As others have noted, GA's probably receive perks and likely have other sources of income that supplement their pay. But let's be generous and ignore these other forms of compensation, and focus instead on what has now been verified: the amount of their "modest living allowance".

A $127,000/yr. general authority salary (I've adjusted for inflation since 2014) is not absurd--I'll give the church credit for that. But $127,000 is almost two times the $65,792 median household income of residents of Salt Lake City (http://www.deptofnumbers.com/income/utah/salt-lake-city/).

In what sense is this lifetime living allowance /modest/?

Will the church continue to use words like "modest" to describe GA pay from now on?

By the way, here are some choice (i.e., misleading) statements from the church about general authority salaries:

1. "After they report, explain that General Authorities give up their livelihoods to serve full-time, so they receive a modest living allowance—enough for them to support themselves and their families."

https://www.lds.org/manual/doctrine-and-covenants-and-church-history-seminary-teacher-manual-2014/section-3/lesson-75?lang=eng

2. "I explained also that our Church has no paid ministry and indicated that these were two reasons why we were able to build the buildings then under way..."

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2006/04/our-sacred-priesthood-trust?lang=eng&_r=1

(President Monson, did you just admit in general conference that the general authorities aren't ministers? If they're not ministers, does that mean they are just managers and administrators?)

3. "Although the prophet, his two counselors, and the twelve apostles (the counselors are also apostles) serve full-time, they do not receive a salary. This is due to biblical warnings about priestcraft—the ability to become wealthy doing the work of the Church. Since most who serve in these positions are older, they often have pensions or other sources of private income, even though they can no longer hold outside employment. Those who do not receive a modest stipend which allows them to live at a reasonable standard of living, but not to become wealthy. While most religions pay their ministers and many leaders of popular churches become wealthy, a Mormon leader can only achieve wealth prior to his call to full-time service. No matter how much money the Church makes, leaders do not personally profit from that money."

https://thomasmonson.com/858/how-much-money-does-thomas-s-monson-make

(Documentation of the homes that the top 15 general authorities own also make clear that, on average, the apostles and first presidency are wealthy by any reasonable standard.)

It's modest compared to what early cult leaders got. They don't need a mansion for all their wives either.

When asked in the TR interview "do you pay a full tithe?" You should answer "yes, after deducting a modest living allowance for my family".

As a single school teacher, I would love to have this "modest living allowance." I could travel! I could go out to dinner! I could even go out to dinner at nice restaurants. I could go see a show. I could never again worry about getting needed dental work done. I could replace my ailing HVAC system. I could tend to home improvements.

The GAs should try living on an average teacher's salary. Now *that's* a "modest living allowance."

Or a disabled person on Social Security! I only get about 10K a year! If it weren't for family, I'd be out on the street!!

Me too! I'd even give up cussing and be happy to share the Good News. Here's what I say--

1. Love your neighbor, even those whom you'd normally not give 2 cents about.

2. Be honest and don't cheat or hurt people, animals, or the environment.

3. Everything in moderation.

4. Priesthood for everyone who wants it.

5. Love one another! Marriage is a blessing, marriage is for folks who want to be married.

6. Great art and music belong in church.

7. Ditch the suits and dresses in church. Church should be a place where you feel comfortable, loved, and happy.

8. Coffee hour will follow a 10 minute sacrament meeting.

9. Remember to give an atheist a hug; say, you might be right, and treat that person with love, dignity, and honor.

10. Turn the temples into community centers for the poor and homeless.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/14/2017 01:06PM by BYU Boner.

Wow, BYU Boner. Your gospel is so enlightened it almost seems inspired from above. If you want to make it seem fitting in the context of other religions, I'd recommend inserting some prejudice, and justifications for the existence of a privileged elite.

People who can't laugh loudly, drink beer, or say fuck are condemned to Mormonism! How's that?

You have not been close enough to BIG BROTHER to make that happen



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/14/2017 01:57PM by desertman.

That is only the base. I believe the majority of GAs also serve on board of directors of a number of church owned firms. $20K+ per board in addition to their 'base' makes a great living. (I don't know this number, but being on a board of directors is typically a paid position and this is probably a low figure). It is truly disgusting what we sacrificed to support their lifestyles. I think their effective annual earnings is over $200k.

