Do you have to have a degree to be an apostle?
Question
Gramps,
A friend of mine said the other day that it appears you have to have a PHD to be an apostle these days. What happened to the idea of the humble being selected to a high ranking office in the church.
John
Answer
Of the fifteen current apostles, all have a degree of some kind, from bachelors to masters, seven also served in the military, none of which were drafted.
To me, a college degree does not automatically mean one is not humble. It’s just a reflection of the current society we live in today. Back in the beginning years of the Church, college was for the upper class. Today is different however. Today going to college is all but expected as a regular extension of one’s education.
Also, I seriously doubt any of the current General Authorities are not humble. Having met a few of them now and then in my life, I can personally tell you they are indeed quite humble. The spirit I have felt in their presence has left me no doubt of it.
When do you suppose that racial and ethnic diversity will come to the quorum of the twelve apostles? We are truly a worldwide Church now, yet our overall leadership of the hierarchy of the Church hardly reflects this. And the quorum of the twelve, not at all!
Another thing to consider is that Church leaders generally need to be able to take care of themselves financially, else they wouldn’t be able to focus on the needs of those they serve. As Gramps said, a degree generally makes one more likely to have such a job. It’s not so much that one needs a degree to be an Apostle as it is that in this day an age, having a degree makes it easier to live the kind of life that would prepare one to be an Apostle.