Prominent in the pioneering and settlement of early Utah were many men of great ability. Among them was Levi Ward Hancock. He became a dedicated spiritual leader in the Mormon Church.The life of Levi Hancock began in Springfield, Massachusetts, on April 7, 1803. His father moved about quite often in his attempts to provide a better livelihood for his family. Each move took them farther west. It was while they were living in Ohio that the Hancock family heard the Mormon missionaries preach their new gospel. Levi joined this frontier religion.Joining the Mormon Church changed the whole course of Hancock's life. He immediately became active and was sent to several missions. Some were preaching and proselyting missions; others were for other purposes. One such mission, known as Zion's Camp, was sent to Missouri to relieve what the Mormons believed to be the oppression of their members living there. The intended purpose of the mission failed, but from this group of tried and tested men came the future leaders of the Church. Levi Hancock was selected to be a member of the First Council of the Seventy. This group of seven men presided over the affairs of the Seventy, one of the lay groups of Priesthood in the Mormon Church.