Temple expenditure...

[_Drifting]

Shining marble floors and ivory-colored walls are set off by African mahogany trim.

Fine Swarovski crystal makes up chandeliers that bathe rooms in a lightness. Thick wool rugs, one custom-made in China for an expanded main entryway, absorb the excess sound.

Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2012/10/1 ... rylink=cpy

I am having a hard time reconciling this level of expenditure, by God's one true Church, on a building whilst kids in Africa are starving .
Do you really believe that is what God/Christ would choose to do with those finances?

“If you did a major renovation on your house and invited me over I probably wouldn’t say 'how much did you spend on it,'" Walker says. "But that’s just a church policy. We’ve decided rather than focus on the dollar amount we’d rather focus on the beauty of the temple and what it’s used for and the purposes behind it.”

http://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/po ... renovation

(WNN/WFP) Rome, ITALY: Nearly 870 million people, or one in eight, were suffering from chronic undernourishment in 2010-2012, according to the new UN hunger report released today. The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2012 (SOFI), jointly published by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP), presents better estimates of chronic undernourishment based on an improved methodology and data for the last two decades.
The vast majority of the hungry, 852 million, live in developing countries — around 15 percent of their population — while 16 million people are undernourished in developed countries.
The global number of hungry people declined by 132 million between 1990-92 and 2010-12, or from 18.6 percent to 12.5 percent of the world’s population, and from 23.2 percent to 14.9 percent in developing countries – putting the MDG target within reach if adequate, appropriate actions are taken.
The number of hungry declined more sharply between 1990 and 2007 than previously believed. Since 2007-2008, however, global progress in reducing hunger has slowed and leveled off.
“In today’s world of unprecedented technical and economic opportunities, we find it entirely unacceptable that more than 100 million children under five are underweight, and therefore unable to realize their full human and socio-economic potential, and that childhood malnutrition is a cause of death for more than 2.5 million children every year,” say José Graziano da Silva, Kanayo F. Nwanze and Ertharin Cousin, respectively the Heads of FAO, IFAD and WFP, in a foreword to the report.
“We note with particular concern that the recovery of the world economy from the recent global financial crisis remains fragile. We nonetheless appeal to the international community to make extra efforts to assist the poorest in realizing their basic human right to adequate food. The world has the knowledge and the means to eliminate all forms of food insecurity and malnutrition,” they add.

http://womennewsnetwork.net/2012/10/09/ ... er-report/

[_Albion]

Personally, I think the "opulence" of the buildings is part of the whole temple myth within Mormonism. If you are going to hold up the idea of the temple being the pinnacle of worship, representing the ultimate level of "worthiness" for those within the system, it has to be something on a different level from the ordinary meeting place. It's all part of the mystique for those yet to go and a sign of their specialness for those who have been initiated into the rituals. In fairness to Mormons, grand buildings have always been a part of religious worship despite the worldly condition of those moving through life at the time and I suspect it will always be so. Our local paper was full of pictures of this remodeled building and the irony to me is that despite the proclaimed opulence and the huge sum of money spent it has all the warmth, tone, character and inspiration of a good hotel lobby.

[_subgenius]

I am having a hard time reconciling this level of expenditure, by God's one true Church, on a building whilst kids in Africa are starving .

this level?
how ridiculous...again.

its very simple...the church, like most adult people, is capable of chewing gum and walking at the same time...and if you practice, you may too.

(but more simply, do you think the church would have access to more funds, less funds, or the same funds if Temples were not an expense?)

[_Albion]

I think regardless of more funds, less funds or the same funds his point is that the unfortunate could be helped if the money had been spent in their direction. I do not offer this as a criticism necessarily but as an observation of what is reality. I'm quite sure that many were starving within the sound of hammers and chisels building St. Paul's in London or St. Peter's in Rome. While I don't put the Boise LDS temple in the same league as those buildings it does represent the reality of priorities evident through history. It is what it is.

[_SteelHead]

THE Book of Mormon
CHAPTER 8
37 For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted.

[_Harold Lee]

There's nothing wrong with spending 13-20 million on renovating a temple.

The problem is they spend next to nothing on genuine humanitarian efforts. Most of their humanitarian funds goes towards running and operating deseret industries, for which the door to entryway is bishops and-oh wait- you need to be Mormon to get those.

Humanitarian aid funds goes towards the costs of running Deseret Industries, and profits then generated go into the general fund. All tax-free.

The issue is how much is genuinely given out of goodwill to the struggling people of the world? Not how much does the church allege to spending on """humanitarian aid""" which we know what that means to them, it's how much actually goes to the needy people of the world that are not Mormon.

There are probably churches operating off a single building that spend more on genuine humanitarian aid every year compared to what the Mormon church does. The finances are the most twisted part of Mormonism in my opinion. I can't pay tithing in good conscience unless of course it's dues for a temple recommend because I need it at some point.

[_Drifting]

THE Book of Mormon
CHAPTER 8
37 For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted.

This scripture accurately describes the current Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

[_subgenius]

I think regardless of more funds, less funds or the same funds his point is that the unfortunate could be helped if the money had been spent in their direction. I do not offer this as a criticism necessarily but as an observation of what is reality.

not a "reality" conclusion...because it assumes the funds would have available without temple expenditures....which is my question.
Consider Drifting's favorite charity UNICEF...they hold hold rather lavish fundraisers - would that money not be better spent on food for Africa's children?

[_PrickKicker]

I think regardless of more funds, less funds or the same funds his point is that the unfortunate could be helped if the money had been spent in their direction. I do not offer this as a criticism necessarily but as an observation of what is reality.

not a "reality" conclusion...because it assumes the funds would have available without temple expenditures....which is my question.
Consider Drifting's favorite charity UNICEF...they hold hold rather lavish fundraisers - would that money not be better spent on food for Africa's children?

So you agree with Drifting then Subgenius.

The temple is simply just a fundraising tool by the patronising organisation, to entice the most loyal of their patrons, to pay more money into the organisation, for greater exaltation and bigger final payout / mansion, from their afterlife insurance.

See Drifting...
Subgenius actually agrees with you.

[_Fence Sitter]

Since there are a lot more dead people than live ones it makes sense that they spend more money on the dead. My mission president observed that it was a lot easier to baptize some one after they were dead then before. If you avoid helping the poor and needy you just make it easier to do their work by proxy.