--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Young, Seymour B., and Council collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 15 number: 3 published: 1912-01 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Young, Seymour B., and Council, "Editor’s Table: To the Seventies," *Improvement Era* 15, no. 3 (January 1912): 273–277.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1503unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera1503unse start_page: 273 end_page: 277 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1912-01) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1503unse publication_year: 1912 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1912, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Editor’s Table: To the Seventies Editor's Table Communication to the Quorums of Seventy IMPORTANT INSTRUCTION BY THE FIRST COUNCIL Differences of views seem to exist in some cases between our Seventies quorums and the local authorities of wards and stakes in relation to the extent and kind of local work our Seventies may be required to do, and what their obligations are with reference to local appointments in ward or stake work, and in auxiliary associations. The differences of opinion existing concerning these matters, and the desire of the First Council to have a perfect understanding among the quorums with reference to them, prompt the writing of this communication. The Special Calling of a Seventy. In discussing this subject, we call attention to the fact that the Seventies differ from other officers in the Prieshood— except the Twelve Apostles— in that they are called to preach the gospel "and to be especial witnesses unto the Gentiles and in all the world. Thus differing from other officers in the Church in the duties of their calling" (Doc. & Cov. 107:25). Also: "The Seventy are to act in the name of the Lord, under the direction of the Twelve * * * * in building up the Church and regulating all the affairs of the same in all nations * * * It is the duty of the traveling High Council to call upon the Seventy, when they the several calls for preaching the gospel need assistance to fill * * * and these seventy are to be instead of any others:' traveling ministers unto the Gentiles first, and also to the Jews whereas other officers of the Church who belong not unto the not under the responsibility Twelve, neither to the Seventy, are all nations, but are to travel as their circumto travel among stances shall allow, notwithstanding they may hold as high and Sec. 107). This responsible offices in the Church" (Doc. & Cov. sets forth the specific calling of the Seventy, and in what the 274 IMPROVEMENT ERA office of the Seventy differs from other offices in the Church. Accepting the foregoing as marking out the specific calling of the Seventy, it will go without saying that the purpose for which the Seventies' quorums exist, primarily, is to prepare their members to meet those responsibilities, by instructing them in the doctrines of the gospel and training them to express the truth learned, in a manner and spirit that will make it clear and convincing to those to whom they are sent as messengers of life and salvation. The Labors of the Seventy at Home. But while the foregoing represents undoubtedly the special calling of the Seventy, and the purpose for which Seventies' quorums exist, we cannot ignore the fact that the greater part of the Seventies' time, under our present circumstances, is spent at home, within some one or other of the organized stakes of Zion. Indeed, the very general rule is that only from two to three years out of a possible ten, twenty, and, in rare cases, thirty years of an elder's connection with the Seventies' quorums, is spent abroad on missions as for the most part men do not go upon more than ; one mission, the proportion being not more than from one to five in a hundred that ever fill second missions. Moreover, under existing circumstances, very many of our Seventies never go on missions at all, as Seventies ; for while it is true that very many in our Seventies' quorums have been upon missions, they did their missionary work while they were yet elders, and then were brought into the Seventies' quorums, to go no more out as missionaries, as a rule. At present it is a conservative estimate to say that less than eighteen per cent of the mission work of the Church is done by Seventies, notwithstanding all that is said in the revelations about the Seventies being called to this work "instead of any others." According to the report of our General Secretary, for 1910, we have, in the 162 quorums organized, a membership of 8,894; but of this number only 340 were upon missions These facts prove conclusively that the great bulk ! of the Seventies' work, under our present circumstances, will be done at home. Indeed, it is now being done there for while ; we have such a paltry number of Seventies engaged in the missions abroad, as compared with the whole number of Seventies enrolled in our quorums, yet, according to the report here quoted, EDITORS TABLE 275 we have engaged as teachers in the bishop's wards, 3,136 Seventies; in the Sunday schools, 1,667; m the Y. M. M. I. Associations, 1,236; in the religion class work, 209; in the home missions, in the stakes of Zion, 676. This represents a very large volume of work being done in the stakes and wards of Zion by the Seventies. volume of work was being done by the If this Seventies abroad, interested in Seventies' work would those doubtless be very proud of it, and justly so. But why not be proud of it any way, at least enough so to rejoice in the fact that our Seventies find so much to do while at home in Zion? If Seventies may not, from force of circumstances which environ them, "travel continuously" in the world as propaganda, as ideal conditions for Seventies would seem to suggest, why not accept cheerfully and willingly the service for the Church which so abundantly presents itself to them while at home, and which in