First most are already retired with various retirement income. Next they are getting all kinds of perks which reduce their cost of living, and the top people are getting all their needs taken care, good health care, property tax paid, trips to Hawaii, etc. Beyond income that is really what people of their age want and everyone else in the world worries about, and many of us younger people are dealing with to take care of our parents.

I believe that the church pulled all of the GAs off corporate boards about twenty years ago.

East Coast Exmo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I believe that the church pulled all of the GAs
> off corporate boards about twenty years ago.

Well, they *claimed* to...

https://www.lds.org/ensign/1996/04/news-of-the-church/general-authorities-to-leave-business-boards?lang=eng

Did they though?

And since the article says the church was "suggesting" that they remove themselves from boards, it wasn't like this was a "policy" or anything...

And, of course, there was the big huge exception:

“It is anticipated that there will be one exception. With reference to Church-owned corporations, most of these are now subsidiaries of Deseret Management Corporation, which is owned by the Corporation of the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Deseret Management Corporation will continue as a holding company with its board composed of representatives from the ranks of the General Authorities, the First Presidency said."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/16/2017 04:34PM by ificouldhietokolob.

I mean how come Layton Construction,BigD,W blank, get all bids. I would seriously look at companies building Temples. Wonder if they over pay people then expect money under table. Non disclosure its almost a guarantee

Legally Monson could spend all of money right now with flash of his pen? What would he buy o shit send money to Switzerland. Going to find out if they do have accounts let me

Are "living expense" taxable or are they not only scaming members but also the IRS?

Birdman, I think it's entirely possible that the IRS is being scammed. One has to ask why there is the advice to hide the "stipend" from tax preparers if everything is above board and legit.

I seem to remember that there was some trouble in Great Britain over improperly withholding tax money. Perhaps someone else recalls the details.

What do they base their assertion that ministers in other churches are paid enough to be wealthy on? I don't know any wealthy priests in Anglican or Catholic churches. Not even bishops in those denominations are.

A few ministers at the mega-churches (particularly those with a television ministry) are wealthy. But your average church pastor is paid modestly. People do not go into Christian ministry to get rich.

yeah, I noted the same thing. They conflate ordinary paid clergy with various charismatic cult-leaders and con-men (who do indeed get rich). Most christian clergy in most churches are not wealthy. And even the very few with equally generous salaries have to still pay taxes on them.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (https://www.bls.gov/ooh/about/data-for-occupations-not-covered-in-detail.htm), the median salary of U.S. members of the clergy in 2015 was:

$44,250

That's about 1/3 of what general authorities make. To me, $44,250 sounds a lot more like a "modest living stipend" than $127,000 does.

Thnk you for the illumination. We don't pretend that big television con men making millions on faith-healing and stuff, belongs in the same category as paid clergy. That's exactly what the mormon church does though with a sentence like that and suddenly 127.000 compared to whatever faith-healing quack on TV is making (millions a year) seems much more "moderate" than it really is. The whole lie hinges on this conflation. When comparing it to the actual average of paid clergy it seems quite obviously NOT moderate. (and remember that the paid clergy pays taxes on those 44.000 dollars a year aswell.)

You'll notice that the church gets their "modest" by comparing the GA "stipend" to high-ranking business executives.
So, yeah, compared to the CEO of google, GA "stipends" are modest.

However, when you compare them to the pay of other religious leaders, the "modest" part doesn't hold up. By that comparison, they're vastly over-paid.

So, did they choose the comparison to business executives because they're admitting they're a business with poorly-paid executives?
Or just because that disingenuous comparison makes the stipends look "modest?"

to men born in wealth (like almost all of them were) $127,000 is rather modest. In the way that when Donald Trump went bankrupt 25 years ago, tabloids said he was going to be living on a meagerly annuity of $50,000 weekly salary.

Remember these are the leaders in communities, they've had the finest educations, executive jobs, inherited social connections etc... They are far removed from understanding common people. the working class.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/16/2017 07:58PM by poopstone.