PDA

View Full Version : Democrats in the Quorum of the 12?


SoonerCoug
06-25-2007, 04:01 PM
Here are my educated guesses at political affiliation in the Quorum of the 12, were they to actually have any personal political affiliation.

Gordon B. Hinckley (Republican--once implied that GW Bush was wise)
Thomas S. Monson (Republican--big time scout)
James E. Faust (Democrat--well known that he was a democrat)

Boyd K. Packer (Very Republican)
L. Tom Perry (Republican--I know his granddaughter is a big time Republican)
Russell M. Nelson (Republican--"AIDS is God's plague for homosexuals"--statement later retracted.)
Dallin H. Oaks (Republican--"It's wrong to criticize Church leaders even if the criticism is true"--very Republican concept.)
M. Russell Ballard (no idea)
Joseph B. Wirthlin (no idea)
Richard G. Scott (no idea)
Robert D. Hales (no idea)
Jeffrey R. Holland (no idea)
Henry B. Eyring (Democrat--my 1st cousin once removed, so it's an educated guess)
Dieter F. Uchtdorf (Democrat--he's European, so I think it's fair to classify him as a democrat)
David A Bednar (No idea whatsoever)

Anyone have any thoughts on the mystery apostles?

RC Vikings
06-25-2007, 04:12 PM
Here are my educated guesses at political affiliation in the Quorum of the 12, were they to actually have any personal political affiliation.

Gordon B. Hinckley (Republican--once implied that GW Bush was wise)
Thomas S. Monson (Republican--big time scout)
James E. Faust (Democrat--well known that he was a democrat)

Boyd K. Packer (Very Republican)
L. Tom Perry (Republican--I know his granddaughter is a big time Republican)
Russell M. Nelson (Republican--"AIDS is God's plague for homosexuals"--statement later retracted.)
Dallin H. Oaks (Republican--"It's wrong to criticize Church leaders even if the criticism is true"--very Republican concept.)
M. Russell Ballard (no idea)
Joseph B. Wirthlin (no idea)
Richard G. Scott (no idea)
Robert D. Hales (no idea)
Jeffrey R. Holland (no idea)
Henry B. Eyring (Democrat--my 1st cousin once removed, so it's an educated guess)
Dieter F. Uchtdorf (Democrat--he's European, so I think it's fair to classify him as a democrat)
David A Bednar (No idea whatsoever)

Anyone have any thoughts on the mystery apostles?

I would guess that President Hinckley has voted for more Democratic Presidential candidates then Republicans ones. I think it's safe to put Bednar in the Republican group.

YOhio
06-25-2007, 04:13 PM
The only other Democrat I know of is Marlin K. Jensen, but he's in the Seventy.

SoonerCoug
06-25-2007, 04:14 PM
I would guess that President Hinckley has voted for more Democratic Presidential candidates then Republicans ones. I think it's safe to put Bednar in the Republican group.

What makes you think Bednar is a Repub?

I would agree that it's pretty clear that Hinckley is at least more moderate than many members of the Quorum of the 12. He seems to like Ivy Leaguers, as well.

YOhio
06-25-2007, 04:17 PM
Jeffrey R. Holland (no idea)


I had a class from his son and he was pretty conservative. He worked for a Republican in Karl Snow in the 1992 Utah Congressional race when Snow ran against Bill Orton.

SoonerCoug
06-25-2007, 04:18 PM
I had a class from his son and he was pretty conservative. He worked for a Republican in Karl Snow in the 1992 Utah Congressional race when Snow ran against Bill Orton.

OK. I think it's pretty fair to say that family members (especially offspring) are a very good indication, since party affiliation is quite likely to be retained from generation to generation.

Is it possible that Monson is a moderate? I've always thought it was interesting that President Hinckley avoided having Packer in the 1st presidency.

RC Vikings
06-25-2007, 04:25 PM
What makes you think Bednar is a Repub?

I would agree that it's pretty clear that Hinckley is at least more moderate than many members of the Quorum of the 12. He seems to like Ivy Leaguers, as well.

I'm just making an assumption from the little I was around him while he was here in Rexburg. He seemed to be very, very conservative.

SoonerCoug
06-25-2007, 04:27 PM
I'm just making an assumption from the little I was around him while he was here in Rexburg. He seemed to be very, very conservative.

I've heard the very same thing about Eyring, even though I know that the family tends to be more liberal. I know that he has extremely strict attitudes in his management practices.

Perhaps being a Church leader makes a person trend more conservatively.

minn_stat
06-25-2007, 04:39 PM
I've heard the very same thing about Eyring, even though I know that the family tends to be more liberal. I know that he has extremely strict attitudes in his management practices.

Perhaps being a Church leader makes a person trend more conservatively.
I got to know Eyring's son Henry quite well at BYU. We were both geology undergrads and graduated together. Since it is a smaller dept, we had a lot of common classes, studied together a lot, and went on the summer field camps together. We engaged in political conversations fairly regularly, and I would classify him as fairly conservative politically. So to the degree that reflects upon his father, count him as a Republican.

