It's just my spidey-sense that tells me there is some money that's supposed to go to missionaries that gets funneled to...oh, I don't know...buy land in Florida or gas for a certain armored Audi limousine. And then they ask for more.

https://www.ldsphilanthropies.org/missionary.html

The donation slip says that the money can be redirected as the church desires,. There are still pretty strict tax laws on what they can and can't do with a donation that is tax deductible and maintain their 503c status. Keeping that tax deduction is one of the reasons that missionary donations are now direct to the church rather than at the ward level.

One thing the church is known to do is to put all the donated money in an account for a year. They then take the earnings and do what they will with them because those are no longer considered donations. The donated money then is used for allowable expenses of the church. The interest income is considered separate by the church and tax law and they will often use that for non charitable purposes.

This Is How they say that no donated funds were used for certain purposes like Proposition 8. I understand the legal loophole but it strikes me as ethically iffy since the base income is all donations.

I agree...interest income can be used as they wish. I would *think* that missionary fund money is being used for mission work (although maybe for things that the donor doesn't expect like paying for presidents' homes, MTC, etc.) but YES interest income can be used for ANYTHING and I'm sure is.

Are U suggesting that tscc tax attorneys have sharp pencils?

I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT!

I've wondered the same thing. It's a lot of money in play.

There's no way to know for sure until someone at church headquarters leaks the information.

My guess is that, like BYU, the missionary program is subsidized by tithing funds. All US based missionaries are charged the same, so some will be charged more than their mission costs and some less. But the church also pays outright for missionaries in developing countries, plus the MTC, mission homes, etc.

The church has a lot of cash going in, but it also has huge expenses. No doubt that there are a lot of "profits" to be laundered for the "prophets", but I doubt that missionary funds are part of that.

>>The church has a lot of cash going in, but it also has huge expenses.

Most Christian churches get by just fine on donations that average less than 3% -- *and* that's with paying salaries for ministers, organists, etc. which normally takes up half of each church's budget.

True. I'm not saying that the church isn't swimming in cash. All I'm saying is that it also spends huge amounts on things that would be considered legitimate by most people.

BYU and the other church schools are heavily subsidized. The church pays for all chapel construction and most maintenance. The church pays to build and maintain all of those expensive temples around the world, along with the church's administrative infrastructure.

Add in the cost of lawsuit settlements, media campaigns, crisis PR consultants and that ugly conference center, and you get a bill that would make anyone choke.

I can raise my hand to the square and swear before god, angels and you witnesses that in at least one mission in the early 80s in Brazil, the mission home skimmed $9.00 a month from every missionary for "housing improvements" that never came. They would withhold your ticket home if you were in arrears.

Are there laws against? Likely, but that hasn't stopped them from pulling other despicable stunts, has it?

Of course.

Ever seen the tithing forms?

They essentially say that no matter which category you designate, the money will be spent how they please.

TSCC will take any money it can get and wash it any way is sees unfit.

When large amounts of money are moved in secret, I suspect chicanery. Why hide honest income?

Don has it right. There is no legitimate reason for the church to hide its finances. None.

donbagley Wrote:
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> When large amounts of money are moved in secret, I
> suspect chicanery. Why hide honest income?

don, it's "sacred" not "secret" ;-)

Until the books get leaked we will just have to assume that all money coming in through tithing or church businesses gets laundered around into one big slush fund. I would put it passed the church that in some ways it's land and influence has made contacts with the underworld or even the intelligence community.

I've never heard of such stories come to light but when you have $100 billion dollars all around the world, your Government in debt of $20 trillion dollars and other Governments around the world get really interested in the finances of a non profit.

The CIA and other 3-letter agencies always have a need to launder money. With the banks under scrutiny, TSCC would be a valuable asset. I'm predicting no transparency ever.