Who is the millionaire LDS apostle?

The concept of a 'millionaire LDS apostle' exposes a fundamental fault line in modern Latter-day Saint doctrine, contrasting sharply with the biblical and Hebraic understanding of apostleship and Yeshua's teachings on wealth.

Quick Answer

Who is the Millionaire LDS Apostle? Exposing False Apostleship Quick Answer Quick Answer: The millionaire LDS apostle often refers to figures like Gary E. Stevenson, whose significant personal wealth, often derived from business ventures, highlights a profound departure from the biblical model of apostleship. True apostleship, as defined by Yeshua and the first-century Messianic movement,…

Who is the Millionaire LDS Apostle? Exposing False Apostleship

Quick Answer

Quick Answer: The millionaire LDS apostle often refers to figures like Gary E. Stevenson, whose significant personal wealth, often derived from business ventures, highlights a profound departure from the biblical model of apostleship. True apostleship, as defined by Yeshua and the first-century Messianic movement, required being an eyewitness to the resurrected Messiah and a life of sacrifice, not the accumulation of vast personal fortunes or corporate leadership.

The Scholarly Case

The question of who is the millionaire LDS apostle immediately illuminates a critical divergence between the modern Latter-day Saint (LDS) understanding of spiritual leadership and the original Hebraic-Messianic faith established by Yeshua and His first apostles. The very concept of an "apostle" accumulating significant personal wealth stands in stark contrast to the teachings of Yeshua and the qualifications for apostleship outlined in the Brit Chadashah. Yeshua Himself provided a clear warning regarding wealth: "Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'Truly I tell you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.'" (Matthew 19:23-24 BSB). This teaching underscores a fundamental principle: devotion to Elohim is often incompatible with the pursuit and hoarding of material riches. "No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." (Matthew 6:24 BSB). The early Messianic community exemplified this principle, with individuals like Joseph, called Barnabas, selling possessions and laying the proceeds at the apostles' feet for communal distribution (Acts 4:36-37 BSB), demonstrating a radical detachment from personal wealth. The biblical criteria for apostleship were exceedingly specific and foundational, not subject to continuous modern appointment. An apostle, in the original sense, was one who had personally seen the resurrected Yeshua and was directly commissioned by Him. As Peter articulated when selecting a replacement for Judas: "Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have accompanied us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from John’s baptism until the day Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.” (Acts 1:21-22 BSB). Paul, defending his own apostleship, affirmed this qualification: "Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you yourselves not my workmanship in the Lord?" (1 Corinthians 9:1 BSB). Furthermore, Paul explicitly states his apostleship was "not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead" (Galatians 1:1 BSB). The apostles and prophets formed the very "foundation" of the Messianic community, "with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone" (Ephesians 2:20 BSB). This "foundation" implies a completed, historical reality, not an ongoing, perpetually re-established office. The Tanakh itself closes with Malachi, approximately 430 BCE, indicating a cessation of canonical prophetic revelation until the arrival of Messiah. The Torah explicitly warns against adding to or subtracting from divine commandments: "You must not add to or subtract from what I command you, so that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I am giving you." (Deuteronomy 4:2 BSB) and "See that you do everything I command you; do not add to it or subtract from it." (Deuteronomy 12:32 BSB). Proverbs 30:6 (BSB) reiterates this: "Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you and prove you a liar." The Brit Chadashah echoes this sentiment, with Paul pronouncing a severe anathema on anyone, even an angel, who preaches "a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you" (Galatians 1:8-9 BSB). Jude 1:3 (BSB) further emphasizes "the faith entrusted once for all to the saints," indicating a finished revelation, not an ongoing stream of "new revelation" and continuous apostleship as claimed by Joseph Smith. The notion of a "millionaire apostle" fundamentally misrepresents the self-sacrificial nature of true apostleship and the warnings against mammon found in Yeshua's teachings. The original apostles were often persecuted, imprisoned, and martyred, living lives of profound humility and dedication to spreading the Gospel, not accumulating vast personal wealth. Their authority stemmed from direct commissioning by the resurrected Messiah and their faithful stewardship of the "faith entrusted once for all," not from corporate success or financial acumen.

