made a seventy before he could be a stake and alsopalsoaiso that stake presidents were to make the ccallsa after 16 consultation with bishops andana the local council of seventy eiderelderer smith at the april conference in 1937 characterized the new missionary system as one of the most important programs ever organized in the church he seidsaidseld the lord hadhed brought many people to the stakstakesis of zion that vewe might preach the gospel to them and since they were already acquainted with the saints they might 17 make more stable converts tthanbhan those from foreforeign countries the fonfoUfollowingovingawing figures are taken from the abmaanmaannualannuelI1 stake mission reports published in the improvement bra from 19372193742193742.1937 422 andang will show that the seventies carried in the neighborhood of sixty per cent of the 1loadloed durduring those years iroloo100 A9371937 1938 1232133212331939 121940LO 1941 1aaa1942 stakes 118 126 129 134 139 143 stake missions ilg116 122 128 131 136 illili141 stalsstakesstamsstems reporting 10510 92 103 118 113 101 riderseiderselders 270 303 28528 374 275 276 seventies 12101210 1150 1169ugg 1281 11255 886 Hhigh priests 267 262 252 272 287 249 women 283 349 395 540 606 637 baptisms 12244 1757 222220220290 2203 2519 2028 activationsreactivationsRe 2756 4389 3806 44621 5089 3509 ibid april 4 1936 p 14

16lnproyesnent16improvelnent erap XXXIX may 1936 273 17 jourjournalcalzalcai history MS april 4 1937 p 9 82 As we would expect the work fell off durdundurineduringduning the war pres- ident ivins at the october conference of 1921942 made the followfollowing plea we try to impress upon every man who is ordained into the seventies quorums that that is his maimal&callingAI 11ing and that if he will not exercise that function he hashab no right to come into this group of men they should be the missionaries of the church they should be the predfmmapredominatinging element in any missionary group in the church hownovnowmavwww we have two mministriesstriesatries of that type the foreign mission min- istry and the stake mission ministrystryetry allelieil of the sbamesame type and class except in some minor details andana we now are very much interested in thatthetthekwhatwhak stake mission work of this church it is proving to be such a wonderful and magnificentificent vorkwork that we are overjoyed with the success that we have realized in the past but we are worried now brethren because we note a falling off in that effort we arev short this year about six adredhdredhundred missiomissionarieses as compared with last year we arearc short from the oevseventiesenties six or seven per cent of that missionary group we would like to ask you presidents who are henherehem when you return to use your influence in recruiting from your ranks other seventies who can go into that work 9 0 0 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Is 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 if you cant supply us men increase our number by giving us good women we will take excellent care of them we will give themthamzhem an 0opportunityrtunityeunity that they cannot have otherotherwisevisevibe likely an experlexpertexperro lence that villwill broaden them and strengthen them sndand help them annualnual reports of stake missionary work for the years rolfolroifollowingloving 1942 have not yet been released 9 the writer vaswas informed that they do not give a brbreakdownkdxnmwnm of the missionaries by priesthood however in a few sstakeses that he is acquainted vithwithwitha the seventies still seem to predpredominateinste in others they do not there is no way to determine just what thekhe general picture has been since 1921942 in 19471979 president S dilworth young urged seventies to do stake missionary workeworkpvorkwork andana to vol 19 unteeruxrbeergunteer such service to the presidents of their quormsquorums and stakes

181 antoine BR ivins improveaentimprovementimproyement era XLYXLV november 19219421942. 745-75

19 young iivfim0uml I1 maymays S dilworth impimprovement era L 19471979P 219 83 but as to whether this indicates that the seventies were falling off in that work ie not certain the first council of seventy continued to direct stake missionary work until residentpresident david 0 mckay became president of the churchchurchechurchy he decided that allmilmii missionary work should center in his office A generelgeneralgeneragenere missionary committee of the church does the pplanningng at this time and makesm&keskeb recrecommendationsndations to the first presidency of the church concerning 20OQ bathboth stake endand foreign mission work projects andadd activities during the sunday school priesthood movement in the thirties seventies took part in mirsionarymissionaryxaiesionary ttrainingng cclassescebcesees B HIL roberts sentcentsenk out a general letter to the seventies in 1932 epeexplainingp ning the meetings they veteverewere required to attend the monthly quorum meeting the weekly activities meeting during MIAniaAMIAaniaamla and either the gospel doctrine or mis- sionary training cclassesses in sunday school A number of seventies verewere to make up the permanent membership of the latter classc s young men were to take the course for one year andano be ccalleded on a mission the seve- nties in the class vereverawerewera to help them in their ststudieses set a good example

ome coercoar before them 9 andana help tthem oveovercome any habitsbabits not compatiblepatible with mis- sionary lifeilfe 21 in june 1933 plans for a seventies correspondence COUTM was announcedann uncedunbed in the deseretdesdendon news lessons and texts verewere to be sent to the

20 fersperspersonal interview with president ivinsivinolying april 12 1960

21 MS tournaltournaijournalTournal history 0 januaryamlanykany 23023 19320193 P 7 8434

ququorwnsquorumsorums duoxruoxquorumbuurumguu instructors would conduct recitations and examinations and assign readings the lesson texts vere to be ten cents a copy but any quorum which hadbad paid its full assessment to the general fund was 22 to get them free in the fallrailrali of 1934 one quorum developed a project which made use of the new medium of rradloradio0 for missionary work the 139th quorum big horn satsrmstake instituted the seventysSeventys service of the air a program over station KGHL at billingbillings montana A great ddealdeai of travel was en- tailed by those who participated programs consisted of a sermon and musical number by talentedantedented musicians of the stake later speakers gave a series of talks over several weeks the music was dropped in 1937 due to the shortness of the fifteen mimre period and the program took the form of a two person panel discussion the entire stake con- tritributedbuted to the effort listenerlisteners were invited to write for copies of the sermons andang other literatureliteratures and it deembeamsseemseams that a few additionstionseions to the church could be traced directly to this activity 023j during the later years of the great depression the church asked the melchizedek priesthood quorums to accept the responsibility of tak- ing at least one familyilyllyliy off relief one such successful gojectproject was that of the 157th quorum of seventy liberty stake they organized a kindlingknit ng voodwood buselnesseinessbusinessbueinessbu as in Sseptemberember 1938 wood output began in october As could be expected there resulted a struggle to get the project on a paying basis but it is now producing results pro- duction from the work of the three menman employed on the project hasheshimhem

22 ibid june 24 1933 p 4 23 Sevseventyseventysentys service on the air imrovemetlayrovement era XLI june 1938s1938 36263362 63 35 increased from 80 to 20250 bundles per day the top week was the veekweek from january 7 to 13 when 1156 bundles of voodwood were sold giving four men a tottotal4 of 65 for six days vorkwork and one man part time received 6 fc A most notable project in recent times Is the seventySevseventysentys mission bookstore at provo utah in the winter of 1946471946 47 the 349th wormgorgmorgquorum whilewvhile searching for a project for the support of missionaries and after perusing several prospects decided upon the bookstore as the best means of raising profit at the request of the stake presidenciespresidencies three other quorums joined in the project the ath3th34th 45th45thp and 37372nd the bookstore was first located in the coon furniture company a storeeitoreestore owned by a member in august 1948 a small building was leased at 45 veritwestweatverstwerst fixfirstat north the present site total biulnessminessbusiness of the bookstore ventwentV from ikoivo5140lh0 in 1947 to 77052 in 1955 and 125400t125400 in 1958 A rulifullruil time manegermanagerman er and part time help is employed profitsfits are turned back to the quorums as dividends to support missionaries andan a part has been put in to a building fund in june of 1957 a report vabvaswabwas rendered by the board members to the effect that twenty four missionaries were 25 receiving support and that five verewere in the process of being ccalleded

policies although the seventies had been the largest group of priesthood in the church it became the policy that their numbers should not in- crease in proportion with the other brancbrancheshesbes of the melchizedek priesth- ood presidentbident rulon S wells noted in 1930 that following the systematic

24 w journeljournal history MS v february 11 1939 P 13 25historical25historical and financial report by the seventysSeventys mission provo bookstore 0.0 mahautah 1959 mimeogrMimeomimeographedcprnprgr 66816byg study course movement of 1907 there hahaiahai3 been a general awakening of interest among the seventies and an increase in their numbers this move also brought about the ordination of more seve- nties as it was thought prospective missionaries should be brought into these quorums and receive the benefit of the course of study and furthermore the first presidency in their letter of tuyjulytwy 6 1904 in order to strengthen our depleted quorum had previously sanctioned such ordinations and advised that in se- lecting siderseiderseldersers to be ordained seventies care should be taken to pick VyoungA mengen likely to develop within them the qualifications of becoming successful preachers of the gospel the XITMIMmaximum membership was reached on jan 1 1923 when the seventies num- bered 1212068068068.068 the number of quorunsquorums likewise increased until in 192819231928192.8 when the 224th quorum vabvasveswasvms ororganizedzedeed however in 1927 it was thought by the presiding euthauthauthoritiauthoritiesauthorityoriti of the church that this number should be greatly reduced it he goes on to say that by 1930 there were 184 quorsquoosquorums and 93429042 seventies while the high priests have increased until they novnow number 1703317.033itt 11 the movement of 1935 vent through similar phases A few figures will show that trend fromtramtromyram 1915 to 1960 the seventies incre- ased from 1111000000ooo000.000 to 2121000ooo000 the high priests fromprom 1150014500 to 4848000vowvomPOW and the eiderselders from 27000 to 151151000000ooo000.000 this policy in regards to the numbers of seventies reflects the old dilemma whenever the leaders of the church have soughtnought to put the seventies in their ccallinging as the missionary force of the church to any debrdegrdebreedegreee leadership has been tunneledfunneled avayawayewayawny from alders quoququorumsquorumesrumesorumsnumes and as seventies returned home from missions to an ever enlarging group no one knew what to do with them theeheebe revelation on priesthood stated that other seveseventy were to be called as the need arose rutbut if all missionaries are made seventies whatwhet is to be done with soisotso much leader- ship at home in the one branch of the melchizedek priesthood that beshasbashes

26 rulonbulon S wells the seventy lnprovementimprovementprovement I1draerara XXXIII aprilaprils 1930 405 87 no calling to preside the seventies continicontinuedd in this period to come under greater control of the stakes in february 1927 the first council of seventy was directed to collaborate with presidents of stakes in the supesupervisionsionelonblon of the seventies the activities of seventies resident in the stakes both as to quorum and individuals are under the supervision of stake 27 presidents and ward bishops

A new plan for stake melchizedek priesthood committees came out 28QQ in december 1937 A letter on the committees from the quorum of twelve to presidents of stakes readspheadspreads in regards to the seventies one or more seventies are needed on the stake committee for these brethren wiviiiwillU be the contact agents of the stake committee with the quorums of seventy in the article following the letterietterletteri the oupersupervisionvision of the seventies underer direction of a stake committees relates exclusively to local activities in stakes and wards and comercomescomee rightly under their supervision whatever pianplanpienplen myaaymay be adopted to make their work more effecteffectiveivelivea and does not in wvanyeny vayway conflict with the present system of supervision of the seventies by the fi5itfigt council in collaboration with the presidents of stakes fiet one might well ask since seventies are doing so little foreign missionary workeworkpvorkwork vhalwhat activity is not local the committees were one lnoremore step towards stake control of theune seventies which hadbad been so

7 27jjohn A widtsoeWidtwidtsoepsoepsoe priesthood and church government rev ed salt lakee city deseret sookbook co 19195 P 275 28 this movement enveloped allaliailaltait priesthood quorums on all church levels the committees are very effective for handling business on a functional basis but the writer believes they have tended to cloud over the lines of quorum functions niethehie focal point now for allelieil priesth- ood activities is committees not ququorumsorums PQ 29improvementpprovementapprovement era XLI january 1936 33 88 completely lacking in the era of bribrigham yoyounsyoung this policy has con- tinued to the present president ivins speaking of the difficulty of the quorums getting together in their stakerstakesstelkerstankes during world war II11 told the divided ward groups to try to get together occasionallymoccasionaily and to remember that theyntheyanthey are still a quorum under stake jurisdiction con- jointly vithwith that of the first council of seventy no the problems of the seventies are reflected in the fact that every so often in late years an article comes out giving lengthy ex- plaplanationsnations as to what they can do are supposed to do and so forth such an article appeared in the improvementovementmovement era in april 1955 it was first explained that the prevailing attitude of rank in the priesthood was erroneous all melchizedek priesthood bearers have the bemesemesamesome author ity but different callingsc ngs to perform with that authority A state- ment of joseph F smith was quoted wherein he said that if it were n necessnecessaryair0 a seventy coulacould ordain a high priest and if it were neces- ssary7 for a high priest to orordain a seventy hebe could do that AVwhy because both of them hold the melchizedek priesthood then it was point- ed out that no one has any right to act in his office except by appoint- ment from those who have jurisdiction in the matter all were to magnify their priesthood by fulfilling the assignments given them in their office and by keeping all of gods comandcommandmentsments it was next stated that seventies have a special calling to do missionary work finaiFinalfinallyiyolyo the duties of seventies were outlined in seven steps

