Apostle Bednar buys vacation home near Heber ...

[_Dantana]

Stipend Schmipend. Clearly an example of Reformed Mormon (English).... Where one thing actually means another. Stipend being the *spun* synonym of salary... Which of course no one actually gets.

I'd call in Dr. Goodword now for the word history....but he's still wrapped up trying to figure out Adam-ondi-Ahman

That's actually the passcode for the Apostles ATM cards.

Apostles and plastic....hard to picture. Next thing you'll be telling me is they eat their fishes and loaves at Skippers.

[_Rollo Tomasi]

I'm wondering, how many weeks holiday does an Apostle get as part of his employment contract?

I think the top GA's (i.e., FP and Quorum of Twelve) get most if not all the month of August off. It's completely dead around Church headquarters then. I think they receive generous vacation time, but, in fairness, at least those GA's who can travel are gone most weekends the rest of the year. I think they work pretty long hours.

[_Craig Paxton]

To be fair...I think it is important to remind everyone that these men are the CEO’s and members of the board of directors of a multi-billion dollar corporation and ARE entitled to the privileges of their positions.

Just as other corporate heads get special treatment and benefits because of the positions they hold inside the corporations that they are involved with, the top 15 of the church are rightly entitled to the same advantages given their peers in other corporations.

Who are we to deny these men their multiple million dollar homes, a generous living allowance, their chauffeur driven corporate owned vehicles, their first class airline tickets and access to corporate jets? Their first class-rock star status and access to power is their right.

Hearing stories of President Monson demanding his whole milk being served by a white gloved waiter, chilled to a precise temperature of 34 degrees and turning his nose up over the choice of birthday cake offered him because it was not his preferred chocolate…should not come as a surprise. These are men of power and privilege…and their office is expected to come with certain advantages not available to we mere mortals.

[_Bazooka]

To be fair...I think it is important to remind everyone that these men are the CEO’s and members of the board of directors of a multi-billion dollar corporation and ARE entitled to the privileges of their positions.

Just as other corporate heads get special treatment and benefits because of the positions they hold inside the corporations that they are involved with, the top 15 of the church are rightly entitled to the same advantages given their peers in other corporations.

Who are we to deny these men their multiple million dollar homes, a generous living allowance, their chauffeur driven corporate owned vehicles, their first class airline tickets and access to corporate jets? Their first class-rock star status and access to power is their right.

Hearing stories of President Monson demanding his whole milk being served by a white gloved waiter, chilled to a precise temperature of 34 degrees and turning his nose up over the choice of birthday cake offered him because it was not his preferred chocolate…should not come as a surprise. These are men of power and privilege…and their office is expected to come with certain advantages not available to we mere mortals.

Yeah, except....

The General Authorities of the Church are called to serve as Apostles etc full time. In return for doing so they receive a "stipend".
As I understand it, they don't hold any positions within the commercial enterprises of the Church. If they did, they wouldn't be fulfilling their requirement to be an Apostle "full time". Didn't Hinckley ban them all from sitting on boards and the like? Instead it's done through the Presiding Bishopric.

So no, that apologetic (albeit tongue in cheek methinks) doesn't work as a valid excuse for Bednar having the Church buy him a second home when some people around the world don't even have one.
If they were true Apostles the headline would be - "Bednar sells unnecessary extra homes to provide shelters for the homeless."
No chance of that headline any time soon....

[_cinepro]

I don't know about Bednar, but Uchtdorf was "Senior Vice President of Flight Operations" for Lufthansa for 14 years.

Being a SVP in a multi-billion dollar corporation (referring to Lufthansa, not the Church) had to pay well, and probably included a pretty good pension (it being a European company).

With that in mind, I'm surprised his house isn't bigger. He probably could have afforded it but chose not to. Instead of enjoying his retirement relaxing with his family and flying around in his airplane(s), he gets to attend endless Church meetings.

[_Kishkumen]

I don't know about Bednar, but Uchtdorf was "Senior Vice President of Flight Operations" for Lufthansa for 14 years.

Being a SVP in a multi-billion dollar corporation (referring to Lufthansa, not the Church) had to pay well, and probably included a pretty good pension (it being a European company).

With that in mind, I'm surprised his house isn't bigger. He probably could have afforded it but chose not to. Instead of enjoying his retirement relaxing with his family and flying around in his airplane(s), he gets to attend endless Church meetings.

Indeed.

[_TAK]

Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

Yea ... no change from the original apostles.