THE CALLING OF CHRIST'S APOSTLES IN THE LAST DISPENSATION OF THE FULLNESS OF TIMES—DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE TWELVE—THEIR LABORS IN THE WORLD—ORGANIZATION OF THE SEVENTIES.  
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
 
St. Matthew.
 
But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.
 
And it shall turn to you for a testimony.
 
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And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death,
 
And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.
 
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And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
 
St. Luke.
 
Our Lord and Master had His twelve special witnesses to the world when His gospel was offered to all mankind eighteen centuries ago. And so, in the re-establishment of the Church in this dispensation, Twelve Apostles were called and ordained to be witnesses of Christ, crucified and risen, and of Christ's gospel brought forth through the darkness of ages and now restored to stand forever.
 
The power, authority and scope of this Apostleship are shown in the revelation given to the Prophet in Kirtland in the early part of the year 1835:
 
The Twelve traveling counselors are called to be the Twelve Apostles, or special witnesses of the name of Christ in all the world.
 
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And they form a quorum, equal in authority and power to the three Presidents [the first presidency].
 
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;
 
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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.
 
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It is the duty of the Twelve, also, to ordain and set in order all the other officers of the Church, agreeable to the revelation.
 
On the Sabbath day, February 8th, 1835, Joseph invited Brigham and Joseph Young to his home and listened to some of their sweetest hymns. They were always noted for the excellence of their singing; but on this occasion with such wondrous power did their voices swell that the Prophet was lifted up in his soul and felt the Holy Spirit descending upon them. Joseph had seen in vision the brethren who had died of cholera in Missouri; and he related the vision to his visitors, saying: "If I get a mansion as bright as theirs, I shall ask no more." He wept at the recital, and could not speak again for some moments. When his composure returned, he told Brigham that he should be one of the twelve special witnesses, and said to Joseph Young: "The Lord has made you president of the Seventies." Neither of the Brothers Young fully understood the Prophet's meaning at that time, but later they learned.
 
On the 14th day of February, 1835, the Prophet called an assemblage at Kirtland of all the men who had formed the Camp of Zion. He said to call this meeting he had been directed by the Almighty. The Elders who had passed through the trials and sufferings of the journey to Zion were to be ordained to the ministry to go forth and prune the vineyard for the last time before the coming of the Lord. Twelve men were to be chosen as Apostles to bear testimony of the name of the Lord Jesus and to send it abroad among all nations, kindreds, tongues and people.
 
Under the hands of the Prophet the three witnesses of the Book of Mormon, Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer and Martin Harris were blessed by the direction of the Holy Spirit to choose the Twelve Apostles of the Church............