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Brief biographies of new leaders called to LDS Church hierarchy

What an insane bureaucracy!

What is the Mormon church, some kind of pyramid scheme? Is that why MLM companies are so popular in Utah? Because the Church itself is a huge MLM scam?

Four of these general authorities are the first ones called from their countries. Elder Causse from France, Elder Garravet from Peru, Elder Pino from Venezuela and Elder Teixiera from Portugal.
I think this is neat.

Excuse me? Find me an institution that has 13 million members that doesn't have a bureaucracy! As for it being confusing, I beg to differ. I can think of no other organization run so efficiently and smoothy as the LDS church. So dude, if you are going around trying to "out" organizations with confusing beauracracies why don't go try and fix your government which is involved with the world's largst Ponzi scheme--social security.

To the moderator:

Why on earth would you let and offensive, off-topic, misrepresentative comment like Anonymous @4:50 even make it on here. He/she needs to be censured more. The comments offered by this person are often all of those things mentioned above in your own little box telling us how NOT TO BE!

13 million members ONLY ON PAPER!

That actual number of ACTIVE members is less than 1/3 of that worldwide.

Dont' fool yourself. The Real, Active Mormon Church is not big enough to need this huge bureaucracy.

The reason they have it is because the apostles and prophets are called for life. And they all get so old that they can't really do anything. They just sit in positions at the head of the Church. In order to get anything done, they need a huge bureaucrasy of younger men to handle things.

Why do members need to know the biographies of these men? They don't vote for them. They have no choice in who is called. They could call anyone they want to and it wouldn't matter.

Knowing a person's biography is only helpful if it makes a difference who is chosen for a position. Members don't get to choose, so who cares about their biographies?

(unless mormons really are engaging in "hero worship" and knowing biographies is like reading the tabloids about a celebrity!)

Please, can't we be kind to each other? I wouldn't mind reading your own autobiographies if you would like to print them here. Why should anyone want to find fault with the Church? They've never hurt anyone. I hate to think where I would be without it. It has helped me be a kinder, gentler person. It has shown me how to help others, rather than hurt others. It has filled me with love, instead of bitterness.

By the way your church is smaller then most churches so 13 million is not that many! You still have to get over Billion. Ha you'll never get a Billion in your life!

There are indeed 13 million members a significant portion (though I take issue with your figure) who are not active. The leadership of the church (what you refer to as the bureauracy) does not simply exist to cater to the needs of its active members--but it also coordinates reactivation efforts, missionary work, world-wide humanitarian projects, etc. How many Catholics voted for Benedict XVI? How many people honestly vote for their religious leader? Not many. Have you ever read the Bible? Is it not the life experiences of ancient prophets and apostles? We view these men as modern apostles and prophets and thus find their life stories valuable lessons, much like those of ancient apostles and prophets. They are old and need assistance in somethings, but just remember that Pte. Hinckley at age 97 had a more accute mind and was more active than many people I know half his age. Your problem is not the bureaucracy or biographies...it is bigotry. I'll never figure out why some people would exert so much effort to malign an organization that blesses the lives of so many, member or not, even if you don't agree with the doctrine.

The LDS Church may appear to "bless the lives of so many" be their many programs, humanitarian aid, etc., but they also are the most exclusionary and elitist Church I have ever encountered - and that is not a few! Moreover, their missionary program is one of the most extensive of all Christian churches, but its lack of focus renders its effects damaging to the faiths of other Christians. For the most part, other Christian Churches send missionaries to NON-CHRISTIANS to bring them the gospel of Jesus Christ. By contrast, the LDS Church sends missionaries to those who already have a faith in Christ. They tear down their faith by preaching the general "Apostasy" of all of Christianity. This harms countless individuals and makes the LDS Church, like the Jehovah's Witnesses and other "cults" (pardon the expression), parasitic upon mainstream Christianity.

Re: Anon,

Why must you hate so much? I find the discussion boards here at the DesNews and KSL so disturbing sometimes.

For your information, the members of the Quorum of the 12 work very, very hard. They don't just sit around "enjoying" their positions--they are constantly doing, traveling, speaking, coordinating, etc.

