Peter, Paul and Mormonism – The 12 Days of Christmas Toscano Dialogues

In this episode we wrestle with the conflicting qualities required of the leaders of a religion.  Ideally they need to balance a mystical sensitivity for the divine, a calling to challenge society to do better and champion the interests of the poor and oppressed as social justice warriors, a duty to protect and pass on sacred rituals, and the ability to manage practical day to day administrative and financial matters.  Is it possible for anyone to have all these skills?  How have we ended up with a leadership oligarchy that only seems to care about being, and promoting, managers, yet isn’t even very competent at management?  

Is it their fault?  Or simply inevitable when the Common Consent checks and balances on power commanded by the Church’s constitution in the Doctrine and Covenants have been abandoned so, as warned in those scriptures, the LDS General Authorities have mostly become absolutely corrupted by absolute power with no accountability?  Have any real prophets made it to the top of this system to give us hope?  How can we do better?