Washington Post: Mormon Church has misled members on finance

[_moksha]

Preemptive spin doctoring is pretty impressive. Who tipped off the Church? Has Kirton McConkie been gathering damaging dossiers on the Nielson Brothers? Is the Interpreter poised to release information on the Nielsons?

[_moksha]

I wouldn't be surprised if an internal "purge" of some kind is underway. I think you are right that this will amount to little more than a slap on the wrist for the Church. Strings will be pulled; phone calls will be made, etc. But this will most likely get swept under the rug.

This would make an excellent quid pro quo for Trump to issue a pardon for any and all wrongdoing in exchange for the Church ensuring its members vote Republican for the next two hundred years and an undisclosed donation to the Trump campaign.

The Church might decide to make employees of Ensign Advisors get implanted cyanide capsules that can be activated by Church Security upon signs of a disclosure.

[Guest]

Whisleblower's brother, Lars, appears to have gone to press without the approval of David, who filed the actual complaint.

Youtube video posted by Lars today explains the whole thing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDlFZF3RyhE

The funds under management slide mentioned in the Washington Post article is shown beginning around 6:55.

The title "Letter to an IRS director" seems a petty and amateurish copycat on the CES Letter. Too bad. That weakens brother Lars' credibility considerably.

EDIT: digital PDF of the exhibits is at https://www.scribd.com/document/4393858 ... S-Director

[_Meadowchik]

Surely this improves the case for the class action against the church regarding fraud?

[_Symmachus]

$100 billion—that’s it? Islamic Saudi Aramco only has “some light and truth” and is worth 20 times that. These LDS guys supposedly get revelation from the omniscient dictator of the whole goddamn universe but the Kingdom of God they run with His help isn’t even in the same league as Walmart.

Book of Lessmon. Pearl of Discount Price.

What a letdown.

[_Dr Exiled]

$100 billion—that’s it? Islamic Saudi Aramco only has “some light and truth” and is worth 20 times that. These LDS guys supposedly get revelation from the omniscient dictator of the whole goddamn universe but the Kingdom of God they run with His help isn’t even in the same league as Walmart.

Book of Lessmon. Pearl of Discount Price.

What a letdown.

Oh ye of little faith. The brethren will yet reach financial heights never seen in terms of world wealth since the height of the Holy Catholic Church in its hey day. One doesn't have to look too far to see the envy the brethren have for the holy see. Why spend so much on the temple in Rome? The Lord must agree with the brethren's goal to eventually be the financial power in the world. Who wouldn't want to join a church that has soooo much coin. Monetary wealth must equal eternal truth. Prosperity gospel all the way.

[_I have a question]

From the article...

The church typically collects about $7 billion each year in contributions from members, according to the complaint. Mormons, like members of some other faith groups, are asked to contribute 10 percent of their income to the church, a practice known as tithing.

While about $6 billion of that income is used to cover annual operating costs, the remaining $1 billion or so is transferred to Ensign, which plows some into an investment portfolio to generate returns, according to the complaint.

Based on internal accounting documents from February 2018, the complaint estimates the portfolio has grown in value from $12 billion in 1997, when Ensign was formed, to about $100 billion today.

Whether or not the IRS investigate and sanction the Church, this whistleblowing complaint drags Church finances further into the spotlight. And it doesn’t make for faith promoting reading. Whilst members have scraped together tithing and other donations (which Church Leaders have encouraged to be as generous as possible even if making them means the member can’t pay for electric or food) Church Leaders have stockpiled those donations in interest bearing accounts and financial vehicles.

The church’s humanitarian outreach started in 1984 when a church-wide fast raised $6.4 million for people suffering from a drought in Ethiopia. Since then, Latter-day Saint Charities has contributed more than $2 billion to humanitarian aid. The motivation to help others stems from the Savior’s second commandment to love your neighbor, and resources are drawn from members who fast and contribute fast offerings, President Nelson said.

https://www.deseret.com/2019/10/6/20901 ... conference
So Nelson is happy to publicly declare how they’ve spent $2 billion dollars in total over the last 33 years, but neglects to mention that during that period he and his colleagues have secreted 50 times that amount into the coffers to just sit there gaining interest whilst people go hungry and without fuel. How many missionaries have died because the Church is too tight to spend money on proper, safe accommodation for them?

I recall a Church Leader recently explaining to an organisation (was it in Africa?) about how the Church was happy to help but couldn’t afford much, as it wasn’t a wealthy organisation?

This disclosure also shows how the Church is willing to lie to mislead Members.

Tithes and other charitable donations help the Church carry out its mission of spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, caring for the poor, and strengthening members’ faith and commitment to Jesus Christ.
Tithing donations are most usually remitted through the local congregational leader, or bishop, and from there to Church headquarters, where they are allocated and disbursed directly to the Church’s many worldwide programs, including its educational, missionary, building, humanitarian and welfare efforts.
Additionally, tithing funds the construction and maintenance of Church facilities. These buildings provide the infrastructure for delivering both physical and spiritual relief to community members. In addition to helping the Church care for the well-being of the less fortunate, Latter-day Saints make charitable donations because they believe in fulfilling God’s commandment to tithe and give to the poor.
All funds given to the Church by its members are considered sacred. They are voluntary offerings that represent the faith and dedication of members and are used with careful oversight and discretion. They are audited regularly by independent, certified auditors.

https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.or ... le/tithing

I think the IRS also need to investigate the auditors.

The timing of this article is interesting. It comes at a time of tithing settlement - Jana Riess has already written an article about her discomfort about tithing. It also comes at a time when next years member-cleaning rotas are being put together.

[_I have a question]

I think it’s worth reminding ourselves on this thread of a Church decision taken Back in June...

The cost of serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will rise 25 percent next year to $500 a month.

The first increase in missionary living costs since 2003 will be effective July 1, 2020, according to a First Presidency letter sent to the church's international leaders and local leaders in 18 countries in North America and Europe.

The cost increase applies only to missionaries from those 18 nations, which also include Australia and Japan.

The announcement is a response to rising costs to missionary expenses over the past 16 years, including rent, food, utilities and transportation within the mission. Some missionaries pay for their own missions. In other cases, parents help or pay all of a mission's costs. In still others, other family, friends or congregation members contribute some or all of the expense.

Church leaders made the decision after "careful consideration," according to Thursday's letter, which was signed by the church's leader, President Russell M. Nelson, and his counselors in the First Presidency, Presidents Dallin H. Oaks and Henry B. Eyring.

https://www.deseret.com/2019/6/27/20676 ... ct-25-2018

[_I have a question]

From the article...

Details of the church’s expenditures on charitable work are not publicly available, but in a lecture at the University of Oxford in 2016, a senior elder said the church had spent about $40 million a year over the past 30 years on welfare, humanitarian aid and other international projects. He did not mention Ensign.

When they say senior elder, they mean Mr Oaks.

Mr Oaks, let me remind you of the Church’s definition of lying...

Lying is intentionally deceiving others. Bearing false witness is one form of lying. The Lord gave this commandment to the children of Israel: “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour” (Exodus 20:16). Jesus also taught this when He was on earth (see Matthew 19:18). There are many other forms of lying. When we speak untruths, we are guilty of lying. We can also intentionally deceive others by a gesture or a look, by silence, or by telling only part of the truth. Whenever we lead people in any way to believe something that is not true, we are not being honest.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/stu ... y?lang=eng

[_Kishkumen]

The only thing more sacred than the ordinances of the temple is the ledger of Ensign Peak.

And the sisters in Parowan say,

Shhhhhh....