Response to "Do the GA's need secular qualifications&am

[_Bond...James Bond]

I was originally going to post a reply over on that thread, but a new question came to mind so I thought I'd create a new topic.

My question is do the GA's have theological experience?

What I mean is, do any of them have specific religious training beyond the "on the job training" they get through various church callings?

The reason I ask is that the average preacher or priest usually has to go through some training at Bible College or whatever to gain some form of certification. The Pope spent his life studying the texts up through the ranks of the Catholic Church. US Preachers usually go to Bible school specifically for preaching. What about the LDS church leaders? Despite there titles and rank, are they just a high ranking lay clergy?

Bond

[_Rollo Tomasi]

The reason I ask is that the average preacher or priest usually has to go through some training at Bible College or whatever to gain some form of certification. The Pope spent his life studying the texts up through the ranks of the Catholic Church. US Preachers usually go to Bible school specifically for preaching. What about the LDS church leaders? Despite there titles and rank, are they just a high ranking lay clergy?

GBH certainly has "come up through the ranks" -- he's worked for the Church professionally since the 30's (other than a few months for the gov't during WWII). He's written or overseen the writing and other Church publications and media for much of that time, so among the current GA's, he probably knows LDS theology the best, simply because he's helped define it for the past 70-odd years.

As for the others, here's what they did professionally before being called full-time:

Monson -- newspaperman
Faust -- lawyer
Packer -- CES educator
Perry -- businessman
Nelson -- surgeon
Oaks -- lawyer/judge/university president
Holland -- CES educator/university president
Ballard -- businessman
Wirthlin -- businessman
Scott -- nuclear engineer
Hales -- businessman
Eyring -- businessman/college professor/college president
Uchtdorf -- airline pilot
Bednar -- college professor/university president

Almost all worked their way up through the ranks in terms of Church leadership (i.e., bishop, SP, mission prez, reg. rep., Seventy, etc.). Dallin Oaks is the anomoly -- he never served a full-time mission, was never a bishop, stake president, or mission prez -- he was a stake president's counselor and regional rep. before becoming an apostle.

[_Bond...James Bond]

The reason I ask is that the average preacher or priest usually has to go through some training at Bible College or whatever to gain some form of certification. The Pope spent his life studying the texts up through the ranks of the Catholic Church. US Preachers usually go to Bible school specifically for preaching. What about the LDS church leaders? Despite there titles and rank, are they just a high ranking lay clergy?

GBH certainly has "come up through the ranks" -- he's worked for the Church professionally since the 30's (other than a few months for the gov't during WWII). He's written or overseen the writing and other Church publications and media for much of that time, so among the current GA's, he probably knows LDS theology the best, simply because he's helped define it for the past 70-odd years.

As for the others, here's what they did professionally before being called full-time:

Monson -- newspaperman
Faust -- lawyer
Packer -- CES educator
Perry -- businessman
Nelson -- surgeon
Oaks -- lawyer/judge/university president
Holland -- CES educator/university president
Ballard -- businessman
Wirthlin -- businessman
Scott -- nuclear engineer
Hales -- businessman
Eyring -- businessman/college professor/college president
Uchtdorf -- airline pilot
Bednar -- college professor/university president

Almost all worked their way up through the ranks in terms of Church leadership (i.e., bishop, SP, mission prez, reg. rep., Seventy, etc.). Dallin Oaks is the anomoly -- he never served a full-time mission, was never a bishop, stake president, or mission prez -- he was a stake president's counselor and regional rep. before becoming an apostle.

Hey Rollo (everytime I see your post I think of the Rolo candy),

Thanks for the heads up on these guys. I wondered in their was any specific schooling they have to go through or if it's just learn as you go, gain experience, on the job training.

Thanks

Bond

[_Rollo Tomasi]

I wondered in their was any specific schooling they have to go through or if it's just learn as you go, gain experience, on the job training.

I don't know of any formal schooling or training they receive. There are occasional leadership meetings, but most of this deals with procedures, not theology.

[_harmony]

The reason I ask is that the average preacher or priest usually has to go through some training at Bible College or whatever to gain some form of certification. The Pope spent his life studying the texts up through the ranks of the Catholic Church. US Preachers usually go to Bible school specifically for preaching. What about the LDS church leaders? Despite there titles and rank, are they just a high ranking lay clergy?

