Are all the leaders rich?


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I hope this is in the right place and also hope this isnt breaking any rules, But are any of the top people in the church poor or from poor backgrounds? And if they are from poor backgrounds, are they still poor or do they have wealth now?

I ask this, as i was reading in another thread, where someone said that all the leaders in the Presidency, 12 and 70 were rich and needed nothing from the church to live. Most being retired was also an answer. But that isnt my question.

So are all the leaders rich?

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I wouldn't say all are rich. Most of them have had successful careers in various fields. My opinion would be...as they progressed in leadership positions...giving their all to the Church and to Heavenly Father, they were indeed blessed with the monetary resources to retire very comfortably.

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I hope this is in the right place and also hope this isnt breaking any rules, But are any of the top people in the church poor or from poor backgrounds? And if they are from poor backgrounds, are they still poor or do they have wealth now?

I ask this, as i was reading in another thread, where someone said that all the leaders in the Presidency, 12 and 70 were rich and needed nothing from the church to live. Most being retired was also an answer. But that isnt my question.

So are all the leaders rich?

read the autobiog of Spencer W Kimball...
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I hope this is in the right place and also hope this isnt breaking any rules, But are any of the top people in the church poor or from poor backgrounds? And if they are from poor backgrounds, are they still poor or do they have wealth now?

I ask this, as i was reading in another thread, where someone said that all the leaders in the Presidency, 12 and 70 were rich and needed nothing from the church to live. Most being retired was also an answer. But that isnt my question.

So are all the leaders rich?

Rich is a relative term...I know that the Quorum of the 12 and the First Presidency receive an annual stipend for their services, I'm not sure about the various Quorums of the Seventy?

Some Apostles I would imagine have a net worth more than others. David B. Haight (RIP) was the Father in Law to John Huntsman, Sr., and Grandfather to the current Governor of Utah. He was in his own right the Mayor of Palo Alto as well as a high ranking executive with Montgomery Wards.

Dallin Oaks on the other hand, has spent most of his career either teaching law at the University of Chicago, or on the Utah Supreme Court. So I suspect his net worth isn't that of say...the late David B. Haight.

Russell M. Nelson is an MD by training, and I assume he probably had a very prosperous practice. I know he serves as a medical advisor for most of the Qourum of the 12...if not other GA's too.

Our late Prophet, Seer and Revelator Gordon B. Hinckley was the first GA to ever be solely employed by the Church. He hardly qualified as monitarily rich...I'd say though, he was rich beyond our wildest dreams for the life he lead and the service he gave to the Lord and his people. (Can you imagine the line of folks on the other side who not only greeted President Hinckley...but shed tears of thanks for all the Temples that were built under his direction)

In the last century, Charles Nibley was called to the First Presidency. I believe he was the only...or possibly one of two people called to serve in the First Presidency, who'd never served in the Quorum of the 12. When he was called, he was the richest Latter Day Saint in the world. He's been compared to Bill Gates in terms of wealth.

Yet for all his wealth, the greastest contribution President Nibley left us was his Grandson Hugh Winder Nibley.

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I hope this is in the right place and also hope this isnt breaking any rules, But are any of the top people in the church poor or from poor backgrounds? And if they are from poor backgrounds, are they still poor or do they have wealth now?

I ask this, as i was reading in another thread, where someone said that all the leaders in the Presidency, 12 and 70 were rich and needed nothing from the church to live. Most being retired was also an answer. But that isnt my question.

So are all the leaders rich?

Everyone that is blessed of G-d is rich.

The Traveler

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I hope this is in the right place and also hope this isnt breaking any rules, But are any of the top people in the church poor or from poor backgrounds? And if they are from poor backgrounds, are they still poor or do they have wealth now?

I ask this, as i was reading in another thread, where someone said that all the leaders in the Presidency, 12 and 70 were rich and needed nothing from the church to live. Most being retired was also an answer. But that isnt my question.

So are all the leaders rich?

To add a bit of perspective.

Referencing our leaders as the "top people" is inaccurate. We are all equal in the eyes of God. He is no respecter of persons. Leaders should consider themselves the "servants of all" and should take no pride in being called.

I don't know about "how wealthy" our church leadership are (or were) before or after being called. If I am not mistaken, the 12 consecrate all of their wealth (such as it may be) to the LDS Faith when called and survive on a small stipend they are given each month. The 12 are called for life.

Wealth is irrelevant. It is no inicator of personal righteousness or standing before the Lord. Wealth is meaningless to the Lord, who is the creator of worlds without end. The Lord could give or take away wealth from an individual at His whim, and He does. He does not need our money to do His work.

Edited by tomk
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Rich is a relative term...I know that the Quorum of the 12 and the First Presidency receive an annual stipend for their services, I'm not sure about the various Quorums of the Seventy?

Some Apostles I would imagine have a net worth more than others. David B. Haight (RIP) was the Father in Law to John Huntsman, Sr., and Grandfather to the current Governor of Utah. He was in his own right the Mayor of Palo Alto as well as a high ranking executive with Montgomery Wards.

Dallin Oaks on the other hand, has spent most of his career either teaching law at the University of Chicago, or on the Utah Supreme Court. So I suspect his net worth isn't that of say...the late David B. Haight.

Russell M. Nelson is an MD by training, and I assume he probably had a very prosperous practice. I know he serves as a medical advisor for most of the Qourum of the 12...if not other GA's too.

