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All Churches have volunteers but probably not to the extent of Mormons. As pointed out in other threads, nobody does missionary work like the Mormons, we do even more than Jehovah Witnesses. All hands on ecclesiastical work from middle management on down is handled by a volunteer lay clergy. The top leadership is mostly focused on running the corporate portion of the restoration. They only receive an unspecified stipend, a bottomless credit card, furnished transportation, health care and paid travel to the extent that their health allows. Not much to ask for decades of dedication. We members even clean the ward houses without pay. Think how much money we would have, if paid for setup and take down on a chair by chair basis. Our willingness is tenacious.

It is amazing that non of the volunteers get paid...well...with the exception of those who volunteer their services as General Authorities...those volunteers get paid a 'stipend' equivalent to someone in a similar position in industry. It's good to know that we don't have a paid clergy.

Drifting wrote:It is amazing that non of the volunteers get paid...well...with the exception of those who volunteer their services as General Authorities...those volunteers get paid a 'stipend' equivalent to someone in a similar position in industry. It's good to know that we don't have a paid clergy.

The volunteer label only applies from middle management on down, but that is where almost all our ecclesiastical work is performed. General Conference is not the same as a grand Sacrament Meeting, in the parallel way that Midnight Mass from St. Peter's Basilica does not hand out the host and wine to all viewers.

We really do not know how these stipends compare to any industry salary.

moksha wrote:

Drifting wrote:It is amazing that non of the volunteers get paid...well...with the exception of those who volunteer their services as General Authorities...those volunteers get paid a 'stipend' equivalent to someone in a similar position in industry. It's good to know that we don't have a paid clergy.

The volunteer label only applies from middle management on down, but that is where almost all our ecclesiastical work is performed. General Conference is not the same as a grand Sacrament Meeting, in the parallel way that Midnight Mass from St. Peter's Basilica does not hand out the host and wine to all viewers.

We really do not know how these stipends compare to any industry salary.

In the same way that "no comment" is also a comment, not knowing is also information.

If it were $100/month, or even $1000/month, do you think that we would still not know?

In fact, if it were any amount that most members would look at and say: "that's reasonable", do you think we would not know?

malkie wrote:

moksha wrote:The volunteer label only applies from middle management on down, but that is where almost all our ecclesiastical work is performed. General Conference is not the same as a grand Sacrament Meeting, in the parallel way that Midnight Mass from St. Peter's Basilica does not hand out the host and wine to all viewers.

We really do not know how these stipends compare to any industry salary.

In the same way that "no comment" is also a comment, not knowing is also information.

If it were $100/month, or even $1000/month, do you think that we would still not know?

In fact, if it were any amount that most members would look at and say: "that's reasonable", do you think we would not know?

If the way the Church utilised the widows mite was in any way faith promoting, it would be made public.
For instance, the additional donations made by members for humanitarian aid are made public. We can look on the Provident Living website and see a fact sheet showing exactly how much money, materials and labour has been expended on humanitarian projects. We can read articles on LDS.org/newsroom of the humanitarian projects and helping hands projects that make up some of this expenditure. It's advertised on KSL, Deseret News etc. in fact the Church goes to great lengths to make sure the world see's what good works it does with those additional donations.

The exact opposite is true when it comes to talking about the distribution of the tithing funds.

One can speculate as to why....