Who In The Church Are Paid?

[JAHS]

The church is already criticized so I don't see that as something to worry about.

 

Plenty of churches and charitable organizations disclose their financials including our church until 1959.

 

Plenty of people are capable of understanding financial statements.

I have heard too many stories of other Christian churches who do disclose their finances to their members and the arguing that goes on between members and their leaders as to how it should be spent. It only breeds contention. 

[rockpond]

I have heard too many stories of other Christian churches who do disclose their finances to their members and the arguing that goes on between members and their leaders as to how it should be spent. It only breeds contention. 

 

As opposed to not disclosing...

[will227457]

As opposed to not disclosing...

Yes as opposed to not disclosing,  you don't know what you don't know. I can only imagine the business owners, leaders of industry, and regular members picking at financial statements and insisting that they can do it better.

 

You seem to think that because you prayed about how to allocate your tithing that you are entitled to send it to where ever or to what ever organization you seem fit. What you fail to realize is that you do not receive revelation for the church and your personal decision to allocate your tithing to anything other than the church is incorrect. 

[Sevenbak]

I read that the $1.2 million condominium at 40 N State is home to the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and is free from property taxes. 

My guess is you read that on some anti site.  Having been in that apartment for a media interview, I can tell you that it is a very modest 2 bedroom apartment, with a larger-than normal living room for guests.  It has bullet proof glass all the way around, plus other added security like tunnels under the street to the Church admin building, etc.  It's also in a convenient location, and as any real estate pro would tell you, location location location is always factored into market value.   President Monson doesn't get to live in his real home for security reasons.   The apostles do live in their own homes, as did P. Monson before being called as the LDS President.  His rambler type home is also very small and modest.  Wow, what an amazing thing for someone that has been an apostle and member of the First Presidency for so many decades, living off the high hog (as you say) of the Church.  What greed!  What selfishness!   /sarc  

 

He, like all the other Presidents in relatively modern times of security risks, has lived in that same apartment.  How sad for him.  Unfortunately, that's the reality of it in this crazy world.

Edited October 1, 2014 by Sevenbak

[rockpond]

Yes as opposed to not disclosing, you don't know what you don't know. I can only imagine the business owners, leaders of industry, and regular members picking at financial statements and insisting that they can do it better.

You seem to think that because you prayed about how to allocate your tithing that you are entitled to send it to where ever or to what ever organization you seem fit. What you fail to realize is that you do not receive revelation for the church and your personal decision to allocate your tithing to anything other than the church is incorrect.

You can imagine people picking over the financials but we published them until 1959. To my knowledge, it was never explained why they stopped. And according to a recent Sunstone presentation, the churches representing 68% of the US population publish their financials. So it's possible.

And I never claimed to have received revelation for the whole church. You should do what you feel is right.

[Calm]

 

He, like all the other Presidents in relatively modern times of security risks, has lived in that same apartment.  How sad for him.  Unfortunately, that's the reality of it in this crazy world.

which means the apartment belongs to the Church and not to him and thus the only benefit to him is the convenience.

 

I would hate to live in someone else's house even if I got permission to redecorate the whole thing according to my own taste and I bet they don't do that at least in the more public rooms where they meet people.  I wouldn't be surprised to have personal pictures, but I bet it is a professional decorator who chooses the rest for the most part which I would totally hate.  Who wants to live in what amounts to a hotel (Residence Inn since it has a kitchen probably).

[Johnnie Cake]

It comes from the business profits of the Church, not your tithing.

 

I have no idea if it is $70,000 but that is not a lot when you are travelling almost non-stop all the time and have to dress your best all the time. My salary is in the same ballpark as that stipend and I don't work nearly as hard as they do. I don't envy them.

 

 

Apostles could not hold down a regular 9-5 job and do their calling in the evenings. It is hard to pop off to the Philippines for a few days and then go visit Mexico and Chile in a week and still put in 40 hours. Their office jobs usually take at least 40 hours a week not counting travelling to be out amongst the saints.

