Are Mormon Church Leaders Paid?

The church makes misleading statements about how much the Apostles and Prophets of the LDS church are paid. They state regularly that there is no paid ministry, no professional clergy, and that no one is paid for their church service. This omits the fact that all senior leaders in the church are paid what they call a modest living allowance. This living allowance is after they of course reimburse any expense they make as part of their church service, like travel. The modesty of it is a joke as it is well into the six figures. While the church is not transparent in how much top leaders are paid, educated estimates put the annual figure (in 2024) at $178K. Keep in mind that the average income in the US is just under 60K per year. So Mormon leaders pay themselves a “modest” allowance that is 3x three times that of the average wages in the US. Then they reimburse themselves for many expenses on top of that.

Examining the Claims vs Evidence of Top Leadership Payments

A frequent point of contention regarding The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) is whether its leaders receive compensation for their service. While local church leaders such as bishops, stake presidents, and missionaries are indeed unpaid volunteers, there has been considerable debate about whether higher-ranking leaders, such as General Authorities, receive a salary or any form of financial compensation. Church leaders often make statements that imply all church positions are unpaid and voluntary, but a closer examination reveals a different reality.

Statements Suggesting No Paid LDS Ministry

Several statements from church leaders and official church materials suggest that there is no paid ministry within the LDS Church:

"In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints there is no paid ministry, no professional clergy, as is common in other churches." - Boyd K. Packer, Follow the Brethren, September 1979 Liahona — “In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints there is no paid ministry, no professional clergy, as is common in other churches.” – Boyd K. Packer, Follow the Brethren, September 1979 Liahona

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints there is no paid ministry, no professional clergy, as is common in other churches.
Boyd K. Packer, Follow the Brethren, September 1979 Liahona
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/1979/09/follow-the-brethren?lang=eng&id=p8#p8

“All of the work in the Church is voluntary. No one is paid for such service.” - Preach My Gospel: Study and Teach: Laws and Ordinances: Service, Page 87. LDS Missionary Teaching Manual 2004 | wasmormon.org — “All of the work in the Church is voluntary. No one is paid for such service.” – Preach My Gospel: Study and Teach: Laws and Ordinances: Service, Page 87. LDS Missionary Teaching Manual 2004

“All of the work in the Church is voluntary. No one is paid for such service.”
Preach My Gospel | The Official Church Missionary Manual, 2004. Page 87.
https://churchofjesuschrist.org/bc/content/shared/content/english/pdf/language-materials/36617_eng.pdf

“I answered that the Church is not wealthy but that we follow the ancient biblical principle of tithing, which principle is reemphasized in our modern scripture. I explained also that our Church has no paid ministry” - Thomas S. Monson, LDS Church President, General Conference 2004
Received $97,201 "living allowance" paychecks in 2004 | wasmormon.org — “I answered that the Church is not wealthy but that we follow the ancient biblical principle of tithing, which principle is reemphasized in our modern scripture. I explained also that our Church has no paid ministry” – Thomas S. Monson, LDS Church President, General Conference 2004 Received $97,201 “living allowance” paychecks in 2004

Our Church has no paid ministry
Thomas S. Monson, Our Sacred Priesthood Trust, April 2006 General Conference
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2006/04/our-sacred-priesthood-trust?lang=eng&id=p8#p8

“We have no professionally trained and salaried clergy in The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints.” - Elder Dallin H Oaks, LDS Apostle, General Conference 2012
Received $124,022 "living allowance" paychecks in 2012 | wasmormon.org — “We have no professionally trained and salaried clergy in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” – Elder Dallin H Oaks, LDS Apostle, General Conference 2012 Received $124,022 “living allowance” paychecks in 2012

We have no professionally trained and salaried clergy in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Dallin H. Oaks, Sacrifice, April 2012 General Conference
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2012/04/sacrifice?id=p16#p16

These statements suggest that all roles within the church, including those of high-ranking leaders, are unpaid and voluntary. However, they often omit or do not clarify that General Authorities (including members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and First Presidency) do, in fact, receive a “living allowance” that functions much like a salary.

The Financial Compensation for General Authorities

The concept of a “living allowance” for General Authorities has been officially described as necessary to allow these leaders to devote their full time to their duties. Although it is not termed a “salary,” it serves the same practical purpose: compensating these leaders for their time and services.

Two significant leaks have shed light on the financial compensation received by top church leaders:

Leaked payroll paystub for Henry B Eyring showing living allowance of over a thousand per week and even more in the form of reimbursements. — Leaked payroll paystub for Henry B Eyring from 1999 showing living allowance of over a thousand per week and even more in the form of reimbursements.

Leaked Payroll Paystub for Henry B. Eyring (1999): A leaked paystub from 1999 for Henry B. Eyring, a member of the First Presidency, revealed that he received a living allowance of over $1,000 per week, along with substantial additional reimbursements. This document highlighted that the “living allowance” is treated as regular compensation, evidenced by the use of a standard paystub format.

In accordance with approved procedures, the annual General Authority base living allowance has been increased from $116,400 to $120,000. This will begin with your paycheck issued on January 10, 2014 (pay period 1). - Leaked Living Allowance Increase for 2014 Letter
Addressed to Elder Porter of the First Quorum of the Seventy | wasmormon.org — In accordance with approved procedures, the annual General Authority base living allowance has been increased from $116,400 to $120,000. This will begin with your paycheck issued on January 10, 2014 (pay period 1). – Leaked Living Allowance Increase for 2014 Letter Addressed to Elder Porter of the First Quorum of the Seventy

Leaked Living Allowance Increase Letter (2014): A leaked letter addressed to Elder Porter of the First Quorum of the Seventy announced a pay increase for General Authorities, stating, “In accordance with approved procedures, the annual General Authority base living allowance has been increased from $116,400 to $120,000. This will begin with your paycheck issued on January 10, 2014 (pay period 1).” The language in the letter refers to the living allowance as a “paycheck,” further blurring the distinction between a living allowance and a salary. The church website finally includes an FAQ section that includes the question “Do General Authorities get paid?”

