Duties of Seventies clearly defined

How delighted we have all been today in listening to the instructions and testimonies of the First Presidency, and the doctrines that have been unfolded to our minds — very important and very precious — in regard to our Savior, on this day somewhere near the anniversary of His resurrection, near enough as we all consider it, all Christian people. I feel very grateful that it falls to my lot to follow my brethren for a few minutes upon subjects that are very close to our hearts, and that belong to us who are the representatives of our Savior, bearing divine authority from Him. I appreciate it all the more because there is so important a body of our brethren right here in front of me, and I don't know how long it will be before I will have another opportunity of speaking to such a body of men — the leading brethren from all the stakes of Zion and many of the missions, and from many of the wards of the Church. ¶

As you have listened so profoundly to the brethren who have already spoken, I wouldn't have you forget anything that they have said, for I shall not be able to say anything to compare, possibly, with what they have said ; but I do desire of you that you will ask the Lord to help His servant the few minutes that he shall speak, and then I would like you to pay particular attention, and keep awake, and hear every word I say and treasure them up and profit by them. I want to read a few words from our Savior which are found in the 107 Section of the Doctrine and Covenants, commencing with the 33d verse ; the Lord says : ¶

The Twelve are a traveling presiding High Council, to officiate in the name of the Lord, under the direction of the Presidency of the Church, agreeable to the institution of heaven; to build up the Church, and regulate all the affairs of the same in all nations; first unto the Gentiles and secondly unto the Jews. ¶

The seventy are to act in the name of the Lord, under the direction of the Twelve or the traveling High Council, in building up the Church and regulating all the affairs of the same in all nations — first unto the Gentiles and then to the Jews; ¶

The Twelve being sent out, holding the keys, to open the door by the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ — and first unto the Gentiles and then unto the Jews. * * * * ¶

It is the duty of the traveling High Council to call upon the seventy, when they need assistance, to fill the several calls for preaching and administering the gospel, instead of any others. ¶

I desire to draw your attention, my brethren, to the fact disclosed in these words of the Lord — that the Twelve are traveling elders, and that the seventies also are traveling elders and are expected to join in the ministry of the Lord to preach the Gospel throughout the earth ; and I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the Twelve are now and have always been so engaged since they were chosen in this generation ; they have been minute men and traveling elders. Though composing the traveling presiding High Council of the Church, they are always in the field, always traveling and laboring. You have seen them and you do see them from week to week, from month to month, and from year to year. They come in your neighborhood and they assist you in regulating and setting in order the affairs of the Church in your stakes and wards, and they give careful attention to the preparation of the elders that are called into the ministry abroad. ¶

Now it is disclosed here that instead of other men it is required of us to first call upon the seventies to assist us in the preaching of the Gospel ; and we have set a proper example by taking hold of the first seven presidents, the first council of seventy, and you will notice that they always travel with us. Have you noticed that they go from stake to stake as we do, that they labor with us, and assist us, and are in council with us, and that they give attention to the calling of seventies, the organization of quorums, and so forth, and preparing the brethren for their ministry abroad? Now we have latterly been giving a little more definite thought to the ministry in the world, a little more definite than we have done in the past, and we have found this to be the case, that other brethren of necessity — I want to say of necessity — have been called into the field, and they have answered the call. The High Priests and the elders have generally gone into the field, and are today accomplishing the work of preaching the Gospel more generally than ought to be required of them, for the reason that the seventies have not been called. The reason that they have not been called is because they are men occupied in all business affairs, their hands are full of business of all kinds, and they have been excused. We have excused them more, possibly, than we ought to have done, I rather think ; but at any rate, we have come to the conclusion it is time now that the thousands of seventies that we have in the Church should have the right of way, to give them opportunity so that every seventy shall go into the field at least once and preach the Gospel. If he is very suitable and able, and conditions and necessary circumstances such that it is reasonably possible for him, he can go twice, and then possibly a third time. I remember going myself when I was a seventy, and I have been a seventy always since. I went abroad also when I was a high priest, and have gone since I was in the Council of the Twelve, and have been a minute man in preaching the Gospel at home all the time, when I have been at home. It is quite proper that the seventies while they are at home should be employed, and they are being faithfully and well employed at home by the bishops, and the presidents of their stakes in Zion. It is all right that they should be employed there, but we do want to come to the time when the seventies will be preaching the Gospel quite generally in the world, every man having one opportunity, or two or three as the case may be. ¶

