Question
Gramps,
Can you tell me what the Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles calling was like and some of the history behind it?
Samuel
Answer
Samuel,
For many years in the Church, there was a calling that most younger Latter-day Saints have never heard of: Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Although the position no longer exists today, it played an important role during a period of rapid Church growth. In fact, many well-known Church leaders—including Presidents Gordon B. Hinckley and James E. Faust, as well as Apostles Boyd K. Packer, Neal A. Maxwell, and Robert D. Hales—served in this calling before later becoming Apostles.
The calling existed for only 35 years, from 1941 until 1976. It was never intended to replace the Seventy or create another quorum of Apostles. Instead, it was an inspired solution to meet the needs of a rapidly growing Church.
By the late 1930s and early 1940s, the Church was expanding much faster than the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles could personally oversee. Stakes and missions were multiplying, missionary work was accelerating, and the Twelve simply could not be everywhere they needed to be. Church leaders recognized they needed trusted General Authorities who could represent the Twelve worldwide.
During the April 1941 General Conference, the First Presidency announced the creation of the new calling. The reason was explained very simply:
“The First Presidency and Twelve feel that to meet adequately their great responsibilities and to carry on efficiently this service for the Lord, they should have some help.”
The announcement went on to explain that men would be called as Assistants to the Twelve, serving under the direction of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in whatever assignments they received.
Five men were initially called, and over the following decades, additional Assistants were added as the Church continued to expand worldwide.
One interesting thing about the calling is that it was not a priesthood office. Unlike an Apostle or a Seventy, “Assistant to the Twelve” was simply a calling. Those who served remained High Priests but were sustained as General Authorities and assigned to assist the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. They acted under the direction of the Twelve rather than as members of a separate governing quorum.
Their work would sound very familiar to members of the Church today. They traveled throughout the world representing the Twelve wherever they were assigned. They organized stakes, presided at stake conferences, reorganized stake presidencies, visited missions, trained local priesthood leaders, spoke at conferences, and helped supervise missionary work. In many respects, they performed duties that are now carried out by General Authority Seventies.
Many members came to know these brethren well because there were relatively few General Authorities during that era. When an Assistant to the Twelve visited a stake conference, it was a significant event for local members.
Another fascinating aspect of the calling is how many future Apostles served in it. Of the 38 men who were called as Assistants to the Twelve, 13 later became members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Among them were Gordon B. Hinckley, Boyd K. Packer, Marvin J. Ashton, L. Tom Perry, David B. Haight, James E. Faust, Neal A. Maxwell, Robert D. Hales, and Joseph B. Wirthlin. Several also later served in the First Presidency.
This has caused some people to think the calling was intended as a training ground for future Apostles. While the experience undoubtedly prepared many of these men for future service, there is no indication that this was the purpose of the calling. Most Assistants to the Twelve never became Apostles. They simply served faithfully wherever the Lord needed them.
As the Church entered the 1970s, leaders began placing renewed emphasis on organizing the Church according to the pattern outlined in Doctrine and Covenants section 107. That revelation describes the Seventy as serving alongside the Twelve in helping administer the work of the Church.
Church historian Richard O. Cowan explains:
“The reactivation of the First Quorum of the Seventy and the discontinuance of the position of Assistant to the Twelve brought Church government more closely into harmony with the priesthood organization revealed in the Doctrine and Covenants.”
Under the direction of President Spencer W. Kimball, the First Quorum of the Seventy was reorganized in 1975. Then, during the October 1976 General Conference, N. Eldon Tanner announced:
“The office of Assistant to the Twelve will be discontinued. The brethren serving as Assistants to the Twelve will be ordained Seventies and become members of the First Quorum of the Seventy.” (President N. Eldon Tanner, Presentation of the General Authorities, October 1976 General Conference (following President Spencer W. Kimball’s announcement of the reorganization).
Twenty-two men who were then serving as Assistants to the Twelve were ordained to the office of Seventy and became members of the First Quorum of the Seventy. This change aligned the Church organization more closely with the pattern established by revelation while still providing the worldwide leadership support that the growing Church required.
Today, General Authority Seventies perform many of the same responsibilities once handled by the Assistants to the Twelve. They travel throughout the world, organize stakes, train leaders, preside at conferences, oversee areas of the Church, and represent the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve in countless assignments. The biggest difference is that today’s General Authority Seventies serve in the priesthood office of Seventy rather than in a separate administrative calling.
The Church History Department summarizes the position by noting that the calling existed from April 6, 1941, until October 2, 1976, after which it was discontinued as part of the reorganization of the First Quorum of the Seventy.
Looking back, the calling of Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles demonstrates how the Lord guides His Church according to its needs. As membership expanded dramatically worldwide, inspired leaders answered a temporary call to help carry the growing workload. When the time was right, they reorganized the Church once again to more closely follow the pattern revealed in modern scripture.
Although the calling no longer exists, its legacy remains. Many beloved prophets and apostles once served as Assistants to the Twelve, and the work they performed continues today through the General Authority Seventies. It’s another example of how the Church’s organization can adapt to meet changing needs while remaining firmly rooted in the principles revealed by the Lord.
Gramps
