Traditionally, a church member holding this priesthood office is a "traveling minister"[1] and an "especial witness"[2] of Jesus Christ, charged with the mission of preaching the gospel to the entire world under the direction of the Twelve Apostles.
[4] As introduced by Smith, the apostles and the seventy had authority only outside the main body of church members in Zion, and in the outlying stakes.
As a body, the seventy in the church are considered to be equal in priesthood authority with the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Members of these quorums are ordained to the priesthood office of seventy, but they are not general authorities of the church.
By the time Joseph Smith was killed, he had already organized four incomplete quorums of seventy.
[8] This organization continued until church president Spencer W. Kimball's reorganization of the seventies in 1976.
Subsequently, in 1961, church president David O. McKay ordained those of the First Council of the Seventy who wished to be high priests.
The reason for the change was that the growth of the church necessitated the call of more general authorities.
Since 1976, three have been called as apostles who did not serve as general authority seventies prior to their call: Russell M. Nelson, Dallin H. Oaks, and David A. Bednar,[14] Nelson and Oaks were ordained apostles in 1984 under church president Kimball and Bednar in 2004 under church president Gordon B. Hinckley.
At the church's April 1995 general conference, Hinckley announced the creation of a new leadership position known as the area authority.
The Third Quorum previously covered all of Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and the western islands of the Pacific.
The new Eighth Quorum serves Southern Asia, Australia, and the western islands of the Pacific.
The seventy act as emissaries of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and First Presidency of the church in organizing, training, proselytizing, and administering to millions of people scattered all across the globe.
In general, seventies must first be at least elders in the Melchizedek priesthood, but in practice most have previously been ordained to the office of high priest.
Seventies, being equal in authority, act under the direction of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as they labor in their apostolic ministry.
[28] This means that the seventies have the power to do anything required to organize and administer the church, as long as they do so under the direction of the First Presidency or the Quorum of the Twelve (D&C 107:33–34).
[29] Historically, members of the Presidency of the Seventy would often serve as heads of various church ecclesiastical departments.
[30] In April 2018, church leaders announced that, effective August 1, 2018, three-man presidencies composed of General Authority Seventies would once again oversee areas in the US and Canada.
The church indicated this will enable the Presidency of the Seventy to more fully assist the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and to fill other assignments as needed.
They usually serve until their 70th birthday or until their health fails them, at which time they are given emeritus status and released from active service as a general authority.
[29] Prior to October 2015, upon their release, these men ceased to be general authorities or members of the Second Quorum of the Seventy.
[38] One of these men, Bruce A. Carlson, is not 70 years old, having it appear the practice may continue to be related to length of service for their release and emeritus designation, rather than specifically age.
Also in October 2015, some former members of the Second Quorum of Seventy who had been released in prior years, received letters from the church's First Presidency designating them as emeritus general authorities.
Though all general authority seventies still serve in one of those two quorums (First or Second), such affiliations are now no longer publicized, which constituted an official change in church practice.
Unlike apostles and members of the First and Second quorums, they do not relocate to Salt Lake City in order to be close to church headquarters.