 

As to being released, that's God's call. He can change it if He wants to but as it stands it is for life.

 

You sound like you are jealous. Don't be. They are not glutting themselves on the labor of the saints. They are underpaid for the work put in by every economic metric I know of. I wouldn't take a regular job that required the effort they have to put into their calling for anything less then half a million a year and if I got such a job I would do it for a few years and retire before I burned out.

 

 

Nehor....since the church does not release any of the details to the claims you are making...you may want to add that you are merely speculating...and in fact acknowledge that the mentioned GA's could very well be paid from tithing funds...we just don't know.

[Stargazer]

I read that the $1.2 million condominium at 40 N State is home to the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and is free from property taxes. The church should release where exactly our tithings and offerings are going to not avoid confusion. I want to know where my hard earned money is headed, since I'm poor and hoping it goes towards a good cause. It could go towards the $1.2 million condo for all I know. It seems like an apostle is a sweet gig if you get like $70,000 a year to cover your bases. That's double more than I make.

 

Oh, fer crying out loud.  Jealous because someone is making $70K and you're only making $35K?  How old are you, anyway?  22?  I make nearly $70K per year, too, and are you jealous of me, too? 

 

This topic is 4 days old and already there are 181 replies, so all this has probably been said already, but one of my old missionary companions is a GA, and if he didn't have a stipend he'd probably be standing on the corner in SLC begging for spare change between meetings, because he didn't pick a lucrative career before getting called to DROP EVERYTHING IN HIS LIFE AND CAREER AND DEVOTE HIMSELF TO THE LORD'S SERVICE.  Gosh, if you got called to be a GA tomorrow, how long would it take before you died of starvation without a stipend? 

 

Good grief.

[Brian 2.0]

Oh, fer crying out loud.  Jealous because someone is making $70K and you're only making $35K?  How old are you, anyway?  22?  I make nearly $70K per year, too, and are you jealous of me, too? 

 

This topic is 4 days old and already there are 181 replies, so all this has probably been said already, but one of my old missionary companions is a GA, and if he didn't have a stipend he'd probably be standing on the corner in SLC begging for spare change between meetings, because he didn't pick a lucrative career before getting called to DROP EVERYTHING IN HIS LIFE AND CAREER AND DEVOTE HIMSELF TO THE LORD'S SERVICE.  Gosh, if you got called to be a GA tomorrow, how long would it take before you died of starvation without a stipend? 

 

Good grief.

 

Absolutely nothing wrong with a stipend in my mind.  

 

I actually think Bishops, Stake Presidents, and probably RS Presidents should get one too.  

[Calm]

At least babysitting money so they can have a date night once in a while.

[JAHS]

Absolutely nothing wrong with a stipend in my mind.  

 

I actually think Bishops, Stake Presidents, and probably RS Presidents should get one too.  

Actually there is a scripture that tells us that the LDS Bishop and his counselors in the early days of the received financial support:

 

"And the elders or high priests who are appointed to assist the bishop as counselors in all things, are to have their families supported out of the property which is consecrated to the bishop, for the good of the poor, and for other purposes, as before mentioned; Or they are to receive a just remuneration for all their services, either a stewardship or otherwise, as may be thought best or decided by the counselors and bishop. And the bishop, also, shall receive his support, or a just remuneration for all his services in the church." (D&C 42:71-73)

[Stargazer]

Absolutely nothing wrong with a stipend in my mind.  

 

I actually think Bishops, Stake Presidents, and probably RS Presidents should get one too.  

 

I remember when Bishops got a monthly mileage allowance, to help defray the costs of traveling to visit ward members and such.

[Tacenda]

I remember when Bishops got a monthly mileage allowance, to help defray the costs of traveling to visit ward members and such.

I hope they still do...those that have to travel aways...including RS presidents that visit the sisters continually. Those that live outside the MorCor.

[JAHS]

I hope they still do...those that have to travel aways...including RS presidents that visit the sisters continually. Those that live outside the MorCor.

 

Nowadays we have visiting and home teachers to do most of the visiting. I don't know of any Bishops who get spending money for visiting people.

