One of the criticisms many Mormons have about Evangelical Christian churches is their perception of a “paid” clergy. However, Bible and even the D&C are very specific that leaders, such as bishops, ought to be paid. However, an LDS Mission President's Handbook was released on the Internet by a private individual. In this current handbook, it explains the many perks that the mission president's family receives, including all living expenses, college tuition, and even a maid and gardener. For a mission president in Utah, the benefits could easily reach $100,000. Yet the mission president pays no taxes on these benefits and is not even required to tithe. What's going on here? This article examines the situation and does away with the notion that Mormon leaders are not "paid."

While it’s only 82 pages in length, the title of Tom Scott’s book (It’s True: An Evangelical Pastor’s Journey to Truth in the Mormon Church) begs to be read. If nothing else, Scott appears to be a good marketer, even having worked out a deal with several Utah Costco stores to sell copies at $6.99 (regularly priced at $10.99—though still a bit pricey for a small 7x10-inch paperback averaging 300 words per page!). Sitting at a card table, he has made autograph-signing appearances there as well as at LDS Fireside meetings in Utah; according to one source, books by the caseloads have been sold at these events.  

Answering Mormons' Questions (Kregel, October 2012) by Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson deals with 36 common questions that Mormons ask Christians about faith. In this book, which is scheduled to be released in the middle of October, we provide material--including hundreds of original quotes from LDS sources and plenty of stories from our own experiences-- that will help you with your own discussions. In addition, we include 2-3 questions at the end of each chapter, meant mainly to be discussion starters for groups wanting further study. In this free guide, we provide background information along with possible answers. Feel free to use this guide in any way you wish to equip your students to better answer Mormons' questions.