Mormon WikiLeaks (MormonLeaks)

[Northwestcoug]

you pretty much described my MP. called at 39 years of age, founder and CEO of a growing company, took 7 kids between the ages of 18 and 3 to serve a foreign mission. Now in his 60s, welders laugh at his $120K salary.

Moliere's podcast and the welder's salary are my two favorite recurring themes on CS. Thanks for keeping it alive!

[Paperback Writer]

There is a guy I know who was called as an MP at a fairly young age. He was in the midst of a very successful business career and had just been named CEO of a growing company. He left it all behind and took his family to a foreign mission to serve. Upon his return he could not get back to where he was and his career has been very mixed and much more difficult since then. I have never heard him complain, but I have always wondered if he second guesses it.

I was under the impression that one has to volunteer to be a MP. It's not like the good 'ol days in Kirtland or Nauvoo where the prophet would start calling men out of the congregation to serve missions. But I don't know how the MP nomination process works. I'd be curious to know so as to avoid it.

[Bo Diddley]

I was under the impression that one has to volunteer to be a MP. It's not like the good 'ol days in Kirtland or Nauvoo where the prophet would start calling men out of the congregation to serve missions. But I don't know how the MP nomination process works. I'd be curious to know so as to avoid it.

I heard those who ask are never called.

[byu71]

you pretty much described my MP. called at 39 years of age, founder and CEO of a growing company, took 7 kids between the ages of 18 and 3 to serve a foreign mission. Now in his 60s, welders laugh at his $120K salary.

You have to be in that part of the club that truly, truly believes. They will tell you they were blessed in so many ways that was far greater than material things. Those that call them out of a great situation are in the group of the true, true believers so they believe there are riches far greater than material things.

I tell my kids that when they would like me to float them a loan that I could if only I hadn't pursued those things far greater than material riches.

[taekwondave]

Oh. Haha. I just logged onto r/exmormon. I now know why everyone here is talking about this.

I'm surprised though, haven't we known for quite some time that the GAs received a "modest stipend?"

I guess, "We already knew this--this is nothing new" is not really an argument for why something is appropriate and it's a common way to gaslight those who innocently and justifiably believed that the church in fact had no paid clergy but...I really do think we already knew this.

[byu71]

Oh. Haha. I just logged onto r/exmormon. I now know why everyone here is talking about this.

I'm surprised though, haven't we known for quite some time that the GAs received a "modest stipend?"

I guess, "We already knew this--this is nothing new" is not really an argument for why something is appropriate and it's a common way to gaslight those who innocently and justifiably believed that the church in fact had no paid clergy but...I really do think we already knew this.

Way back when I was a kid and then early in my twenties we were told they weren't paid. They all seemed quite old to me and I just figured they had made a lot of money and were retired.

Later, when I was up to that, someone told me they weren't paid by the church but got paid well by the commercial companies the church owned and by the companies they sat on as members of the BOD.

[Pelado]

Of course you're not. Which gives us full license to find that your "evidence" lacks credibility.

Its funny how when you are losing an argument, you just switch to a new one.

It's almost as if Finderson is still with us.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[jay santos]

Oh. Haha. I just logged onto r/exmormon. I now know why everyone here is talking about this.

I'm surprised though, haven't we known for quite some time that the GAs received a "modest stipend?"

I guess, "We already knew this--this is nothing new" is not really an argument for why something is appropriate and it's a common way to gaslight those who innocently and justifiably believed that the church in fact had no paid clergy but...I really do think we already knew this.

There may be some that didn't know this or think the number is high, but it's hard for me to think anyone has a problem with this unless they have a very immature view of the world.

[taekwondave]

Way back when I was a kid and then early in my twenties we were told they weren't paid. They all seemed quite old to me and I just figured they had made a lot of money and were retired.

Later, when I was up to that, someone told me they weren't paid by the church but got paid well by the commercial companies the church owned and by the companies they sat on as members of the BOD.

So I guess it's not that they get paid that bothers people, it's that they seemed to suggest they didn't, and somehow tried to score brownie points for it, and now we see that it's not true and people are miffed. I get it.

That said, what Jay Santos just said doesn't sit right with me. "Very immature view of the world?" So now that we're all grown up we should all expect every church, even the true one, to make up lies to make itself look more true? I don't know if I get what you're saying there. I think, if the church really was knowingly trying to score brownie points off of a lie, that people have a right to be bothered by that. Nobody should be mad that they get paid--in fact I think a good argument could be made that they should be mad that more church leaders aren't paid, like bishops, but it's a kind of sick gaslighting to say "Oh you thought we were telling the truth? You child. You infant. Grow up."

[byu71]

You are right. Heck, the Board of Directors for GE get around $200 K a year. Does anyone think they put in near the time in their job on the board as the 12 do.

[Clark Addison]

My MP was called at 38 or 39, which seemed very old at the time. However, he worked for the church so it didn't really damage his career.

[byu71]

Nobody should be mad that they get paid--in fact I think a good argument could be made that they should be mad that more church leaders aren't paid, like bishops, but it's a kind of sick gaslighting to say "Oh you thought we were telling the truth? You child. You infant. Grow up."

It's human nature to stretch the truth. People justify it all the time "for the greater good". Now, if I thought God and Jesus sat, rode or walked with them every minute of their lives and corrected them each time, then it would be a big deal.

I can see how this and other things though could shake ones faith. I don't no why that person has the need though to go out and try to shake someone elses faith???

[Jeff Lebowski]

So I guess it's not that they get paid that bothers people, it's that they seemed to suggest they didn't, and somehow tried to score brownie points for it, and now we see that it's not true and people are miffed. I get it.

Responses like this crack me up. When did the church ever say that full-time GA's did not receive financial support? Some of them serve for decades. They have to eat, don't they?

What percentage of the church clergy is unpaid? I would guess 98-99%. That is a lay clergy. Anyone who would claim the church has been "lying" about this has a very immature view of the world (wink to jay santos).

By the way, this is an excerpt from the Encyclopedia of Mormonism from 1992:

"Because the church has no professional clergy, it is administered at every level through lay participation and leadership, and officials other than the General Authorities contribute their time and talents without remuneration. ...Because the General Authorities are obliged to leave their regular employment for full-time church service, they receive a modest living allowance provided from income on church investments."

[taekwondave]

It's human nature to stretch the truth. People justify it all the time "for the greater good". Now, if I thought God and Jesus sat, rode or walked with them every minute of their lives and corrected them each time, then it would be a big deal.

I can see how this and other things though could shake ones faith. I don't no why that person has the need though to go out and try to shake someone elses faith???

Yeah I can see that. But when does "stretching" become good old lying? "A modest stipend" when you are bringing in $120K probably qualifies as stretching. "We don't get paid" when we do, is probably over that line.

[taekwondave]

By the way, this is an excerpt from the Encyclopedia of Mormonism from 1992:

I appreciate that quote. I knew I wasn't crazy. "Modest living allowance" is definitely something I've heard before.