1 1 to prepare for missionary work through study of the gospel and other

30 approvement erera xueXLVXUV ilayliaymay 194-1942-2192 330 89 fields of knowledge and by church activity 2 to participate in stake and foreign missionary work this does not aeonmeanmeon that each seventy needs to be in the missionary work at all times 3 to assist mi- sionssionariesaries and their families financially 4 to respond wiwillinglynely and well to allailali calls to other types of work made by the bishops and ststake authorities 5 to strengthen spiritually quorum members and their fa- milies 6 to help any needy quorquorum members and their families and 7 to keep all of gods colcoreorcommandmentsaa ntsants 31 the first part of the article indicates that the authorities are dronsdroneprone to accept the idea that seventies can ordain high priest 3 bulbut that is not yet felt necessary the second part reflects that it isLs still hoped by the authorities that seventies will allaliailau be missionaries at sobebonebomesonesome time of their officeorfoffice the article also shows that seventies quormsquorums are expected to function in the same maar as the other quorums of priesthood one month later may 155 the braera published a statement of policy regarding seventies it is outlined with its headings below organization of units units of ventiseventiesseventiesSSs may be organized in stakes where there are not enough for a majority of a quorum nomo more than one unit per stake they are to be officeredfiberedofficered by a chair- man and two collncounselorselore organization andr maintenance of quorums quorunsquorums may be organ- ized and disorganized according to whether they have a majority etc changes in Presidenpresidenciescies presidents of seventies are not be to released or made high priestsprients without authorization of the first council other seventies can be ordained high priests by stake presidents without consultation with the first council

oi 31 melchizedek priesthood seventies improvement braem LVIII aprilaprilo 195501955 26667266 67 adaduitionadustionaition4ition of kevhevbevnevnew iembers 1 1 Presipresidentderat of quorum aay rec obbuendr nna uleenamedumee of men thought to be worthy of ordination to the office of seventy to the stake president men not to be contacted at this point 2 if stake president approves names he sends them to first council requesting permission to interview 3 first council will consider conditions of men and quorums affected 4 if first counccoonccouncil11 gives derdexpexpermissionmission one of stake presidency inter- views candidates 5 if stake presidency approveapprovessp names are submitted to the high council for approval 6 bisbopsbishopobishopp and eiderseldersercarc quorum presidents are concouconsultedu d to further certify worthiness of candidates 7 candidcandidatesatea are approved by the ststake priesthood in a meeting 68 allailali recorecocaaendationsmendations are then sent again to first council to arrange for a ffinal interview and ordination by one of the general authorities preparatory experiences itecessarynecessary elderseiderserserg are not to be ordained seventies until they have considerable experience great concern is felt for the wellwellbeingbeing of the quorums of elders and ve have thought it unwise to ordain too largege a pro- portion of the ouutandioutstanding andrindsind worthy elders into the buomquomquorumsas of seventy for fear of 11ruiunduly weakening the elders ququorumsorums vewe havebavebeve thought ulatwiat in the malumaln after returning from their various fields of labor young returned missionaries should affil- iate with the elders in their respective wards in order to add their strength to them and also because of age social and frat- erernal considerations gain for therthemthemselveselves moremooremmore apportopportopportunitiesties for service and brotherhood in priesthood activities tl calling of the seventy a special one we woulawould like to see the seventies used modemoremoru and more within the field of their primary responsibility we do not believe however that every elder who oaymay be ordained to the office of seventy must be called immediately into missionary service we think that there should be a large reserve of brethren in training f relation to bishopebishopo in wards that contain whole quorsquoosquorums of seventy bishops are cautioned not to assume control other factors manymeny factors were listed for stake presidents to consider before altering the abersaberanumbersnurnum of seventies in their stakes 32 units of seventies are the old massma s quoxuwquorums on an acceptable basis the mass quorums had a presidency of seven instead of three chairmen

32 statement ofolfoif policy Iliegardingregarding seventies LMEimprovement0yay &eranaanapap LVIII may 1955 35253 a

ol01911.1 it appears from the above that joint jurisdiction relates more to the presidents of seventies than to the members of quarmspquorumsquorums since the first coicoycounciliai1 hashab nothing to do vithwith members bebeing ordained high priests note that more difficulty is connected with becoming a seventy thanbhan vithwith becbeebecomingng an elder or a high priestprieste

the problem of vweakening129ing eiderseldersersere quormsquorums by ordaining too mawmwwmany seventies is mentioned bbno one seems to have ever vonvouwonwondereddered if ordaining too many elders weakened seventies qlwrumsQuquorumsorums another such article appeared in the brov1rovimprovementent braera in january 1959 entitled policies and procedures relative to seventies it repeated merwmarqmenymanymeuy of the points just outlined but bomesome additionadditions are worthy of note the seventies do not astandstendswend in a politipositipositionon intermediate between elders and high priests 1102rather they hold a highly speciapecispecializedsedzed office thus differdifferijog from other offieofficofficerserbers in the church in the duties of their calliicalaelaeicalleiiiiliiiliing seventies in the stakes of zion should be used within the prinar7responsibilityprimary responsibility ehatwhak missiomissionarynw field of their 1 thatisthat is in missionemissionw striiceseriseriiceieryiceIerybeepice se4intleseventiess shouldh0uId nnotnok0t be used in auxiliary cpcapacitiescities when they are needed for missimissionarymaeryamary service either stake or aforeignWA WsaewaoLAO ivoIWOworthyrtbyraby deventseventseventiess who because of age physical condition jo or for other reason can tofionionno lawrlonger be expected to serve effectively within the field of heirtheirwheir primary responsibility may well be or- dained high priestspriests33333.3 andadd on the matter of changes in quorum or unitt leadsleadeleadershippt changesfiresarnesarreg in quorum presidenciespresidencies are madmade on reckonsreconsrecooxsendationionlon of stake presidenpresidenciescies who isshould conconsultuit vithwith the local council in filling vacancies except in casebcabescaseseases in which allmilmii members of the

33 melchizedek priesthood PoUpohpoliciesciescleaelea and procedures relative to seventies improvement braeraeza LXII january8w3ffi6l Y 1959o195901959 30313031030 31031 4tat 92 council are to be proposed for release seventies may be ordained high priests without the prior approval of the first council unlessess they are serving in quorum presidenciespresidencies or in the Cchairmanshiprmanship of unitsto in these cacasebcaseseaseses the prioror approval of the first councilcoicot il or of one of the duly authorized general auth- orities opemoperatingtingling on the groundund is required hoverhowerhowever stake presidents are at liberty at any time without prior approval of the first council to take a member of a quorum presidency or of a unit airmanschairmanschchairmanshipp if such brother is being celledcalledled to serve in a stake preslpresipuesipresidencydewydemy or a high council or in a verdveatwartwerdwardvema bishopric 34 the first item shows that the general authorities are very much aware that seventies were meant to be missionaries addand are conconcernedernedarned that ailallali seventies should be either performperforming or preparing for this ser- vice this might possibly mean that in the near future there will be another effort to use more seventies in missionary work at the general conference in april i9601960p it was urged that the missionary force of the church be doubled no doubt the seventies will be asked to contribute substantially theeheme second item quoted from the article above beeseebeemsseems to indicate that the first council of seventy really has very little jurisdiction left over the seventies they simply act in common with the other gen- eral authorities in approving the actions of stake presidenciespresidencies in re- gards to the seventies in the respective stakes whether the shiftshifting of jurisdiction from the first council to stake authorities is good or bad is a matter of opinion but there can be no doubt that better control andaraanaarm direction of the seventies hashab resulted

34ibidibid PART liiIII111 leadership CHAPTER vilyliyllVII711 THE FMTFIRST COUICILCOUNCIL CFOF SSEVENTY succession and eistelsthisthistory the original members of the first coucounciliai1 of seventy were chosen and ordained on the day the seventies verewere 029orgorganizedzed february 28 1831835 they were hazen aldrich joseph young levlevileyl W hancock zebedee co- 1 trinttrinoltrin leonard rich lyman sherman and sylvester smithsmithe at general conference on april 6 183718379 joseph smith declared that high priests cocould not be seventies it vacvecveevaewaswae learned that five of the first seven presidpresidentss of seventy were high priests hazen aldrichaidrich zebedee coltrin leonard richarich losanlymanurman sherman and sylvester smithth ubowhowho hadhed already left the church it was also thought that levleylavi 1acockncockIhancock who was away on a mission vasvaevac a high priest accordingly six men verewere chosen to fill up the first council jaaesjanesjames foster daniel S miles josiah butterfield salmon geejgeebgee and john gould it vaswas learned subsequently that levi hancock vaswaswes not a high priest and at the following conference the church refused to sustain john gould as a member of the first council for that reason president gould vabwabvaswas made a high priest and order was restored at the time of the fall of kirtkirbkirtland salmonsaimon gee and john gaylord sent vvord to the first council asking to be excused from awany

joseph yoyoung op citjcitpcitaclujclupcipp ppe 464694 696 93 94 further services in the council 2 they were dropped and replaced in february 1838 by zerazarazama pulsipher and henry harriman at the timtime they led the kirtkircmirtkirtland camp the first council consisted of joseph young levleylevileyl hancockcock james foster ddniel miles josiah butterfieldbutterfleld zera pul- sipher and hehenryhenzy harriman when the churchcburch removed to nauvoo james foster settled away from the saints and had nothing more to do with thenthem he was finally 3 dropped fromsrom the council and comminexcomminexexcommunicatedI1 eatedbated josiah butterfield was droppedaterdropped aterafter a permanent misunderstanding arose between himselfelfeif and 4 c the prophet w he was later excomunicatedexconaaunlcatedexcommunicated 5 therefore at the time of the death of joseph smith in june 1844 there were five members of the firstbirst council Ddanielel S miles died in 1845 leaving four thecherhe quorum was filled up on december 2 184518450 by albert P rockwood jedediah M grant and benjamin L clapp tbuspthus the first council was full and active before the time of the western exodus jedediah grant was ccalleded to be second counselor to brigham young and horace S ldridgeeldridgeJS came into the first council in april 1854 ben jamin clapp was dropped from the Councicouncillp andjand later exeexccxamunicatedi d after he had some difficulty with bishop warren S snow at ephraim utah 6 in 1859 zerazara NIpulsiphersipher was ftoppedcoppeddropped from the council in april 1862

2ibidbibidid 3dhcHC viippiipvilVII 279 ajoseph4josephjoseph yogyoung 92op cites appp 46 5dhcDRC VIIOyllyliVII 279 6 joseph YOyoung o01olopL citcitacitj appp 464 6 95 and made a high priest after he transcended the bounds of his priest T hood in the ordinance of sealing j the two vacancies were filled in october 1862 by and nearly all of the rest of the vacancies in the first council of seventy were occasioned by death albert P rockwood died in nov- emberdemberoember 1879 and william W taylor came into the coukcouncouncilil in april 1880 joseph young died in july 1881 wdand levitevilevi hancock in june 1882 the vacancies were filled by ababraham H cannon and seymour B yoyoung in october 1882 the vacancy caused by the death of john van cott in february 1883 vaswas filled by Cbristianchristian D fjeldsted in april 1884 william W taylor died in august 1884 and john morgan became one of the first seven presidents in october horace S eldridge died in sep- tember 1888 sndaddand brigham H roberts came into the council a month later in october 1889 abrahanabrehamabraham H cannon was called to be an apostle joined the council in april 189018900 hegyhewyhenry herrimanharrimanbarriHarrlman died in may

1891 0 and J golden kimball vaswas chosen to the first council in april 1892 jacob gates died in april 1892 and rulon S wells came into the council a year later edvardedward stevenson became a first council me- mber in october 189418940 following the death of john morgan in august of that year died in january 1897 and in october jos- eph W MurrinmcmurrinMe eftcrtcrrcame into the first council the vacancy caused by the death of Cbristianchristian D fjeldsted in december p 191905055. was filedfluedfilled by charles RH hart in april 1906 george reynoldreynolds died in august 1909

