The Seventy's Course in Theology, First Year: Outline History of the Seventy and A Survey of the Books of Holy ScriptureRoberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
Religion
The Seventy's Course in Theology, First Year: Outline History of the Seventy and A Survey of the Books of Holy Scripture
Roberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
Latter Day Saint churches -- Doctrines
It will be observed in the quotation from the Doctrine & Covenants
above that provision is made that the presidents of Seventy are to
be "chosen out of the number of the Seventy." It is because of this
special provision that when inadvertently High Priests have been
selected for presidents of Seventy they have taken their place again
in the quorum of High Priests and others from among the Seventy, as
provided by the law of God, chosen to fill their place. It will also
be observed that the council of the First Seventy, in addition to
presiding over their own quorum (the first), have a general presidency
over all the quorums of the Church. It is this first quorum, members
and presidents together, which constitutes what, by way of explanation,
we may call _the_ quorum of Seventy, the quorum of which it is said
that they are equal in authority to the quorum of the twelve special
witnesses, or Apostles.
5. _Summary._ It may be said by way of recapitulation that the Seventy
hold the Melchisedek Priesthood; that with the Twelve, under whose
directions they labor, they constitute the foreign ministry of the
Church: that their special calling is to travel and preach the gospel
in all nations, first to the Gentiles and then to the Jews; that they
can, on occasion be employed in the work of the ministry at home,
because their Priesthood authorizes them to do good and bring to pass
righteousness wherever they may be, and when acting in order and under
the direction of the Twelve Apostles they may do whatever is necessary
to be done in order to accomplish the purposes of God, whose ministers
they are; but their organization has particular reference to their
special work of preaching the Gospel in all the world.
6. _An Intelligent and Informed Ministry Contemplated in the Church:_
After this brief review of the organization and duties of the
Seventies, it must be clearly manifest that it is the imperative duty
of those holding this office in the Priesthood to make careful and
thorough preparation to discharge the responsibilities of their high
calling as the ambassadors of the Lord Jesus. Being special witnesses
of the name of Christ in all the world, preachers (i. e., teachers)
of the gospel, and authorized under the direction of the Twelve
Apostles to act in the name of the Lord in "building up the Church and
regulating all the affairs of the same in all nations" (Doc. & Cov.
Sec. cvii), it behooves them to become witnesses who understand the
truth of which they testify, skilled workman, ambassadors of whom the
Master need not be ashamed. It is evident that the Lord never designed
that his ministry should be an ignorant ministry; for to the early
Elders of his Church, in this last dispensation, when instructing a
number of them to prepare for labor in the vineyard, he said:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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