The WEALTH of Mormon Church Leaders

The Top Leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, at least the men anyway, are paid at least $120,000 a year. This is the "Base Living Allowance" that is often referred to as a "Modest Stipend".

So when these leaders sit in front of the YSA of West Africa and say they don't have any money, I decided to do some investigating...

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VIDEO SOURCES:

Gary E. Stevenson

Elder Holland on "The Rich Young Man"

Addressing the YSA in West Africa

Harold G Hillam

Information on the Africa West Area

Bonnie H. Cordon

Derek L. Cordon

LDS General Authority Base Living Allowance

No Paid Ministry

Ensign Peak

FAIR USE DISCLAIMER:
The Media in this video (including the thumbnail) is used in a transformative way, for the purpose of review and critique. The image of the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints used in the thumbnail is credited to Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News and is used as the primary means of visually identifying the subject matter of the video.

[johnnytownsend]

"Money isn't something you need to worry about" is only said by people who have enough money not to worry. Or the occasional hermit in the mountains.

[edsqueenlarene]

"You don't need your money, we will it take off your hands for you." LDS leaders

[austinwhipple]

What Elder Holland says and all these leaders say is disgusting, insulting and so many other things to so many struggling people. They should be ashamed of themselves!

[charityendureth]

as a widow in utah I receive about $17, 000 a year... and utah is one of the most expensive western states... except Cal. These church men make me sick

[jubronaljoan]

The loophole is that the top leaders of the church are not 'clergy'. Clergy are your stake presidencies and the lowly bishoprics. I was a bishop of a large metropolitan ward in a mainland Australian capital city and I can tell you the ward received less than AU $2000 per year to run the entire ward budget and I personally received not one penny towards my own finances and expenses in the five years I served as bishop. I could have claimed expenses apparently, but this was actively discouraged and was stigmatized as a sign of not being as loyal and faithful as you should, so I never did.

[FFM]

120k per year back in 2014, today these figures are probably around 200k and that is not counting all the other benefits paid such as, health care, life insurance, vehicles, corporate credit cards and several other perks, if you add all that you could be looking around 230k per year, they don't pay tithes which allows them to keep 10% more that the rest of the members. When they are called to general authorities they get debts paid off. One single general authority will cost the church anywhere from 5 million to 12 million on average depending on when they were called and when they die. That is priestcraft in full display.

[windigo]

"We don't have any money now!" says Sister Bonnie in her $800 cashmere blazer, $500 silk blouse, $400 Manolo shoes, $200 haircut & the million dollar home she lives in.

[marshalkrieg]

I was raised Mormon but lost my faith at age 16. My sister still goes to church and I just told her today this info about the church leaders raking in the cash. She then had me show her a news article about it ( Salt Lake Tribune). 20 minutes later she semi collapsed and retreated to her bed where she is sleeping now. We grew up being told how the church leaders are all volunteers, they get no salary so this new info is quite a shock. I hope she recovers soon and does not drop out of the church since I dont really see her being able to mentally move on to another belief system ( he is 62 yrs. old and has had 2 strokes already)....

[ryryrysilver]

This aspect, among many, makes me sick. So basically, bare minimum, it takes 122, 684 full-tith paying members (10% of gross) in the Africa West Area to support the "living stipend" for only those top 117 general authorities. Or the other way around the "living stipend" for 117 leaders could support 12, 268 members living income. This happens year after year, sickening.

[bipolarrambling]

How many other people have been told, when discussing this with members, that the $120 000 is fair pay, or even in fact less than fair because these men "left their high paying jobs like doctors or lawyers to take up their calling"? I find that line of reasoning so bizarre. Why should they be paid according to what they gave up? Doesn't that entirely negate the "sacrifice" of leaving those jobs?

[AarmOZ]

I have no issue with General Authorities being paid $120, 000 a year for their full time services. I have a problem with:
1. The church hiding its finances and lying about how much they actually have.
2. The church doing very little for humanitarian aid compare to what they could be doing.
3. That local leaders work long hours with literally no pay.
4. That the leaders act like they are broke when all of them are financially better off than me and I rank in the top 10% of wealth for Americans in my age group.

[s_h]

Paying the bills and putting food on the table was a struggle as a young married couple here in America. I can't even imagine how difficult that might be in Africa. Quickly adding a baby to the mix, because that is what we were programed to do, only compounded the issue. We went through so much unnecessary hardship and stress because we followed the prophets and apostles. Do NOT follow their advice! They do not know what they are talking about.

[truebloodnz]

The $120, 000 is intentionally misleading from the Church as it doesn’t include children’s schooling costs, living costs (including official cars)and church issued credit cards. The benefits afforded to the top leadership and even missions presidents is quite generous. If that was $120, 000 in 2014 after increasing from $116, 000 in the previous year, it’s likely that is now at least $144, 000 today. Having that and potentially well over another $100, 000+ in additional benefits is very generous.

[amber]

It seems strange that their "modest stipend" is well over double the average income for workers in the United States. And the $120, 000 figure is 8 years old. AND this excludes the book deals and the church credit cards. Are there any limits on the credit cards?

[Notfromhere]

I think it’s ridiculous that the church leaders are advising the members on these things. Little do these young couples know that even after faithfully paying tithing, if any financial hardship occurs, the church will not be helping you.

[dande]

"We have no professionally trained AND salaried clergy." I see what you did there, Elder Oaks. But lacking professionally training doesn't justify you taking a six figure taxable salary.

Also, don't forget the lion's share of the benefits is NOT the taxable salary. Housing allowance, travel stipends, free food, top tier healthcare...

[daverichards]

A friend of mine, who I have known since mission days, rose up in the ranks and if I mentioned his name, you have heard it as would have all of your LDS followers. He got called to his calling up the ranks when he created a business which he sold for $50M. He's not part of the 12 but he's up there. He was a terrible missionary but was ambitious and also rose in the mission ranks. He lives in UT in a $4M house and also owns a condo in SLC. He paid CASH for them. If you are poor you are never going to be a GA or anywhere up in the ranks.

[CBCDs]

5:16 "The Church is not wealthy" - the church is also not honest

[joetaylor]

Jowl Boy is not known for sticking strictly to the truth. Amazingly enough, now his son Matthew has been magically included among "the Lord's anointed, " so HE'LL never have to worry about money ever again in his lifetime, either. Same with Rasband's kid, Eyring's kid(s?), and many others. Pays to be well-connected and /or properly related when you're in "the Lord's church."

[jdawg]

My mission president who was an area 70 before a MP talked in a zone conference about being in a meeting with All the leaders of the church. The story he recounted was that Marriott donated an airplane (747) to the church. Gordon b Hinkley thanked him for the airplane but he couldn’t accept it because the church couldn’t waste tithing dollars on a pilot, Gas, maintenance etc…. Marriott then committed to staffing the plane and paying for all the extra expenses. That was such a faith promoting story for me that we do not have paid clergy. That was a big part of my faith journey because I found out about the billions the church had in its piggy bank. My mission president also told that story knowing he was making good money with a living stipend. Paid clergy my ass.