Difference between revisions of "Presidency of the Seventy"

Latest revision as of 18:25, 17 January 2024

The Presidency of the Seventy is the third-highest ranking leadership body in the church after the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Historically, seven members of the First Quorum of the Seventy are called to serve as the Presidency of the Seventy. (Until 1975, the Presidency of the Seventy was called the First Council of the Seventy. See [1].) This precedent was broken, however, when Elder Robert C. Oaks of the Second Quorum of the Seventy was sustained to the presidency to fill the vacancy created by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf's call to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Since then, others have been called from the Second Quorum to serve in the presidency.

The Seventy work under the direct supervision of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (see Doctrine and Covenants 107:25–26, 34). In the late 1990s, the presidency began to join the weekly Tuesday meeting of the Quorum of the Twelve. Elder Marlin K. Jensen spoke of that time:

The first time they joined the meeting, Elder Jensen said he remembers filing into a conference room in the Church Administration Building. There, the Twelve sits in what he described as a horseshoe semicircle.

At that first meeting, the seven presidents all sat down and President Packer, who was in the Twelve, said to the late Elder L. Aldin Porter, who was the senior president of the Presidency of the Seventy at the time, “What do you have for us today?”

Elder Jensen said he has never forgotten Elder Porter’s response.

“President Packer,” he said, “you are the Twelve. We are the Seventy, what would you have us do?”

“It’s one of those little moments that will never get written down in church history,” Elder Jensen said, “but I don’t think I’ve ever felt more strongly the power of the priesthood and the power of the leadership of these two of the three leading quorums of the church as I did in that moment, but it does beautifully express that the seven presidents do essentially what the Twelve wants to do and has them do and asks them to do.”[2]

The Presidency of the Seventy preside over the Quorums of the Seventy, which includes the General Authority Seventies and the quorums of Area Seventies. The Presidency of the Seventy is unique in that not only are there seven members but all seven hold the keys of presidency. The man with the longest tenure of uninterrupted service is called to preside over the other six, as directed by revelation in Doctrine and Covenants 107:93–94.

The Presidency (as of the April 2021 General Conference) consists of:

• These four brethren were announced during the sustaining at April General Conference but with an effective date later in the year on August 1. General Authority Seventies typically are granted emeritus status at age 70 and released during the October general conference.

• Marcus B. Nash was appointed in January 2024, following the passing of President M. Russell Ballard and Elder Patrick Kearon's subsequent call to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Elder Nash will be sustained at April 2024 General Conference.

Sources

• Church Newsroom
• Deseret News, "What members of the Presidency of the Seventy do"