Re the Salt Lake City Revitalization project, the Tribune printed a letter from someone who is calling out the church for its "deafening silence" on the matter, calling it "conspicuous by its absence" from public hearings about the plans.

https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/letters/2024/07/03/letter-why-deafening-silence-lds/

Excerpts:

The writer states that "the LDS Church is one of the city's biggest landowners." He asks what the church's position is about the "proposed tax increase's impact on the poor, widows and the fatherless, the homeless and other disproportionately affected groups."

He also wonders about the church's position "as a frequent advocate for religious freedom" on "how the Buddhist temple and Japanese Church of Christ's freedoms should be addressed".

He mentions the "proliferating lawsuits" over the church's "use of tithe payer funds to pay for City Creek" and says that may explain "its silent invisibility".

He says "the untaxed church" should "reach into its very deep pockets ... to cover its fair share ...".

I enjoyed reading the zingers.

I'm not holding my breath for a reply by any church reps.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/04/2024 04:05PM by Nightingale.

I hope, at the very least, the author's letter plants seeds of doubt and concern that will germinate.

Many here know that it only takes a spark to get a fire going (old campfire song) and we never know what that spark will be.

Nothing will change. "the" church runs Utah and all the top levels of Utah mormon government. The will make tens, if not hundreds of millions selling SLC property in this deal. If it's a bad deal for Utah taxpayers, it's a great deal for LDS Inc.

Maybe the benevolent church leaders will give every member a tithing holiday once the LDS bank account hits a certain number of millions/billions.

Or not...

I can never get over the fact that they make tithing mandatory and even more sad is that so many members bow to the mandate and pay their dues, literally at their own expense in many ways, and by the way, have a passel of kids too says the church, to ensure a steady stream of future and everlasting tithers.

The LDS church has a multitude of ways to make its will known and followed. A public statement is perhaps the least of those ways.