Editor's Note: The Salamander Society endorses humanitian aid but recommends that the LDS Church cease bogus vicarious temple work for the dead and the time wasted by its faithful. Better to spend that money and on reality based humanitarian efforts. Also the money wasted on missionary work could be better spent on humanitarian work.

It's true that ward budgets are only around 5k, and they often have incomes of 200k+. This seems unreasonable until you compare it with other churches.

One of the local churches in my area (probably about half the attendance of a typical ward) has income of around 150k and really only spends around 10k on "programs" of the type that a typical ward would. The main expenses are facilities (LDS accounts these at the global or stake level) and salary+benefits for their pastor and other staff.

The areas where the LDS is really making the money are:

#1: As a global church they own the buildings, so don't have to pay mortgage interest.

#2: They take in slightly more money than other churches due to their intense focus on tithing. I suspect the effect here is overstated, as I was VERY surprised how few members were full tithe payers.

#3: (This is the biggie) NO PAID CLERGY, STAFF, OR (now) JANITORS.

Basically, the largest expense is reduced, and the second largest expense is virtually eliminated with the exception of higher level administrative staff and general authorities.

That said, I think it's pretty clear the church is fleecing its members. Most smaller churches are barely getting by because they are spending all of their money every year. The LDS church has huge amounts of investment income. Yet, they still treat their members like the church is incredibly poor. This helps keep their expenses as low as possible, so that they don't have to actually use those huge investments to help people. Instead, they take the money that other churches spend on staff and clergy (how evil) and pocket it to just make the church richer.

What a joke, isn't it, that I haven't paid tithing or had a temple recommend since 2006, but I'm the one seeing the private financial information for everyone in the ward! The bishop is in denial that I'm inactive since I have such a picture perfect Mo-family. I go to Sac Meeting to keep the wife happy, disappear for two hours, and show up to do the money stuff afterwards.

We are in a lower income area and send in around 400K/year and our ward budget is around 4K/year. Nearly every week the bishop comes in to the clerk's office, anxious to find out what the fast offering total is. I've been doing finance for three years and this is the first year where we are in the red on fast offering and the bishop is catching it from the stake level. More and more people are coming in for help with utility bills, rent, sometimes food. With the economy, that's only going to get worse. But it churns my gut everytime, as we deposit around $10,000 every Sunday, to see how it kills the bishop to consent to pay someone's electic bill.

I was ultra TBM (True Believing Mormon) six years ago but three years on the stake high council, seeing the real workings of the church, did me in. Now, three years of seeing the money sponge that the church is, has finished off any kind feelings I once had for TSCC (The So Called Church).

I don't know yet what my game plan is (other than never paying another cent into it) for making an exit. I lurk here often and take comfort in reading of others in similar circumstances.

Ostling (Mormon America) compared the Mormon Church to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA). They had a similar number of reported members in 1997. At that time, the ELCA had $152 Million in assets that was primarily the pension fund for the employees.

This is compared to the assets of the Mormon Church as reported above. In 1997 the ELCA raised $11.8 Million for humanitarian aid and $3.64 Million for disaster relief for a total of 15.44 Million in cash donations for charity.

In the 14 year period from 1984 – 1997 the Mormon Church reported cash donations for non-Mormon charity at $30.7 Million, or an average of 2.19 Million per year to the Ostlings. This translates to ELCA donating a little over 10% of its holdings in 1997 and the Mormon Church donating approximately .2% of its holdings.

Most businesses in the United States have higher percentage charitable contributions than does the Mormon Church.

I was in a planning meeting with support contractors to the Mormon church. In it a list of projects and projected costs were discussed. So how are the sacred moneys of Mormon Jebus being spent.

ZCMI and Crossroads Mall - Current Budget Price $5.2 billion dollars and rising. Damn Satan and his control over the water that caused hurricane Katrina!!!!!

New Planters for the Penis tower (COB) $4.5 Million dollars. It seems the cast concrete with quartz encrusted rocks are "deteriorating" and Gordy wants Granite ones.

Renovations to the Conference Center Roof System - $18.5 Million. The superstructure cannot hold the weight of the water, soil and other items on the roof. While it is not in danger of total collapse, sections are becoming a concern and have to be addressed.

