Council on the Disposition of the Tithes
The Council on the Disposition of the Tithes is a leadership body in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), composed of the First Presidency, the Presiding Bishopric, and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The council determines how tithing funds of the church will be spent. The council oversees revenue, investments and expenditures valued at billions of dollars per year. While the LDS Church produces an annual report and employs an independent auditing department which reviews the financial activities of the church,[1] it has not published full financial reports since 1959.
History
On July 8, 1838, church founder Joseph Smith was directed by revelation to establish this council.[2] At the time, the council members included the First Presidency, along with both the bishopric and high council in Far West, Missouri. The council met one time under Smith, on July 26, 1838. There is no record of the council meeting again under Smith.[3]
The council did not meet again until 1943. In the early 1940s, J. Reuben Clark (then a member of the First Presidency) conducted a two-year review of early church history to determine how the current church could more closely align with original financial administration. He proposed, and the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve accepted, that the council be reestablished and meet annually. It has met annually since 1943.[4]
Membership of the council
As of December 2023:
|
Name: | Russell M. Nelson | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Born: | September 9, 1924 | ||
| Positions: | 17th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, January 14, 2018 – present President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, July 3, 2015[5][6] – January 14, 2018 Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, called by Spencer W. Kimball, April 7, 1984 – January 14, 2018 LDS Church Apostle, called by Spencer W. Kimball, April 12, 1984 | ||
| Notes: | A former world-renowned heart surgeon. Chairman, Church Board of Education and Boards of Trustees | ||
|
Name: | Dallin H. Oaks | |
| Born: | August 12, 1932 | ||
| Positions: | First Counselor in the First Presidency, called by Russell M. Nelson, January 14, 2018 – present President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (with M. Russell Ballard as Acting President), January 14, 2018} – present LDS Church Apostle, called by Spencer W. Kimball, May 3, 1984 – present Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, called by Spencer W. Kimball, May 3, 1984 – January 14, 2018 | ||
| Notes: | A former professor of law at the University of Chicago Law School, a former president of Brigham Young University, and a former justice of the Utah Supreme Court. First Vice Chairman, Boards of Trustees/Education of the Church Educational System | ||
|
Name: | Henry B. Eyring | |
| Born: | May 31, 1933 | ||
| Positions: | Second Counselor in the First Presidency, called by Russell M. Nelson, January 14, 2018 First Counselor in the First Presidency, called by Thomas S. Monson, February 3, 2008 – January 2, 2018 Second Counselor in the First Presidency, called by Gordon B. Hinckley, October 6, 2007 – January 27, 2008 Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, called by Gordon B. Hinckley, April 1, 1995 – October 6, 2007 LDS Church Apostle, called by Gordon B. Hinckley, April 6, 1995 First Quorum of the Seventy, called by Ezra Taft Benson, October 3, 1992 – April 1, 1995 First Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, called by Robert D. Hales, April 1, 1985 – October 3, 1992 | ||
| Notes: | Was President of Ricks College from 1971 to 1977. Second Vice Chairman, Boards of Trustees/Education of the Church Educational System. | ||
| Name: | Gérald Caussé | ||
| Born: | 20 May 1963 | ||
| Positions: | Presiding Bishop, called by Thomas S. Monson, 9 October 2015 First Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, called by Gary E. Stevenson, 31 March 2012 – 9 October 2015 First Quorum of the Seventy, called by Thomas S. Monson, 5 April 2008 – 31 March 2012 | ||
| Name: | W. Christopher Waddell | ||
| Born: | 28 June 1959 | ||
| Positions: | First Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, called by Gérald Caussé, October 3, 2020 Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, called by Gérald Caussé, October 9, 2015 – October 3, 2020 First Quorum of the Seventy, called by Thomas S. Monson], April 2, 2011 – October 9, 2015 | ||
| Name: | L. Todd Budge | ||
| Born: | 29 December 1959 | ||
| Positions: | Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, called by Gérald Caussé, October 3, 2020 General Authority Seventy, called by Russell M. Nelson, April 6, 2019 – October 3, 2020 | ||
|
Name: | Jeffrey R. Holland | |
| Born: | December 3, 1940 | ||
| Positions: | Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles[7], called by Russell M. Nelson, November 15, 2023[8] Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, called by Howard W. Hunter, June 23, 1994 LDS Church Apostle, called by Howard W. Hunter, June 23, 1994 First Quorum of the Seventy, called by Ezra Taft Benson, April 1, 1989 – June 23, 1994 | ||
|
Name: | Dieter F. Uchtdorf | |
| Born: | 6 November 1940 | ||
| Positions: | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, January 2, 2018 – present Second Counselor in the First Presidency, called by Thomas S. Monson, February 3, 2008 – January 2, 2018 Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, called by Gordon B. Hinckley, October 2, 2004 – February 3, 2008 LDS Church Apostle, called by Gordon B. Hinckley, October 7, 2004 Presidency of the Seventy, called by Gordon B. Hinckley, 15 August 2002 – 2 October 2004 First Quorum of the Seventy, called by Gordon B. Hinckley, April 7, 1996 – October 2, 2004 Second Quorum of the Seventy, called by Ezra Taft Benson, April 2, 1994 – April 7, 1996 | ||
| Notes: | Only the eleventh apostle to be born outside the United States. | ||
