LDS General Authorities and Living Allowances

Feb 1, 2011
Jenny Evans

Worldwide General Authority Stipend - lusi

Although most teaching and leadership positions in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are unpaid, a handful do come with a living allowance.

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormon) pride themselves on having no paid clergy in their religion. While all local and regional positions in the LDS church are filled by lay member volunteers, LDS leaders at the worldwide leadership level do in fact receive an LDS living stipend.

Because the full-time work of an LDS general authority leaves no room for outside full-time employment, about 350 mission presidents and 100 general authorities (the prophet, apostles, and first quorum of the seventy) are offered a living allowance. It may be refused by those who are independently wealthy and do not need living assistance.

LDS General Authority Stipends

Mormon leader living allowances come from the profits of commercial holdings owned by the LDS church, not from tithing money paid by church members. In other words, church officials get their living allowances from the profits of the corporations they own as heads of the church - not from the church proper.

The dollar value of LDS general authority stipends is undisclosed, but former church president Gordon B. Hinckley told members that the stipends are "very modest in comparison with executive compensation in industry and the professions."

Since many general authorities led lucrative careers in medicine, law, and business before leaving them for full-time church service, it is unlikely that a "modest" stipend would exceed their previous incomes.

Stipend vs. Salary

The difference between a "stipend" and a "salary" is largely semantic, but Latter-day Saints prefer the term "stipend" or "living allowance" when applied to their general authorities.

"Living allowance" suggests a reasonable sum that is based on the cost of living. It is more about recognizing that the position leaves no time to seek outside employment to provide for one's needs than it is about payment for services rendered.

"Salary" suggests a typical wage system where one applies for a position, is hired, and becomes an employee of the organization. Mormons object to the term "salary" because of this connotation. General authorities do not seek their leadership positions, nor have they depended on the church for income prior to their appointments as general authorities (usually not until age 50 or beyond.) For more about how Mormon leaders are called, see LDS Callings.

LDS Scripture and Living Allowances

The Doctrine & Covenants (D&C,) a book of modern LDS scripture believed to contain revelations from God on church doctrine and procedure, sets a precedent for some leaders being supported by the church when they serve full-time.

D&C 75: 24 calls it "the duty of the church to assist in supporting those, and also to support the families of those who are called" to full-time service. D&C 42: 71 says that full-time church servants (at that time, bishops and their assistants) "are to have their families supported out of the property which is consecrated to the bishop."

Priestcraft in Mormon Scripture

In most Mormon minds, preaching for money may be closely related to something called "priestcraft." "Priestcraft" is a term from LDS scripture describing those who "preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion" (2 Nephi 26: 29, emphasis added.)

However, both Mormons and non-Mormons should note that this verse is not a blanket condemnation of paid ministers. Priestcraft is not in the receiving of support itself, but in the individual's intent. Practitioners of priestcraft preach for fame and money instead of humankind's welfare. There are many salaried clergy members of all faiths who do not practice priestcraft.

Approximately 450 Mormon leaders out of the hundreds of thousands who serve in the 13 million member Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are eligible for living stipends. Latter-day Saints see these stipends as a living allowance, while critics sometimes see them as evidence of a paid clergy.

Source:

Gordon B. Hinckley, "Questions and Answers." Ensign, November 1985.

Jenny Evans - Jenny Evans is a freelance writer and editor specializing in parenting and the family. She is also the Mormonism Topic Editor for ...

Modest Living Allowance for Top LDS Church Leaders - svilen001

Priestcraft Not Necessarily the Same as Paid Ministry - svilen001

Comments

May 1, 2011 3:21 PM

Guest :

A couple of quick comments. First, as to the statement that president Gordon B. Hinckley told members that the stipends are "very modest in comparison with executive compensation in industry and the professions." If this is the comparison, executive compensation in industry and the professions is quite lucrative - more often than not in the millions, with many luxurious perks.

Why not just come out from behind the iron curtain and disclose to the membership what the real deal is? General Conference annual accountings to the membership disclose absolutely nothing beyond that the books have been audited and are in order. Why the extreme secrecy about the money - especially when it is requisite for all faithful members to give at least one tenth?

I appreciate the clarification of what is/is not priestcraft and the conciliatory tone towards Christianity. But what you've said is really more enlightened than the average LDS member who thinks that being paid as a clergy member is always the sign of preaching filthy lucre.

It is not the fact that LDS general authorities are paid that is bothersome - it is the hypocracy (in addition to the secrecy) that is is so irritating. Stipend or Living Allowance does sound nicer than Salary - but either constitute the same thing (and always thowing in that GA's may refuse it - is this supposed to mean something?).

The reality is that the LDS General Authorities are treated as rock stars in Mormondom (every Mormon household having its walls adorned with pictures of the bretheren and its bookshelves holding all of their books - think of the revenues from these sources alone), complete with catered meals and personal security. Is any of that wrong - not necessarily. Let's just call a spade a spade - haven't we all had enough of the holier than thou of Mormonism to the rest of the world.

The fact that the church's "living allowances" are not paid from tithing funds but rather from church corporations somehow makes it something different? Where did the church get the funds to build these enormous corporations? At least at one point, from tithes and income from the membership.

I understand the natural desire to want to make the church sound as sweet, nice and perfect as possible. But behind the standard sunshine and lollipops presentation to the world, it is what it is.

May 7, 2011 7:00 PM

Guest :

I'm a convert of more than 30 years and have no problem paying tithing to the church and know GAs receive money. However, the church should be totally open about what GAs receive as well as where all the other money goes. The lack of transparency is very troubling and is contrary to the principles of honesty and integrity that the church claims to follow. Secrecy and total lack of disclosure, especially when it comes to member's hard-earned tithing contributions, borders on scandalous and does not reflect well on the church.

2 Comments