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The vast but little-known fund of the Mormon Church

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Re: The vast but little-known fund of the Mormon Church

#22
post #16
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Former Mormon here. I'm scratching my head at what is construed as a Spaceship?

They mixed up Mormons with Scientologists

Its Heavens Gate and Raëlism that want the spaceships to land. Scientologists seem to just want them to be left buried in the mountain fortresses, unused.

Re: The vast but little-known fund of the Mormon Church

#23
post #15
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Former Mormon here. I'm scratching my head at what is construed as a Spaceship?

Maybe poster is somehow confusing the Nauvoo Mormon spaceship from The Expanse with official doctrine. (understandable mistake)

Isn't there an aspect of Mormonism that intends for its saints to one day rule their own planets?

I find that kinda cool, honestly.

Re: The vast but little-known fund of the Mormon Church

#24
post #11

Churches should go back to being churches. No reason a religious organization needs a 100 billion warchest. What they are planning to eventually do with it? Buy off my local pol? Buy Utah and secede? Never mind the advantageous tax treatment enjoyed. This disturbs me.

Before I even clicked to see the comments I knew this sentiment would be here. Why is it that anytime a news article is published about some org having a lot of money someone has to say something like this? They have a lot of money. So what? I’m also under the understanding everyone of their members has a years worth of food too. Kind of prescient with cironavirus running around? Full disclosure - I’m not a Mormon.

Re: The vast but little-known fund of the Mormon Church

#25
post #19
post #9

That is just what is uncovered in the investment market with one subsidiary. They also own 2% of Florida[0], huge land tracts in Argentina, Oklahoma and elsewhere, and attractive urban real estate in most major metropolises including apartment complexes in PA. They centralize donation collection of tithes and good will offerings such that about 8% stays back at congregations (based on personal observation as the fina…

It always surprises me that wealthy churches pretend to take Christ seriously, when Jesus was not very fond of amassing money. I get why the churches do it (of course they don't believe in Christ), but why do the exploited masses believe them?

"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God."

-Jesus

Matthew 19:24

Re: The vast but little-known fund of the Mormon Church

#26
post #19
post #9

That is just what is uncovered in the investment market with one subsidiary. They also own 2% of Florida[0], huge land tracts in Argentina, Oklahoma and elsewhere, and attractive urban real estate in most major metropolises including apartment complexes in PA. They centralize donation collection of tithes and good will offerings such that about 8% stays back at congregations (based on personal observation as the fina…

It always surprises me that wealthy churches pretend to take Christ seriously, when Jesus was not very fond of amassing money. I get why the churches do it (of course they don't believe in Christ), but why do the exploited masses believe them?

I can't speak for more faiths, just what I saw in the Mormon faith. Basically, they literally believe they are the only church that has authority to act for God on earth, it was given to them, and they will be the world wide government during the millennium (a time period kicked off when Jesus Christ returns, in their view).

Re: The vast but little-known fund of the Mormon Church

#28
post #19
post #9

That is just what is uncovered in the investment market with one subsidiary. They also own 2% of Florida[0], huge land tracts in Argentina, Oklahoma and elsewhere, and attractive urban real estate in most major metropolises including apartment complexes in PA. They centralize donation collection of tithes and good will offerings such that about 8% stays back at congregations (based on personal observation as the fina…

It always surprises me that wealthy churches pretend to take Christ seriously, when Jesus was not very fond of amassing money. I get why the churches do it (of course they don't believe in Christ), but why do the exploited masses believe them?

> but why do the exploited masses believe them?

my favorite book on the subject of why is "Robert Cialdini's Influence": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influence:_Science_and_Practic...

Re: The vast but little-known fund of the Mormon Church

#29

I've found why anybody outside the church should care: «If the whistleblower’s claim is successful, that person could receive up to 30% of the proceeds collected by the IRS.» Meh.

Indeed, it is sad when people have to be motivated to report corruption such as tax evasion and other unethical behavior.

Re: The vast but little-known fund of the Mormon Church

#30
post #12

So I’m officially a Mormon but am not a tithing member or active at all. I’ve asked some of my Mormon friends about this and their response is basically “well of course they are, how else would they build Zion in the city of Independence, Missouri?”. They’ve said that’s where the latter days will be spent a long time ago, and they’re preparing to make that a reality “when the time comes”. They have a form of socialis…

> My seminary teacher, the sweetest woman you’ve ever met, got VERY upset and yelled at me when I said that it sounded like Communism.

Yikes. It sounds like part of her knew you were right but she was in serious denial.

By "latter days", do you mean after the LDS version of the end times? I thought that the "Latter Day" in Latter Day Saints referred to the time period of Joseph Smith. Mormons, from what I understand, encourage each other to prep for the end time and even have a semi-official guide on how to do so(it's free and pretty good, actually). It makes sense to me that they would also want to amass as much resources as possible to eventually build Zion.

> I have concerns though, when my friends family lives in a house where their youngest kid got lead exposure, and they’re barely getting by, tithing their 10%, but the Mormon church is amassing such wealth yet my friend’s family of five is on food stamps. Something feels off there.

Now I know why virtually all the men in my Mormon friend's family and social circle were either surgeons or lawyers. Better be able to get by while also tithing 10%!

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