|
Name: | David A. Bednar | |
| Born: | June 15, 1952 | ||
| Positions: | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, called by Gordon B. Hinckley, October 2, 2004 LDS Church Apostle, called by Gordon B. Hinckley, October 7, 2004 | ||
| Notes: | A former president of Brigham Young University-Idaho. | ||
|
Name: | Quentin L. Cook | |
| Born: | September 8, 1940 | ||
| Positions: | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, called by Gordon B. Hinckley, October 6, 2007 LDS Church Apostle, called by Gordon B. Hinckley, October 11, 2007 Presidency of the Seventy, called by Gordon B. Hinckley, August 1, 2007 – October 6, 2007 First Quorum of the Seventy, called by Gordon B. Hinckley, April 5, 1998 – October 6, 2007 Second Quorum of the Seventy, called by Gordon B. Hinckley, April 6, 1996 – April 5, 1998 | ||
|
Name: | D. Todd Christofferson | |
| Born: | January 24, 1945 | ||
| Positions: | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, called by Thomas S. Monson, April 5, 2008 LDS Church Apostle, called by Thomas S. Monson, April 10, 2008 Presidency of the Seventy, called by Gordon B. Hinckley, August 15, 1998 – April 5, 2008 First Quorum of the Seventy, called by Ezra Taft Benson, April 3, 1993 – April 5, 2008 | ||
| Notes: | Member, Boards of Trustees/Education of the Church Educational System; Chairman, CES Executive Committee of the Board. | ||
|
Name: | Neil L. Andersen | |
| Born: | August 9, 1951 | ||
| Positions: | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, called by Thomas S. Monson, April 4, 2009 LDS Church Apostle, called by Thomas S. Monson, April 9, 2009 Presidency of the Seventy, called by Gordon B. Hinckley, August 15, 2005 – April 4, 2009 First Quorum of the Seventy, called by Ezra Taft Benson, April 3, 1993 – April 4, 2009 | ||
| Name: | Ronald A. Rasband | ||
| Born: | February 6, 1951 | ||
| Positions: | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, called by Thomas S. Monson, October 3, 2015 LDS Church Apostle, called by Thomas S. Monson, October 8, 2015 Presidency of the Seventy, called by Gordon B. Hinckley, August 15, 2005 – October 3, 2015 First Quorum of the Seventy, called by Gordon B. Hinckley, April 1, 2000 – October 3, 2015 | ||
| Notes: | Member, Boards of Trustees/Education of the Church Educational System; Member CES Executive Committee of the Board. | ||
| Name: | Gary E. Stevenson | ||
| Born: | August 6, 1955
Married: April 20, 1979 | ||
| Positions: | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, called by Thomas S. Monson, October 3, 2015 LDS Church Apostle, called by Thomas S. Monson, October 8, 2015 Presiding Bishop, called by Thomas S. Monson, March 31, 2012 – October 9, 2015 First Quorum of the Seventy, called by Thomas S. Monson, April 5, 2008 – March 31, 2012 | ||
| Name: | Dale G. Renlund | ||
| Born: | November 13, 1952 | ||
| Positions: | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, called by Thomas S. Monson, October 3, 2015 LDS Church Apostle, called by Thomas S. Monson, October 8, 2015 First Quorum of the Seventy, called by Thomas S. Monson, April 4, 2009 – October 3, 2015 | ||
| Notes: | Member, Boards of Trustees/Education of the Church Educational System. | ||
| Name: | Gerrit W. Gong | ||
| Born: | December 23, 1953 | ||
| Positions: | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, called by Russell M. Nelson, March 31, 2018 LDS Church Apostle, called by Russell M. Nelson, April 5, 2018 Presidency of the Seventy, called by Thomas S. Monson, October 6, 2015 – March 31, 2018 First Quorum of the Seventy, called by Thomas S. Monson, April 3, 2010[9][10] – March 31, 2018 | ||
| Name: | Ulisses Soares | ||
| Born: | October 2, 1958 | ||
| Positions: | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, called by Russell M. Nelson, March 31, 2018 LDS Church Apostle, called by Russell M. Nelson, April 5, 2018 Presidency of the Seventy, called by Thomas S. Monson, January 6, 2013 – March 31, 2018 First Quorum of the Seventy, called by Gordon B. Hinckley, April 2, 2005 – March 31, 2018 | ||
| Name: | Patrick Kearon | ||
| Born: | July 18, 1961 | ||
| Positions: | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, called by Russell M. Nelson, December 7, 2023 LDS Church Apostle, called by Russell M. Nelson, December 7, 2023 Presidency of the Seventy, called by Thomas S. Monson, August 2017 – December 7, 2023 First Quorum of the Seventy, called by Thomas S. Monson, April 3, 2010 – December 7, 2023 | ||
| Notes: | The thirteenth apostle born outside the United States (U.K.). | ||
See also
- Council of the Church
- Common Council of the Church
- Finances of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- World Church Leadership Council
References
- ^ "Church Auditing Department Report, 2014".
- ^ Doctrine and Covenants, section 120:1
- ^ David W. Smith, "The Development of the Council on the Disposition of the Tithes," BYU Studies Quarterly, 57:2 (2018), 137–139.
- ^ Smith, "Development of the Council," 144–151.
- ^ With the death of Boyd K. Packer on July 3, 2015, Nelson became the second most senior apostle among the ranks of the church, resulting in him being the de facto President of the Quorum. He was officially set apart in that capacity July 15, 2015.
- ^ The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (July 15, 2015). "Russell M. Nelson: New President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles". MormonNewsroom.org.
- ^ Due to quorum president Dallin H. Oaks serving as First Counselor in the First Presidency.
- ^ "Jeffrey R. Holland: New Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles". newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org. 2023-11-16. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
- ^ Scott Taylor, "Mormon church names new seventies, Primary presidency" Archived 2018-07-07 at the Wayback Machine, Deseret News, 2010-04-04
- ^ Hill, Greg (May 1, 2010), "Elder Gerrit W. Gong: 'A nice guy' — A man of faith and learning", Church News, p. 11