Anyone who has to do a lot of driving in connection with a ward sponsored event can get reimbursed for the gas if needed.

[Stargazer]

I hope they still do...those that have to travel aways...including RS presidents that visit the sisters continually. Those that live outside the MorCor.

 

No, that ended decades ago.  The last time I heard about it was in 1980.

[grannysue]

My husband was recently released as a bishop. Bishops receive no funds whatsoever. 

 

As for the condo that the prophet and some apostles live in, I have a friend who rented in that same condo until a couple of years ago. The good parts were proximity to the temple and a lovely view of the temple. In every other way, I would not have wanted to live there. The building was old, smelled old, and (at that time anyway) was decorated like something out of the 1950s. The carpeting in the lobby was particularly outdated and ugly. I could hardly believe the building wasn't "nicer." Hopefully, it looks better now.

 

Having said all of that, my friend did have some wonderful neighbors!

 

Edited October 4, 2014 by grannysue

[Tacenda]

An aside here, I know I seem negative or critical about things in the church, but that's only because the topics at hand are geared toward negativity or flaws. Lightbulb moment...

I have a RS president that is constantly visiting the sisters, I see her car everywhere in my ward area, most likely because their visiting teacher's dropped the ball. Thank goodness our wards in Utah consist of a 2 or 3 mile radious usually.

[ksfisher]

I have a RS president that is constantly visiting the sisters, I see her car everywhere in my ward area, most likely because their visiting teacher's dropped the ball. Thank goodness our wards in Utah consist of a 2 or 3 mile radious usually.

 

Perhaps she's visiting in response to something that the visiting teachers learned during their visit. 

[BookofMormonLuvr]

Should the apostles have regular jobs too like Bishops and Stake Presidents? Should they really be grandfathered or tenured into their positions until death or should they be released like a BIshop is released every 5 or 6 years.

 

The Apostles of the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) and Church of Jesus Christ (Bickerton) are self-sustaining, though they are reimbursed for travel, lodging, and food during their ministry trips.

[Tacenda]

Perhaps she's visiting in response to something that the visiting teachers learned during their visit.

True, but in the past I would get VT'ng reports that showed otherwise.

[ksfisher]

 

The Apostles of the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) and Church of Jesus Christ (Bickerton) are self-sustaining, though they are reimbursed for travel, lodging, and food during their ministry trips.

 

Do you know if they are expected to work full time jobs while serving?

[BookofMormonLuvr]

Do you know if they are expected to work full time jobs while serving?

Yes, they work full-time jobs, unless they are retired. The Apostle I know the best, from the Church of Christ (Temple Lot), just recently retired from the Phoenix Fire Department- another retired a few years back from the Phoenix homicide division. They live frugally and use vacation time for mission trips and Conferences. The most recently called Apostle is a regional sales manager for, I believe, John Deere.

Edited October 5, 2014 by BookofMormonLuvr

[Silhouette]

This is a fascinating topic for me. I've been a member of the Church since I was 16 (I'm 53 now), and I had no idea whatsoever that anyone in the Church got compensation of any kind for their services.

[theplains]

This is a fascinating topic for me. I've been a member of the Church since I was 16 (I'm 53 now), and I had no idea whatsoever that anyone in the Church got compensation of any kind for their services.

 

It's a question of semantics. 'Paid' has evil connotations so they substitute 'benefits', 'compensation',

or 'support' instead.  When the Catholic Church sends a priest to a remote destination and gives him

a wage, they refer to it as 'paid'. When an evangelical missionary goes to a remote destination and is

supported by donations from friends and family, we can it 'support' or 'compensation' for lack of

finances that otherwise could have been earned from a full time job.  There is nothing wrong with

either.  Even Mormon missionaries need to be (paid) supported by someone in remote lands to

supplement what little they can earn, if anything.  

 

Regards,

Jim

[Silhouette]

Well, this is true. I hadn't looked at it in these terms. Thanks, Jim

Best,

Melanie