...for all the wrong reasons

https://www.foxnews.com/us/utah-church-jesus-christ-latter-day-saints-guilty-scam

Where is the power of discernment?

This type of fraud is amazingly common in this organization. Trusting a leader and expecting high returns. This type of fraud requires greed on the part of the defrauded and gullibility.

Many leaders cheat, steal and lie. The church teaches them well.

How do they get away with this over and over?

Simple. They count on members giving leaders a pass when they get caught. "Oh I can't believe Brother ____ is bad. He has a wonderful testimony and such a sweet wife."

Members have been conditioned/brainwashed to believe that their leaders are called/chosen by god. They are infallible and they use cliches to back it up. "The church is perfect, but the members aren't. or The lord won't allow an evil men to lead members astray." Yet, it happens over and over. The church offers no oversight that its leaders are good, honorable people. Instead, they use their "close your eyes and cross your fingers" that leaders won't get caught embarrassing LDS Corp.

Chillingly true. There is an alternate reality in Mormonism which is key to seeing it as a cult.

This has been going on since the beginning (Kirtland Safety Society, anyone?) and will never ever cease.

An organization and society begun by a grifter masquerading as a prophet cannot be expected to change. It's baked into the culture.

are always drawn from one or more of the following categories (all of which can be overlapping categories):

(1) The loyal sociopaths who will draw favorable attention from higher-ups by slavishly implementing any plan, program or pronouncement of the higher-ups, while slavishly praising and flattering the higher-ups at every turn.

(2) The organization men, who show an aptitude for manipulating people to serve the needs of the organization and consistently demonstrate a cold indifference to variability in individual needs and human circumstances, while steadfastly implementing one "one size fits all" program after another aimed at improving organizational efficiency and cost cutting to the detriment of all other considerations.

(3) Glad-handing, glib salesmen types who can sell igloos in Hawaii and avalanche insurance in Kansas.

(4) Close relatives and friends of people who are already at the top of the hierarchy.

You never see someone elevated based on being deeply spiritual, wise, selfless and dedicated to speaking the truth regardless of who may be offended.

The leaders are always "successful" businessmen, professionals, corporate managers, career ladder climbers and/or salesmen.

Investment scams, get-rich-quick schemes, MLM deceptions are all par for the course for the standard type of "leader" that the Churchco enterprise looks for when recruiting people to manage the flock.

When I was at YBU it seemed like half the Stake and Ward leadership were involved in real estate "no money down" get-rich-quick schemes that were all the rage in Utah back then.

This is why abuse of all kinds flourishes in LDSInc.

The term for this "Confidence Man."

The term for the Mormon leaders is "Confidence Men."

"Trust us. We are your Heavenly Father's chosen leaders. Would we lead you astray?"

"Confidence Man: Someone who conducts a confidence game: who defrauds someone after winning his trust."

Started with Joseph, adopted by all leaders since, and has become a proud tradition of Mormons everywhere.