Looks like the Russ and Wendy show is going over seas again. If you look at the statistics the money that run the church comes from the US. Everything outside of the US is subsidized by the US.

Mormonism is an American cult claiming to be an international church. This is why the prophet goes all over the world if they are well enough to travel. The prophet is the mascot of the church. The members love to see the mascot travel.

Here’s the formula. Keep the mascot traveling. Show this to the members of the church. Keep saying we are a worldwide church. Create a It’s a Small World Disney Type illusion.

Make small and constant changes in policies and programs and hype it as inspired revelation.

It’s all a show folks and not any substance there. Russ is good at hyping it by sayin,”you haven’t seen anything yet! Stay tuned!”

Didn't I see something similar in the pilot of "The Righteous Gemstones"?

"Mama told me not to, I did it anyway-
Misbehavin' "

Ha! Ha! Russ and Wendy better get a taste for Oolong.

more PEP Talks, Less Substance.

photo ops like he did in Seattle instead of dealing with serious problems? I'm sure of it.

the way GAs ignore the problems that ChurchCo membership causes is just short of criminal IMO.


Yup, that's ChurchCo fer ya.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/08/2019 04:02PM by GNPE.

I just had the most powerful spiritual experience ever in the history of this wondrous Dispensation to learn that the Holy Nelson and his beloved 2nd plural wife will be visiting the holy lands of southeast Asia to leave a prophetic blessing on the countries here. Maybe he can offer a glorious prayer to Heavenly Father to please bless the motorbikes to stay off the roads and for the infrastructure to be healed of their terrible congestion. But I must remember that the way I think is strictly Obedience (thanks the the glorious beloved Correlation program washing my brain to think this way) so whatever this Holy Seer says must be the way it will be.

Correction: there; not here; and I just wanted to add that when the Holy Prophet goes on a global ministry and makes headlines it reminds me that I'm supposed to feel super guilty if .

I need to repent of my earlier statement that the only way I think is Obedience. I also think a lot of guilty thoughts all the time. I feel guilt for not fulfilling my callings all the time. I feel guilty for all those 69th great grandparents of mine whose spirits are rotting in awful Spirit Prison cells (after their dreadful pathetic now-finished earth lives full of emptiness and woe because they didn't have the TRUE CHURCH) because I haven't yet gotten their names submitted for temple work so they can accept the work and get their garments that they are supposed to wear until they have finished their work on earth. So this guilt of course is so overwhelming and all-consuming. But at least I know, thanks to the beloved Correlation program, that I'm much happier than those pathetic neighbors of mine who drive fancier cars and seem to live in the misery of being relaxed and having nicer looking homes without having the joys of having a dozen or so kids in a little house as that's all that's possible to afford because we have bigger blessings by living the Lord's law of finances that brings us joy and reminds us that this never ending cycle of bill collectors calling, bankruptcies, and poverty is just for this life until we get to go to the Spirit World to do lots of work being busy obeying the Church leaders there before we get resurrected and have to start answering billions of messages every minute 24/7 for the rest of eternity without any leisure or other distraction - i.e. this is called Exaltation :)

Russ & Wendy's Excellent Adventure. Glad I'm not helping pay for it.

Wrong. Most members are not American, and they subsidize American facilities.

But the issue isn't where the members are, it is where the money comes from. The vast majority of the tithing money as well as most of the business income comes from the US.

How much tithing do you think the average African ward collects vs. the tithing from an average American ward?

Around 5/6ths of the tithing income comes from the US.

African Countries (ANY developing areas) shouldn't let 'religions' move wealth away from their home economies.

for ChurchCo to say they need to pay tithing was a criminal act IMO. Too Bad african countries allow this (if they do).

[|] Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> But the issue isn't where the members are, it is
> where the money comes from. The vast majority of
> the tithing money as well as most of the business
> income comes from the US.
>
> How much tithing do you think the average African
> ward collects vs. the tithing from an average
> American ward?

Why do you assume they're all African? There are significant numbers of church members in rich countries such as Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand etc. There are even significant numbers of tithe payers in Continental Europe, Japan, Hong Kong etc which are all wealthy. I live in one of those countries, and I can assure you that some people there are donating three figures each month because I've seen it with my own eyes. One tithe payer gave us thousands of dollars every month. Doing tithing was part of my calling.