GBH certainly has "come up through the ranks" -- he's worked for the Church professionally since the 30's (other than a few months for the gov't during WWII). He's written or overseen the writing and other Church publications and media for much of that time, so among the current GA's, he probably knows LDS theology the best, simply because he's helped define it for the past 70-odd years.

As for the others, here's what they did professionally before being called full-time:

Monson -- newspaperman
Faust -- lawyer
Packer -- CES educator
Perry -- businessman
Nelson -- surgeon
Oaks -- lawyer/judge/university president
Holland -- CES educator/university president
Ballard -- businessman
Wirthlin -- businessman
Scott -- nuclear engineer
Hales -- businessman
Eyring -- businessman/college professor/college president
Uchtdorf -- airline pilot
Bednar -- college professor/university president

Almost all worked their way up through the ranks in terms of Church leadership (i.e., bishop, SP, mission prez, reg. rep., Seventy, etc.). Dallin Oaks is the anomoly -- he never served a full-time mission, was never a bishop, stake president, or mission prez -- he was a stake president's counselor and regional rep. before becoming an apostle.

Here's what's missing:

no carpenters
no farmers
no well diggers
no bar owners
no fishermen
no tax collectors
no military
no artists
no women

No wonder we're going to hell in a handbasket: look at all those businessmen and university presidents! If there was ever a couple of groups that were born to think inside the box, it's those two.

[_Rollo Tomasi]

No wonder we're going to hell in a handbasket: look at all those businessmen and university presidents! If there was ever a couple of groups that were born to think inside the box, it's those two.

I note that the 4 former university/college presidents (a full one-third of the current Quorum of the Twelve!) all presided on campuses directly affiliated with and sponsored by the LDS Church. In other words, their "box" was very, very small, indeed.

[_Jason Bourne]

The reason I ask is that the average preacher or priest usually has to go through some training at Bible College or whatever to gain some form of certification. The Pope spent his life studying the texts up through the ranks of the Catholic Church. US Preachers usually go to Bible school specifically for preaching. What about the LDS church leaders? Despite there titles and rank, are they just a high ranking lay clergy?

GBH certainly has "come up through the ranks" -- he's worked for the Church professionally since the 30's (other than a few months for the gov't during WWII). He's written or overseen the writing and other Church publications and media for much of that time, so among the current GA's, he probably knows LDS theology the best, simply because he's helped define it for the past 70-odd years.

As for the others, here's what they did professionally before being called full-time:

Monson -- newspaperman
Faust -- lawyer
Packer -- CES educator
Perry -- businessman
Nelson -- surgeon
Oaks -- lawyer/judge/university president
Holland -- CES educator/university president
Ballard -- businessman
Wirthlin -- businessman
Scott -- nuclear engineer
Hales -- businessman
Eyring -- businessman/college professor/college president
Uchtdorf -- airline pilot
Bednar -- college professor/university president

Almost all worked their way up through the ranks in terms of Church leadership (i.e., bishop, SP, mission prez, reg. rep., Seventy, etc.). Dallin Oaks is the anomoly -- he never served a full-time mission, was never a bishop, stake president, or mission prez -- he was a stake president's counselor and regional rep. before becoming an apostle.

Here's what's missing:

no carpenters
no farmers
no well diggers
no bar owners
no fishermen
no tax collectors
no military
no artists
no women

No wonder we're going to hell in a handbasket: look at all those businessmen and university presidents! If there was ever a couple of groups that were born to think inside the box, it's those two.

Businessmen don't think out of the box? Guess we run in different circles.

As for the original question, none are theologians in the sense you use it. By having a lay clergy it is doubtful any theologion will even lead in the High Councils of the Church. CES teacher is about as close as one gets.

[_Bond...James Bond]

The reason I ask is that the average preacher or priest usually has to go through some training at Bible College or whatever to gain some form of certification. The Pope spent his life studying the texts up through the ranks of the Catholic Church. US Preachers usually go to Bible school specifically for preaching. What about the LDS church leaders? Despite there titles and rank, are they just a high ranking lay clergy?

GBH certainly has "come up through the ranks" -- he's worked for the Church professionally since the 30's (other than a few months for the gov't during WWII). He's written or overseen the writing and other Church publications and media for much of that time, so among the current GA's, he probably knows LDS theology the best, simply because he's helped define it for the past 70-odd years.

