Seventies
- Joseph Smith, compiled by Joseph Fielding Smith, "Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith", p. 67
"The Seventies are to constitute traveling quorums, to go into all the earth, whithersoever the Twelve Apostles shall call them."
- Joseph Smith, compiled by Joseph Fielding Smith, "Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith", p. 73-74
Seven presidents of the first Seventy have authority, if need be, to call other Seventies.
The Seventy do not attend conferences of the Twelve unless requested to do so.
Since the Twelve and the Seventy are called to be traveling ministers, they have to depend upon their ministry for support and have a unique right to call upon the churches for their support, and the support of their families.
Presidents of the Seventy serve at the call of the Twelve.
The members of the Seventy serve at the call of the Presidents of the Seventy.
- Joseph Smith, compiled by Joseph Fielding Smith, "Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith", pp. 109-111
The seventies are not called to wait tables (meaning, to deal with temporal affairs, in allusion to the Biblical pronouncement). They are called to preach the Gospel, and should call other men (High Priests) to take care of the administration of the Kingdom.
The seventies are at liberty to go withersoever they will.
The seventies are not to be High Preists.
- Harold B. Lee, in Conference Report, September–October 1961, 81.
When some critics pointed out that Joseph Smith had stated that it was “contrary to the order of heaven” to have high priests among the Presidents of the Seventy, Elder Harold B. Lee responded, “Had you ever thought that what might have been contrary to the order of heaven in the early 1830’s might not be contrary to the order of heaven in 1960?”
- "The Seventies ... are a sort of traveling council or Priesthood, and may preside over a church or churches, 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 Twelve ..."
- Joseph Smith, compiled by Joseph Fielding Smith, "Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith", p. 112
History of the Seventies
"Seventies by delegation can do anything the Twelve tell them to do, and they can confer keys, which would be an extension of the keys of the Twelve."(President Packer)
"An Area Seventy has the same authority, but it is proscribed by area, and the General Authority Seventies do not have that limitation."(President Packer)
Training of the Seventy
"[You] do not [receive] a little of the priesthood here and a little later. You get it all to begin with, and then … the offices that we hold empower us to do some things. We do not presume to step beyond that. We do not, for instance, overrule bishops." (President Packer)
The Seventies act under the authority of the Twelve and and can do any task delegated to them by the Twelve.
Official announcement regarding the discontinuation of stake seventies quorums.