It Is Vital That The Doctrines Of...

It is vital that the doctrines of exaltation be taught in this conference. It is necessary that some attention be given to some detail. ¶

Long ago, 129 years to be exact, Joseph the Prophet invited Brigham and Joseph Young to his house at Kirtland to sing for him. The Young brothers had excellent blending voices and were fond of singing together. The songs they sang were the sentimental songs of the New York frontier, coupled with some hymns popular with the Methodists but true enough in sentiment to be adopted by the Church. An old diary of Brigham Young contains two or three of these songs, laboriously copied out in his old-fashioned handwriting. ¶

The Prophet was touched by what they sang and engaged them in a long conversation. He recounted a vision in which he saw the heavenly reward of those who had died during the Zion's Camp march. He wept as he mentioned the beauty and glory of their kingdoms. ¶

He told Brigham that he was to be one of the twelve special witnesses, soon to be called, and he appointed him to spread the word that Saturday next a conference would be held at which the Twelve would be chosen. Then he turned to Joseph and said strange words, "Brother Joseph, the Lord has made you president of the seventies." ¶

From that day until now men have been ordained to the "seventies." ¶

The Call of the Seventy Many have conceived it as a personal call to teach all who would give heed to their declaration of testimony. Others have passively accepted the ordination, responding as called to local office and local service. Some have felt that with the office of seventy comes some special endowment which sets them apart from others in a special way. ¶

The quorums of the seventy in this day number approximately 400. Their total is in the neighborhood of 22,000 men. Each of these men is a member of a ward, presided over by a bishop, and is subject to the call of his stake president to do missionary work. As is the case in all church responsibilities the seventies are subject to call by authority before they take part in the organized missionary work of the Church. ¶

The Missionary Method and Message Today the missionary system has been carefully organized as to the content of the message and the method of its presentation. The method of presenting the gospel to people in 1840 would be of small avail in this day of sophisticated men and women. Today's method of work fits today. ¶

The seventies, therefore, must be prepared for today. Is a seventy to be called as a teaching missionary? Then he must learn the prepared lessons and the techniques of their delivery. At the same time he must learn to be flexible in the use of the lessons so that he can meet each situation as it arises. This will require both technical training and the guidance of the Spirit of the Lord. Every seventy in the Church who has the ability to teach should prepare himself by practice and training to be ready to teach the gospel should he be called and should make himself available for call. This means that opportunities must be given to him to prepare himself. The quorum presidents are responsible for this opportunity. The quorums should operate schools of preparation. The presidents of quorums should be alert to the progress of their brethren in the preparatory effort, notifying the stake president when a man is trained and ready. Calls to be teaching missionaries on a mass basis would be bound for failure. Calls to trained seventies would result in success. ¶

Finding Interested Persons In this new program quorum members not called to be missionaries are to become finders of prospects. I think we call the prospects investigators at times. ¶

In this important activity, the seventies go forth to discover people who will be interested and who will listen to the message of the missionaries. This also requires training. Here the prospect is to be persuaded to receive the instruction in gospel principles. The training therefore must be in the art of persuasion. ¶

Quorum presidents should prepare these members by training courses in this art. ¶

The enlargement of the effort will depend on these men now called "finders." ¶

These discover interested people and arrange with them to hear the lessons taught by the missionaries. You can see that their importance can hardly be overestimated. They assist members to succeed in the program of "every member, every family, a missionary." They go into new territory, seeking the honest in heart. Theirs is the more difficult of the two missionary efforts of finding and teaching. ¶

Stake Presidents Guiding Hands In all of this work, the stake president's is the guiding hand. He arranges to release the men from ward responsibilities so they can serve the quorum presidents as finders, and he calls personally those to act as missionaries. His reservoir of men for both of these responsibilities should be the seventies quorum. And so it will be if there is an alert presidency preparing its members and making them available. ¶

The gospel is to be preached. Under the direction of the Twelve the seventy are to assist in the preaching. So say the revelations. But an effort must be made by the men involved to prepare for the call. At the present moment the Presidency and the Twelve have placed the responsibility for missionary work in the stakes on the stake presidents and have asked them to call worthy seventies. ¶

Then let us become trained and able, and the stake presidents will call us. ¶

They will use the best available men for the job. The seventy should fit that description. ¶

As I read the revelations and see the provisions made by the Lord for the work of this dispensation, my feeling for the great overreaching power of the gospel grows stronger and stronger. In the authority of the restoration is the power to implement its success. ¶

Joseph Smith laid the groundwork, and each succeeding president has added to the structure as the need has arisen. ¶

President McKay leads this work now and, as the living prophet, has established this present system. It is under his direction and approbation. That he is a prophet I bear witness. I also testify that the gospel was restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith, whose mission was revealed to him in his youth, who spent his maturing years in preparing for the work, and who gave his complete adult life to its restoration, finally sealing his testimony with his blood. The least we can do is to give our complete devotion to it. ¶

Seventies, Special Witnesses If any man, if any body of men, should stand true, it is the seventies. ¶

Specially chosen, called to be special witnesses, let us bear our witness with the knowledge of the truth to spur us on and with the further knowledge that the Lord has called us to it. But let us do it in order and by appointment as the Lord's servants designate. ¶

On behalf of the seventies, we pledge this day to you, President McKay, that we shall give redoubled effort to help implement this call to have the seventies prepared and called to do missionary work, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