Other projects - $278.5 million. Mind you these are not ecclesiastical facilities but commercial and administrative buildings.

Source & Summary:

Total income – £31.788 million

Total spent on grants, welfare and humanitarian aid:

£0.948 million (2.982%)
amount spent from earmarked funds- £0.880 million (2.768%)
amount spent from general tithing funds- £0.068 million (0.214%)

I was fascinated by the link to the Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2003 for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Great Britain), referenced in another thread below.

It confirmed something we all knew. The Church (if the GBChurch is representative) spends most of its money primarily on: staff, general administrative expenses and buildings.

F or the year ended 2003, the GBChurch took in £23.3 million in tithing, £5.0 million in cancellation in indebtedness from the Utah corporation, and £0.74 million in other income, totaling about £29.1 million in unrestricted income (tithing and other money that it can spend as it pleases).

The GBChurch, in the same year, also received £2.6 million in restricted income, meaning funds specifically earmarked for specific causes such as missionaries, BoM’s, fast offerings, PEF, temple construction and humanitarian aid.

In that same year, the GBChurch spent £7.3 million in staff costs, £2.0 million in G&A expenses, £8.1 million in physical facilities, £6.3 million in depreciation (not a cash expenditure) and other support and charitable causes, such that the total spent by the GBChurch in 2003 equaled about £28.7 million.

Notice that if the Utah corporation had not forgiven £5.0 million in debt to GBChurch, then the GBChurch would have been in the red (deficit) an amount of £1.89 million.

Of the £31.788 million received only £0.948 million was spent in grants, humanitarian aid and welfare, representing only 2.982% of total income. Of that 2.982%, 2.768% represented monies that had to be used for such purposes because the members designated that it be used as such. Only 0.214% (£0.068 million) of tithing money was spent on humanitarian aid.

If the GBChurch is not representative of these percentages, then it would be nice to have other audited financial statements that show otherwise.

Only 68k £ came from the general tithes by Manos

Everything else came from the portion of donations specifically labelled for humanitarian aid.

68k £ from the entire donation pool boils down to about *ONE FIFTH OF ONE PERCENT*. *ONE FIFTH OF ONE PERCENT OF THE TOTAL UK CHURCH'S TITHING WENT TOWARDS CHARITABLE WORK*.

Let that sink in.

my experience as a stake clerk by rosebud

Consider that if roughly 3% of the church's contributions are restricted funds (FO, Humanitarian Aid, Missionary) in Great Britain, then -- based soley on my experience as a stake clerk -- it is likely that in the US the figure is closer to 5%. If the Church in total takes in, let's say $4 billion a year in contributions, then at a minimum about 200 million a year should be going to FO, Humanitarian, and Missionary, or about 2 billion in the last 10 years. Hmmmm. I wonder where all the extra is going?

tax exempt status by OU812

I firmly believe that any organization should qualify for tax exempt status only if it gives ongoing full and complete financial disclosures. Your analysis shows the need. Now if the elected representatives would only get a clue.

Well at least the church is doing something. What is the point of criticizing the aid that is given? And don't forget the help that is given to individual members (and sometimes nonmembers) in developed countries when they find themselves in financial crisis. Or the youth programs it runs.

Concerning the comments about spending money on temples or printing Book of Mormons as opposed to using all the excess funds to feed the poor, is just as impractical as saying we all starve ourselves to feed the starving in Africa. Granted more aid could be given. But,couldn't we all live on 1,500 calories a day and few less DVDs?

And for the list of the top 20 Charities, that is great, but a church is more than just a charity. The comparison is weak because the contribution base of the Salvation Army and the YMCA is different than that of the LDS Church; for the church it is primarily its members, which are currently over 10 million, a fraction of the US population. And the church does not actively solicit raising funds for charity. There are other purposes for the funds and the church's existence. I agree that one of the main tennets is to provide relief for the poor, but it is not the only reason for its existence.

Again, why is there such criticism about a good thing? So what if you feel, President Hinckley is "bragging" or the numbers exagerate the actual contribrution? The World Bank, or any other NGOs/development and poverty alleviation programs will report their projects in the most positive ways.

And President Hinckley has urged it members to do more and give more stating that the aid given is still not enough.

