I think it's quite a large part.

Only the materially successful seem to be raised to leadership positions in the church. A poor itinerant carpenter probably wouldn't even get a second look for a bishopric position.

But beyond that, don't you think it also affects how tscc treats the poor in its ranks? Anyone accepting church welfare has to jump through some pretty humiliating hoops for little in the way of assistance. After all, the worthy prosper, right? So, if you're not prospering...

That attitude of petty, mean-spiritedness seems to not only permeate mormonism, but to have leaked out into American culture generally. And it just plain sucks.

prosperity theology definitely exists within mormondom, whether they admit or not. they aren't quite as overt about it as some megachurches though.

It's a huge part of Mormonism. I was on the receiving end of criticism because I wasn't rich, and therefore not as righteous as others in my family.

It is a horrible way of seeing the world, and it is well entrenched in Mormonism.

Exactly. There is a lot I could say about this--I've seen it run rampant around here. MANY of my "friends" are only interested in living in the wealthier areas, though they couldn't afford it, because it makes them look righteous.

I've stated before that when my mother had died and my dad was basically waiting to die (he had been sick for years), the new bishop came by the house. My parents lived very frugally. My dad made the statement after the bishop left that "The bishop thinks I'm poor." My dad left us a farm and a house completely paid off--the farm is worth quite a bit of money.

If you appear wealthy, God must be blessing you. I live in a not so very wealthy neighborhood--I'd say lower middle class here in Utah--and the mormons here for the most part actually act different. Our bishops have been a road construction worker, a school teacher, a seminary teacher (goes without saying) and our current one is a plumber (not a wealthy one either).