By Steve Fidel
Deseret News staff writer

A significant addition to the leadership structure of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was among several announcements made in the opening session of the church's 167th Annual General Conference Saturday.
President Gordon B. Hinckley announced formation of three new Quorums of the Seventy, to be composed of 134 priesthood representatives throughout the world known as Area Authorities. He also announced the call of four new members of the First Quorum of the Seventy, 11 new members of the Second Quorum of the Seventy, a new Relief Society General Presidency, and a new second counselor for the General Young Women organization.
As for the Area Authorities, "They will have a quorum relationship presided over the the Presidents of the Seventy. They will be known as Area Authority Seventies, to serve for a period of years in a voluntary capacity in the area in which they reside," he said.
"They will continue with their present employment, reside in their own homes, and serve on a church-service basis. Those residing in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and the Pacific will become members of the Third Quorum of Seventy. Those in Mexico, Central America and South America will become members of the Fourth Quorum. Those residing in the United States and Canada will become members of the Fifth Quorum."
The First Quorum of the Seventy is composed of men who serve the church full-time until age 70. The Second Quorum of the Seventy is composed of men who serve the church full-time for periods of 3 to 5 years. The Area Authorities have been functioning in the leadership ranks between local and general church authorities.
The Area Authority Seventies will work under the general direction of the church's governing Quorum of the Twelve, the Presidents of the Seventy and the Area Presidencies in regions of the world where they live.
During his opening remarks, President Hinckley also announced construction plans for temples in Albuquerque, N.M., and Campinas, Brazil, and said the church hopes to break ground in Salt Lake City for a major new auditorium on the block north of Temple Square on July 24 — exactly 150 years from the day Brigham Young and a group of Mormon pioneers first entered the Salt Lake Valley.
Called to serve in the First Quorum of the Seventy were Elders Gary J. Coleman, John M. Madsen and Wm. Rolfe Kerr, who have been serving in the Second Quorum of the Seventy, and Elder Carl B. Pratt of Quito, Ecuador, who has been serving as an Area Authority and second counselor in the South America North Area Presidency.
Newly called to the Second Quorum of the Seventy and their hometowns, or the cities where they are currently assigned in church service, are Elders Richard D. Allred, San Antonio; Eran A. Call, Provo; Richard E. Cook, Park City; Duane B. Gerrard, Kaysville; Wayne M. Hancock, Provo; J. Kent Jolley, Rexburg; Richard J. Maynes, Oakley; Dale E. Miller, Humacao, Puerto Rico; Lynn G. Robbins, Montevideo, Uruguay; Donald L. Staheli, New Canaan, Conn.; and Richard E. Turley Sr., Salt Lake City.
Mary Ellen W. Smoot was called to be the General President of the Relief Society with Virginia U. Jensen called as first counselor and Sheri L. Dew as second counselor. The new general presidency replaces outgoing President Elaine L. Jack, Chieko N. Okazaki, first counselor, and Aileen H. Clyde, second counselor, all of whom have served since 1990.
Carol B. Thomas, Salt Lake City, was called to serve as second counselor in the Young Women General Presidency, succeeding Bonnie D. Parkin, whose husband has been called to serve as a mission president in London.
President Thomas S. Monson, first counselor in the First Presidency, read the names of all those called as Area Authority Seventies.
Duties the newly designated church officials may be assigned include presiding at stake conferences and training stake presidencies; creating or reorganizing stakes and setting apart new stake presidencies; serving as counselors in Area Presidencies; being the chair of regional conference planning committees; serving on area councils presided over by an Area Presidency; touring missions and training mission presidents; and other duties as assigned.
"Consistent with their ordination as Seventies, they become officers of the church with a specific and definite tie to a quorum," President Hinckley said.
"As seventies, they are called to preach the gospel and to be especial witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ as set forth in the revelations. Though all Seventies have equal scriptural authority, members of the First and Second quorums are designated General Authorities while members of the third, fourth and fifth are designated Area Authorities," President Hinckley said.
"Although the ordination of the office of Seventy is without term, a Seventy is called to serve in a quorum for a designated period of years. At the conclusion of this service, he will return to activity in his respective ward and stake and will meet with his High Priests group," President Hinckley said.
All of the church's general authorities were in attendance as the two-day general conference opened, he said, with the exception of Elder James M. Paramore of the First Quorum of the Seventy, who recently underwent surgery. Elder Paramore was listed in critical condition at LDS Hospital Saturday, according to the hospital.
Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve spoke at the Saturday morning session, despite his ongoing treatment for leukemia. He conveyed his appreciation for the faith and prayers of those mindful of his illness, said his "treatments to date have proved encouraging" and joked about the loss of his hair because of the treatments.
"As you can see, the lights combine with my cranium to bring some different illumination to the pulpit," he said.
Shortly thereafter, Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve opened his remarks by welcoming Elder Maxwell to the ranks of general authorities with little hair.
With the opening of the weekend conference, it has been a full year since President Hinckley announced the church would build a new auditorium to supplement the historic Tabernacle on Temple Square.
In announcing the groundbreaking date, he said the building "will seat up to four times as many as the Tabernacle," which seats about 6,000. That would put the seating capacity in the new auditorium beyond the capacity of the nearby Delta Center, which seats 19,911.
The project will displace the Deseret Gymnasium, which will close May 1.
The new auditorium has not yet been given a name, and the extent of its uses remains to be identified. "It will be used for general conference and for other purposes that are in harmony with the reasons for which it is being built. The stage will be such that it can accommodate a large pageant," President Hinckley said. "We may not fill it initially, but we are building for the long term."
The Tabernacle will continue to host Tabernacle Choir broadcasts and some other meetings. "This building has remarkable properties, different from other structures. It is unique and wonderful," President Hinckley said, just too small to meet the needs of the growing church, which should number 10 million by the end of this year.