I'm well aware of high inactivity rates but there are people in wealthy countries handing over a lot of money. Some probably leave the church money when they die. Even our ward chapel and mission home were built on donated land (it was donated decades ago, but it is in a prime location, and the mission home alone has a resale value of at least 2 million US$)

For argument's sake, let's look at your hypothetical African branch. The labor on the buildings is voluntary and unpaid, so strike that out. The expenses are low, because the cost of living is so much lower there. Because it's almost permanently warm, unlike some parts of the USA, there are almost no heating expenses. People give money, and some members get fast offerings, but because they're Africans, and the cost of living is so low there, they don't need much money to help them out at all.

Sounds like Penns Lane, Walmley, Birmingham, UK.

A bond Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Most members are not American

Only if you look at the total 16M number. US activity rates are significantly higher. Most *active* members are 'Murican.

> they subsidize American facilities.

No. No they don't. That's absurd.

logged off now Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> A bond Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Most members are not American
>
> Only if you look at the total 16M number. US
> activity rates are significantly higher. Most
> *active* members are 'Murican.
>
> > they subsidize American facilities.
>
> No. No they don't. That's absurd.

There are members in countries such as Switzerland, South Korea and Japan where the average salary is often way above that of the USA. There will be tithe payers in these countries. I know neither of these countries have high levels of activity, but just think about that. There is also low activity in Scandinavia, but again, these are rich countries (with high taxation to be fair). But even a handful of tithe payers will produce good returns in these places.

Someone mentioned Canada elsewhere and how Canadian members are sending money to the three branches of BYU. Canada has its own mini Utah in Alberta. Canada is not a poor country.

Even within the USA, there are a lot of members in California, the east coast, and places like Washington DC & Las Vegas. I suspect that money is being used to pay for the Wasatch Front.

Every time that a foreign member serves a mission in the USA, they are putting money into that country. If they go to the Provo MTC, or even SLC airport (which is not LDS owned AFAIK), they bring money in. And at least some of those missionaries pay fast offerings in wards over there.

The LDS must be one of the major drivers of tourism to Utah. (Although to its credit, the place also has some jaw-dropping scenery, fine skiing and a globally respected film festival).

It is certainly not a one way street when it comes to church money. You can also factor in the foreign income Deseret Book must have made and other LDS enterprises.

A reddit contributor has put together detailed estimates of activity by country and region. It's the best we have, and certainly an improvement over any wild conjecture you or I could come up with.

https://onedrive.live.com/view.aspx?resid=7206285C99C2C561!8657&ithint=file%2cxlsx&authkey=!ADh3kgMTx9tTKrA

Briefly, 41% of all 16.3M mormons are in the US (6.7M US, 9.6M ROW) but due to higher rates, especially in Utah, 60% of the 4.5M *active* mormons are US-based (2.7M US, 1.8M ROW). There are fewer than 88,000 actives in all of Europe, including spouses & children; there could be as few as 20-25K active households on the entire continent, and not all of them will be tithers.

Of course money flows into SLC from other countries, that's how the system is set up. But the US generates vastly more than anywhere else. It's a huge stretch to say US facilities are "subsidized" by other countries.

If all of the 80,000 European members gave an average of $1000 a year, then that amounts to $80,000,000.

It cost so much money to send Wendy, RUssell, ANd SHerry, all over the world, they don't fly commercial, and have their flights catered with gourmet food., There is not a lot of Mormonism in Asia

Not too many members in Vietnam.

They could stay there, if they like. I wouldn't mind.

Now he can see what a decent temple looks like.

Don’t worry Russ, you won’t need a recommend to visit a real temple.

"Keep the mascot traveling" nails it.

I'm sure Rusty will remind the members in the countries he visits that blessings come from tithing, and in the poorer countries: “We preach tithing to the poor people of the world because the poor people of the world have had cycles of poverty, generation after generation...That same poverty continues from one generation to another, until people pay their tithing.”

So then why are there so many ‘blessed’ millionaires and billionaires all over the world who have never paid a penny in tithing?

How does work?

By small golden teeth great temples come to pass.

He has to keep them on the edge of their gums for his marvelous world tours and wonders.

Ouch!

Mormon specialty is being superficial, I figured that out a long time ago...


just sayin'

Of course. Their highest degree of glory is the Superficiality Kingdom where people get to be pretentious jerks ruling planets of subordinate other people.

I mean really? Mormonism takes hierarchy and ancestor worship to Celestial heights.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/10/2019 11:57AM by Elder Berry.