Just a note that these are my personal opinions only. - 02/06/2004 - from s.may@rdg.ac.uk

I suggest you spend one day at the Humanitarian Center in Salt Lake City, Utah before you start judging the LDS Church - 01/30/2004 - anon

I have a few thoughts for everyone. If we truley believe in Christ, or God, or both-whethere as one or as seperate beings; why do we care what other churches do? Shouldn't we be worried about our very own salvation? The truth is: People starve everywhere! They need assistance. If they do get a lot or a little, what matter is it where it comes from and who's giving the most. What matters is, there are people that care. And if the Mormon church wants to give 10%, 50% or 92%, who are we to complain? We should graciously say thank you to all humanitarian efforts. - 01/15/2004 - from Blair Lewis

Response to Bro. Cheskin, Taking a Bath in England.

Typical spineless Euro whimp liberal response: Lets all be nice and open minded and don't think about this.

We really don't know how much the Mormons spend or don't spend, you are absolutely right about that. Mormons keep that a very closely guarded secret. But if you listen to them in General Conference or read their sleep inducing magazines, it becomes perfectly clear what the Mormon approach is to helping the poor. Convert them all first. And when they are all reading their scriptures every day and praying and paying their tithing , (oh, I forgot about Home Teaching! HT is the key to solving world poverty)God will bless them and poof, all these other problems will simply melt away! So why waste money on the unbelieving stiff necked cretins who can't understand the obvious fact that the Book of Mormon is the absolute truth and the most important book to ever be written. The unconverted are all headed for the Telestial Kingdom, a Mormon version of a nice hell. Except that throwing a few rubles around does help the missionary effort.

Sorry about the opening insults, I have got to stop listening to Rush so much. - 12/20/2003 - from Limbaugh addict

The obvious facts that can be seen after reading the above letters are that no-one knows the facts.

I just think that we should be careful not to berate the mormon church just because we don't like them. We simply don't know what they are doing for the good of other people. When I lived in Latvia I was able to accompny two lds senior missionaries who were serving a humanitarian mission. The projects that they sponsored gave life and hope to a great many people. Their activities went unreported in any press.

I just think that we could all hold our judgements a little.

Mr. A. M. Cheskin
University of Bath
England

When I was a child, back in the 1970's, my family lived in a number of very poor countries in Africa. Places where there was real, grinding poverty and massive corruption to make things worse.

In one town I lived in, Lubumbashi, in the south of Zaire (now called Democratic Republic of Congo), there were, I remember, four separate missions: one Baptist, one Adventist, one Methodist, and a convent of Roman Catholic nuns. These missions ignored their religious differences and cooperated to relieve some of the poverty. Between them, they ran a hospital, several medical clinics, vaccination programs, schools, and an adult-education program.

In the neighbouring town of Kolwezi, forty miles up the road, there were at least two further missions, Catholic and Scottish Presbyterian, also running medical clinics and education programs, and then further up the road still, in Likasi, yet more missions, offering the same.

All over the third world, churches from the west operate missions relieving the suffering and poverty, for no reason other than because they can, and they feel they should. In some of the poorest countries, practically the only medical and educational services are thanks to the missions of churches in rich countries. By comparison, the LDS Church's "efforts" are miserable, and its boasting despicable.

It is remarkable that the charity of the "great and abominable" church so greatly outshines that of the "true church of Jesus Christ". I would suggest the LDS church concentrate less on temples, conference centres, and other great and spacious buildings. An LDS-funded school or vaccination program in every country in the third world would be a far worthier ambition.

There is an excellent article in Dialogue, recent issue. Talks about fast offerings in church. 90% is raised in developed countries and is used to 'help the poor'. One might then think that most would be used for that purpose. Maybe half spent in underdeveloped countries.

Not quite. spent in the area where it is collected. Help those poor folks on the east bench of Salt Lake City to make payments on their mansions when market drops. - 09/20/2003 - from docbob4

I can't see why anyone would fight against the LDS Church unless they don't like to see good things happen for people all over the world. They have shipped 4.5 million pounds of clothes out of SLC in just the first 6 months of this year. Why would anyone want to stop that? - 07/05/2003 - anon

Julie Andersen-Versteeg writes (Forum, May 1) to say she is ``perplexed'' why the LDS Church spends ``millions'' on chapels, temples and beautiful landscaping while ``hundreds of LDS children'' are dying of malnutrition in Guatemala -- a claim, incidentally, that is utterly false. She evidently does not know that since the mid-1980s, the LDS Church has channeled almost $200 million in cash and material assistance into locations all over the world to redress poverty and give adults and children a better chance in life.

