This week in Church history
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The Church defined ecclesiastical and temporal lines in a statement from the First Presidency, as reported in the Feb. 5, 1977, Church News.
These organizational steps were "designed to strengthen and make more efficient the priesthood direction given to affairs of the Church," according to the article.
In the statement the First Presidency said: "The Lord has made it clear that the Council of the Twelve, under direction of the First Presidency, has special responsibility for administering the ecclesiastical affairs of the Church, including responsibility to direct the functioning of the newly organized First Quorum of the Seventy, the third governing quorum of the Church.
"Under direction of the First Presidency, the Presiding Bishopric has been given the responsibility for administering the temporal affairs of the Church." At a meeting at Church headquarters for General Authorities and department leaders, President Spencer W. Kimball said: "Pursuant to scriptural instructions, the First Presidency has felt impressed to direct a more clear delineation of the basic ecclesiastical and temporal stewardships at Church headquarters in order that the Lord's 'system may be kept perfect.' "