Besides, Nearly all of the general authorities of the church are over 60 or are nearing that age. So they are near retirement age anyway. Why does it bother you if someone wants to spend their retirement putting in 12 hours a day serving their religion? I would that more people did that--from all faiths! The world would be such a better place.

And the area authorities are all volunteers serving in the evenings and weekends while holding down other jobs. Why hate them for their volunteer service to help others?

The idea of this organization being a pyramid scheme is ridiculous since nobody gets rich off of this. In fact, many made much more money in their professions. It's truly service for the love of their God. Is that so terrible?

No one is trying to impress anyone with the 13 million figure. It is what it is. And NO CHURCH on the face of the earth states membership as the total number who attended worship last Sunday. Get real. And don't be offended that Mormons fill the Conference Center. We love it. You would be so lucky as to have attended a session. The messages were great. Love, tolerance, faith, Jesus Christ, humanitarian aid, helping one another; It was great. I am going to be a better person tomorrow because I was there today. You would be too.

Ok first of all those who are posting "negative" comments I am confused because this is just a biography of who was called. What is the big deal! Why don't you go and find someone to help and serve instead of seeing how many negative comments you can spew!!!!!!

In the other DMN article commenting about The Church ad I read criticism that the church is too impersonal, here I read the criticism that the church cares too much about personalities and people. My friends, which is it?? Do we care too much or not enough... Or maybe we care just enough but you don't like us because we exist at all. Wow, that hurts. Please stop that. Please embrace cultural and religious diversity.

Jackson Pollock said, "Why can't we all just get along"

Like most other people you make statements out of ignorance. One thing I have noticed about Mormon haters--I know because I Was one of them at one time--is that most of what they know about Mormons come from people who know nothing about Mormons. How IS the LDS Church exclusionary and elitist? They do reach out to Non-Christians, I was an atheist before I became a member. As a Rev. you should know the history of the early Christian church, that the were considered a Jewish Cult by the Roman authorities. So if you wish to label us a cult we are in good company.

It is wonderful to see the gospel roll forward.

In my life time,I have seen stakes appear in cities that had one lonely small branch.I have seen LDS persons become respected AND sought after in industry,government,medicine,military and certain portions of education.Those that still spend way too much time hating the church for their own deep-seating personal reasons,just need to "get a life".If I don't like something,I get away from it or ignore it.Of course in these times "getting away" from the LDS faithful is virtually impossible.Sorry.

Anybody else notice that the biographies don't mention where they went to college unless they went to the why? I'll bet most of the Utahns on the list either went to the U or Utah State.

Re:Anonymous.
I have yet to see mentioned that the LDS church has a much higher standard of who is an active member than any other non-cult church. Any other religion, if you go to service or mass on Easter and Christmas, you are considered to be active. With us, you need to attend Sacrament Meeting weekly, hold a calling, attend the temple, be a visiting or home teacher and speak in church twice a year. That doesn't count parents of youth that get to drive their children to primary or youth activties at least twice a week. (Unless you live in Utah, where you can walk to church).
I'm not complaining. We need as much help as we can get to avoid sin, and the more we serve others, the easier it is to resist temptation. And may the Lord bless those of other religions who are serving activly in their chosen religion and trying to be true disciples of the Savior.

Dear Reverand,
Why shouldn't we spread our message to all who will listen. If people are satisfied with thier religion they will not listen to our missionaries. We take our message througout the world testifying of our belief in Christ. Many so-called main stream Christians are searching for additional truth and they are not able to find it within their present denominations. I find it refreshing when I can have a real discussion with a believer of Christ regardless of church affiliation. Unfortunately that is difficult to do at times because of preachers who teach hatred of other religions for fear of losing their members. You need not fear our 19 year old fairly ignorant missionaries. Can you imagine any organization relying a group of recently graduated high school students to grow the organization. There must be something unique about our teachings. You should be worried that we have a message of hope, of love, of Eternal Life and a great love of the ressurected Living Christ that people throughout the world want to hear. Please ask yourself why your members are searching for additonal truth and not finding it within teachings of your faith.