1. Speak with the “General Authority style” to sound like one.

2. Find the spirit in everything and point it out to everyone.

3. Presume that religious ideals are more important than people.

4. Presume that those with no influence in Mormonism are going nowhere and treat them accordingly.

5. When recruiting people to support your ascension, pretend like their lives and stories count, even though you have no intention of using most of them when you inspire people.

6. Consistently point out flawed leadership of rivals, and make sure it’s clear how you are less spiritually flawed.

7. Point out to people in lesser leadership roles of Mormonism that many are called but few are choosen, and if they aren’t fulfilled in their calling, it’s because of their bad decisions.

8. When the rules of Mormonism change, you have absolutely no obligation to inform those affected by the changes about what’s going to happen next (if you do so, it’s merely a courtesy).

9. It’s perfectly fine to change how you treat people during the course of any calling.

10. One’s calling justifies whatever is necessary for one to achieve success.

I used this list as a starting point but I don't consider a general authority "brilliant" precisely because they accepted the calling to become one. This is the day of the mighty Internet. Accepting a calling to preserve people in the past of more ignorance is not a brilliant move in my opinion.

More like 10 dumb things I've learned from "spiritual" people.

No temporal success can compensate for success in the spiritual realm of Mormonism. It is a heaven on earth with an unlimited expense account, adulation of thousands, and a lifetime membership in Kolobian Club Cred.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddisalvo/2012/07/08/10-dumb-things-ive-learned-from-brilliant-people/

Questions for interviewing GA candidates:

1 - Are you of a revered pioneer bloodline?

2 - Can you keep a secret?

3 - Are you good with money/managing businesses?

4 - Are you aware of the lie of the Church but are willing to hide it?

5 - Are you willing to sign legal contracts swearing you to secrecy and threatening you with legal action if you disclose the truth of mormonism?

6 - Are you willing to live in SLC?

ALL This time i thought it was just paying more tithing than anyone else.

How about just being rich and successful and holding jobs like CEO and lawyer. I don't see it as being any different from how companies choose CEOs. They're chosen for their business acumen not their background in theology.

Black Grape Wrote:
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> They're chosen for their business acumen not
> their background in theology.

Throw in some old boy tactics and favoritism for people who don't meet the money standards and you are about on the money.

The other reason for the financial success requirement is so that they can support themselves like the ancient BoM leaders did...errr...oops...sorry about the TBM mythology flashback.

I might be wrong but I believe there are a few sitting "Elders" including the current "Prophet" who never made a profit outside of church connections.

That is correct. In fact, it was the preface describing Gordon B. Hinckley's poor upbringing and virtually exclusive Church career in his President's of the Church manual in 2002 that started me on my Google quest out of the Church.

Gordon's Google. Nice name for a band.

Hinckley, Monson and Packer for sure. All called in the sixties or earlier.

But I suspect that even those three realized they needed men with outside skills and experience to get their dirty work done. I don't think we'll be seeing too many CES or media relations people rising to the top in the future.

One reason, I think, is the signaling value of a career outside the church, combined with intense volunteer activity on its behalf. A successful person with alternatives who chooses to follow the church line is priceless to them. On the other hand, someone from Utah who needs his church salary to survive may not believe in the claims of the church at all. They've been burned badly by people like that before.

How funny is it that Hinckley, during his years of unrivalled power, refused to call anyone like himself to be an apostle?

LIVE LIFE - and live it well.

Learn everything you can about whatever it is you are interested in.

You are a general authority - you generally authorize yourself.

I would actually make a few additions to this list.

1) Network, network, network....
2) Kiss up to the right GA's already in place
3) Show immediate and direct obedience to every last jot and tittle in the handbook
4) Get adopted by an Apostle... J. Golden Kimball once said that he became a GA more by his relation than any revelation. Or at least that is what my memory of faith promoting rumors seem to recall.

Pathway Wrote:
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> 3) Show immediate and direct obedience to every
> last jot and tittle in the handbook

I would amend this.

Show immediate and direct obedience to every last jot and tittle in the hierarchy first handbook second.