The Seventy

Seventy: An office to which men are ordained in the Melchizedek Priesthood. Today, the quorums of Seventy are General Authorities of the Church who are given the apostolic authority but are not ordained Apostles. They devote their full time to the ministry.

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Luke 10:1-24 is the scripture for this week.

In those verses the Lord counsels and instructs the seventy on their responsibilities. In verse 1 the Lord tells them that they would be sent places where He would go. The seventy do what Jesus Christ would do, they were also warned that the work would not be easy, they would go “as lamb among wolves (v. 3)” Their goal was to bring piece into people’s house, and they should eat with those that accepted their message. And for those that did not accept their message, the seventy were to warn them and called them unto repentance. The seventy were true messengers of Christ, “He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me (v. 16)”

In the Article of Faith 1:6 we read, “We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.”  The same way that seventy were called during Christ minister here on earth, they are also called today in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and they hold the same responsibilities.

There are other scriptures, modern ones, that also teach us about the seventy and their duty. Here are a few of them:

D&C 107: 25-26 25 The ^aSeventy are also called to ^bpreach the gospel, and to be especial witnesses unto the Gentiles and in all the world—thus differing from other officers in the church in the duties of their calling.

 26 And they form a quorum, equal in ^aauthority to that of the Twelve special witnesses or Apostles just named.

D&C 107:34 

 34 The ^aSeventy are to act in the name of the Lord, under the direction of the ^bTwelve or the traveling high council, in building up the church and regulating all the affairs of the same in all nations, first unto the Gentiles and then to the Jews—

D&C 124:138-139
 138 And again, I give unto you Joseph Young, Josiah Butterfield, Daniel Miles, Henry Herriman, Zera Pulsipher, Levi Hancock, James Foster, to preside over the quorum of ^aseventies;

 139 Which quorum is instituted for ^atraveling elders to bear record of my name in all the world, wherever the traveling high council, mine apostles, shall send them to prepare a way before my face.