The fact that LDS Inc. does not disclose its financial statements is very eyebrow raising. With all the bragging that the church and its followers do about "all the good" it does and the new articles every time they contribute to some humanitarian cause, one would think that they would freely disclose their financial statements so the world can see how they use all those billions of dollars they take in from its members.

But no, they are super secret about it and WILL NOT disclose how much they take in from donations and how these donations are spent.

If this was really Christ's church would he not make public the use of the funds he takes from the people?

It seems this is really an under-appreciated issue by those of us ex-Mormons, inactives, and NOM's. Its not like its some old anti-Mormon thing that may or may not have happened 100 years ago that TBMs could care less about. Its happening RIGHT NOW. Its a very troubling aspect of the LDS church and most Mormons have probably never even thought about it before. I can only assume if you make this aware to TBM's that they just might scratch head and think, well that is a good point. Why WOULD they keep it secret?

I mean, don't most nonprofits (and even other churches) disclose what they are doing with the donations they receive? Would you give money to a charity if they refused to show you how they spend it? It would definitely smell fishy to me. Even though Mormons are brainwashed enough to blindly trust LDS Inc with their tithing money, you would still think they would wonder WHY they keep their financial statements SECRET. Regardless of how they spend the money, the fact that they keep it secret is troubling in and of itself. The thing is, I don't think most members know of this practice and probably have ever entertained the notion before.

If I was still a member I would LOVE to go into a tithing settlement with the Bishop and say "sure I'll write out a check right now for 10% of my earnings to the church, AS LONG AS I CAN SEE HOW MY MONEY IS BEING SPENT. Can you first provide me with the 2010 financial statements of the church please?"

It seems that this little known fact of LDS Church financial practice can be used as a great tool of leverage and sticking point for those still on the periphery of church involvement. If I went inactive and had hometeachers (or whoever) come to my house and try and get me to come back to church, I would say, "not until the church releases their financial statements. Sorry but I don't trust a church that won't disclose how they are spending MY MONEY."

When I was uber TBM, this issue was one that troubled me in the back of my mind. It was one of the many issues that troubled me in the back of my mind and until enough of those issues piled up and exploded sending me into exmo outerdarkness. It sure is lovely here in outerdarkness - nothing troubling me in the back of my mind.

details either. And they believe that.

The church cautions the members to avoid the appearance of evil as much as evil itself. When it comes to its own appearance of evil, the rules are different.

Heresy Wrote:
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> Re: I've heard a lot of TBMs say that other churches don't report details either. And they believe that."

Still doesn't make it right though.

Every church I've ever attended had a yearly meeting where it went over the financials with those members who were interested.

Not all churches do that but I think most do.

The church expects its members to make an annual accounting of whether they are full tithe-payers or not at each tithing settlement meeting. In fact, they need to be full-tithe payers to have temple recommends. Yet, the church does not account AT ALL for its receipts or expenditures -- no annual financial report, nothing.

I tell people that I find mormons gullible in this aspect. None of my nonmormon friends say, "hey, what great, faithful people they are!" They nod in agreement at their gullibility.

according to Gordon B Hinckley, in an interview he did. I think it was with a german reporter who asked to see the financial records of the church. I am sure the reporter assumed they were public information (as they should be)...

Anyway GBH says he won't show them to the reporter, but that the financial records are available and open to the membership.

The spinmeister GBH never misses a chance to polish up his image, and ignore the truth, all in one sentence.

If I find the story link, I'll edit and add it.

What bald faced liar.

Be careful what you say. He didn't say that the records were available to the members. He alluded to it, but said it differently.

GBH was a spin master. He made sure that the members didn't think they could get an accounting of where their tithing went, but he made it seem to the media that members were the only ones who could be concerned about it or something like that.

He was a slippery little PR bastard!

Do LDS church leaders invest merely as men or as propheteers?

Makes me wonder how things would have been different when I'd been in. Imagine walking in to your tithing appointments and telling them that the amount you give the church can not be disclosed because of how sacred it is.

That would go over like a lead balloon without question...

This issue came up in my BYU Accounting classes. Our teacher would joke about how he wishes he could be like the church auditor and simply say "We're all good!" at general conference and call it a day.

At the same time they hammered into us that before we invest any money into a company to check out its 3rd party audited financial statements.

Another thing I've found from reading some of the insider stories on the board and also what I found working in project management at the University is that they do funky things with the budgets and shuffling expenses and income back and forth between departments. Kind of similar to how the Bishop would always pilfer the money from the Young Women to pay for the Young Men's camp and other activities.

As a sidebar.... I was a "returning student" at a California State University a few years ago.

At one time in lower division, my adviser (no mormon connection) recommended that I take some econ classes from the BYU remote education program if I couldn't work them in locally. (I was able to take them here, so I didn't need BYU.) And, in upper division, my Managerial Accounting book was co-authored by a guy from BYU.

FWIW.

BYU = university of California at Provo was the old joke sounds like there is some truth to it

I'm thinking now that they let you pay the church directly, rather than your local unit, you could just tell them in tithing settlement you were a full-tithe payer and they wouldn't know the difference. This would make it very easier for a reporter to infiltrate the church for a year to go to the temple and document their experience- it wouldn't even cost anything. Of course for the rest of us, it's still not worth the aggravation of going to church every week to get that temple recommend, but at least it won't cost anything!

I believe in the past (1930-40's?) the LDS Church DID actually disclose it's annual budget and expenditures...and during general conference no less, which used to be three days long. Not sure why the practice was stopped---although seems consistent with the hierarchical culture and leadership behavior of the church---the leaders (some of them) need to know, you don't and trust them to do the right thing; almost parent-child behavior.

I personally find find things like financial reports boring but the Lutheran church I attend automatically gives me one. I don't even have to ask for it!

Lori at 48 Wrote:
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> I personally find find things like financial
> reports boring but the Lutheran church I attend
> automatically gives me one. I don't even have to
> ask for it!

At my Lutheran church there is a basic Financial report at the end of every monthly newsletter that gets mailed out to all members, with a note that a more detailed report is available outside the church office doors for anyone to inspect.

We also report all offerings and tithings that come in each previous week in the bulletin for church service.

I thought they disclosed until the 70s because they almost bankrupted the church (don't know how) and it was embarrassing. I imagine the church is close to bankrupt now with that mall fiasco but no one knows about it since they don't publish records.

The Methodist Church does an annual budget by location, purely by what that location needs. Within that total is a % of what needs to go to the regional and US headquarters. These monies go to run the administrative costs, retired pastors pension funds, retirement homes, etc. The records are open for anyone to view and discuss. Most of the money stays local for the pastors wages, church up keep, utilities, missions, etc.

All the churches I have been involved with (Lutheran and DC) make financial reports to the members. The congregation votes on the budget including how much goes "Up the line" to H.Q.

Back inna day, they used to disclose all kinds of financial and membership numbers in the back of the conference issue of the Ensign.

Just sayin'...

Ron

It was a member of the FP that nearly killed the church, Henry D. Moyle. He built lots of chapels, on the assumption that if you build them, then the missionaries would fill them. The church ran negative cash flow for a few years, so they stopped reporting church wide.

On the other hand, in some countries, they have to report in detail, to the congregation level. This is all available on line.