reality is being done by them? It should be remembered that the Priesthood and calling of a Seventy is primarily for use, for service specifically and es- ; pecially, to constitute the foreign ministry of the Church yet he ; is fully competent to engage in nearly all the labors and activities of the Church in the organized stakes and wards of Zion, certainly competent to act in all the labors he is now called upon to perform. Special Calling vs. General Service. It is at this point, however, that the differences of view, respecting the obligations of Seventies, to well recognized duties to their quorum, and this local work, arise. The local work has to be done under the appointment and direction of the local authorities the quorum work, under the quorum authorities, and ; the First Council of the Seventies and in case of conflict between ; quorum duties and local duties, the question is asked, which shall have pre-eminence? The difficulty need have no existence at all, in the nature of things with which we have to deal. Accepting the quorum as an educational institution, where men are taught and trained for service merely, when the opportunity for service comes, whether it be at home or abroad, shall it be insisted upon that the Seventy, so called, shall remain in the training class, or shall he accept service? The question admits of but one answer — let him accept service. And if his acceptance of service 276 IMPROVEMENT ERA takes him from his quorum meetings and appointments, his quorum can well afford to excuse him, and account for him as upon mission service; and while perhaps his quorum associates regret his absence and the withdrawal of the strength his presence in quorum work would give, yet they can rejoice at the service he is rendering to the Church and make it part of the record of the quorum's achievements, which should be as acceptable to his fellow Seventies as the record of his faithful attendance upon quorum meetings, or service in the mission field abroad. The Seventies exist primarily for service in the Church, rather than in the quorums. The quorums are subordinate to the Church. Her needs, therefore, must be considered first, rather than the needs of the quorums. The Issue Squarely Met. It will be said, of course, under such a regime as these principles would approve, that the attendance upon quorum classes and quorum meetings would be depleted; and in some cases that might be true, but not to a very great extent. But if it were true to a large extent, what then? If the depletion occurred because of so many being called into the foreign ministry of the Church, as are called into local work, how tolerant of the depletion the rest of the quorum would be —nay, proud of it ! Why not be equally tolerant of and proud of it, when the service it, is at. home? It is the Church that requires the service in both cases. And, remember, the Seventies exist primarily for service in the Church, not for attendance upon quorum meetings, merely. Present Principles and Quorum Allegiance. It will be asked, however, how all this is to be reconciled with the principle emphasized hitherto, that a Seventy's first allegiance is to his quorum. Well, if there are elements of the case that have been overlooked, there ought to be no hesitancy in accepting modifications of conclusions which those overlooked elements suggest. But surely one gives his first allegiance to ' his quorum, when he heartily and faithfully responds to the purposes for which his quorum exists; namely, for service to the Church, whether that service is home service or foreign. To do less than this would not be loyalty to his organization, or allegiance to his quorum, first or otherwise. ; EDITOR'S TABLE 277 It is not for the individual Seventy to determine whether service required of him is more important or not than his attendance upon quorum meetings for the preparation for service but surely, it stands to reason that the service itself is the sequence, the culmination of the preparation, and if those properly directing the required service are satisfied with the work of preparation made, that the efficiency of the Seventy whose service is required is adequate, we see not on what grounds the service can be withheld. The Case of the Quorums. To this point the matter has been presented strongly in favor of the local service being rendered, irrespective of the interests of the quorums but what has been said may be modified in cer- ; tain particulars. Surely the quorums of Seventy are worthy of some consideration. If they are subordinate to the Church, which is freely and overwhelmingly admitted, they still are agencies of education for the instruction of a very large and important body of the Priesthood of the Church; and the desire to perpetuate them, and aid them as an efficient means of education of both the foreign ministry and the home ministry, ought to be universal They ought tobe as much the object of solicitude on the part of Stake Presidencies and Bishoprics, as any other local authorities, quorums, because upon their efficiency as a teaching and training institution depends in large degree the efficiency of the men sent out from these quorums into the service of the Church, both at home and abroad. Wisdom, therefore, would suggest the policy of maintaining these quorums at the very highest point of their efficiency, and the granting to them every means possible to enable them to effectually perform their work, in preparing men for service in the Church, both at home and abroad; and this by guiding into those quorums the very choicest young men to be found, and plenty of them, as also by affording the quorums every possible facility in time and place of meeting; also interfering with their class andquorum work, by calling upon their presidents and members for other service at the time the quorums meet, to as small an extent as will be consistent with the full and perfect service of the Church, in the department where their assistance misrht be thought to be needed.