It took me forty years to perform my three missions abroad, and the balance of my life has been in missions at home, before I was in the Council and since. I have been in the field all the time, like President Joseph F. Smith, and many others of the brethren. We have been in the field and there has never been a moment but what we were minute men and ready for the fray. I state this matter now, because I want to draw the attention of the bishops to it. I see the bishops are gathered here, the high councilors, and presidents of stakes and so forth, and patriarchs in front; and I would like every bishop and every president to bear in mind and take home with them the spirit of the remarks that I am about to make here to you. We want you to consider the seventies; we want you to look after them; we want you to breathe the spirit of their ministry into them and consider them when application is made for missionaries from your stakes and wards. Consider first the seventies: and as far as they are able and can help each other, able to take care of themselves, and with what assistance they can get at home, we want them to come into the field. The presidents of the missions have been asking for them, that is, asking for men of experience, men of age that have been proven and tried, that have been in the field abroad or have been workers at home. ¶

We want to put able men into the field, now that the spirit is in the earth and liberty is being extended, and especially religious liberty throughout the earth; we expect it to be much extended after the war is over and peace is declared. The Twelve have been out; they have been in the world; they have been in all the countries of the earth pretty near, and have blessed the countries and blessed the people and prepared the way for the preaching of the Gospel. We have had this in our hearts and souls for many years, and are laboring for it, and we want the way prepared; we want the seventies that are here in the sound of my voice and those other brethren that are here, bishops and presidents of stakes, to talk upon this subject. We want them to get ready and prepared for the ministry. We want them to do what they are able to do, and we don't want them discouraged; for there are many of them, although they have business of all kinds, and have families and are building their homes, and accomplishing wonders at home; but most of them will find the way to go into the field and teach the Gospel, and they can afford to make some sacrifices. We must make some sacrifices and overcome some difficulties in order to accomplish what the Lord requires of us abroad as well as at home, and at home as well as abroad. Under the direction of the Presiding Seventy, as we have been talking to them latterly and considering this matter, we desire this call and this consideration to go to every stake and ward, and to every council of the seventies, to councils that are complete or not complete. We want the seventies to come to the rescue and help us in preaching the Gospel, and we expect to call upon them instead of any others. But remember that the seventies may not be able to monopolize the whole field, hence there will be room for elders and high priests, and for other experienced men outside of the seventy, and we want them considered also. While we have been, for a number of years, asking that one experienced and trained man should be furnished for every two of the younger men that are sent out, we ask now that there be two well trained and experienced men sent out for each young and inexperienced man that is sent. We want able and experienced men that have been abroad, or have been laboring most faithfully at home. ¶

I want to say to the brethren, the high priests at home, that we do not want them overlooked; we want them considered; men that have been bishops or high-counselors, and have held responsible positions and had great experience. We want them to have opportunity to go abroad as well as the seventies; also, we want the balance of the room that is to spare abroad occupied by able elders. We prefer that you should keep the young men — such as deacons and teachers and priests — at home and give them thorough training in the lesser priesthood; and remember that the deacons have a ministry as well as the teachers, and the deacons' ministry is that of assisting the teachers when occasion requires; and I have always interpreted it that the occasion always requires it. We want these young men given opportunity, and we want them employed. We want the teachers employed; we want them to accompany the brethren that are called, the seventies and high priests, and elders that are operating as teachers at home. We want the teachers of the lesser priesthood, and the deacons, to have opportunity to visit with them, that they may be trained and have experience here at home before they are sent abroad. You would be astonished to see the companies of young men that are sent to us, inexperienced young men, only recently ordained elders in order to go on missions. When they give their genealogies we find they are teachers, sometimes deacons and sometimes priests, that are just ordained elders in order that they may go abroad to preach the Gospel, — untrained, inexperienced. They should work at home and train themselves, and be prepared so that as the seventies are depleted and pass into the high priests quorum, at the age of fifty or sixty years, and there is room there, we want the able, well trained and experienced elders to fill their places, so that we may have seventies enough to take care of the ministry abroad, as a rule, the exceptions being where we need to use the elders and high priests. ¶

There is opportunity for all abroad; and if there is anything lacking, and they want opportunity, we have it at home, for the field at home will never be overstocked with men. The high priests and elders at home, and the seventies who are generally at home, and will be generally at home, because they are not expected all to be in the field; a thousand or fifteen hundred or two thousand on missions at a time will leave about eight thousand of them always at home, and we want them to work at home as well as they have been doing. Don't use them any less at home, but give them opportunities to preach the Gospel at home as well as abroad. The able and successful bishops, presidents of stakes, presidents of seventies and of elders, and of high priests will furnish employment; they will arrange affairs and labors at home so that there is employment for every man who bears the priesthood. Every man who bears the priesthood is entitled to the right and privilege of magnifying that priesthood, at home or abroad, and we exhort you my brethren who have charge of these matters and are appointed and ordained for that purpose, we want you to see to it that employment is furnished every man that you lay your hands upon and ordain to the lesser priesthood or to the Melchizedek priesthood. Furnish them employment at home, and don't be satisfied with having ten or twenty seventies doing something, preaching the Gospel at home to the strangers, to those that are not of our faith, but let the whole army of seventies at home get into the field, and the armies of high priests and elders be in the field, every man magnifying his calling at home as well as abroad. Let that be done. We want that to be done and we will not be quite satisfied until the brethren can report that every member of our quorums of the priesthood is doing something, accomplishing something, and you will be astonished at the converts that can be made at home. ¶