7 7ibidbibidibid 96

andanclanaancs levlevileyl adgarbdgarar yoyoung loung joined the council in januarytawrymrymmryMmwry 1910 father and son then served together in the council for nearly fifteen years until the death of seymour B young in december 1924 the vacancy was fill 8Q ed by keyrey L pratt in april 1925 antoine BR ivins was chosensen to the first council of seventy in october 1931 following the death of rey L pratt in april both

were well suited for their labors among the mexican people joseph W mcmurrin died in october 1932 andana samuel 0 bennion came into the council the following april B H roberts died in septemlxeseptemberer 1933 and in october john H taylor was ccalleded to the quorquorum in september 193419340 charles H hart died and the vacancy was filled in february 1935 by rufus K hardybardyherdy J golden kimball was killed in an automobile ac cidentaident in september 1938 andaddaw richard L enaevaevansevens was called to the first coucounciliai1 in october rulon S weweilswellsweile died in maymeymays 1941 and in october oscar A kirkirkham came into the council rufus K hardy died in march 1945p195 after a 1longiong illness and samuel 0 bebennionon was taken by death a day later the two bacanvacanvacancieslesiesleb verewere filled by S dilworth young and mil- ton R hunter in may of that year bruce R excovxcomcconkiemcconklee was chosen to the first council in october 1946 following the death of john H taylor the previous may richard L Esevansevens was called to be an apostle in october 193 axalaxxl marion D hanksa joined the council at that time oscar A kirkirkham died in march 1958 andend A theodore tuttletuttieeuttie becbecame a member of the first council in april

8Q andrevandrewrevrew jenson church general authorities first council of seventy MSMB on tilerilefile at the church historians office salt lakee city typewritten this goes up to 1925 f-

97 facts about the first council henry liarIldrlianharrlHarriharriroanildrrimanrimanroan served longest in the council ifty three yearbyears followed by levi edgar young who has served fifty yearbyeatsyears to date john gould holds the record for the shortest terterntermn and has the unique distinction of having been the only eighth member of the seven presidents of seventy samuel 0 bennion served longest in missionary service twenty nine years followed by edwardledward stevenson somewhere be- tween twelve to twenty years and Cbristianchristian D fjeldsted about four- teen years eighteenyighSighteen out of the forty six members have been mission

presidents A few apparently did not go on awany foreign missions only two membersdembergmemberg of the first coucounciliai1 of seventy havebave become apostles ab- rraham EH cannon and richard L evans one jedediah M grant was a second counselor in the first presidency aithoalthoalthough he was not maderoade ancm apostle the young family has been represented in the council from the time of its inception except for one year andana three monthsmouths following the death of joseph by joseph yoroungyoung seymour bicknell young levi slearsleer youngs yo young endand seymour dilworth young 6 the latter three are the bonsonoon grand- son and greet grandson of joseph yoyoung together they havehayeheye a cumulative toteltotal to daleodateodatedabe of nearly 14154 years of service in the first council

problems andandl developments levlevi W hancock of the firafirst council of seventy was a member of the mormon battalion when belebrigbelgbrightonbrighaonhaon young selectedeelected men to be officers of that unitt a privilege the abayabnyanay granted levi babcockbancock&mcock was not one of thenthem dr eugene campbellCaacampbellpuell of the history department at brigham yoyoung university has pointed out 98 there is no reliable evidence that he had any official ap- pointment as spiritspiritual leader on the contrary he never me- ntioned bribrigham lounsyoung in his communications vithwith the battalion and he makes no claim for such office in his ounown journal furtherpurloherevidenceevidence may be seen in the fact that jefferson runthunt conducted most of thethu meetings and althoughugh he usually called on hancock to speak hunt was in charge president yogyoeyounsyoung appar- ently exexpectedactedmcted the officers to take the lead in spiritspiritual affairs as well as military y it seems a curious thing that brgbrbrebrighamg young who did more to advance the seventies tthan any other presidentbident of the church would ignore another as a leader among such a large group of church members especially when many of them were seventies in recent years the great increase in the number of wards and stakes has demanded a great increase in high priests to preside over them it has become the practice for men to hold positions such as bishops and stake presidents for about five years or less as compared with fifteen or twenty years in earlier days the result is that the creereereamcream of church leadership ususuallyly become high priests in order to preside over wards andana stakes to fill vacancies in the first council of seventy men must be fowrowfoundrowaA who have high leadership ability and havebavebeve proven their faith in church servicedserviservicepservicegervicecejceP yet have not become high priests this is becoming increasingly difficult since the need for high priests is increasing and the church has held downdomn the numerical growth of the seventies some of those acalleded to the council in recent years have been comparatively young menomen whose ages were a factor as to why they had not become eishelshhighh priests A few have been men whose jobs andana travel- ing responsibilities have probably tended to excuse them from presiding

w 9ftgeneaugeneeugenebugene campbellcampbelicammpbellCaracamacammpbell authority conflicts in the mormon battalion MS 1960 in possession of the author bribrigham young university prof-f- essoreasor campbells detailed study of the battalion has made him somewhat of an authority on the subject o-a-

99 high kriestpriest positions foryor iastanimstaninstancee three were seminary andrylryary8 insti- tute wenamenamehmen whose teaching duties overlap into church activities two were scouting executives whose work keeps them traveling a good deal and one was a radio announcer whose sunday work has been an essential missionary effort since men of the first council of seventy havebave had no experience as bishops or stake presidents the question ariserarises as to hmbovhov they are qualified as general authorities to go out to conferences and advise

others who are so experienced several ananswersversvera present themthegthemselveselyeseiyee 1 1 they are believed to be inspiredin airedpired men 2 it is possible to gain consid- erable understanding of church procedure and government without direct experience 3 they are directed by other general authorities who havebavebeve been bishops and stake presidents andana 4 most of them in recent years have been mission presidents nn office roughly equal in authority and responsibility to that of stake president four of the present first council members have been missionlaiszaissionbionblon presidents

Assistassistantsts to the twelve As the growth of the church began to mushroom in the forepart of this century it became apparent that the general authorities would have to be expanded to handle the terrific admadministrativestrativestrative load A prob- lem had arisen concerning the first council of seventy A rule was being followed that members of the first councouncilup bebeing seventies could wtnot ordain elghhighh priests bishops and bishops councounselorseloeio a nor perform temple marriagessarrimarriabesages apparently for this reason when the time came to expadaexpand it was felt that high priests shoshould be ccallcailcali edeg insteensteinstead of sevensavensavansavenssevenssavans ties 14embersmembers of the first council particularly B H roberts felt 100 that sevOevseventiesenties should be called instead of any others and that the first quorumiuorbuor should be filled up president roberts presented his case in a letter to president heber J grant on april 27 1931 tymy dear president orangrantgran recalling the delightful conversation I1 had with you at my room on monday last I1 think in relation to the seventies etc etc and dwelling upon its substance impellsimpello meroemoe to write you further in regard to some of those things that were then briefly mentioned among these was the attention you gave to the apparent in- congruity of the first council of the seventy being unable to participate with members of the twelve when out in the confer- ences when ordaining high priests and bishops and bishopbishops counselorscounotelors when occasion should arise the answer to all this hashab been that the presidency of the seventies not being high priests were barred from these functions also in regard to per- forming marriage ceremonies etc perhaps you will remember that I1 said I1 thought the decisions that had led to this policy of excluding the seven presidents from such functions was too tightly drawn and that if it were considered that these brethren have an apostolic calling tthat calling would warrant them to do along these lines whatsoever might be necessary in the course of their ministry as stated in the doctrine and covenantsaCovenantcovenantssa in building up the church and regulating all the affairs of the same in ailallali nations first to the gentiles and then to the jews section 10734 to review this matter a little further I1 call your atten- tion to the fact that the doctrine andend covenants section 107 given primarily on the subject of priesthood addand establishing the relationship of councils etc etc says the twelve traveling councilorscouncillorscouncilors are called to be the twelve apostles or special vitwitwitnessesnesses of the name of christ in all the world thus differing from all other officers in the church in the duties of their calling and they form a quorum equal in authority and power to the three presidents previously mentioned the seventy are also ccalleded to preach the gospel and to be especial witnesses unto the gentiles in all the world thus differing from other officers in the church in the duties of their Ccallinging and they form a quorum muequalal in authority to that of the twelve special witnesses or apostles justust named doctrine and covenants section lo7t23z6107x23 26 you will observe that the languageangallayimyl ge makinging these seventies especial witnesses of the lord jesus christ is practically the same as that which so designates the twelve now if this quorum is equal in authority to that of the twelve special witnesses or apostles just named then it must follow that what the apostle rancan do seventy can do when aproappoAnted to do those thingsra in the 7 arroappointed thi-thirsthipa building up and regulating ththee affairs of ththee eslubesluchurchich I1 trust you will not grow impatient just yet at this point 101 which may have become wrmor or less trite in the consideration of this subject for I1 have something further I1 want to addodd which aaymay be of great interest to you but if myraymay deductions are right so far as I1 have gone then in order to get the full measure of service from the seventy especiallespeciallyespecially from the first council and its direct quodquorquorum the first quoquorum in building up the kingdom then there would be no need of wishing tthalthat the presiding cou- ncil over the seventy held the office of high priests further on in the revelation it is said it is according to the vision shovingshowing the order of the seventy that they should have seven presidents to preside over tthem chosen out of the number of the seveseyeseventy andana the seventh president off course from the last ordained of these presidents is to preside over the six and these seven presidents are to choose other seventy be- sides the first seventy to whom they belobeiobelong and are to preside over them andana also other seventy until seven times seventy if the labor of the vineyard of necessity requires it doctrine and Covencovenantsantso section 10793610793 6 this gives to them a general Presipreslprebipresidencydencydancy over all the quoinquorumss of the seventy which are church quorums and not quorums of wards or stakes president joseph smith the prophet when some were being sent to ordain seventy said brethren you are going to ordain seventies do not forget to confer the highh priesthood upon them ordain each of them to the high priesthood and to be one of the seventy apostles ie observe ordain them to the kishelghhigheget priest hood and to the apostleship discourse of brigbrigham yoloungroungyoung may 255 1877 deseret news weekly june 6 1877 p 274274. in the prophet josephjosephs history under date of december 28 1835 he says this day the council of the seventy met to render an account of their travels an6ananaang ministry since thethey were ordain- ed to that 6mtleshipapostleship the meeting waa interesting indeed and nymy heart was made ggladgiad while listening to the relation of those that hadbadhedbed been laboring in the vineyard of the lordolord with such mar- velous success history of the church period I1 vol 2 p 36346 theremerewevemeve are other passages to the same effectaffect but being at the hospital I1 canncannott now lay my hands on them but here it is clear that the seventy were ordained to the apostlesapostleship and of course with all that that phrase meanmeansmeens during the dedicatory services in the kirtkirtlandkirtl&nd templedempledempiedemples march 27 1836 wherein the various officers of the church were sustain- ed the seventy were sustained as apostles and special witnesses to the nations to assist the twelve etc I1 quote the passage precisely 1 I joseph smith then called upon the quorums and congre- bekgatgationion of saintsints to acknowledge the twelve apostles who were pres- ent as Propprophetsbetso seerboseers revelatorsbevelatorsrevelatory and special witnesses to all mp the nations of the earthP holding the keys of the kingdokingdom to un- lock it or cause it to be done aamongng them and uphold them by their prayprayerserboerso which they assented to by rising 1 I next Ccalleded upon the quorums and cocongregationsegationsnegations of saints to acknowledge the presidents of seventies who act asan their rep- resentatives as apostles and special witnesses to the nationnallonnationssp to 102 assist the twelve in opening the gospel kingdom among all people and to uphold them by their prayerprayerssj which they did by rising history of the church period I1 vol 2 p 2178217 8 and of course from all the descriptions in the doctrine and covenants their calling is an apostolic one in nymy recent research and study of the manuscript history of brighamBrighainhajn yoyoung I1 incidentally came upon what I1 am going now tcto quote to you under date of december 14 1845 president yoyoung and others of the twelve with their wives spent that sunday in the nauvoo temple meeting in the attic story of the temple and now quoting president briBrigbrighajnhajuhajn yoyoung 1I stated that the seventy were ordained apostles i e according to the instructions given by the proprophett joseph respect ing their ordination above and when they went forth into the ministry they are sent with louerlowerpower to build up the kingdom in all the world and consequently they have power to ordain high priests and also to ordain andanoam orgorganizeze a high council some of the high priests have been ready to quarrel on the subject supposing they had power and authority above the seventy and some in their zeal for power have abused and trantranpledtrampledpled on the feelings of some of the seventy if president young is to be regarded as an ekpoexpoexpounderer of the priesthood it would seem to me that this circumstance in the temple and bearing directly upon the point of the authority of the presidents of seventies should go a far way towards estab- lishing the suggestion that I1 made to you that it would not be necessary to ordain presidents of seventies high priests in order to function in all things that would become necessary in building up the kikingdom in allailali the world first among the Geatilesgentiles and then among the jews I1 trust you uluwill not think me over persistent in the matter but I1 did think that since this information had come into my hands and also is in strict harmony with the interpretation I1 gave with the seventies holding an 1apostolicastomstolicilc callicallincallingjcallingsgj it would authorize the first council to do whatever the apostles do when necessnecessaryaryserys and when appointed to do it should be made known to you and your councounselorselors and to the present quorum of the twelve and in this spirit I1 submit it to your consideration very yours truly vours 10 signed B H roberts apparently president robertsroberta case was not accepted theile pres- idents of seventy have yet to be given permission to ordain high priests and so forth it seems that the ffinalrinal authority in the church is not

