You've probably seen them sitting on the stand during General Conference. They are the men in the dark suits, often traveling to far-flung corners of the globe, yet most people—even lifelong members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—aren't exactly sure what they do day-to-day. The LDS Quorum of the Seventy is essentially the middle management that keeps a global organization of 17 million people from falling apart. But calling them "middle management" is a massive oversimplification that misses the spiritual weight of the job.
They aren't the Apostles. They aren't your local Bishop.
So, what are they?
Basically, they are "special witnesses" who act as the hands and feet of the Twelve Apostles. While the Prophet and the Twelve handle the big-picture doctrine and global direction, the Seventy are the ones in the trenches, making sure a stake in Lagos, Nigeria, is running with the same priesthood keys and procedures as a ward in Provo, Utah. It’s a massive, exhausting, and often thankless logistical and spiritual undertaking.
Why the LDS Quorum of the Seventy is Actually Twelve Separate Groups
When people talk about "The Seventy," they usually think it's just one group of 70 guys. It isn't. Not even close.
The structure is actually way more complex than the name suggests. Right now, there are multiple quorums. The first and second quorums are what we call General Authority Seventies. These men give up their professional careers entirely. They sell their businesses, retire from their law practices, or leave their teaching positions to serve full-time until they hit age 70, at which point they are given "emeritus" status. They move to Salt Lake City, but they spend half their lives on airplanes.
Then you have the Third through the Twelfth Quorums. These are Area Seventies.
Here is where it gets interesting. Area Seventies aren't "General Authorities." They don't move to Utah. They keep their day jobs. You might have an Area Seventy who is your local dentist by day and presiding over a massive regional multi-stake council by night. They serve for a specific term—usually around five to ten years—and then they are released to go back to being a regular high priest in their local ward.
This distinction matters because it shows how the Church scales. You can't have 15 men in Salt Lake City interviewing every prospective Stake President in the world. There just aren't enough hours in the day. The LDS Quorum of the Seventy provides the necessary delegation to keep the Church’s growth sustainable without diluting the authority.
The Biblical Roots That Most People Forget
The Church claims this isn't some corporate invention from the 1800s. They point directly to the New Testament.
In Luke chapter 10, Jesus "appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place." It’s right there in the text. The logic back then was the same as it is now: the harvest is great, but the laborers are few. Even Jesus needed a second tier of leadership to prep the ground before He arrived.
Joseph Smith restored this office in 1835. He didn't just pick names out of a hat, either. He largely drew the original members of the First Quorum of the Seventy from the men who had proven their mettle during Zion’s Camp—a grueling, 900-mile march that tested their physical and spiritual endurance. From the very beginning, being a Seventy was about being a "traveling minister."
It’s a grueling life. Imagine being 65 years old and being told you need to fly to the Philippines for three weeks to reorganize four stakes and conduct dozens of hours of high-stakes interviews. That is the reality. Honestly, it's a job that would break most people half their age.
What Do They Actually Do All Day?
If you shadow a member of the LDS Quorum of the Seventy, you won't find much "desk time." Their lives are a blur of handshakes and training meetings.
Their primary responsibility is "Area" work. The world is divided into geographic areas—like the Africa West Area or the Utah South Area. A presidency, usually consisting of three General Authority Seventies, lives in that region and oversees everything. They are the ones who decide where new chapels get built, how humanitarian aid is distributed during a local crisis, and who should be recommended to the First Presidency to lead a new temple.
- They preside over Stake Conferences when an Apostle isn't present.
- They train local leaders on the latest handbooks and policies.
- They act as a "filter" for the Twelve Apostles, handling 90% of administrative issues so the Apostles can focus on global witness and revelation.
- They serve on committees for everything from curriculum to missionary work.
One of the most intense things they do is the "reorganization" of a Stake. When a Stake President is released, two Seventies arrive. They spend an entire weekend interviewing dozens of men in the area, praying and fasting to figure out who should lead the next 3,000 to 5,000 members in that region. It’s a heavy, spiritual discernment process that happens behind closed doors.
The Seven Presidents: The Leadership of the Leaders
The Seventy don't just report individually to the Apostles. They have their own internal leadership called the Presidency of the Seventy.
