Office of the Seventy

[_Wisdom Seeker]

After the death of Joseph Smith, the majority of the Saints elected to follow the leadership of the Twelve Apostles and Brigham Young. At the very next General Conference in Nauvoo Brigham Young proclaimed that all worthy young elders under the age of thirty-five should be ordained to the office of the Seventy.

Joseph Smith had previously revealed the organization of the priesthood and explained that Seventies were "called to preach the gospel." President Young envisioned an army of young, energetic and committed young men emanating outward from Nauvoo carrying the word to the world. This plan would soon be abandoned as the troubles in the area forced an exodus from Nauvoo.

Questions:
Was Brigham Young speaking as a Prophet when he made this proclamation about every worthy young man under the age of thirty-five to be ordained to the office of the Seventy?
Why is Brigham Young’s proclamation as to who should hold this Priesthood office of the Seventy so much different than it is now?

[_NauvooSaint]

The D&C limits the number of quorums of Seventy to only 7 quorums w/70 in each. The Quorum of Presidents of Seventy consists of 7 presidents. Brigham Young greatly expanded the number of quorums to over 21. Young wasn't elected president of his church w/reorganization of a First Presidency until after his group had already gone west to Utah & a conference was held in Kanesville near Winter Quarters in Dec. 1847. This action was clearly not supported in the scriptures. One reason for Young's actions was perhaps a possible threat of leadership of the Quorum of Presidents of Seventy. There are two quorums mentioned in the D&C that are said to have equal power/authority with the First Presidency when unified in their decisions. ie: First Presidency (3), Quorum of Twelve (12), Quorum of Presidents of Seventy (7). It would appear 7 vs. 12 could have a greater chance of being united. It should be remembered that at least three apostles didn't go along with the actions of the others. I'm not sure at the time of Brigham being elevated in Kanesville, how many of the quorum of twelve were present when the decision was made prior to the conference. It seems there were some newly chosen apostles involved by that time.

[_Jason Bourne]

After the death of Joseph Smith, the majority of the Saints elected to follow the leadership of the Twelve Apostles and Brigham Young. At the very next General Conference in Nauvoo Brigham Young proclaimed that all worthy young elders under the age of thirty-five should be ordained to the office of the Seventy.

Joseph Smith had previously revealed the organization of the priesthood and explained that Seventies were "called to preach the gospel." President Young envisioned an army of young, energetic and committed young men emanating outward from Nauvoo carrying the word to the world. This plan would soon be abandoned as the troubles in the area forced an exodus from Nauvoo.

Questions:
Was Brigham Young speaking as a Prophet when he made this proclamation about every worthy young man under the age of thirty-five to be ordained to the office of the Seventy?
Why is Brigham Young’s proclamation as to who should hold this Priesthood office of the Seventy so much different than it is now?

Quinn argues that BY did this to bolster his claim that the Quorum of the 12 should run the church. Quinn posits that William Marks, President of the Nauvoo stake had more a claim to the presidency than the 12. The 12 had authority only where there was no organized stake. 70s were under the direction of the 12 since they were traveling missionaries. Elders were under the Nauvoo stake president and the Nauvoo stake was the lead stake in the Church. By moving Elder to 70s Marks lost the support of many men.

[_beefcalf]

Dunno if this helps, but when I was a kid, my father was in the local Seventies quorum.

From what I've tried to piece together, it looks like each local congregation had it's own Seventies Quorum, in addition to an Elders Quorum and a High-Priest Quorum.

In 1986, these local Quorums of the Seventy were made obsolete (?) and all Seventies were moved to the High-Priest quorum.

My fuzzy recollection was that, generally in terms of age, it was the youngest Melchizedek PH holders in Elders, the next oldest in the Seventies, and the very oldest in the High Priests. But this recollection is very fuzzy...

Anyone a bit older than me willing to shed some light on this?

[_moksha]

I forsee there being a problem in the future since those ordained to be High Priests are only supposed to be those whose calling demands it. Increased stratification will decrease the decreasing membership. The idea of a Seventies Quorum could serve as a stop gap measure to keep elder Elders from feeling left out.

[_Wisdom Seeker]

D&C 107:93 seven presidents to preside over the seventy.
There are seven presidents who preside from within the first quorum.

D&C 107:94 the seventh president is also the president over the six presidents.
Would that be Rasband?

D&C 107:95 these seven presidents belong to the first group of seventy individuals that constitute the first quorum of seventies.
So why are there only 64 in this first group?

D&C 107:95-96 these seven presidents are to choose other groups of seventy totaling seven groups of seventies.
Why are there eight? Does the first group not count?
Why is the second quorum of the seventy only with 20 members?
Why are these first two quorums designated as General Authorities, while all other groups of seventies considered Area Seventies?
Why are all these Seventies quorums not full of seventy actual members?

D&C 107:98 if a member does not belong to the Quorum of the Twelve or of is a part of the seven groups of seventy, they need not travel from their homes.

Doesn’t it seem as if these seven quorums of the Seventies were simply seven groups of missionaries to go out and preach? It just does not appear to be a logically built system, but then again the ways of God are often not easily understood.