In Guatemala alone in the past 10 years, the church has organized more than 50 humanitarian relief efforts. These include provision of clothing for the needy, drinking water for impoverished villages, health-care training, efforts to help families become self-reliant, equipment for hospitals, basic classroom education, and the establishment of village banks to encourage cottage industries. Most of this aid is rendered quietly and without fanfare, as should be the case. More needs to be done. The dedicated men and women of the LDS Church who are rendering service to lift the people of Guatemala ought to be thanked for their selfless devotion.

BRUCE L. OLSEN
Managing Director, Public Affairs
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Salt Lake City

On these pages Bruce L. Olsen, the managing director of Public Affairs for the LDS church, defended the church against a claim that it spends millions on chapels, temples and beautiful landscaping while LDS children die of malnutrition in Guatemala. He declared the claim to be "utterly false." He did not specify which part of the claim was false, though, and I will assume he meant that there are no LDS children dying of malnutrition. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, I will conclude only that there are church members throughout the world who live in terrible poverty something even he would doubtfully deny. So can we, therefore, accuse the church of spending millions on chapels, temples, and beautiful landscaping while members live in dire poverty? Can we even go further and include starving non-members as well? Perish the thought.

Since the church is secretive about it finances, I am forced to refer to a Time magazine article about the LDS church (David Van Biema, August 4, 1997). In it Van Biema, who claims his source of information is the church itself, stated that the church "spend[s] billions to erect 350 church-size meetinghouses a year and [will be] adding 15 cathedral-size temples to the existing 50." Mr. Olsen may be pleased to note that the article informs us that the church does not spend most of its money on chapels, temples, and beautiful landscaping after all; rather "most of [the church='s] money is invested directly in church-owned, for-profit concerns, the largest of which are in agribusiness, media, insurance, travel and real estate."

Mr. Olsen eloquently comes to the church's defense for how it spends it s money. He informs us that "since the mid-1980s, the LDS Church has channelled almost $200 million in cash and material assistance into locations all over the world toredress poverty and give adults and children a better chance in life."

If we divide that sum of 200 million by 13 years (1985-1998), it amounts to 15.4 million dollars per year, or 0.26% of the church's reported (by Times) non-taxed annual revenue of 5.9 billion dollars. I would guess the church's income is higher than reported, but even if we assume it is only half of that amount, then the money that the church "channel[s] into locations all over the world" would still only be 0.52% of the church's revenues. Placed in this light, one can see why Mr. Olsen proudly admitted that "this aid is rendered quietly and without fanfare."

A more accurate portrayal of the church's concern for the poor is certainly best illustrated by the solution that President Hinckley proposes for poverty. During a speech he gave to the Cebu Mission missionaries in the Philippines, he informed them that if poor Filipinos, "even living in poverty and misery...will accept the gospel and live it, pay their tithes and offerings, even though those be meager,...they will have rice in their bowls and clothing on their backs and shelter over their heads. I do not see any other solution." (Ensign, August 1997, pg. 7) The piece was titled "Solution For Poverty." And on a more recent visit to Africa he offered that same message of hope to the poverty stricken there.

What does the church's Public Affairs division have to say about that?

03/12/2000 - Sue
There is NO WAY that the church raised 50 million in one year for humanitarian effort. I'm sure GBH's figure has to do with money raised over a several-year period.

It was only when the church decided to have the fast for the famine in Africa several years ago (which raised $6million by the way -- WHY DON'T THEY DO IT MORE OFTEN!!!!!) -- that they began to instruct members that they could donate, using the tithing slip, and designate it for Humanitarian Relief (but made SURE that this was to be over and above the 10% for tithing).