There are many reported now from various directions, but many more will be in a little while, and you will be astonished — if you go home from this conference and take this spirit among the seventies, — you will be astonished at the number of seventies that will be ready at the call and recommendation of the presidents of stakes and bishops of wards, under approval of the presiding seventy. They are acquainted with them as they are with the other elders, and they know how to recommend them, and to consider them and weigh them. You will be astonished to see how the spirit will take hold of the seventies, and they will be prepared and ready for their work abroad. I want you to bear in mind that the body of the Twelve are giving careful attention to these matters. Every man that goes abroad comes immediately under the hands of the Twelve and the first council of seventies. We bless every man and set them apart, and our sisters also who go into the field ; quite a number of them are being sent. We are looking after this matter, and we want everybody bearing the priesthood, every member of the priesthood, we want them to have opportunity to magnify their priesthood. ¶

Take labor upon yourselves, brethren, and provide labor for your neighbors until every man is cared for, every high priest that is now careless and unemployed. It is reported that there are many of the priesthood unemployed, not fully occupied, not doing any good work — nothing is laid out for them. It is not every man that knows how to employ himself, but every man should know how to employ himself especially when he has had experience, been abroad in the field, or laboring at home in important positions. These brethren should know how to set themselves to work and do many things that they are not told to do that they discover ought to be done, for the inspiration of the priesthood should dwell in the heart of every man who receives it ; his eyes should be opened, his ears should be opened, his heart should be touched, ready and prepared to do some work for somebody ; and when you labor for your brother you always get the chief reward yourself. You may help him some, you may do him good, a world of good, but there is always greater good comes to you who do the labor — everyone — and we want that fashion followed. We don't want to give our entire attention now to the seventies, in getting them in their field, but we want the high priests taken care of, and we want the elders taken care of ; for the elders are two or three times as numerous as are the seventies, two or three times as numerous as are the high priests. The high priests compare about with the seventies, but the elders are much more numerous, and it will put you to your wits' end to find something for them to do. If they are idle they are mischievous and liable to get into trouble and difficulty, and they should be taken care of. If they labor, if they work day by day and magnify their calling they will grow stronger and stronger unto their perfect day. ¶

Now I feel delighted with this privilege of speaking to this body of men, and I want you to remember what I have said, in connection with what we have heard here — the testimonies that have been given us by the Presidency today. Bear in mind this mission, and the suggestions and instructions in regard to the magnifying of the priesthood here at home, and magnifying it also abroad. Brother Hyrum M. Smith has sent quite a requisition for some able elders that can come and labor with him, whose conditions and circumstances at home will allow them to stay until they have finished their missions, and that call will be a small one comparatively. We want at least one seventy from every quorum ; we want five seventies from every quorum that is able to send them ; or seven, that will only be one man out of ten, something like that, to go abroad, and the others remaining at home and helping each other when it is necessary. But you will be astonished, when you inquire after the seventies and look right after them, to find the great number of them that are able to take care of themselves and their families, and go and preach the gospel for three years and then come home and stay six or ten years and then go again when they are wanted. ¶

May the Lord bless you my brethren. Think of these matters, give attention to them, and you will find the presiding seventy around looking after you and feeling after the members of their quorums, and they will be calling upon you and want you to consider them. They have felt just a little bit overlooked. I believe the seventies have been overlooked too much, and we have depended upon elders, and young men and inexperienced men to go out and preach the Gospel in the world, and we want all the brethren to have opportunity to magnify their calling as they are required. You notice whenever we call men to preside over stakes, or over wards, or over quorums, or to go on missions, that they are expected to go at once into the field, and so it should be with every man who receives the priesthood. He receives a commission from the Lord, and he should take hold of it and magnify it to the best of his ability, and the Lord will open the way for the good that is possible for him to accomplish. ¶

God bless you, my brethren and sisters, I pray. Let the spirit of this conference go home with you, and you will be astonished what will be accomplished within the next six months, between now and October ; and the presiding seventies will be able to tell us quite a story of what is being done in this movement for the seventies. May the Lord bless you I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