As for the others, here's what they did professionally before being called full-time:

Monson -- newspaperman
Faust -- lawyer
Packer -- CES educator
Perry -- businessman
Nelson -- surgeon
Oaks -- lawyer/judge/university president
Holland -- CES educator/university president
Ballard -- businessman
Wirthlin -- businessman
Scott -- nuclear engineer
Hales -- businessman
Eyring -- businessman/college professor/college president
Uchtdorf -- airline pilot
Bednar -- college professor/university president

Almost all worked their way up through the ranks in terms of Church leadership (i.e., bishop, SP, mission prez, reg. rep., Seventy, etc.). Dallin Oaks is the anomoly -- he never served a full-time mission, was never a bishop, stake president, or mission prez -- he was a stake president's counselor and regional rep. before becoming an apostle.

Here's what's missing:

no carpenters
no farmers
no well diggers
no bar owners
no fishermen
no tax collectors
no military
no artists
no women

No wonder we're going to hell in a handbasket: look at all those businessmen and university presidents! If there was ever a couple of groups that were born to think inside the box, it's those two.

Businessmen don't think out of the box? Guess we run in different circles.

As for the original question, none are theologians in the sense you use it. By having a lay clergy it is doubtful any theologion will even lead in the High Councils of the Church. CES teacher is about as close as one gets.

Thanks for the information guys.

Is there anywhere the LDS can go to study LDS doctrine exclusively?

Is there a program at BYU where you can study LDS doctrine exclusively? Like a subset of religious studys?

Bond

[_Jason Bourne]

The reason I ask is that the average preacher or priest usually has to go through some training at Bible College or whatever to gain some form of certification. The Pope spent his life studying the texts up through the ranks of the Catholic Church. US Preachers usually go to Bible school specifically for preaching. What about the LDS church leaders? Despite there titles and rank, are they just a high ranking lay clergy?

GBH certainly has "come up through the ranks" -- he's worked for the Church professionally since the 30's (other than a few months for the gov't during WWII). He's written or overseen the writing and other Church publications and media for much of that time, so among the current GA's, he probably knows LDS theology the best, simply because he's helped define it for the past 70-odd years.

As for the others, here's what they did professionally before being called full-time:

Monson -- newspaperman
Faust -- lawyer
Packer -- CES educator
Perry -- businessman
Nelson -- surgeon
Oaks -- lawyer/judge/university president
Holland -- CES educator/university president
Ballard -- businessman
Wirthlin -- businessman
Scott -- nuclear engineer
Hales -- businessman
Eyring -- businessman/college professor/college president
Uchtdorf -- airline pilot
Bednar -- college professor/university president

Almost all worked their way up through the ranks in terms of Church leadership (i.e., bishop, SP, mission prez, reg. rep., Seventy, etc.). Dallin Oaks is the anomoly -- he never served a full-time mission, was never a bishop, stake president, or mission prez -- he was a stake president's counselor and regional rep. before becoming an apostle.

Here's what's missing:

no carpenters
no farmers
no well diggers
no bar owners
no fishermen
no tax collectors
no military
no artists
no women

No wonder we're going to hell in a handbasket: look at all those businessmen and university presidents! If there was ever a couple of groups that were born to think inside the box, it's those two.

Businessmen don't think out of the box? Guess we run in different circles.

As for the original question, none are theologians in the sense you use it. By having a lay clergy it is doubtful any theologion will even lead in the High Councils of the Church. CES teacher is about as close as one gets.

Thanks for the information guys.

Is there anywhere the LDS can go to study LDS doctrine exclusively?

Is there a program at BYU where you can study LDS doctrine exclusively? Like a subset of religious studys?

Bond

Bond

Not that I am aware of. Well you can take a lot of LDS religion courses at BYU, but a degree in LDS Theology? Nope

[_OUT OF MY MISERY]

What exactly is seculur qualifications anyway...as far as I read they don't need anything to be GA's...

Maybe there should be contest of some sort...like who can hold thier the longest or a duel...or a drinking contest...or a poker game...or who knows the most crap about the church...who has the best banking skills...who has the most wives...who looks best in their garments...

I am thinking a duel to the death....no no who can out run the lions that want to eat them that's a better way