Adversary Teardown: lds.org

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) presents a stark contrast to the biblical understanding of apostleship, particularly when considering the personal wealth of some of its leaders. The LDS Church's official narratives, often found on lds.org and in publications like the Church Newsroom, consistently promote its leaders, such as Elder Neil L. Andersen and Jeffrey R. Holland, as "Apostles of Jesus Christ" (Gospel Topics Essays, "Apostle of Jesus Christ Blesses Young Boy with Cerebral Palsy"). This claim of continuous apostleship and ongoing revelation is a central pillar of LDS doctrine, yet it is demonstrably divergent from both the Tanakh and the Brit Chadashah. The LDS tradition of apostleship originates with Joseph Smith Jr., who claimed a "First Vision" in 1820 (though this account was retrospectively dated and evolved over time) and published the Book of Mormon in 1830. Smith's claims of new revelation and continuous apostleship led to a new religious movement that, by his death in 1844, had already significantly deviated from historic Christianity. His successor, Brigham Young, led the migration to Utah in 1847, where doctrines like the Adam-God doctrine (1852) and polygamy flourished until federal pressure forced the 1890 Manifesto. This lineage of leadership, from Smith to Young and onward, fundamentally redefines "apostleship" to mean an appointed ecclesiastical office within a hierarchical structure, rather than the unique, unrepeatable experience of being a direct eyewitness to the resurrected Messiah. The LDS Church's defense of its apostles, such as Elder Neil L. Andersen acting in the capacity of "one of the Savior's Apostles" (Gospel Topics Essays, "Beyond the Pulpit: Elder Andersen Ministers in Mongolia"), directly contradicts the biblical definition. As established earlier, the Brit Chadashah defines an apostle as one who saw the risen Christ and was personally commissioned by Him (Acts 1:21-22, 1 Corinthians 9:1, Galatians 1:1). The LDS definition, applied to individuals like George Albert Smith being called as an apostle at age 33 (as per LDS internal narratives), is internal to their authority structure and cannot be validated by biblical criteria. This ongoing claim of apostleship implies a continuous flow of foundational revelation, directly undermining the declaration in Jude 1:3 (BSB) that the "faith entrusted once for all to the saints" is complete. The wealth of some LDS apostles, such as Gary E. Stevenson, who co-founded the successful exercise equipment company Icon Health & Fitness, further exposes this fault line. While lds.org might highlight his church service (e.g., "Elder Gary E. Stevenson - Church Newsroom"), it rarely addresses the substantial personal fortunes accumulated by such leaders. The elevation of human leaders, even to the point of near-idolatry, as described by Mary Alice H. McCann regarding her father, Elder Holland, as "physical tangible evidence of divine love" (as cited by Saints Unscripted), risks diminishing the singular authority of Yeshua HaMashiach. The Book of Mormon itself, presented as additional scripture, contains numerous anachronisms that undermine its historical claims. Scholars like Michael Coe, in "Mormons & Archaeology: An Outside View" (Dialogue 1973), highlight the lack of archaeological evidence for pre-Columbian horses, chariots, steel swords, wheat, barley, or silk in Mesoamerica, directly refuting the Book of Mormon's narrative. Furthermore, the claim of Lamanites being of Hebrew origin is directly refuted by modern DNA evidence, as Simon Southerton demonstrates in "Losing a Lost Tribe" (2004), showing mtDNA points to Asian, not Semitic, origins for indigenous American populations. These factual errors, combined with the unbiblical redefinition of apostleship and the accumulation of wealth by leaders, reveal a tradition that has significantly deviated from the original Hebraic-Messianic faith.

Counter-Arguments Anticipated

Objection 1: The LDS Church believes in continuing revelation and modern prophets/apostles, which is consistent with God speaking to His people throughout history.

This argument fundamentally misinterprets the nature of biblical revelation and apostleship. While Elohim certainly spoke to prophets throughout history, the Brit Chadashah explicitly defines apostleship as a unique, foundational office tied to being an eyewitness of the resurrected Messiah (Acts 1:21-22; 1 Corinthians 9:1). It was not a perpetually recurring role. Furthermore, the Torah itself warns against adding to or subtracting from God's commands (Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:32), and Paul pronounces an anathema on those who preach a "different gospel" (Galatians 1:8-9). The "faith entrusted once for all to the saints" (Jude 1:3) indicates a completed revelation, not an ongoing stream of new doctrines and scriptures.

Objection 2: The wealth of LDS apostles is a result of their successful business careers before their church service, and they are not paid for their apostolic duties.

While some LDS leaders may have accumulated wealth prior to their full-time church service, the issue remains multifaceted. First, the Brit Chadashah portrays apostles as living lives of sacrifice, often in poverty, dedicated solely to the Gospel (1 Corinthians 4:11-13). The accumulation of vast personal wealth, whether before or during service, stands in tension with Yeshua's clear warnings about the dangers of riches (Matthew 19:23-24; Matthew 6:24). Second, while direct "salaries" might be debated, the church provides generous living allowances and benefits, effectively supporting a lifestyle far removed from the humble origins of Yeshua's disciples. The focus on financial success, even prior to church callings, signals a worldview that contrasts sharply with the radical detachment from mammon preached by Yeshua.

Objection 3: The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ, providing additional witnesses and clarifying doctrines, and its historical claims are supported by faith.

The claim that the Book of Mormon is "another testament" is contradicted by significant scholarly and scientific evidence. Archaeologically, there is no corroborating evidence for the advanced civilizations, animals (horses, chariots), metals (steel), or crops (wheat, barley, silk) described in the Book of Mormon as existing in pre-Columbian America (Michael Coe, "Mormons & Archaeology: An Outside View", Dialogue 1973). Furthermore, genetic studies, such as those detailed by Simon Southerton in "Losing a Lost Tribe" (2004), have conclusively shown that the indigenous populations of the Americas derive their ancestry from Asia, not the ancient Near East, refuting the Book of Mormon's central narrative of Lamanites as descendants of ancient Hebrews. Faith cannot override verifiable historical and scientific facts that directly contradict the text's claims.

Position Lock

Position Lock: The Hebraic-Messianic faith unequivocally affirms that true apostleship was a unique, foundational office, requiring direct eyewitness testimony of the resurrected Yeshua and personal commissioning by Him, which ceased with the first generation of disciples. Any claim of continuous apostleship, especially one associated with significant personal wealth or new revelations that contradict the "faith entrusted once for all," represents a profound departure from the Torah-rooted, Yeshua-centered truth.