Yours truly just began deducting a certain percentage from my tithing money, and designating it for Hum. Rel. And felt just fine, thank you very much, telling my Bishop I was a full tithing payer. In the last couple of years in the church, I took it one step further. Took 10-20% of my tithing money, and donated it outside the church, and still declared myself a full tith payer. Didn't bother my conscience one bit. One more little step as I tripped up the path to inactivity.

03/09/2000 - James Field
On March 8,2000 President Hinckley bragged to the National Press Club that the Mormon Church had donated 55 million dollars to humanitarian efforts. How does that compare to other non-prophet charitable organizations?

Now for some real facts:

Top 20 Charities in the US in 1998 in private support (forget the rest of the world, "Top Charities" is defined as the charities that raised the most money from Americans):

1. Salvation Army* ° - $ 1,171,801,000
2. YMCA of the USA (Chic.)* - 493,874,000
3. American Red Cross* - 490,158,993
4. American Cancer Society* - 488,512,000
5. Fidelity Invest. Charitable - 456,176,185
6. Harvard Universtiy - 427,603,792
7. Catholic Charities* - 425,262,180
8. Second Harvestª - 400,598,748
9. Boys & Girls Clubs of Am.* - 382,767,534
10. Stanford Universtiy - 312,284,937
11. American Heart Assoc.* - 301,514,000
12. YMCA of the USA (NY)° - 297,664,036
13. Gifts in Kind Internationalª - 289,610,113
14. World Vison* - 279,577,000
15. Boy Scouts of America* - 247,529,000
16. Campus Crusade for Christ - 236,153,000
17. Nature Conservancy - 235,107,172
18. Habitat for Humanity Int. - 233,335,000
19. Shriners Hospitals for Child* - 225,401,000
20. Cornell University - 220,627,995

* Includes affiliates; ° Figures are estimates; ª Non-cash-gifts make up to 50% or more of private support.

Quoted from Time Almanac 2000, p. 813; original source: The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Nov. 5, 1998

Now, what about the COJCOLDS and BYU?

11/15/1999 - cricket

In Richard Ostling's book "Mormon America: The Power and the Promise" published by Harper San Francisco, 1999. the author devotes an entire chapter to the subject, estimating the church's assets at near $30 billion, with more than $5 billion in annual tithing.

If the LDS Church were a U.S. corporation, the Ostlings write, it would land in the middle of the Fortune 500. As a religious entity, the church's economic resources dwarf denominations of similar size. The Seventh-day Adventists, with comparable global membership, reports total revenues around $1.6 million; The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, with similar American membership, comes in at $1.7 billion.

"Mormons don't realize how unusual it is to have investment capital of $5 billion to $6 billion," said Ostling, promoting his book in Utah this week. "The typical American religion has assets in just three areas: church buildings, pension plans and cash-and-carry money in the front door and out the back for expenses."

The Ostlings estimate the LDS Church held $6 billion in stock, bond and church-controlled business investments in 1997. Agricultural and commercial real estate holdings accounted for another $5 billion.

"I don't know of any religion that is so invested in stocks, bonds, cattle ranching, etc.,"
- Book Probes LDS Wealth, Power. Saturday, November 13, 1999 (Steve Griffin/The Salt Lake Tribune)

In order to estimate how much of the LDS Church's annual budget goes to the poor one would have to know who much money goes to Deseret Industries, The Bishop's Storehouse, Fast Offerings, Welfare Square and transient assistance at Church Headquarters along with the Humanitarian Center annually. A comparison to other denominations budget to the poor percentages would give some point of reference in spite of the LDS Church's disdain for being compared to any other religious body. Can any of you help out with this forumula?

10/12/1999 - BT

To be sure, Mo Aid is better than No Aid, but why can't they just once, help the general population or do something truly "humanitarian" for all people and children? I'm sure they could trade food for baptisms. It's pretty easy to accept the scriptures when nothing else is filling your belly.

04/04/1999 - source prefers anonymity

Elder Wirthlin also noted the church's humanitarian-aid record: In little more than a decade, it has shipped more than 27,000 tons of clothing, 16,000 tons of food and 3,000 tons of medical and educational supplies to 146 countries.

This continues to amaze me. What on earth is the big deal here? Holy cow, my FAMILY has probably donated ONE TON of clothes to the Good Will! 16,000 tons of food? That is a total of 400 cargo bins of potatoes!!!!! Not even a shipful!!! IN TEN YEARS!!!!