10 letter from B H roberts to heber J grant april 27 1931 copy on file at the church historianhistorians officesofficepofficeorfice salt lakee city ititalicsc8ca are president robeRoberttsbertterobertts 103 precedent or even past scripture but present revelation to the pres- ident of the church B H roberts died in 19331033 but hirhishic views did not in 194119 five high priests were called to be assistants to the twelve apostles elder john A widtsoe explained the move in the imuroim2roimprove ment era the general supervision of the church as a whole stakes wards and priesthood quorums is delegated by divine revelation to the first presidency the council of the twelve the first council of seventy and the presiding bishopric they form the general authorities of the church these quorums may call freely to their aidaaidpaidald as need arises men and women from the membership of the church this has already been done for many years as in the general auxiliary boards the expanding church has made it difficult if not impossible for the council of the twelve to perform to their fuufullfuli satisfaction the many duties placed upon them Thereforthereforeep at the late general conference five men high priests were ccalleded to act as assistants to the twelve this action shows the adaptability of the church to changing increasing conditions without violating in the least the divinely established order and organization of the church 11 the function of the assistants was further explained in the improvement era article in 1956 all of the assistants to the twelve apostles are high priests if an elder or a seventy should be selected to be an assistant to the apostles he would be ordained to the office of a high priest the assistants to the twelve apostles do not constitute a quorum in the priesthood each of them belongs to the respective high priests quorum of the stake in which he lives since the assistants to the apostles do not constitute a quorumheyquorquotumquorumumheythey do not hold special meetings as a body of the priesthood the article stated that the number of assistants could be either

ilsohniljohnjohn A widtsoeWidtsoe assistants to the twelve improvement era XLIV may 19410igi191 288 12melchizedpmelcblzedek iesthoodpriesthoodr iestlesthood assistants to the twelve apostles improvementarovement erarmaemaarajeraj LIX october 1956 752 104 increased or decreased at present there are eight since they are spoken of aras an auxiliary to the priesthood they may or may not be a temporary institution there will never be a need for inoremoreraore seventies among the general authorities until they are permitted to function as apostles if and when that day comes villwill they be asked a few at a time or in a large group as the first quorum A majority of thirty six is required to form a quorum in the stakes if perhaps they are to be added as a quorum it can be readily seen that that many additional general authorities were not needed two decades ago such a movee would awaltawait a much larger church PART IV comcujsiqncoirciaysion CHAPTER VIII

comtributiobscontributionspCONTRIBUTIONSp POLICIES ANDAMD PROBLEMPROBLEMS

contributions and accomplishmentsA seventiesSeventiecbleb were by far the majority of the foreign missionaries of the church for hairhalf a century the extentwctent of their participation is indicated in tabietabletebieeabie I1 on the following page these figures were co- mpiled by the writer from the missionary record books see chapter IV footnote 60 column three gives the percentage of the missionaries sent out in a particular year who were seventies not the percentagepercenpereenlseUgegge of the seventies who were on missions we havebavebeve also noted that seventies were about asixtyy per cent of the stake missionaries from 193742 the extextent to which they have par- ticipated since that time Is undetermined but many awtinuecontinue active in it the seventies were responsible for removing a large body of saints from kirtkirtland ohio to missouri in the kirtland campcampe those present at the meetings at which the camp was piplanned expressed their belief that they were inspired of god the first council of seventy as the third quorum of the general authorities of the church the dasthighestda st quorum present seem to have taken the lead at that time of crisis thechenhe seventies built a large meeting house in nauvoo

105 106106log

TABUTABLE I1

fropcrtionPROPORTIOH OF sevznr81fventifs 8 sfltsalt ON YMBIGNyobePCBEyoreignIGH MISSIOMISSIONSr5ra APAMCKDMMprcoclmatelr lmhbaceLCHBACH PIFTI1 H izarYMrzarYXAR FROM 18601949186019491860 1949

seventieselezievezi e9ea binerserbers percentage high and year seventies of totaltokaltokaitowai elders priests unknown total 1860 64 70 6 19 3 92

1866 18 60 6 5 1 30

1869 154 63 21 56 14 24524

1875 173 76 5 34 16 228

1880 91 ks42 90 32 6 219

1885188 174 71 16 48 6 244 1890 230 alql81 11 24 16 281 1895 493 92 8 26 9 536

1900 732 92 5 45 11 793

1905 198 27ST 472 25 25 730

1910 169 19 614 47 45 875

1915 105 17 346 33 130 611

1920 103 12 531 32 209 875

1925 112 9 867 190 153 12222

1930 68 8 583 33 174 858

1935 87 11 669 41 169 766

1940 325 ST 584 27 257 1193 1945 38 9 38 108 219 403

1949 166 17 1629 84 483 2362 it was one of the prominent buildbuildingss of the city and was used bylavlay the general authorities and other brogrogroupsupes asan veilveliwell asan the seventies in lablahutahulahubah 107 the seventies laidd extensive plans for the erection of a seventies hallemilemli1 of science they verewere never carried out but a worthy contribution was made in the diverting of funds for that purpose to the building of the salt lekelakee temple it is worthy of note that seventies were prominent in the mormon batbakbekbattalionionlon and were a majority among the pioneers of 1847 who first entered salt lakelekeimkelmke veileyvalleyvaneyveney the leaders of the seventies have been constant from the be- giginningng in fostering educatioeducationeducational activities the object being to pre- pare seventies for missionary vorkworkvorkeworkeworko lectures were given schools were held and study classes were insisted upon we noted that a library and institutetitutetitule association was formed and an attempt was mademedee to gather good books and records for the benefit of their education the seventies pioneered the imifoiminouniform study course modemmovemmovement in 1907 since then uniformform courses of study have been used by allmilmii priesth- ood quorums and auxiliaries the seventies have carried out over the years numerous projectprojectssp as quorums and in conjunction with other priesthood groups these pro- jects have contributed to the needy financed missionaries helped to- ward erection of homes and church buildbuildingsa and helped strengthen spir- ititualityty and ties of brotherhood among11 hytla07111 themselves and membersr9ra of the church generally policies Missionmissionary7 policy in the era of joseph smithth it appears that there were about as many riderselders sent on missions as there were seve- nties and a good marqmany high priests were sent alsoaiso0 in other words there 108 is no evidence that joseph smith made it a policy to nakemakee the seventies the missionary force of the church although the revelations given to him on priesthood seem to designate the seventies for that service it was brigbrigham young who established that policy he greatly expanded the Svseventiesenties andend made them the bulk of the missionary force for about fifty years it is thought that president yoyoung believed the things he did to be what joseph smith would have done if he had lived longer in 1901 the policy cchangeded and ssincee that time the elders have made up the bulk of the missionary force in 1915 an effort was spoken of to send out more seventies again but nothing came of it again in 1935 another such movement began there was some increase as tabletabietebiemable I1 shows but world war II11 interruptinterruptededp and seventies have continued to represent less than ten per cent of the foreforeign missionaries ssincebincee thenn after the change seventies were urged more and more to perform missionary labors at bhomee and when stake missionary work was orgorganizedzed on a church wide basis in 1936 the seventies were given charge seve- nties verewere to be preferred as stake mission presidents and the first council was given charge of directing the entire work through the stake presidenciespresidencies Ssincee that time allelieil missionary work hashaahab become centered in the office of the president of the church with a general missionary committee actacting in an advisory capacity three of the first seven pres- idents of seventy are oaon that committee numbers policy sometime before the turn of the century the seventies were the largest of the three groups in the melchizedek priesth- ood they continued to increase afterwards but not at the same rate 109log as the other two groups in 1927 it was felt by the brethren that the numbers of the seventies should be reduced and they were cut back roughly twenty per cent by 1930 since then they have increased slow- ly in the last forty five years the seventies have not quite doubled while the high priests have increased by more tthan four times and the elders more tthan five times stake control in the days of joseph smith there were only a few stakes in the church and the lines between stake authority and general authority were not too clearly drawn As a general church quorum the seventiesseventies99 placece was between the two andana they seemed to get along harmoniously with both in the era of brigbrigham yoyoung p the job of the seventies was to prepare for missions and go on missionmissionssp and the stakes had little to do with it lists of prospective missionaries were for- warded by presidents of seventies fuoriquoriquorums to the first council who in- vestivestigatedgated the men andend turned their names over to the quorum of the twelve while seventies were homechomephomehoma they were taught that they were to be subject to their bishops as ward members it appearappearssp then that they were general church officers in regard to missionary work alone in other arawareasarees they were under their bishops and stake presidents this factor of a divided leadership authority gave rise to considerable mis- imdarsimdersunderstandingng among the seventies most of them failed to see that they were to be obedient to their ward and stake officers in allaliail but the area of their special callinging we have noteded the conflictsco ictsacts andend attitude of exclusiveexclusivenessnesB which developed after the death of brigham young church leaders sought to find a solution to the problem but instead of educating seventies on their duties to vardward andann stake authority they soughtbought to solve the problem by 110

turning more control over to stakes and wards andnnd to integrate the seventies therein presidents of seventies first had to have their bishops endorse the names of those seventies sent in as prospective missionaries then the calling of seventies for missions vabwabvasvaawas turned over to the bishops entirely in timelaimeltime stake melchizedek priesthood comcorncormcomm miteelmitees were instituted these included seventies who acted in conjuncconjunctconjune tion with high councilmencouncilraenmaen to direct the local activities of the seve- nties there is said to be joint jurisdiction over the seventies by the first council and stake Presidenpresidenciescies via these committees but 8sincebincee the majority of seventies activities are local and since the missionary function has largely been removed from the seventies and their leaiealeadersdersaderso there appears only a slight amount of jurisdiction from the first council seventies as apostles to assist the twelve in the early period of church history when the twelve apostles went out persopersonally1yay to open missions and proselyte for the church they understood they were to callcailcali upon the seventies for assistance and they did so on a number of occasionsoccasional as the writer hashesheb noted in chapter liiIII111 and of coursedcoursepcourse brigham yoyoung relied upon the seventies much more than any other group we to carry on the missionary work which the twelve hadhed bebegun 0 noted that not too long ago francis M lyman quoted the scripture which states tthatthet the twelve were to ccallcalicail upon the seventies for assistance instead of any others and he applied this to the first council of seventy pointing out that they did follow the twelve to the stake conferences addand assist them Hohowevervever in 1941 five high priests were called to be assistants to the twelve it was felt that high priests were needed to assist in ill organizing stakes and other such activities since they could ordain stake presidents and bishops and high priests the first seven pres- idents of seventy as a matter of policy were not allowed to do this

problemproblems problem of the seventies express calling the seventies calling is implicitly given in scripture asam missionary work abroad to the nations etc many of the church leaders havebavebayehaye reiterated this it vaswas expressed after the achangee in policy that the reason for the change was the inability of seseventiesieslesleb to go on foreign missions because of family business and financial responsibilities this would be a per- fectly sound reason except for one thing how was it done before the seventies before 1901 surely had the same feelings and responsibilities as those after and they were faced with buildbuilding up a wilderness as velwelveilveliyell were they forced to go on missions did their familiesiliesalies all suffer privations and hardship when they ventwent it is a strange paradox that they hadbad so much less and did so much more missionary work tthan the sev- enties of today