ChinoCoug
06-25-2007, 04:47 PM
I'm 90% sure Holland is Republican. I worked for his son Matt, and he's very conservative.

He's not there anymore, but Neil A Maxwell is not a Democrat. His grandson is a Democrat, and Maxwell was fine with that. Maxwell said it's important that the 12 don't disclose their political affiliations.

Archaea
06-25-2007, 04:49 PM
Hales, Scott and Ballard are the candidates most likely to be Dems, though my information is scant.

ChinoCoug
06-25-2007, 04:49 PM
I had a class from his son and he was pretty conservative. He worked for a Republican in Karl Snow in the 1992 Utah Congressional race when Snow ran against Bill Orton.

I might have been your TA.

SoonerCoug
06-25-2007, 04:58 PM
Or we might look at the number of children each apostle has, to make an educated guess as to their personal emphasis on the Church's massive reproduction tradition, which is one specific conservative Mormon principle. I think we could define 4 or more children as massive reproduction.

Gordon B. Hinckley 5 children
Thomas S. Monson 3 children (a bit of a wild card politically--very few children for his generation)
James E. Faust 5 children

Boyd K. Packer 10 children (clearly the most conservative apostle)
L. Tom Perry 4 children
Russell M. Nelson 10 children (AIDS is God's plague for homosexuals)
Dallin H. Oaks 6 children
M. Russell Ballard 7 children
Joseph B. Wirthlin 8 children
Richard G. Scott 7 children
Robert D. Hales 2 children
Jeffrey R. Holland 3 children
Henry B. Eyring 6 children
Dieter F. Uchtdorf 2 children
David A Bednar 3 children

Two of the most obviously ultraconservative apostles were the most prolific reproducers.

It's also interesting that 4 of the 5 most recently called apostles have only 2 or 3 children (which is especially significant considering their generation). At the same time, we're hearing talks from people such as Dallin H Oaks about how it's a problem that Mormons two generations younger than these apostles are delaying marriage and having fewer children.

Indy Coug
06-25-2007, 04:58 PM
I think it's in the best interest of the church that we don't know the political leanings of the FP/Qof12.

SoonerCoug
06-25-2007, 05:00 PM
I think it's in the best interest of the church that we don't know the political leanings of the FP/Qof12.

I completely agree. However, everyone assumes that they are all republican anyway, so we might as well speculate.

Indy Coug
06-25-2007, 05:02 PM
I'm willing to bet that most of them don't really see their views as being represented by either major party and therefore don't have strong party affiliations with anyone.

SoonerCoug
06-25-2007, 05:02 PM
Hales, Scott and Ballard are the candidates most likely to be Dems, though my information is scant.

I do know that Ballard has been responsible for handling all contacts with LDS members of congress, which might imply that he is conspicuously moderate. Or it might mean nothing.

Archaea
06-25-2007, 05:05 PM
I think it's in the best interest of the church that we don't know the political leanings of the FP/Qof12.

A good point. We don't need an ETB, because their purpose is not political.

Indy Coug
06-25-2007, 05:07 PM
A good point. We don't need an ETB, because their purpose is not political.

It's not always possible for that to happen as some eventual Apostles/Prophets already made their political positions clear prior to receiving the call.

Tex
06-25-2007, 05:10 PM
Russell M. Nelson (Republican--"AIDS is God's plague for homosexuals"--statement later retracted.)
...
Russell M. Nelson 10 children (AIDS is God's plague for homosexuals)


Since you seem intent on driving this point home, would you mind substantiating this for me, so I can read it for myself?

RC Vikings
06-25-2007, 05:10 PM
F. Melvin Hammond of the Seventy was the minority leader here is Idaho 20+ years ago. Only a future GA could ever win as a democrat out of Madison County.

Archaea
06-25-2007, 05:11 PM
It's not always possible for that to happen as some eventual Apostles/Prophets already made their political positions clear prior to receiving the call.

But since ETB, the Apostles have been careful to avoid much discussion of politics.

Tex
06-25-2007, 05:16 PM
Since you seem intent on driving this point home, would you mind substantiating this for me, so I can read it for myself?

My Googling skills uncovered this quote. Let me know if this the one you're referencing, and if it was retracted, can you quote (or post a link to the quote) that indicates this?

"Generally speaking, the disease selectively destroys those engaging in homosexual and adulterous activity prohibited by the Lord. Looking at it through the eyes of our priesthood perspective, we can see that, just as the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were eliminated, so today infections limit the procreative powers and perpetuation of those who are disobedient to the commandments of God that deal with moral purity."