Several parts of this debate miss the point. If a church is a charitable organization and enjoys tax-free status because of it, that church has to live under a different set of rules. I am troubled by the idea that an organization that pays no taxes owns profit-making entities like KSL, the Deseret News, and billions of dollars in commercial downtown property through its development arm. I hope they do pay income and property taxes on those. Can someone tell me if they do? I expect a religious organization to give a lot to charity, certainly more than one fourth of 1%.

When the questions become too uncomfortable, I can count on numerous letters to the editor stating that Mormons "just want to be left alone". Live those words, folks, and get your church out of my life and the life of others. Stop taking political stands. Stop being the final yea or nay on legislation. Lighten up on the blue laws. If you want to be left alone to practice your faith, leave others alone too. The reaction to your highly visible support of Prop. 8 in California should have been expected. - 02/01/2009 - Tom Iarossi

The church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day saints has contibuted over a billion dollars in humanitarian aid. The church also pays for all its beautiful temples and churches with tithing money. If there are businesses owned they are usually owned by individuals who happen to be Latter Day saints. The reason why we have so many churches throughout the world is because all the tithing goes to build them etc not in one pastors pocket. Our apostles and our prophet President Thomas S Monson doesn't make a dime off of the church so please get the facts straight first before you start with the rumors and trashing us. Have you ever thought of working with other religions instead of against????? By the way, we work with catholics and have donated to their charity and many other religions charities including Lutherans. For questions go to lds.org and put in humanitarian aid in our search box. - 08/22/2008 - anon

Editor's Note: Monson is a paid employee. The percentage of the annual LDS Church budget going to provide humanitarian aid is pathetically small.

Thanks for the information. I had been looking for these statistics. - 04/15/2008 - jinxidoru

the part of the buget ment for humanitarian aids goes to humanitarian aids whatever the money is for that is what it is used for

people spend their money on what they want but the actual church gives what they can

any money given for humanitarian aids will go to humanitarian aids

DON'T JUDGE SOMETHING UNTIL YOU ACTUALLY KNOW IT NOT GUESS IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - 04/01/2008 - SALAMANDER SOCIETY - SUCKS

Mormons always tend to defend the churches businesses and financial holdings with "THEY ARE ONLY THERE TO HELP PEOPLE!" How do you know? Did the church recently start sharing what it does with it's money to members? That would be rich (no pun intended} The simple fact is churches don't need so many financial investments, and no one knows what they do with their money aside from the board of directors (I mean apostles) and the Ceo (president/prophet).

IF they had nothing but good fruits from their financial holdings and were not doing anything fishy, they would share their information, like other "evil" churches do. The fact is, they are secretive, even to their members, about what they do with their members money. That is fine by me, I would never donate money to a charity that didn't release detailed records of what they do with it, regardless of whether or not I read them, I feel safer in the fact that they have nothing to hide and they are putting it all on the table.

I'm glad the church shares the members money with humanitarian aid, which I think is important to a lot of their members, I just wish they didn't hide what they do from everyone. - 10/26/2008 - anon

doesn't surprise me! Once a TBM after reading about the way the church gave temple Recs to owners of casinos who were Mormon while not allowing the poor workers at the casinos to get ones is where I started to take a hard look at the church. I wish i had done this 25 yrs ago before joining oh well! I at first asked my bishop about what i had learned no responce ,then went up the ladder till I found my self talking to the office of the first president. I would learn that they changed their stance but not in the way I thought they would , instead of just doing what was right and deny those involved with gambling ,they would allow all who worked in the casinos to access the temples. In hind site and after researching the real history of the churh is doe not surprise me at all. You could say they sided with the Almighty on the issue , the Almighty buck ! like so many others I had been had by one of the best con games going religion and the LDS is at the top of the listgoerge . - 09/14/2007 - george

Money, money, money.... Someone is missing the point of welfare particularly. Most Christians know that as you give a man a fish he will hunger the next day. If you teach that man to fish he will no longer hunger. All too many still believe (be they Mormon or not) that "measurement" of efforts is based on some monetary value. The one who maintains this web site should spend their time raising money with this web site and giving it to those who are in need if relevance of worthwhile efforts are placed upon monies as a true measurement of value. - 09/06/2007 - anon

