Mormon Hierarchy : Extensions of Power

The Mormon church today is led by an elite dynasty of older men, nearly three-quarters of whom are related to current or past church authorities, who meet in private; neither their deliberations nor the church's finances are available for public review. Public relations spokesmen assure church members that all is well and that harmony prevails among these brethren. But D. Michael Quinn presents a fuller view. His extensive research documents how the brethren are as likely to be at loggerheads as united. Strong-willed and independent-minded, they lobby their colleagues, forge alliances, out-maneuver opponents, and broker compromises. There is more: clandestine political activities, investigative and punitive actions, personal loans from church coffers, and other privileged power-vested activities. Quinn considers the changing attitude of the leadership toward visionary experiences, the momentous events which have shaped quorum protocol and doctrine, and day-to-day bureaucratic intrigue from the time of Brigham Young to the dawn of the twenty-first century. On the other hand, Quinn sees the hierarchy as being at root well-intentioned and the potential for change when they believe that God has spoken, coupled with the tempering effect of competing viewpoints, is a definite strength.