I went to utvoters.com and looked up the registered party affiliation of the top 15 (first presidency and quorum of the 12 apostles) and the 30 members of the first quorum of 70 who are American citizens residing in Utah. Here is what I found:

Total: 45 men
Republican: 34
Democrat: 2 (two from the 1st quorum of 70, Renlund and Snow)
Unaffiliated: 9 (5 from the big 15, 4 from the 1st quorum of 70)

% Republican: 75.6%
% Democrat: 4.4%
%Unaffiliated: 20%

I assume, like is the case for many people I know, they will say they are unaffiliated ("independent") but they are in fact republican, especially if they reside and vote in Utah (all of these people I checked DID LIVE in Utah). So the MINIMUM percentage of republicans among the top 45 leaders of the LDS church is AT LEAST 75.6%.

So, when people talk about the "demographics" of LDS leadership it is 100% white, 100% male, and AT LEAST 75.6% republican. The home addresses were listed for each person on this website. I am reasonably sure that if I took the time to check, I would find that the average home value for these men would be 3-5 times the average Utah home value (Packer's home, a few years ago was something like $1.75 million on the Salt Lake County Assessors website). In other words, they are WELL OFF financially. So add to the list of demographics that they are WEALTHY. From having subscribed the the LDS newspaper, the "Deseret News" for many years, and having received the "Church News" every week, and having looked at the occupation of the mission presidents and stake presidents I would list their choice of occupation as: (1) attorneys, (2) physicians, (3) business owners, (4) church employees. So they are "professional people".

It is not therefore surprising that they pick new leaders who "look like" themselves. The system of leadership is self chosen by the in place leadership and will not likely change in attitude, political persuation, or status. The likelihood of the LDS church adapting successfully to social change in society and in their membership is not much. Therefore I do not predict survival beyond the end of the next 100 years.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 09/03/2013 05:28PM by elciz.

Yep, those are the statistics of a monoculture.

Monoculture is not good. Not good for anyone.

Conformity it's what Mormons are about. This is not a pluralistic society.

I'm guessing a good number of the "unaffiliated" ones are either libertarian right wing (remember Bo Gritz?) or the types who like to pretend they are independents so they can't be pigeonholed as party liners. Maybe they voted once for someone like Ross Perot. (I'm not saying there is anything wrong with that.)

I wouldn't want to accuse them of just wanting to make the leadership SEEM diverse by saying they are unaffiliated. :-)

So it may be awhile before Oprah is ordained an apostle?

No, Oprah is not on the "short list"....

That's an interesting breakdown of party affiliation. Thanks for sharing.

I also find it interested that many current and former elected officials are listed as Mormon who really aren't. That doesn't stop Mormons from claiming them as their own.


Some say there are 17 or 18 Mormons in Congress, such as:

http://bycommonconsent.com/2012/11/09/mormons-in-congress-2012-final-results-2/


But a closer look reveals...

SENATE (5 Rs and 2 Ds)
Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) - active Mormon
Dean Heller (R-Nevada) - active Mormon
Jeff Flake (R-Arizona) - active Mormon; very racist son
Harry Reid (D-Nevada) - active Mormon
Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) - unkown; pled guilty to a DUI
Tom Udall (D-New Mexico) - not active, but lists Mormon on his bio for cultural reasons
Mike Lee (R-Utah) - active Mormon

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES (6 Rs and 4 Ds)
Eni Faleomavaega (D-American Samoa) - active Mormon
Buck McKeon (R-California) - active Mormon
Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) - not active; smokes and drinks
Jim Matheson (D-Utah) - active Mormon
Rob Bishop (R-Utah) - active Mormon
Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) - active Mormon
Rául Labrador (R-Idaho) - active Mormon
Krysten Sinema (D-Arizona) - grew up Mormon, but bisexual and athiest
Chris Stewart (R-Utah) - active Mormon
Mark Udall (D-Colorado) - not Mormon despite family ties


...maybe 11 voting members and 1 non-voting delegate in Congress.


11 Mormons / (100 Senate + 435 House) = .02056 or 2% of Congress

They are hardly taking over Congress.

Same poster as above.

I'll add that the Mormon majority in Utah, and the non democratic (little 'd') nature of the Senate, helps assure an slightly over-representation of Mormons in Congress. Utah's tiny population sends six Mormons back to D.C., which is 100% of its total representation. The large Mormon minority in Nevada, Arizona, and Idaho also serves to slightly over represent Mormons by affiliation.

Look at where Mormon politicians have hisotically gotten elected outside of Utah and Idaho: Harry Reid (NV), Tom Udall (NM), Mitt Romney (MA), George Romney (MI), Gordon Smith (OR), Paula Hawkins (FL), etc. None of these are conservative areas.

Mormons, whether Republican or Democrat, have not won elections in conservative areas, except for Utah or Idaho.

Democrats will vote for Mormons. Non-Mormon Republicans will generally not vote for Mormons.

In the 2008 Utah Republican primary, which was held on February 5 (Super Tuesday), Mitt Romney won 89.5% of the vote compared to 5% for John McCain and 3% for Ron Paul. John McCain would go on to get the nomination. In 2012 Utah held its primary much later, June 26, by which Rommney had secured the nomination. His vote share in the Utah primary was 93.1%.

Mormons are biased for Mormons. Non-Mormon conservatives are biased against Mormons.