- Delivered to CES educators, 13 September 1985

http://ldsces.org/general%20authority%20talks/1985%20Eve%20w%20Nelson.html

BlueK
06-25-2007, 05:16 PM
I had a class from his son and he was pretty conservative. He worked for a Republican in Karl Snow in the 1992 Utah Congressional race when Snow ran against Bill Orton.

That was a crazy campaign. Snow and the other republican beat the crap out of each other in the primary campaign. Then a few days before the election the county GOP ran an ad in the paper making fun of Orton's single status and it backfired big time, winning him the election fairly comfortably.

SoonerCoug
06-25-2007, 05:21 PM
It's not always possible for that to happen as some eventual Apostles/Prophets already made their political positions clear prior to receiving the call.

This is kind of interesting for speculation purposes. Who ordained whom?

David O McKay ordained 10: Marion Romney, LeGrand Richards, Adam Bennion, Richard Evans, George Morris, Hugh B Brown (leader of Utah State Democratic Party), Howard W Hunter, Gordon B Hinckley, N Eldon Tanner, Alvin R Dyer (at least one obvious liberal on this list, but generally it's a mixed bunch with some obvious moderates)

Joseph Fielding Smith ordained 2: Thomas S Monson, Boyd K Packer (One is a nutty conservative)

Harold B Lee ordained 2: Marvin J Ashton, Bruce R McConkie (One said that Blacks would never, ever get the priesthood)

Spencer W Kimball ordained 4: L Tom Perry, David B Haight, James E Faust, Neal A Maxwell (3 of the 4 were clearly moderate--if not all 4)

Ezra Taft Benson ordained 3: Russell M Nelson, Dallin H Oaks, M Russell Ballard (2 of the 3 are clearly very, very conservative)

Howard W Hunger ordained 1: Jeffrey R Holland

Gordon B Hinckley ordained 4: Robert Hales, Henry Eyring, Dieter Uchtdorf, David Bednar (3 apostles with conspicuously fewer children and one German)

I might have made some mistakes on this list, but I think there are some trends. For example, Joseph Fielding Smith ordained Packer. That shouldn't come as a surprise.

ChinoCoug
06-25-2007, 05:23 PM
I do know that Ballard has been responsible for handling all contacts with LDS members of congress, which might imply that he is conspicuously moderate. Or it might mean nothing.

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i192/frushingchino/SharptonBallard_medium.jpg
I know this doesn't mean anything about his politics either, but I can't imagine Packer handling this stuff.

YOhio
06-25-2007, 05:38 PM
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i192/frushingchino/SharptonBallard_medium.jpg
I know this doesn't mean anything about his politics either, but I can't imagine Packer handling this stuff.

I think Ballard was chosen to meet with Sharpton because of his mad rhyming skillz.

Detroitdad
06-25-2007, 07:42 PM
Holland is a Republican.

Yes, I can confirm this on the basis of a conversation that I had with he and my father. Even though he is a Republican I still like him.

OrangeUte
06-26-2007, 05:44 AM
Or we might look at the number of children each apostle has, to make an educated guess as to their personal emphasis on the Church's massive reproduction tradition, which is one specific conservative Mormon principle. I think we could define 4 or more children as massive reproduction.

Gordon B. Hinckley 5 children
Thomas S. Monson 3 children (a bit of a wild card politically--very few children for his generation)
James E. Faust 5 children

Boyd K. Packer 10 children (clearly the most conservative apostle)
L. Tom Perry 4 children
Russell M. Nelson 10 children (AIDS is God's plague for homosexuals)
Dallin H. Oaks 6 children
M. Russell Ballard 7 children
Joseph B. Wirthlin 8 children
Richard G. Scott 7 children
Robert D. Hales 2 children
Jeffrey R. Holland 3 children
Henry B. Eyring 6 children
Dieter F. Uchtdorf 2 children
David A Bednar 3 children

Two of the most obviously ultraconservative apostles were the most prolific reproducers.

It's also interesting that 4 of the 5 most recently called apostles have only 2 or 3 children (which is especially significant considering their generation). At the same time, we're hearing talks from people such as Dallin H Oaks about how it's a problem that Mormons two generations younger than these apostles are delaying marriage and having fewer children.

SOONER - you are freakin' cracking me up with this stuff! Who would have guessed that ultraconservative would go along with being a prolific reproducer!?!? Funny s$&t!!!

As for me - I just assume every Mormon I meet is a conservative - that way I am pleasantly surprised when I meet one who is not. I know, I know - I stereotype - I don't have a problem with that!

Cali Coug
06-26-2007, 05:47 AM
SOONER - you are freakin' cracking me up with this stuff! Who would have guessed that ultraconservative would go along with being a prolific reproducer!?!? Funny s$&t!!!

As for me - I just assume every Mormon I meet is a conservative - that way I am pleasantly surprised when I meet one who is not. I know, I know - I stereotype - I don't have a problem with that!

Isn't Nelson up to 15 kids now with the new marriage?