while seventies are designated mministerssters of the gospel to the nations elderseidersersorsore are designated as standing ministerssters to minister at home today the elders are going to the nations while the seventies have been left standing w it appears to be a reversal of ccallingsnbsngs no one hashes ever undertaken to give any reason as to why this ought to be the case it hashabheb never been thought that all seventies should be doingdo missionary work all of the time in the year 1900 732 seventies ventwent on foreign missionmissions p endand they were 3292 of all of the missionaries sent 112 out that year there verewere about 8000 seventies in the church at that time if we assume that another 800 seventies were already in the field we have less than 20 per cent of the seventies carrying out 90 per cent of the missionary work of the church on that basis if the seventies were ever again expected to be the missionary force of the church their numbers would have to be expanded at a rate proportionate to the rate of expansion of the missionary program but the seventies have not been allowedowed to expand because of certain problems involved what has led the authorities to feel that there can be too many seventies but not too many high priests or elders the next three problems listed may havebave bomeisomesome connection problem of being a church it is said that Seventiesseventiestseventies11 quorums are not a part of stake organization in earlier days this con- dition led to an aloofness and conflicts between groups of seventies and their wards the authorities at the turn of the century may have felt it unwise to allow a group thus unwieldy to remain so large however at present the seventies quorums have become so thoroughly integrated with the stakes and wards that only in theory are they not a part of them quorums obienoblenBproblem of weakening elders e there has been a dilemma with the missionary calling of seventies and the effect on the elders quorums of making missionaries seventies church leaders have felt it unwise that the strestrength of returned missionaries should all go to the seventies one wouldwo think however that it could be a little more evenly distributed between the two tthenthan is the case it would be a simple solution if men could be made seventies first and then elders but joseph smith indicated that seventies were to be experienced eiderseldersers nor can 113 seventies be placed back in the elders ququorumsorums since they are ordainordainededseda not set apart to that office problem of a purpose for seventies A lack of purpose has arisen since the change in missionary policy seventies areammre no longer a missionary force and reserve they appear to be a kind of senior riderseiderselders quorum they have no function that elders cannot perform in the opin- ion of the writer this is the most serious problem of all if the sev- enties have no special function why does the office exist problem of extent of authority of the presiding seventies according to the scriptures a seventy acting under the direction of an apostle is an apostleostleostie and thus should have as much or more authority than a high priestpylest but the presiding seventies referring to the first council at present and to the first quorum if ever organized in the future have natnotnok been allowed to ordain stake presidents bishops and high priests nor perform temple marriages it has always been assured that they could do so if it verewere necessary but for some strange reason it has never been found necessary this in the face of the fact that it was necessary to call in high priests there seems to be a need to clarify whether the scripture is still in force which says that it Is the duty of the twelve to ccallcail upon the seventies instead of any others to assist them in administering the gospel doctrine and covenants lots1078107138

conclusion the writer feels that there is a need to clarify the purposepuapuu pobepose of seventies the seventies arestillarestilearareaze skillestill spoken of as the missionaries of the church but in fact they are not there is further need to educate 114 the church on all levels as to what that purpose is ward and stake officers seem to have ignored requests by the general authorities to use more seventies in missionary work ward and stake officers are respons- ible for the fact that seventiesseventies1I1 quonrnsquorums have remained filled with men who are not able to go on missions when asked the seventies themselves have been more reluctant in recent times to accept mission calls than their brethren in earlier times it appears to the writer that seventies have lost the spirit of their calling to a large degree and that this attitude among seventies and ward and stake leaders has been uninunintention-entionantion ally fostered by policies after the turn of the century possibilities

the writer sees three possibilities for the seventies 1 1 they may continue to be a special office without a special purpose this would likely tend to lessen the spirit of their calling still further 2 they could be expanded in number and again be made the missionary force of the church and 3 they cocould be greatly reduced or even cut back to one quorum the scripture states that additioadditionadditional quorums were to be chosen as needed with regard to the presiding seventies the church seems to be faced with two possibilities in the future as it expands either they must call more high priests to assist or they must recognize the authority of seventies as apostles and call more of them presumably by filling up the first quorum there is a final possibility regarding the seventies it is the possibility that the seventies are being developed for future purposes we have noted that orson pratt felt that way mazymanymamy years ago B H roberts 115

and others have coimentedcommented in the past that there are distinct advantages in the organization of a seventies I1 quorum for missionary work by whole ququorumsorums it can be divided into ten groups of pairs with a president over each group joseph smith said in the beginning that seventies were to constitute traveling ququorumsorums need- less to say whole buomquomquorumsno of seventies have never yet been sent to any mission field these things would seem to imply that there may be some great missionary service which the seventies are to fulfill in the future thus saith the lord untounzoto allaliail my hoeolaholyly sestaestMestmesthoodpiriesthcodhood let not your hearts be troubled neither be ye concerned about the management and organization of my church and priesthood I1 uliivillwill reveal to you from time to time through the cchannelschennelselseis that I1 have appointed everything that sshall be necessary for the future development and perfection of my church APPEMIXAPPENDIX I1 CRIGINALORIGINAL FIRST wornWORMquarumQUORUM

presidents hazenbazenhaxen aldrich joseph yoyoung levlevileyleyl W hancock leonard rich zebedee coltrin lymlyman shennanshennenshermanshermen sylvester smith

members

ellaseliaseilas hutchutchingsS hambamhanyrany brown cyrus SosmaSMSallingshallingsoallingI1 ling Jezeniahjereniahjezeniahjezenlah B smithth levileyl gifford lorenzo booth stephen winchester alexander badbafllam royal barney zerubbabelZerubbabel snow libbeus T coons hiram stratton willard snow leesasesmeesmoses martin jesse D harmon lyman smith heman T hyde hirahhiramhiyah winters lorenzo D barnes herpinharpin riggs hiram blackman edson barney william D pratt joseph B noble zera S cole hehenryhenvy benner jesse huntsman david bvansevanevans solomon angel nathannethanhanban B baldwindwin roger orton burr riggs peter bucbuchannonon levislewis robbins john D barkerberkerperkerparker alexander whitesides david elliotlot george W brooks samuel brown michael griffith salmon wemerwamer harvey stanley jacob chapman almonaimonon W babbitt charles lileyulleykelleykeiley william F cahoon edmund fisher darvindarwin richardson warren parrishplopaopau rish kilomilo andrusand rusrun joseph hancockcock true glidden aldin burdick hembembemyhemyhenryY shibley henry harribarriHarrlharrlmanharrimanharramanman harrlsonharrison burgess nelson higgins jedediahJededlah M grant wiwllklnsns J salisbury daniel stephens israel barlow amasaamaseamazeamaza M lyman george A smith

116 APFMVAPPENDIXIX II11 ORIGINORIGINALa SECOND QUORUM elijah forfordhampordham william tenney hylruhyrum daytonwdaytonwrayton jbdnxuzid marvin joel Hhe johnston marvel C davis danielel wood almonaimonon sherman reuben mcbride isaac H bishop jonathan holmes elijah reed lorenzo BD yoyoung rufus fisher wilford woodruff dexter stistillman jonathan crosby thomas gates truman 0 angel uriah B povell chauncey G webb amasaamaga bonney solon foster ebenezer page loren babbitt nethanhathannebhanhanban tannerr levilovileyl woodruff john gould william carpenter stephen starks francis G bishop samuele1ea phelps Williawilliamjn gould joel mcwithy sherman A gilbert seselah J griffin william redfield shadrechshadrachach roundy john herritt jonatjonathan hampton king follett william perry joseph rose milton holmes robert culbertson jelejemsjamejames daley joseph young arvin A avery jamesjarmesjammes foster charles thompson salmon gee joshua grant nalnatthanielbathanielbarthanielBa e1ea millikin andreuandrevandrew J squires gad yale levleylevileyl S nickerson josiah butterfield edmund durphy jr eliaseilaseiles benner henry wilcox ariel stevens edmund XM webb robert rathbumrathburn wililllanwilllanam miller giles cook stephen post john E page williaawilliam bosley

117 APPMMIXAPPENDIX iliIII111 blubloBIUGRAPHICALbiographical SKETCHES OF THE FFIRSTMT COUNCIL afOF SSEVENTY

HAZMHAZEN ALDRICH joined the church shortly after it was organized and was ordained a high priest he was one of the first seven presi-si dents of seventies from 1835 to 1837 being a high priest he was one of those releareleasedsedzed on april 6 1837 when it was determined that a high priest could not be one of the presidents of seventies A year later he was amoneamong those who rebelled against the church addand apostatized and became one of the leading ccharactersackersacters in the brewster movement he pu- blished a paper at kirtland called the olive branch ten years after his apostasyapostacyapostacy and later vent to where it is thought he died josenJOSEMJOSEPH YOUBGYOUNG vabvesvasvaawaswaa born in hopkintonhopkinsonHopkinton middlesex county mass april 1797 he was active in the methodist church when his brother brigham young brought the gospel to him and he was baptized in 1832 in the sumnersummer of that year he filled a mlmissionsionslon to baptizing 40 persons during the six weeks he was there he was a member of zions camp and filled other missions in the during the haunsto milimill massacre he was miraculously saved and later went to winter qua- rters in 1850 he crossed the pplains with his familyilyllyliy by ox team twenty years later he filled a mission in great britain As to vocation joseph young engaged in farming painting and glazingZ during the nauvoo period the writer found no mention of his vocational pursuits in utah his policies were aimed at making the sereseveseventieslesiesleb effective preachers of the gospel it was his dream that the seventies become the scholars of the church he died july 16 1881 at salt lake city having served in the first councouncilil forty six years LEVI WARD HANCOCK was the other one of the two origioriginal pres- idents who retained that position afteratterotter 1837 he held that position for 47 years being a patriarch as well as one of the presidents at the time of his death in washington washington county utah in 1882 he was bomborn april 77.aj7j 1803 in old springfield mass andanclano vaswas living as a bachelor in ohio when a group of elders passed throthrough 0 he followed them to kirtland and was baptized he was alsoaiso0 a member of zions camp and folfoifollowingloving his callcalicail to the seventies fulfilled missions in the united states marched with the mormon battalion to california eddena returnedarnedurned to salt lake in 1847 he was a pioneer settler in nantimantimti sweeteswpetesanpete county endand was a member of the utah legislature three timesati

this matermetermeuermaterial was gathered from the folyolyoifollowingloving sources hazen aldrichaidrich throthrough joseph mcmurrin from andrevandrew Jenbensonsjensonjensonssons lattermlatteralekLatlatterletterMday selntsaintint bibiographicalgweenical alqxslopediwjbhcyclopedia the improvimproveimprovementointownt era aaniandendnd ssome itemitems from the journal history 118 119

LEONARD RICH was ccalleded in question by the high council at kirtkirbkirtland in february 1834 for violatviolating the word of wisdom and sell- ing the revelations at an extraordinary price he confessed andend vasvesvaawas forgiven he was made ononeonn of the first seven presidents of seventy on february 28 183518350 and released april 6 1837 on account of being a high priest he vabvaswas mentioned as one of the group of apostate riot- ers at firtlkirtlkirtlaofland who broke into the temple and tried to take possession of the church farm in 1845 ZEBEDEEZRBSDRK COLSRIBCOLTRIN vasveswaswes baptized soon after the ororganizationzationbation of the church he is mentioned as an elder as early as june 1831 he vabvasveswaswes subsequently ordained a high priest he is mentioned as one of those who spoke in tongues at kirtlanikirtlandKirtmirtlmirtiianilaniland on january 24 1834 it is re- ported that hebe bawsavbamsaw a vision of the savior in the in januaryandaryanuary 1836 he vaswwvmswms a member of the origioriginal first council and re- leased in 1837 because he vas a high priest he vasvaewaswae chosen as councounselorelor to almonaimonon W babbitt in the presidency of the kirtland stake may 22 1841 he came vestwest in 1847 and later settled in spanish fork for many years he vasveswasweswaz a patriarch he died july 21 1887 one of the oldest members of the church

LYMAN seermanSBERMANSHERMAN embraced the gospel at an early day endand vasveswaswes or- dained a high priest he vaswasweswao a member of zionszione camp andana was made one of the first seven presidents of seventy in 1835 in december of that year he approached joseph smithth askingaakingaaning for a reverevelationionlon in regard to his duty the answer is section 108 of the doctrine and covenants he vaswas released with the other high priests from the seventies owrqwrquorum in 1837 in october he vaswas chosen to the kirtkirtland high council SYLVESSYLVESTER SMITH vaswas one of the first eiderselders in the church he was ordained a sishhishsighhigh priest in 1831 and vaswas a member of the first high council at kirtkirtland he vabwabvaswas in zionts camp on that famusfagusfamous jour- ney he manifested a quarrelsome spiritspirito and rebelled on several occas- ions against josephjoaeph the rrophetprophet and the established order of the camp for which he was tried before the high council after his return to kirtl- 1and he confessed his faults and retained his standing in the church he vabwabvaswas ordained a seventy february 28 1835 and vaswas madee one of the presidents the following day on january 22 1836 he said he had a vision in the kirtkirbkirtland Ttempletempie1eae that vinterwinter hebe studied hebrew vithwith the prophet and others about december 1836 sylvester smith apostatized and left firtlkirtlkirtland taking the records of the seventies vithwith him for he had been acting as clerk of the seventies he was released from the first council april 6 1837 JOHN GOULD vesvaswaswes madee a presidentsidenb of seventy april 6 1837 when it was thought that levi hancock who was away on a inisidismissionsionslon vabwabwas a high priest when the mlmistaketaketeke was frimdfoundfoimd out he vaswaswes objected to in generalgenerel conference the prophet asked joseph yoyoung to approach brother gogouldgouid and signify the desire of the prophet to have him placed in the high priests quorum he ccompliedlied3 led and tbthe affair vabvaswas straightened out the lastt mention of john gould is his callcmil to perform missionary labor in illinoisnoisnols in 1844 120 JAMSJAMES FOSTER was one of those called to replace high priests on the first council in 1837 he was a leader in kirtland camp at a general conference in nauvoo in april 1811841 he answered charges made areageagaagainstinist him and retained hishiehib standing he settled away from the saints at Jjacksonvilleacksonville illinois and had no direct communication vithwith his brethren it vasveswaswes reported later at nauvoo that he had taken sick and died december 21 1841