Do General Authorities get paid? "General Authorities are given a living allowance which enables them to focus all of their time on serving in the Church. The living allowance is uniform for all General Authorities. None of the funds for this living allowance come from the tithing of Church members, but instead from proceeds of the Church's financial investments." - LDS Church Website FAQ | faq.churchofjesuschrist.org | wasmormon.org — Do General Authorities get paid? “General Authorities are given a living allowance which enables them to focus all of their time on serving in the Church. The living allowance is uniform for all General Authorities. None of the funds for this living allowance come from the tithing of Church members, but instead from proceeds of the Church’s financial investments.” – LDS Church Website FAQ | faq.churchofjesuschrist.org

General Authorities leave their careers when they are called into full time Church service. When they do so, they are given a living allowance which enables them to focus all of their time on serving in the Church. This practice allows for far more church members on a worldwide basis to be considered for a calling to serve as a General Authority, rather than limiting considerations to only those who may be financially independent. The living allowance is uniform for all General Authorities. None of the funds for this living allowance come from the tithing of Church members, but instead from proceeds of the Church’s financial investments.
LDS Church Website FAQ: Do General Authorities get paid?
https://faq.churchofjesuschrist.org/do-general-authorities-get-paid

They admit in their answer that General Authorities are given a living allowance. The answer reminds readers that these General Authorities leave their careers, and rationalizes that they focus all of their time on serving in the Church and that this allows the leadership to be called from a worldwide basis rather than limiting considerations to only those who may be financially independent. How worldwide are these leaders though? The church touts itself as a worldwide organization but of the top leaders how many are not financially independent?

Discrepancies Between Public Statements and Realities

The evidence from these leaks contradicts the statements by church leaders suggesting that there is “no paid ministry.” For example, the claim by Boyd K. Packer that “there is no paid ministry” does not align with the reality of a standardized living allowance paid to General Authorities. Similarly, President Thomas S. Monson’s assertion that “our Church has no paid ministry” fails to account for the allowances given to its top leaders. Do they not include themselves as part of the ministry of the church? If not, why do they minister to the people in two organized General Conferences every year, as well as countless other fireside, broadcasts and local meetings?

While these leaders may not receive a “salary” in the traditional sense, their “living allowance” functions in the same way. It covers their expenses and provides them with financial support. The distinction between a salary and a living allowance is largely semantic, especially when these allowances are substantial and treated as regular income through the church’s payroll system.

This lack of transparency can easily lead to disillusionment when members discover that the highest-ranking leaders do receive compensation. It can feel like a breach of trust, especially for those who have made significant sacrifices in their own lives believing their leaders were doing the same. This surprise contributes to many experiencing what the church calls a crisis of faith, where they can no longer repress doubts and their Mormon “shelf” breaks.

Church leadership secretly approving their own paychecks while proclaiming that there is no paid leadership and simultaneously requiring all local leaders to “keep their day job,” and even full-time missionaries to pay their own way, looks eerily similar to priestcrafts, which in the Mormon scripture is condemned. Priestcraft in Mormon doctrine is essentially the exploitation of religion for selfish purposes, whether that’s financial gain or personal glory.

A Call For Financial Transparency

The distinction between “voluntary service” and “paid leadership” is convoluted. Members are required to contribute 10% of their income as tithing to support the church’s activities. They do this by being taught and believing that it goes entirely to building projects, humanitarian aid, and other ecclesiastical needs—not to compensate church leaders. The church’s emphasis on the unpaid nature of most local leadership roles creates a misleading impression that all church roles, including those at the highest levels, are unpaid.

The LDS Church’s messaging around the issue of paid leadership positions is confusing and intentionally misleading to its members and the general public. While local leaders do serve without compensation, General Authorities receive a living allowance that serves the same purpose as a salary. Mission Presidents similarly receive reimbursements for virtually all their expenses. This allowance is designed to enable them to dedicate their full time and attention to their church duties. The leaked documents, including paystubs and internal correspondence, confirm that this compensation is both significant and organized in a manner similar to a traditional paycheck.

While it is not inherently problematic for leaders of any organization, religious or otherwise, to be compensated, the LDS Church’s lack of clarity about how its leaders are paid has created confusion and misunderstandings. Greater transparency from the church about its financial practices—including the nature of the compensation provided to General Authorities—would help foster more trust and understanding among its members and the broader public.

At the end of the day, the question isn’t whether Mormon church leaders are paid, but rather why there has been a lack of straightforwardness about this reality. A more open dialogue on this topic could help align the church’s financial practices with its values of honesty and integrity.

What do you feel about this living allowance provided the top leadership when they repeatedly state that there is no paid ministry? Do they not consider themselves part of the ministry or clergy? Is this transparency, honesty, or integrity? It seems to follow the same reasoning the church hid their massive investments, they worried that if informed, the membership might be less inclined to pay their tithing to the church. Would you agree? Consider sharing your story at wasmormon.org and tell the world about your experience deconstructing your faith in the Mormon church. If we leave it up to the church, they will tell lies about us as if we’re lazy, immature, stupid, or simply weak.

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