This is a group of seven men, all General Authority Seventies, who oversee the work of all the quorums. Think of them as the executive board. They are the bridge. They sit in on high-level meetings with the Quorum of the Twelve and then disseminate those instructions down through the various quorums to the Area Seventies, and finally to your local Bishop.
It’s a rigid hierarchy, sure, but it’s remarkably efficient. It's why you can walk into an LDS church in Tokyo and one in Buenos Aires and hear the exact same lesson being taught. The LDS Quorum of the Seventy is the reason the Church hasn't splintered into a thousand different denominations as it expanded globally. They are the "correlation" police, in a way, ensuring doctrinal purity across borders.
Misconceptions and Reality Checks
A common mistake people make is thinking that being called to the Seventy is a "promotion" or a career move.
In the LDS world, there is no "climbing the ladder" in a traditional sense. You don't apply for the job. You don't submit a resume. Most of these men are genuinely surprised—and often slightly terrified—when the call comes. For an Area Seventy, it means losing almost every weekend for the next several years. For a General Authority Seventy, it means the end of their private life as they knew it.
Another misconception is that they are all from Utah.
Decades ago, that might have been closer to the truth. Not anymore. If you look at the current roster of the LDS Quorum of the Seventy, it’s a global demographic. You have former CEOs from Brazil, educators from New Zealand, and physicians from Ghana. The Church has leaned heavily into the idea that leadership should look like the membership. This diversity is crucial because a Seventy from Hong Kong understands the cultural nuances of growth in Asia far better than a guy from Salt Lake City ever could.
The Difference Between "General" and "Area" Authorities
This is where things get a bit "inside baseball," but it’s important for understanding the power structure.
General Authority Seventies have authority anywhere in the world. If a member of the First Quorum shows up in your ward in Germany, he has the "keys" to preside over that meeting.
An Area Seventy’s authority is geographically locked. If an Area Seventy from the North America Northeast Area travels to California for a vacation, he’s just a regular member there. He doesn't have the authority to preside over meetings or perform official duties outside his assigned region. This prevents a "roving leader" problem and keeps the focus on local service.
The way they are sustained is also different. General Authorities are sustained by the entire worldwide church membership during General Conference. Area Seventies are typically sustained only within their specific geographic area or during a regional meeting.
The Path Forward: How the Seventy Shape the Future
The Church is currently in a massive phase of "decentralization."
For a long time, everything was run out of Salt Lake. But as the Church grows in the Global South, that’s becoming impossible. The LDS Quorum of the Seventy is the vehicle for this shift. More and more power is being pushed to the Area level.
We are seeing Area Presidencies take on roles that used to be reserved for Apostles. They are the ones spearheading local missionary initiatives and tailoring humanitarian efforts to local needs. This shift is making the Church feel less like a "Utah church" and more like a global faith.
If you want to understand where the Church is going, don't just watch the Prophet. Watch the Seventy. They are the ones implementing the changes. They are the ones testing new programs in the field before they are rolled out globally.
Actionable Insights for Understanding the Seventy
To truly wrap your head around how this works, keep these points in mind:
- Study the sustainings: Next time General Conference rolls around, pay attention to the names being released and called in the Seventy. You’ll notice the international diversity increasing every single year.
- Check the Church News: They often run profiles on new Seventies. Read them. You’ll see that these aren't "professional clergy." They are pilots, scientists, and farmers who have been plucked out of their lives to serve.
- Recognize the sacrifice: For Area Seventies especially, they are balancing high-pressure careers with a "second job" that requires 20-30 hours a week of spiritual labor.
- Understand the "Emeritus" status: Unlike the Apostles, who serve until death, General Authority Seventies have a "retirement" age. This ensures that the middle-management layer of the Church stays somewhat energized and physically capable of the intense travel required.
The LDS Quorum of the Seventy remains one of the most vital organs in the body of the Church. Without them, the connection between the "Top 15" and the millions of members in the pews would be severed. They are the bridge, the trainers, and the witnesses who ensure the message doesn't get lost in translation as it crosses oceans and languages.