DANIFLDANIEL S 141nilesMILES vaswasvmswms ordained a seventy april 6 1837 by hazen aldrichaidrichaidAldrichrioh and set apart as one of the first seven presidents of seventies on the same day As such he was one of the leaders of kirtkirtlandd camp he died in full faith in 1845 joseph yoyoung described him as a man of good faith constant in his attendance at meetings of the council until the time of his death which occurred at quite an advancedcoilstage of hie life j015JOSIAH butterfieldtetTRT is first mentioned in connection with a meetmeeting held at kirtkirtland march 68 1835 at which he was blessed by the prophet for having assisted in building the temple he vabwabwaswaa ordained and set apart as one of the first seven presidents of seventy on april 626 1837 he vasveswasweswms a leader in kirtland camp during that journey he was arrested along with others andana jailed on a charge connected with kirtl- and safety society monaymonqymoney they were released the next day joceph smithth wrote in march 1843 that he had kicked josiah butterfield out of the hohousebouseme after the latterletterietterter had insulted him in aarapraprilllii11.11 1844 he was chosen to preside at a conference to be heldheidhold at scarboro maine on may 676 7 joseph yoyoung said he was dropped from the first council after a permanent nishigmig understandingrasunderistanding arose between himhirahlmahimm and the prophet he was excommunicated october 7 1844 and died in california in aprilaprilo 1871 SALMON GSEGEEgre was one of those who cajoecame into the first council on april 6 1837 at a meeting of the seventies held at kirtland march 606 1838 the quorum withdrew their fellowship from brother gee for neglect of duty and other causes but he was never excommunicated from the church when almonaimon W babbitt reorganized the stake in kirtkirtlatri in 1841 elder gee vaswasvagwag chosen as a member of the high council at that place in 1844 behe moved to ambrosia iowa aadand died there september 13 185518550 as a faith- ful member of the high council at that place JOHN GAYLQRD was ordained a seventy december 20 1836 and was chosen to the first council april 6 1837 he was elcexcexcommunicatedcatedbated along with manymy others january 13 1838 for rising up in rebellion againstnat the higher church authorities he later rejoined the church and was eithvithwith the saintssainto in nauvoo where he received his endowments in the temple before the church left for the west HENRY HARRIMAN was a member of ziosazioszions camp and was ordained a seventy in 1835 he was chosen for the first council february 6 1838 andend served in it for over fifty three years he was a leader of kirtkirtland camp he crossed the plainsim in l88188 he went on a mission to great britain in 1857 age fifty two acting as president of the only company 121 of missionaries who ever crossed the plainplains vithwith handcartshandcarts about 1862 he was ccalledcelleded to the dixie mission where he remained about twetwenty five years he died may 17 1891 at huntington utah zaiazakaZZIAZERA pumiPUWIFULSIFEER served in the wars of his country in his youthyouths behe heard the gvgospelopel in bevsevnevsewnew york was baptized and ordained to the mi- nistry in january 1832 after which he traveled and preached extensively through the eastern states and canada he baptized allfordwllfordwilford woodruff he moved to kirtkirtland in 1835 was chosen to the first council march 616 1838 and was a leader in kirtrlrtland camp he came to utah in 1848 he later transcended the bounasbounds of the priesthood in the ordinance of seal- ing for which he was cited to appear before the first presidency of the church april 12 1862 it was there voted that he be baptizedrerebaptizerrebaptized re confirmed and ordained a sighelghhigh priest or go into the ranks of the seve- nties subsequently he was ordained a patriarch brother pulsipher died january 1 1872 at hebron utahmahubah he vabvaisvalsvaswaiswas the father of seventeen child- ren

AUERTALBERT 1P ROCKWOOD joined the church in 1837 vidandmid was ordain- ed a seventy in 1839 he vabvaswas a captain and drill officer in the nauvoo legion and later a general he acted as conimaoflerctagimanaer of joseph smiths life guardguarda and helped rescue him when he was kidnapped at dixon iiiliiTilli-11 nois in 1843 he was made a member of the first council december aj2j2 1845 during his years in utah hebe was warden of the territorial pen- tentitentiaryiary and the pioneer fish commissioner of the territory he was a member of the first legislature of utah and continuedincontinuedinin that body until his death at salt lake city november 26 1879 he died peacefully sur- rounded by his family and friends and previous to his death shook hands with and bade them allaliail good bye BENJAMIN Lr CIAPPCLAPP joined the church at an early day went on a mission to kentucky in 1838 and another to alabama in 1843 he was ordained and set apart as one of the presidents of the ath8th quorum of seventy on october 20 1844 and was called to the first council on december 2 1845 he lived for several years in salt lake city then moved to sphraimephraimSphraim utah where he had some difficulty with bishop warren S snow after investigation before the council of sevsavseventiesatiesnties he was dropped from his position in the council and finally excormexconsmmicatedunicatedtunicated from the church at the general conference held in salt lake city april 7 1859 he died in california about 1860 JEDIMIMJEDEDIAH MORGAN GRAMgrawGRANT joined the church in 1833 when he vaswasvamwam eighteen he was with zionszion camp and aabvabamwas ordained a seventy in 1835 heilellelie went on missions to new york in 1836 the southern states in 1837 and to virginia and north carolina in 1839 fromprom 1843451843 45 he presided over the saints in here was chosen for the first council of seventy in 1845 he was captain of the third hundrdundrhundred in crossing the plains and was a major general in the nauvoo legion he was the first mayor of salt lake city and as such completed a successful mis- sion to the east to put down false reports about tha mocormonsmormonsns by some runaway officials he was elected speaker of the househouberouse in the legis- lative abeaseassemblysembly in 1854 he was called to serve as second councounselorelor to 122 bribrigham young he was the father of reberbeberheber J grant seventh president of the church he died at salt lake city in december 1856 HORACE S EIEIDRIDGZRIDGI joined the church in 1836 farmed for a time in indiana and joined the saints in missouri in 18381338 he buried two children at winter quarters arriving in salt lakee valley in 184818148 he was soon appointed marshall of the territory assessor and collect- or of taxes and a bri-brigadiera ierler general of militia from 1852541852 54 he pre- sided over the st louisloulslodis missouri conference acting as general church and emigration agentagents and again in 18518713713557 he was called to the first council of seventy in 1854 he was prominent in the mercantile and banking business being one of the founders of ZCMI deseret nation- al bank andana plfirst national bank of ogden from 18626316626318621662 63 he vaisvaevacwaiswae church emigration agent at new york and in 1870 he was sent to preside averover the european mission he died in saltsait lakeelakeplake september 6 1888 JACOB GATES was a farmer carpenter and joiner in his early life he joined the church in 1833 and ventwent to missouri in 18441831834 he filled missions to illinois in 1836 from missouri to kirtklrtlandkertland ohionohioohioj in 1838 to indiana in 1841 to revnevrewnew englandlanaianaland states in 1843 and to england in 1891849 and 1859 behe was ordained a seventy in 1836 and pres- ident of the uth quorum in 1844 while on his mission to europe in 1851891859 he was notified that he was chosen to be a member of the first council of seventy he served four terms in the terrterritorialtorialcorial legislegislatureslature he died april 14 1892 at movomoyoprovorovo utah

JOHN ranraxIANVAN CCOTT joined the church in 1845184 at nauvoo he vaswasvmswms ordained a seventy in 1847 and in 1852 he was called to the Larlureureuropeaneuropeanopean mission uhenwhen he got to englandeng d he was sent to preside over the sescand- inavian mission he was called a second time for that purpose in 1859 As he returned in 1862 he was made a member of the first council of seventy he lived for a time in sanpete county while on a special mis- sion among the scandinavian saints there he died february 18 1883 at salt lake city WvilliamWILLIAMlamIAM W taylorTATLORTAYLCR was born at salt lake city in 105313531053. the son of john taylor and harriet whittaker he worked in the manufactur-an acturacour ing establishestablishmentnentment of folsom romney & taylor and learned the business as well as the carpentercarpenters trade he was called on a mission to great britain in 1875 and ordained a seventy for manyvw years he was clerk of the salt ikelake stake in 1880 he vasvazwaswacwaz called to the first council he devoted much effort and thought toward correcting the inconveniences which arosearose11 from the scattered condition of the quorumrququorumsorums and after the revelation of 1883 spent much of his tinetime organizing them in line with those instructions he seivelseived in the utah legislature in 18318031803. and was tax collector and assessor for salt lakelekee city in 18811881 the year of hishiahla death

ABRAFAMABRAHAM H CANNON webwabwaswaz born in 1851891859 the son of george Q cianncannona and elizabeth hoagland he learned the trade of carearcarpentcarpentaricarpentsrcarpentarpentarsr and architect in 1879 he was sent to europe on a mission he labored for a time in engenglandd and then vaswas trantransferredferredberred to the swiss german mission he returned 123

bamehamehome in 1882 and in october was ordained a seventy and ssetet apart as one of the first seven presidents he traveled extensively beorreorreorganiz-i z ing the seventies and setting the fuoriquoriquorums in order in 1886 hebe served a six month sentence for unlawful habitationcohabitationco he was called to the quorum of twelve 4portlesapostlesapoetles in 1889 he died at salt lakee city in 1896

SEYMOBEseymore BICKNELL YOUNG was lornbornyorn in 1337183713 373737. at kirtkirtland ohio the son of joseph youngyo and jane bicknell he was carried through a rain of bulletsb ets in his mothermothers arms during the haunhauns mill massacre he arrived in salt lakelekee with his parents in 1850 in 18541354 he wentwithwent vithwith a group to settle he was called on a mission to europe and ordained a seventy in 18571357 during the civil war he served in the battalion which guarded the milmiimailmaiimali and telegraph lines to the west coast he also took active part in the black hawk war of 1866 in 1870 he ac- ccompaniedcompaMsmiedumiednied his father on ananotherther mission to great britain he became a practicing physician and surgeon in 1874 after some thirteen years of study later he became the personal physician to brighbrigham young in a fornufona&lcornu1 l revelation on october 14 1882 he was chosen to fill a vacancy in the first council of seventy and became senior president in 1893 in his visits to the etstakess it is said that he cared for many who were sick and afflicted ususing his medical skill as well as the priesthood he ddied116ed at salt lakee city in 1924 CHRISTIAN DANIELDAN FJELSFJELSTED was born in denmark in 1829 he learned the trade of a moulder and began to help suppoztsupposuppostzt his mother at the age of ten he joined the church in 1352 andaledanelaryl lost his job for preaching to his fellow voriworlworkmenmen he vaswasvagwag very zealous in doing mission- ary work in his home area and held meetings in his home in 1856 he was appointed president of the conference and hundreds of people identified themselves with the church during his two years presidency he emigrated to utah in 1858 and was ordained a seventy in 1859 he filled bhisLs first mission to in 1867701867 70 in 1872 he was called to labor with the scscandinavianinavianunavian saints in northern lftahlatahufcah in ibril8fllalql he was sent to preside over the scandinavian mission returning in

1884 .9 18361886 was 9 he vaswas chosen to the first council of seventy in he chosen to again go to scandinavia serving two years as a traveling eiderelderkider andan two years as president of the mission in 1897 he was called on a special mission to and raised up a branch there mostly scandinavian and in 1901 he went on his fourth mission to his home- land he died in salt lake city in 1905 JOEjoeijoidjjoidyq MORGAN was born in indiansindiana in 1842 ielielleile served in the union arvaryamyarmy in the civil vataarvariarar participating in several of the most import- ant battles after the war he came to utah and became an instructor in the university later he established the morgan commercial college at seltsaltseit lakee he joined the church in 1867 in 18751375 he was ordained a seventy and sent on a mission to the southern statesstatas1 he went again as mission presidentpreoidentpreoident in 18731878 heH was made a member of the first council in 138418841984 he alsoaiso0 served as a member ofoloolb010 the utah legislature and held other positions of importance in the community itelie died in 1818.1894 at preston idaho 124

