8. The Presiding Quorum of Seventy.--The seventy are appointed to act in the name of the Lord under the direction of the traveling high council in building up the church and regulating all the affairs of the same in all nations.[112] The quorum of seventy is presided over by seven presidents, and the senior of the seven--that is, the senior by ordination, not by age--presides over the six. This quorum is equal in authority to the traveling high council--the quorum of the twelve apostles.[113] In addition to presiding over the first quorum of seventy--to which quorum they belong--the first seven presidents were authorized in the beginning to choose other seventy, besides the first, until seven times seventy had been chosen--if the labor in the ministry required it[114]--and preside over them. Each quorum has its council of seven presidents; but the first seven presidents preside over all these quorums and all their presidents. The seventies are special witnesses for the Lord in all the world,[115] and are especially chosen to preach the gospel abroad; the responsibility of declaring the great {345} message of God unto the world rests upon them particularly, laboring, of course, under the direction of the twelve; and the twelve are to call upon the seventy in preference to any others when they have need of assistance to fill the calls for preaching and administering the gospel.[116] 9. We have spoken of these three quorums being equal in authority; but every decision made by either of them, in order to make such decision of the same power or validity one with the other, must be by unanimous voice of the respective quorums; that is every member in each quorum must be agreed to its decisions, or such decisions are not entitled to the same blessings as the decisions of the quorum of the first presidency. When circumstances render it impossible to be otherwise, a majority may form a quorum.[117] The decisions of these quorums of course are to be made in righteousness, in holiness and lowliness of heart. If so made there is no appeal from their decision; but in case that any decision of these quorums is made in unrighteousness, it may then be brought before a general assembly of the several quorums of the priesthood which constitute the spiritual authorities of the church.