I recently read that the church is goingto spend 6-8 BILLION on a retail mall at the same time are cutting the missionary FOOD BUDGET by 15%. Whats up with that? Does Jesus need a new rolex more than feeding the hungry children of the world? I am ashamed by its actions, what ever happened to FEED MY SHEEP? looks more like they are taking the lead form the Pharoahs of Egypt by wasting moneys on Pyramids and letting the poor suffer for it> Looks like nothing has changed the church was started by a convicted con man and is still being run by one - 09/03/2007 - george

Your efforts are also being wasted as you claim others are also wasting time and money. why don't you focus your efforts in helping others. who is the bigger hypocrite. - 08/01/2007 - bb

Well, thankyou for that list of contributions from the 1998 Top 20 Charities. It's good to know that there are still charities out there doing what charities do best. But let me reiterate that the LDS Church is not a charity. I don't know how many times this needs to be addressed. The LDS Church is just that: a church. Before you look at all those numbers and say, "wow, $55 million is nothing", keep in mind that the sole purpose of most of those organizations is to raise humanitarian funds. The only church organization on that list is the Catholic Church. And I am fine with them donating far more than us seeing as how their membership worldwide is 1,114,966,000. That's one sixth of the world population. LDS membership is barely 13 million. In the US the Catholic Church membership is 69,135,254 compared to the US LDS membership of 4.9 million. I'd say we do pretty good with our mere $50 million in donations.

Once again, why can't we just be grateful for the donations being made. Also, just so you know, a lot of the properties that the church buys and owns are under development. They are either used for agriculture or are being held for future needs (saved for a rainy day if you will). The church is all about preparing for harder times and being ready when they come. That's why a lot of effort goes into teaching self-sufficiency. I have seen first hand the quality of life improvements that people in Argentina have experienced through these efforts as they have also come closer to Christ. And yes, that is the primary objective whether you like it or not. We bring people closer to Christ. We are a church afterall. If we focused only on the temporal needs of the poor, then we would be the Red-Cross. How hard is this to understand? - 05/30/2007 - Will

I just did the same thing--resaerched humanitarian aid for the LDS church and found this site. Amazing but understandable lack of information on exactly what the LDS church is all about. The teaching and redeeming work for the living and the dead within the LDS temples are vital, just as missionary work and humanitarian efforts in which the LDS church are actively engaged. I believe the LDS doctrine teaches that the spiritual welfare of every man, woman and child is just as important as their physical welfare. No one has mentioned that the clergy of the LDS church is unpaid. This sets the LDS church apart from other religious organizations, which means assets DO NOT line their clergy pockets. The successful investing of the LDS church is due to the wisdom and inspiration of those who know that this church will not fail. It has an important message for the world and will continue to grow and spread truth and humanitarian and spiritual relief until the return of Jesus Christ, who stands at the head of this church forever. - 02/17/2007 - anon

That's what I do, sit around and worry about what religions do with the funds that their members who volunteer to donate. I think there are bigger fish to fry people. People who leave the church can't seem to leave it alone. If you don't believe in something then why sit around using your time wastefully thinking about. A new form OCD? Move on............................ - 02/09/2008 - wrongo

I was stunned to find this site as I was researching the Humanitarian efforts of the Church. Couldn't believe how so many can bash the good things that the Church has done. Look at every Major Natural disaster around the world in the last ... how many years. The Church has been there on the front lines with food, clothing, and supplies quicker than the Red Cross, or any of the other organizations. These supplies didn't just go to it's members. They went to everyone affected by the disasters.

The church has investment in many different areas, such as farming, for the purposes of producing food goods for the humanitarian aid, and for the Church Walefare Program. If people worried more about what THEY are doing to help the humanitarian efforts around the world, rather than what everyone else is doing, perhaps more could be done. I feel good about the 10% that I give every month for Tithing. And for what I give for fast offerings. I trust that my money is well spent. But it doesn't stop there. I also do other things with my own time, and my own talents to further the efforts abroad as well. And I would never bash another church for what they are, or are not doing. - 10/29/2006 - anon