BRIGEMERIGHAM HENRYY ROBERTS was born in warrington Prnglanrnalandj march 13s13 j 1857j and cacame to utah in 1866 he worked as a farfarmlandfarmhandmhand andend in mining camps andanaena apprenticed to a blacksmith when he was seventeen he graduated frofrom the normal department of deseret university in 1878 for some years he taught school and worked at his trade and finally drifted into journalism he was for a time editor of the salt lakeleke herald in 1877 tebe was ordained a seventy he served his first mis- sion to the southern states from 1880821880 82 and his second from 1883861883 86 he vaswas transferred to the british mission in 161886 while under indict ment for unlawful habitationcohabitationco returning in 1888 he was called to the first coilcotycouncilil of seveseyeseventyy in 1889 hebe surrendered to authorities andendam served a four month sentence he took partpepartpertrt in the state constit- atioutioutional convention tthen enteredered politics andanaena was elected to the house of representatives he was denied his seat because of his connection with brother roberts was one of the most vovoluminousnous writers in the church he wrote many doctrinal and historical books as well as the six volume comcomprehensiveirehensiveprehensive historbistorhistory of the churechurchh from 192219222727 he pre- sided over the easterngesternsa tern states mlesMissmissionlonelonoiono during world war I1 he was chap- lainn of the 15th145th field artillery which went overseasover seas from utah in franceprance hundreds of the young men of the americanAnerican forces looked to him for spiritspiritual advice he was an opponent of woman suffrage endand opposed bishop orson F whitney in a public debate on the subject he alsoeibo0 seems to have been opposed to ccallinging high priests as assistants to the twelve apostles president roberts died at salt lakee city on september 272ttatt 1933 GEWGEGEORGE REYNSREYNOLDS was boabomborn in london in 1842 and joined the church in 1856 against hishib parents wishes he was veltyeltyeryvery active in mis- sionary and church activities there in 1865 he came to salt lake 0 and soon afterward became brightabrighaabrigban youngbyoungyoungs secretary he was elected to the board of regents of the university of deseret in 1866 in 1871 he was Ccalleded to buropeaeropeanrope to edit the when he returned the next yearyeav presidentsidentaident young made him treasurer then manager of the salt lake theater from 1875791875 79 he was a member of the touniyounimunicipalci coilcouncilil in 1874 hebe agreed to be a test case against the constitutionality of the antipoantianzianbi popolygangr lawsa the court upheld the laws and george reynolds went to prison from 1879811879 81 in 1890 he was chosen to the first council of seventy he was active in literary work seservingng at ttimess as associate editor on the deseret hewsnews and the juvenile instructordructortructortrucbructor he was also0 a director of ZCMI zionszione savingssavlnge bank deseret telegraph line andend other church businesses he died in 1909 JONATHAN GOIDENGOLDEN KIMBALL was born in salt lakelekee city in 1853 the son of reberheber C kirabalmirabalYA dballmball1 adaandana CbristeencarlsteenchrlsteencbristeenchristeenChrlsteenbeen golden he was sentbenkbeuk to the lead- ing schools of salt lakeleke city his father died in 118680 addand he became attached to the vocation of bauibaulhaulhauling the kiaballkinballKI 1 familiesliesiles moved to mead villeovvilleow utahsutah in 1875 and became established in the horse and cattle business in 1881 karl maeser calcamcamacame to the settlement and convinced jon- atathan and eiles that they should attend brbrigham young acadacademy after a year there Jonatjonetjonakjonethanjonathanbenbanhen vaswas sent on a mission to the southern states in 1886 he was ordained a seventy he was very active in MIA work in bear lake stake when he and his brother engaged in the implement busin 125 ess they vent heavily in debt and lost nearly everything they hedhad in 1891 he vaswas sent to preside over the southern states mission he vaswas made a member of the first council in 1892 As a member of the reiarelakelaMIA general boardboord for manymenyuw years he worked diligently with the young people of the church brother kimball was known for his rich sense of humor and ready wit and the saintsntsants always flocked out to bear him speak he was killed in an automobile accident in 1938

RUIAMRULON S WWELLS p the son of Ddanielel H wells and louiloullouisasas& free was bombotnborn at salt lakee city in 1351354 he studied commerce and science at deseret universityhersityversityveryersity adaandadd rolfolroifollowedloved the vocation of bookkeeper andangeng clerk he was employed for a time as engrossing clerk for the legislature he vaswaswes ordained a seventy andend sent to the swiss german mission in 1875 returning home in 1877 he was active as a hohomehomb missionary he was book- keeper for ZCMI andadd other campaniecompaniecompaniessj and then becbecame secretary treas mr for grant odell & co in his later life hebe becbeebecame very prominent in the insuranceuranceurence business in 1893 he was ccalledcelled to the first coucouncil11 of seventy and from 1896981896 98 he was sent to preside over the european mission he became a member of the MIA general board after his re- turn in 1926 he and rey L pratt accodaccomaccompaniedled melvinmclvin J ballardbe 32ardandend to to open that area for missionary work from 1904081904 08 he was a salt lakeleke city councicouncilman R sndand was state insurance ccommissionerssionersstoner from 1917211917 21 his dedeath vabwabwebvesvaswas in igi1911941 at salt lake city edvardZINARDEDWARD STSYSMSTEVENSONON was bomborn on the Isisland of in 18201820 and came to america in 1827 he joined the church in nichimichimichlmichigan in 1833 and later joined the saints in Wamissourisouri he vesveevanvenwas ordordainedmined a seventy in 1845 andend for many yelmyears was president of the 30th quorum he went on missions to the states in 18571837 andchodcuod 1869 he vasvaawasweswaa responsible for bring ing martin harris to utah in 1870 when not away on distant missions frfrom 1865 to 1877 alderaiderer stevstevensonnsonnaonnoon traveled as a specspeespecial home missionmissionary7 during which time he visited nearly allaliail the settlements of the saintsntsants in utah he went on missions to the states and canadacanedacanade in 1872 to the south- ern states in 1877 to cadacanada again in 16831883 endeind to buropeburcopeeurope in 1386 he was called to the first council of seventy in 1894 later he went on special missions to and the horthNorthnorthwesternvesternwestern statesszekes he died in 1897 it isin believed that he traveled and preached more on his own expense tthanthabthebhanhen any otterotherotmer eiderelderer in the church josepeJOSEPHJOSJEPH wllliamWILITAXWILLIAM NCMC KWINMURRIN vasvaaveawas born in tooelethoele utah in 18581358 he apprenticed to the stonstonestonecuttercuttercutters trade in his youth and worked for two years on the salt lakee temple when only seventeen he was called on a colonizing mission to arizona after returning he engaged in haul- ing freight in 1881 he received a contract to build a section of the oregon short line railroad and while dodoing that work was celledcalleded on a mission to great bribritainn in 1885 he was shot twice in the bowels by a trigger happy deputy during the antiantipolygamypolygamy crusade he miraculously survived after being promised by an apostle that he would live if he waventedwanteded to in 1886 he went on his second mission to great britain ac- companiedcompanied by his wife and two children he was ccalleded in 1896 to serve as councounselorsolor to rulon S wells over the european mission in 1897 he was sustained as a member of the first council of seventy and ordained in bogland&wlandlb he served on the miaXIAMIA general board in 1899 hebe accoaaccooaccom panted7 ababrahamd woodruff to wyoming addand selected a site for the settle 126

ment in the big horn country during the last3 t ten years of his life hebe presided over thebheCaliforniathecalifomiathecalifornia mission and died at los angeles in 1932 CHARLES H blotELOTHART vabvimvaswimwas born in bloomington idaho in 1866 he was a lawyer of noted ability having graduated frfrom the university of michimichigan in 1889 he practiced his profession until he became one of the general authorities in april 1906 amamong the official positions he held is county attorney at logan a memberaeaber of the last territorial council a member of the constitutional convention and judge of the first judicial district whi-whichch position he held for nine years As president of the cacanadianlaeianlan mission for three years elder hart traveled widely and was desirous of extending the Ccanadianianlanimn mission to the settle- ments as far north as hudson bay president hart died in salt lake circlrcifcilycity in 1934193 izaLEVI garedgarKDGAROAR lomromYOMYOUHG was born in salt lakee city on february 2 1874 a son of seymore B yoyoung and elizabethrabethzabeth bitter graduating fromsrom the in 1895 he taught school at salt lake city he earned his MA degree at harvard in 1899 andend joined the faculty of the university of utahubah as an assistassistant in the department of history he retired as cbairmanairmenchairmanchairmen of the department of history and political science in 1939 he went on a mission to germarqgermany in laloi10101 and a year later vesweswas appointed president of the swiss mission he was called to the first Counconncouncilnilnii of seventy in 1909 while he was studying at columbia university frofroefrom 192231922341922 343 he was president of the templetempie square mission and presid- ed over thebhe hevhewnevnew england mission from 1939421939 42 presidentsideirt rosyosyogyouneyoung has a deep appreciation and anderstunderstunderstanding of the great thought art and cul- ture of the ages but he hashaehee always stressed that man should place faith before wisdom KEYrey L fraitFRATT was bomborn in salt lake city in 1878 and was a grandson of barleybaeley P pratt he located early in juarez mexico with his parents and vaswaswes raised in that country he was president of the mexican mission fro 1907 until his death in 1931 he was made a member of the first coukcouncouncilil of seventy in 1925 ANTOMABTOINE RIDGWAY IVINS was born in 1881 at st george utah when he was about fifteen his ffamily1yay moved to the colonies in juarez mexico he graduated from juarez acadacademy studied jurisprudence at for three years and law at ann arbor for a time in mexico he was the official representative of the mexicanican col- onization and agricultural Ccompany behe moved back to utah when his father becaasbecamebecome an Apostapostlelo he earned a BA degree in inerringineeringengineering at the university of utah in 1920 he was kDpointedappointed to aid in the de- velopment of the new lund home for boys in cexxtervillecentervillep utah having charge of the agricultural division of the school in 1921 he was call- ed to manbmananamamanagemanegee the church sugar plantation at leleleiee hawaii he was chosen to the first council of seventy in 1931 andaw made president of the me- xican mission president ivins heshas been active in translation work and helped tratdatranslatewlate the temple ceremony into Sspanishsh 127