Our late Prophet, Seer and Revelator Gordon B. Hinckley was the first GA to ever be solely employed by the Church. He hardly qualified as monitarily rich...I'd say though, he was rich beyond our wildest dreams for the life he lead and the service he gave to the Lord and his people. (Can you imagine the line of folks on the other side who not only greeted President Hinckley...but shed tears of thanks for all the Temples that were built under his direction)

AHEM! Under Who's direction???? :)

In the last century, Charles Nibley was called to the First Presidency. I believe he was the only...or possibly one of two people called to serve in the First Presidency, who'd never served in the Quorum of the 12. When he was called, he was the richest Latter Day Saint in the world. He's been compared to Bill Gates in terms of wealth.

Yet for all his wealth, the greastest contribution President Nibley left us was his Grandson Hugh Winder Nibley.

...

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There's many wealthy people in the Church, in general.

The qualities the Church emphasizes are also strong leadership and hard-working qualities that help build successful careers, as well as successful homes. It's no wonder to me that the kind of men and women that take leadership roles in the Church have also adhered to simple tenets that brought them prosperous lives.

As was mentioned before: blessing from the Lord.

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Ezra Taff Benson was a framer wasn't he? He did end up serving as secretary of Agriculture for the government. Pres. Packer works in the education system his whole life (I don't know how wealthy you can get there). Elder Ballard was a car sales men I think. Pres. Monson was pretty high up in publishing, but mostly for Desertnews and DesertBook. I'm just waiting for somebody high up from the computer field to make it.

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There's many wealthy people in the Church, in general.

The qualities the Church emphasizes are also strong leadership and hard-working qualities that help build successful careers, as well as successful homes. It's no wonder to me that the kind of men and women that take leadership roles in the Church have also adhered to simple tenets that brought them prosperous lives.

As was mentioned before: blessing from the Lord.

Thats exactly what i was thinking. The churches teachings on how to live seem to also prepare people, not only spiritually, but also physically. Isnt Heavenly Father wonderful? :)
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It's also noteworthy that except in a few cases, apostles (members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles) are asked, as a matter of policy, to retire from their professional careers and devote themselves to full-time church service.

Members of the first and second quorums of the Seventy also give up their professional careers for the duration of their service, and are considered full-time General Authorities of the Church. For the first Quorum of the Seventy, this means until they reach their 70th birthday, and for the Second Quorum of the Seventy it is for aprox. 5-6 years.

Regards,

Vanhin

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  • 10 years later...

Thomas S monson’s networth was estimated at about $12Million. Most GAs and the church will not disclose financial information. GAs make money from a stipend (small ~$200,000) and royalties from religious genre books they write (not to mention previous careers).

 

So are all GAs rich? No idea. Financial information is not disclosed.

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Even if the numbers are correct, the leaders would have put far more into the church via volunteer time and tithes and offerings than they ever would get out from a stipend?  The only time church leaders are paid is to compensate for their families (i.e,. the money is to support wives and children who would be affected if he was suddenly no longer making a living).  

A leaked pay stub from an apostle, showed his stipend at just under 90K in 2000.

http://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=4800350&itype=CMSID

Put that into perspective, and your typical IT specialist managing the church's website makes more than an Apostle.

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5 hours ago, bytebear said:

Even if the numbers are correct, the leaders would have put far more into the church via volunteer time and tithes and offerings than they ever would get out from a stipend?  The only time church leaders are paid is to compensate for their families (i.e,. the money is to support wives and children who would be affected if he was suddenly no longer making a living).  

A leaked pay stub from an apostle, showed his stipend at just under 90K in 2000.

http://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=4800350&itype=CMSID

Put that into perspective, and your typical IT specialist managing the church's website makes more than an Apostle.

I would imagine that is all part of God's plan.  Being foreordained, Apostles would need to be in a position where they can walk away from everything for full-time service for the rest of their lives.

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13 hours ago, Grunt said:

I would imagine that is all part of God's plan.  Being foreordained, Apostles would need to be in a position where they can walk away from everything for full-time service for the rest of their lives.

I know a lot of people get upset when many of the leaders are businessmen, but this is an international church now, and we need leadership familiar with the business and political world to achieve the goals of the Lord.  

Do you know the first non-US country to have two temples?   Germany.  Why?  Because of the savvy of our leaders, we were able to negotiate a temple in East Germany before the wall fell. After the reunification of Germany, the country had a West German and East German temple. That is simply remarkable, and could no be done if the Lord did not place those leaders in those positions.  A friend from high school was in the Austria mission before the temple and was one of the first missionaries to enter East Germany.  The Lord knew what was coming, and prepared the people years before it happened.

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I don't see a problem with church leaders being paid, that way they can dedicate their efforts to the church completely, it makes sense that the church would look after them.  In my faith all the priests, bishops etc are financially looked after by the church, that way they can concentrate fully on their job in the church.  I don't see an issue with it at all.  

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5 minutes ago, marge said:

I don't see a problem with church leaders being paid, that way they can dedicate their efforts to the church completely, it makes sense that the church would look after them.  In my faith all the priests, bishops etc are financially looked after by the church, that way they can concentrate fully on their job in the church.  I don't see an issue with it at all.  

HI @marge, great to see you again!

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If the scripture below is true, and given its source, I think it probably is, then the Apostles and General Authorities are probably as rich as they want to be. Verse 19 might even give some idea what they do with their wealth. 

Jacob 2

18 But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.
19  And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted.
 

Edited by askandanswer
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Guest MormonGator
17 minutes ago, pwrfrk said:

why does it matter?  You don't go up to a rabbi or Imam and ask them about this, do you?  Or a Catholic priest or Baptist preacher?  So why ask Mormon leaders?

 

It's a fair question. After all, you can-and should- critique televangelists like Joel Osteen because of their lifestyle, so you should apply the same level of criticism towards your own leaders. 

The good news is that it is clear that LDS leaders don't live lives anywhere near the Jim Bakers/Joel Osteens of the world. Just making money is fine, just making a lot of money is fine, but it does open you up to criticism. 

Edited by MormonGator
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