Slick Arguments Against Financial Transparency

[_moksha]

http://www.mormondialogue.org/topic/69740-public-financial-benefits-should-imply-public-financial-disclosure-for-non-profit-entities-agree-or-disagree/

Rabble-rouser Erik from the Board of a Thousand Denials thinks that churches should be obligated to provide a yearly financial statement as a matter of ethics. Of course, most participants disagree since that is not the way their Church conducts business. Poster B. Crockett says he is tired of people asserting an "ethical" obligation against the Church. On the other hand, if the LDS Church routinely offered financial disclosures, the Board of a Thousand Denials would regard such disclosures as an act of holy obligation.

So what about annual financial disclosure by churches and the LDS Church in particular since it is the most business-oriented of all religious organizations? Would the LDS Church suffer harm as a result of a published independent financial audit?

[_moksha]

I really can't see why you are always so negative. Look, Church Authorities know that if such financial information was published then the spirit of discernment would be removed from Mankind and they would dwell in darkness. This withholding of information is for your sake as well as Mankind. So go sit on it.

[_moksha]

I really can't see why you are always so negative. Look, Church Authorities know that if such financial information was published then the spirit of discernment would be removed from Mankind and they would dwell in darkness. This withholding of information is for everyone's sake as well as our continuing relationship with planet Obliblish. So go sit on it.

I need some time to fast and pray on this new information. If there are planetary and interplanetary ramifications then that could be a game changer.

Regardless, the point of the Board of a Thousand Denials being fervent advocates of financial disclosure if the Church actually had such disclosure still stands, so I would be willing to sit next to it rather than on it.

[_moksha]

Financial Reporting

The Church today is in full compliance with the Lord by following the code of silence (Omerta) with respect to its finances. That was not always the case.

The Church entered a period of petite apostacy from 1850 to 1914 when they gave an oral presentation of Church finances at General Conference. In 1915 they went into full apostacy Satan-mode when they released a detailed financial report that included tithing. From 1916 to 1959 they downgraded to only partial apostacy when they reported expenditures without listing tithing revenues.

Because of financial setbacks, Church leaders beseeched the Lord for guidance and he sent forth the blessing of the Apologetic Code of Omerta and Denial which brought them out of the morass of apostastic financial reporting and into compliance with the fullness of Omerta. Don't Talk Under Penalty of Eternal Punishment became the motto of those tasked with maintaining the Lord's temporal financial ledger.

http://www.sltrib.com/religion/local/2017/10/25/mormon-land-historian-d-michael-quinn-talks-about-his-exploration-of-lds-church-wealth-what-he-found-may-surprise-you-it-did-him/

Hope that helps. All Holiness unto FARMS.

[Guest]

[_Stem]

Financial Reporting

The Church today is in full compliance with the Lord by following the code of silence (Omerta) with respect to its finances. That was not always the case.

The Church entered a period of petite apostacy from 1850 to 1914 when they gave an oral presentation of Church finances at General Conference. In 1915 they went into full apostacy Satan-mode when they released a detailed financial report that included tithing. From 1916 to 1959 they downgraded to only partial apostacy when they reported expenditures without listing tithing revenues.

Because of financial setbacks, Church leaders beseeched the Lord for guidance and he sent forth the blessing of the Apologetic Code of Omerta and Denial which brought them out of the morass of apostastic financial reporting and into compliance with the fullness of Omerta. Don't Talk Under Penalty of Eternal Punishment became the motto of those tasked with maintaining the Lord's temporal financial ledger.

http://www.sltrib.com/religion/local/2017/10/25/mormon-land-historian-d-michael-quinn-talks-about-his-exploration-of-lds-church-wealth-what-he-found-may-surprise-you-it-did-him/

Hope that helps. All Holiness unto FARMS.

What happens as transparency requirements grow from country to country? The Church of the LDS folks in England (as opposed to the Church of England) is forced to prepare financial transparency reports. I hear it happens in other countries too. Quinn used those financials to tell us all that the Church folks in Utah are helping to subsidize the Church elsewhere. It ain't a self-sustaining enterprise for most places out there. Maybe paying tithes is less about building up the kingdom and more about maintaining a pulse in certain areas--for appearances sake. Well, maybe business is going better than expected and the world-wideness of the Church's presence is as important to it's revenue as is the taking in of people's 10 percents.

[_SteelHead]

Moksha arguing with himself.... epic.

For every thing else there is mastercard.

But to echo wd, tax churches and require full disclosure. Only the part that actually goes to charity, with a tight definition on what constitutes charity is left tax exempt. Building churches is not charity, building malls is not charity, ad campaign isn't, yada yada.

[_Craig Paxton]

I take Gordon Hinckley at his word:

“[church financial ] information belongs to those who made the contribution … .”

Except when it doesn't...great example of the church speaking out of both sides of their mouths.

[_SteelHead]

I’m LDS and I think non-profit entities including the LDS Church have an ethical obligation to disclose basic financial information

- to the sources of those finances if those sources so choose.

I am a financial source. If I ask are they going to tell?


No.

What a joke.

[_moksha]

Don't Talk Under Penalty of Eternal Punishment became the motto of those tasked with maintaining the Lord's temporal financial ledger.

Hopefully, the importance of this motto is underscored now that someone has spilled a portion of the beans at Ensign Peak Advisors.