My wife's grandparents lived down the hall from one of the apostles. It's a nice condo high rise down the street from the SLC temple. When we would visit, if this apostle was in town, he would be at church on Sunday.
Yes, they do. Although they probably attend their normal ward only about 25-75% of the time (depending on the GA), since they're always sent around the world on assignments, having meetings, having to go to Stake Conferences, visiting missions, etc.
So, do they have to go to their local Bishop when their temple recommend needs renewed? Does the Bishop ask them if they live the law of chastity? Tithing? Up to date on any child support obligations? Let's see, what else...anyhow, then they have to go to their Stake President for the final sign off? Hmmmmm
I've heard they're tithing exempt. I've also heard they have special lifetime recommends that look different than the peons. That would mean no interviews for them.
They might as well be tithing exempt. They get all their money from the church, so they'd just be giving money back straight away. Not to mention, if they did pay tithing simply out of formality, they could just pay themselves extra so they could still pay tithing but not be any worse off. There's pretty much no point in them paying tithing at that stage tbh.
They demonstrate their humility, which of course NEEDS demonstrating because they have so little.
A friend of mine grew up on the East Bench with Gordon Hinckley in his ward. Said he was a cold sob who refused to take his water turn with the peons.
Anybody whose lived in the country knows that stealing someone else's water turn is close to murder because you are depriving a family of irrigation water for their FOOD.
I've told this story to audiences without any reaction at all- (city folk, right?) But to a rural group - audible gasps.
The BP who yelled at me and told me to "move out of my ward" stole water from his widowed neighbor downstream two turns over. He'd get a little extra by adjusting the wiffle board or reopening his flood gate to add extra to his garden.
He'd brag about how well his garden did. No one ever knew if he shared anything from his garden with the poor and needy in the ward on DI food.
When the widow came around half way through her water turn to find the BP had stolen it, he said "Well I didn't think you wanted it today." WTF??? Where did he get that idea?
He was just a thief, plain and common.
He was the same douche who made like the church was going to give out big fancy hams for Christmas and brought a little DI salt cured three pound ham. (For a familiy of seven)
I have met the Bishop who is over Boyd K. Packer's ward. I've actually attend that ward years ago and saw Boyd sitting on the stand. Any closet exmos in that particular ward?
That was going to be my follow-up really - what do they do? Do they outrank the Bishop in the ward or does he oversee them? Do they sit with the congregation or on the stand?
Not sure about the males and home teaching, but I know for certain that the GA's wives take part in Visiting Teaching in their local ward. Or at least they have the option to.
They are tithing exempt. I don't have the reference here, but they exempted themselves long ago from paying tithing. Michael Quinn documented this, I believe, in one of his books.
They have lifetime, plastic, permanent temple recommends also. So no worthiness interviews.
Tithing and bi-annual underwear checks are for the little people. Of course.
Thirty years ago, I was the bishop of a ward in which a senior apostle lived. He had been an influential businessman before his calling.
- He always appeared for tithing settlement. He would declare a full tithe on a relatively small side income. But he didn't leave it at that. He would explain in some detail why he -- god's own apostle -- didn't have MORE to declare. I found it sad that he had to justify this to me -- his lowly bishop.
- He didn't need a temple recommend from me. As I recall, neither did his wife.
- He attended our sacrament meeting and priesthood meeting (never Sunday School) about once a month. He always sat on the stand -- next to me or to the stake president who was also in the ward. We always offered -- and he always took -- a few minutes to speak to the ward. Afterward he would usually compliment me or the counselor on our management skills. He did take me to task once for allowing a new convert to play his guitar in sacrament meeting.
James and Ruth Faust lived in our ward. My father & mother-in-law were their home teachers. DH and I filled in as their home teachers when his parents were traveling.