OSCAR A KIRKHAM was born in lehi utah in 18601880 he gradu- ated from bribrigham yoroungyoung university and studied music in germany from 1900031900 03 for tvotwo years he taught music at ricksrieksriekericke college rexburgredburgRexburg ida from 1906071906 07 he studied music at columbia university he was headhemd of the music department at LDS university from 1908131908 13 he was appoint- ed to the MIA general board in 1913 to work in the scouting program he became chief executive of the salt lekelakee coilcotycounciliai1 then in 1925 assoc- iate regional executive of region twelve he served as chief morale officer at world scout Jambojamboreesrees in knelandeglandengland in 1920 and 1929 hungaryehi ry in 1933 andana hoholland in 1937 he was chosen to the first coucouncounciln il of seventy in igi1911941 he died in 1981958 SEYMOUR DIWORMDILWORTH YOUNG vaswaswes born in 1897 at salt lakelekee city he wabwebvaswaswes active in sports and public spespeakingng in high schmischool during world war I1 he vabvasvesvanvenwas vithwith the lathl4th145th field artillery after the war he ventwentvenzwenz on a mission to the central statenjstatenyslateStatestatesnj andend became mission secretary in 1923 he vas appointed scout sxecutiveexecutive of the ogden area council and contin- ued in that position until he vabwabvaswas ccalledcelleded to the first coucouncilil of seventy in 1951945 in 1947197y he vasveswaswes sent to preside over the nevnew snglandangland mission MILTON R HUNTERHUXXXX vabvesvaswaswes boabomborn in holden utah in 19m1902 he attend- ed bribrigham yoyounsyoung university earning his B S in 1929 endand his MS in 1931 he entered the church seminary system in 1928 he studied at the university of california underer the famous historian herbert E bolton and received his phd in 1935 in 1936 he began teaching at the LDS institute of religion at lobanlogan he wabwebvesvaswas ordaordainedd a seventy in 1928 and ccalleded to the first council in 1951945 he isin an excellent carpenter he built his own home in logan president hunter hashesheb published nearlyn vly a score of church books and recently traveled in central endand south ame- rica gathering data on the efteexteexternal evidences of the book of mormon druceBRUCEHRUCE BR MC COMMcokelyCQNKIE vas born in 1915 at ann arbor michigan where his father vaswaswae studying lavlaw 0 he filled a mission to the lasternbastembaseemcastern states from 193419336193436193 36 he atstudieded lavlevlaw at the univeuniversitysity of utah receiving his irvlexlaxlavlam degree in 1939 in 190igoiglo1940 he became prosecuting attoattorney for salt lake city he served in the united states arvarmy durduring world war II11 and following his discharge turned to newspaper vorkwork hebe vaswas covcowcoveringring gen- eral conference ahenvhen he vasveswas notified of his call to the first council of seventy president mccomcconklemcconkiee is considered by manymeny to be one of the out- stendstandstandstanding doctrinal authorities in the church MARION DUFF hamaeamaHAMMHANKS vesvaswas born in salt lakelekee city in 1921 his father a municipalci judge died when he vabvaswas tvotwo he vasvesveevaewaswae a member of the salt lakee stakekeMIAstakemiasteSta M I1 A endand sunday school boards before he vesvaswas acalleded to the northern states mission in 1921942 he attended lavlevlawlew school at the un- iveriversitysity of utah after returning from his mission hebe served in the united states navy he vas on a church championship basketball team in 1971947 from 196531961946531946 53 he vesvaswas assistant director of the bureau of infor-or mation on he vesvaswaswes a seminary principrinclprincipal and institutetitule in- structorstructor ahenvhenwhen he webvaswaswes called to the first council of seventyY in 1953 presidentbident bankhankhenkshanks has continued very active in the interests of the youth of the church 128 sanuelSAKMsammSAMUEL S BESKIONBENNION was born in 1871874 at taylorsvilleTaylorsville utah his vocation was ranching and sheep ralsraisraibraising in 1904 he was sent on a mis- sion to the central states he becambecame mission president in 19061906 andemd stayed until 1934193 a total of over twenty nine years continuous mission- ary service he made it a policy to tour his mission four times a year he vasvesweswas sustaoustasustainedd as a member of the first council of seventy in 1933 and appointed general manager and vice president of the deseret nevasewsnews in 1934 he died in 194lgb1945 in salt lake city JOHN H taylantaylonTAYLCBTAYLOR was born in 187518750 a grandson of president john taylor he was ccalleded on a mission and ordaordainedd a seventy before he vabvalsvaswaiswasvaly twenty one years of age he became a dentist in salt lake in 1905 he vabvasveswabwebwas called to the nethernetherlandss mission in 1908 he bebebenbeganbegen service on the general board of the TMMIAYMMIA having charge of the athletic pro- grams when the scouting program wabwebvasweswas adopted by the church in 1913 he became church scout Comissionercomissionercobsnissionercommissioner from 1922281922 28 p he presided over the northern states mission following that he addand his wife were given chargechergee of the mission bomehomerome in saltsaitt lake in 1933 he vabwabvesvaswas sustained as a member of the first council he was sent to hevhewnevnew york to reassign missionaries after the outbreak of hostilities in 1939 he was made president of the temple square mission in 1941 he died ssuddenlyenlyeniy in 1946 while he vaswas addressaddressing a group of missionaries in the mission bornebarmeromebamme rufusRUTUS KX HARDY was born in salt lake city in 1878 his first mission to hevhewsevnevnew zezealand vasvesveavaawaswaa from 1897 to 1901 he was set apart as one of the presidents of the ath8th quorum of seventy in 1906 he was called new zejkl to fresidefiresidepreside over the zeelandzealand mission in 1907 endandabd again in 1933 in 1931934 he was ccalleded to the first council of seventy his death occurred in 1945 after a long illness fsresidentsidentaident hardy distdistinguishedshed himself as a seventy as a lover of and worker amanongamong boys as a missionary as a successful business executive as a sportsman as a farm operaoperatortorpkorp asan a fathetathertetherfatherfathersrj husband and friend RICHAPDRICHARD L EVANSKVAHB vasveswaswes born in 1906 at salt lake city his father died when he vasveswas ten weeks old andana he scarcely remembers going to school without working at some job at latter day saint university he vasveswebwaswes editor of the school paper he was champion debater in high school and won a scholarship to the university of utah in his sopho- morea year he was ccalled to the british mission and was soon appointed 19 associate editor of the millemillennialai&i star 0.0 under james 2 tatalmadgee he became a radio announcermeer at station KSL and later a director of that institution in 1930 he began writing producprodocproducing p and announcannounceannouncing the weekly broadcast for which he Is nationally known he becalbecambecame managinging editor of the improvement bra in 1936 he was orordained a seventy in august 1938 andend calledled to the first council in october at the age of thirty three he hashes a BA in englishlish and an MA in economics he is prominent in a nimbernumber of civic groupsups he was a member of the MIAMI A general board for eleven years his writings havebavebeve appeared in nationatlonationally known magazinesazinesabines and newspapers in 1953 hebe was ccalleded to the quorum of twelve apostles 12

ALBERT THEMMETHBQDQRE TUTTLE was born at manti utah on march 2 1919 he vaswas student body president in high school in 1939j hebe vas ordained a seventy and sent on a mission to the northern states behe was selected outstanding studentstietiettrientrienz in religion at brigham yoyoung university in 1931943 As a marine line officer in the pacific dwingduring world war II11 he witnessed the historic flag raising on ivoiwolwo jima he vabvaswas also group leader of the fifth marine division LDS servicemen after the war he taught seminary at menan ididaho brigham city kayavillekayovilleKayavilleoville and salt lake city utah he received his MA from in 1991949 he became director of the LDS institute of religion at reno nevada in 1953 he was appointed church supervisor of semseminariesieslesleb and institutestittitutesutesuzes his numenumerousrousirouss church positions incincludee president of a seventies quorum stake mission presidpresidenteritezit stake sunday schmischool superintendency stake miaNIAMIA dance director andend sunday school teacher he was set apart as a me- mber of the first council of seventy april 10 1958 the church educat- ioional system remainsreiarelareineinsains his chief interest bibliography campbellcampbelicajnpbell eugene authority conflicts in the mormon battalion USMS 1960 in possession of author bribrigham young university conference reports salt lake city deseret newspnewsynews 1897 vol I1 the contributor VIII may 1887 aul2ul241j 272 deseret hewssews XXVI june 6 1877 274 discourse of bribrigham young given at logan on may 25th history calling and function of the seventy saintssaintst heralherald clicilCIICIT novembervembernovemberKo 7 19551 101110 11 bartpartpeytpayt three in a series of eight improvimproveimprovementent braera salt lakelekee city published by thebhe MIAniaMI A general board 1897 vol I1 jenson andrew biographical encylencycencyclopediaia supplement to the historical record salt lake city andrew jenson history co 18861888 jenson andrew church general authorities first council of seventy MS 101251925 on file at the church historianhistorians officesofficepoffice salt laketakeleke city jenson andrew A history of the third quorum of seventy MS on file at the church historians officesofficeporficeoffice salt lake city jenson andrew ietteriatterletterlatterdaysatterdayLatterdaydarday saint graphicalbioblobiographicaldaphraphicalraphical encyclopediaenc clocioclopediapedia andrew jenson llistorhistoryllistorborkor co 190119361901 1936 volvoi liyllyIIV journal of discourses lmloslob angeles gartner printing and litho co 1956 vol II11 IVPIV VII IX n journal history MSIMS 1830 vol I1 on file at the church his- torianstorians office salt lakea city this is a day to day manuscript history of the church made up of journal entriesentriesp discoursediscoursesss magazine and newspaper articles minutes of meetings etc minium james F A history of the seventy journal of HistoELhistory heman C smith ed vol VI no 3 lamoni lovat published by the feorgreorgreorganizedzed church of jesus christ of letterlatter day selntSaintsaintssj july 1913 missionary record MSPMS 183019491830 1949 books A F microfilm on file at the church historianhistorians office salt lake city

130 131 personal interview vithwith president antoin-antoinea R ivins april 12 i960 personal interview with president levi dgaradgar14gar ycunjyoun IVnaymay 3 160igo1260 keportreportreport on meeting of the seventy december 25 33513351 sylvester smith clerk messenger and advocate II11 kirtland ohio january 1836v1836 25354253 54

robertsroberterobertesrobertas B II11 the seventysSevcavententyss course in theology first year book raitsaltsait lake city deseret news 1907 roskelly jourjournalss MS cache valley films reel 4 on file at the church historichistorians 3 office salt lake city the seventies asaz missionaries liahona the eldereiderelderseiders91 journalJournjournaljjournalsalsaisalj XIII august 17 1915 128 seventies mission bookstore provotprovo utah historical and financial re- port no title 1959 mimeographed seventies Ququorumsorums genealogical records IEMS parts IIII1111I III micro- film on file at the church historianhistorians office salt lakeimkelmke city smith joseph jr historyofhistory ofof the church of jesus christ of latter day saints and2nd ed rev introduction and notes by B H robertsrtearte salt lakee city utahmah deseret newsmevsmews 1948 v 171 7 two and two liahona the elders Jjournal VI may 29 1909 1203 widtsoeWidtsoe john A priesthood and church government rev ed salt lakee city deseret book co 1954 young joseph histoexhistory of the organization of the seventies salt lakee city utahutsetutaet deseret news stemstegskeemsteamsweem printing establisigeestablishmentnto 1878 yotoungyoung levi edgar Is josephisjoseph young the utah genealegenealoGengenealogicalealo ical and historical magazine V july 1914 1051051571051070lotelooe1070 tretryTHE ROLE AND FUNCTION OF THE SEVENTIESSE IN LDS CHURCH HISTORY

an abstract of a thesis presented to the department of history briebrigbrigham young university

in partial fulftfulstfulfillmententenz of the requirements for the degree master of arts

by

james N baurogartenBaurobaummmarten1 jogartenarten august 1960 ABSTRACT

joseph smithth organized a group calledcelled seventies in the marmonmormon church early in 1835 they are 0one of three prprimaryry groups in the higherI1iiaheruher or melchizedek priesthood they vere said to be elders vithwith a special calcallingling to preach the gospel among the nationslonsions of the earth their ccallingng was said to be apostolic because they verewere to assist the twelve apostles in preaching the gospel and admiadministeringstering church afaffairsre under their direction they vere a general church quorum andana not con- sidered a part of stake organiorganizationionlon the seventies verewere established in theirwheirir ccallinging as missionaries in the time of joseph smith and carried about their share or a little more of the missionary work in the proportion to the other priesthood groups under the auspices of brighambrigbam young they became for the most part the missionary force of the church this vabvaswabwas continued until after the turn of the century at that ttimezimebime the policy changeded and the elders bebegan to carry out most of the foreforeign missionary vork of the church seventies verewere asked to earrycarry on missionaryworkmissionary vorkwork in their home stakes and wards fundamefundamentallyklelay tvotwo reasons verewere given for the cchangee in policy first the seventies bebeing older men tthanbhan most elderserbaersa versverewere hindered from accepting mission calls because of feallyfamilyfamday and financial responsibilities second makingng most misisinmiscisinmissionariesiesles seventies had made their number too great in proportion to the other groups andazaana took too

1 2

much leadership away from eiderselders ququorumsorums Rohoweverveverwever these coconditionstionseions

existed for a long time before theuhe Cchange0 0 and the seventies were appar- ently able to fulfill their calicallcailcalling very well in earlier days the condition of bebeing a church quorum led to an attitude of exclusiveness among the seventies and tended to les- sen their effectiveness in performance of local duties and activities over the iestlastt fifty or sixty years increasing control averoverayeroyer the sevensevens ties hashesbeen given to the stakes until novnow the seventies quorums are for all practical purposes an integrated part of stake orgorganizationtationrawlon in the course of time the presidprebidpresiding seventies of the church known as the first council of seventy or first sebevensevenbeyen presidents of seventy came to be looked upon as the ones referred to by the scrip- tures as assistants to the twelve apostles upon whom the twelve were to call insteadtead of any others As the church has musbroomedmushroomed in growth during the lastt few dedecadeses more general authorities have been needed to handlehandiee the increased administrativestrativestrativezivekive load insteadtead of ccallingM more presiding seventies or filling up the first quorum high priests have been called since april 1941 the apparent reason for this was the policy that seventies did notA have authority to 0ordainordeinn high priests bishops and stake presidents as was necessary in organizing stakes etc the scriptures give thamthem such autmutauthorityautborityhoritybority but it heshas never been felt necessary that they should exercise it theshenhe writer feels there is a need to clarify the purpose of seventies to educate the church as to vhalwhatwhal that furfukpukpurposee is and to urge greater use of seventies in their ccallinginsing joseph smith said at the time the seventies were organized 3 that they verevarewereware to constitute traveling ququorumsorums other church leaders have commented that there would be distinct organizational advantages in sending seventiesseventies99 quorums on missienmissinnmissions as unitstsetso thisibisthib has not yet been done there is a possibility therefore that the sevSeyseventiesenties havebavehaye yet to rrealizeieeizelee the complete function which their missionary calicallcailcalling requirerequiresso

APPROVED

r I1 cr j A C f chairmanairmanairmen advisory committee