Ensign Peak Advisors

[Jeff Lebowski]

For the record, I would personally prefer transparency. But I fully understand the logic of keeping it private. One thing for sure, no matter what they do, people will complain. So it goes.

[Green Monstah]

For the record, I would personally prefer transparency. But I fully understand the logic of keeping it private. One thing for sure, no matter what they do, people will complain. So it goes.

Very true. So, you may as well err on the side of candor.

[tooblue]

I don't donate to UNICEF but if I did my first stop would be to check how its spends $
https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/131760110

My favorite charity is Charity Water

I like them because the money I donate actually goes to providing water to the world

Here is their Charity rating

In short people are entrusting the Church with their money. They should be open about what they are doing with it.

I know exactly where my fast offerings go, and I am pleased with how they are used. I also know where my tithes end up and how I and my family benefit directly from them. There is no mystery.

[tooblue]

As a family law practitioner, I have had horrible experiences with them. They are absolutely not equipped to handle any court involved therapy.

So, your bias is saying the non religious schools they trained at are terrible? Bullsh**

[old_gregg]

So, your bias is saying the non religious schools they trained at are terrible? Bullsh**

i'm on record that this is all much ado about very little, but your inability to string together a coherent argument in this thread is both funny and worrisome.

[tooblue]

Good point. I stopped contributing to United Way because so much money was going toward their inflated costs.

I don't even think the critics are asking for a line-by-line accounting. But we'd like to know how much is there and how much of it is being utilized for charitable purposes. I don't think that's a huge ask. But the fact that the church continues to dodge the question at bare minimum gives rise to innuendo, if not outright assumptions that the church has less-than-noble reason to hide the wealth.

And maybe that strikes at the real root of the issue: I don't necessarily believe the church is what it claims (i.e. God's true church). The church does so much good. But I do believe it could do a lot more.

They shall know them by their fruits. It's an easy measure to test. If there were leaders enriching themselves at the top levels of the church then I could understand that level of cynicism. Problem is that is not what is happening. There is no evidence to support innuendo or assumptions. In contrast, as you say the church does so much good—of which you are aware. But you weren't aware of LDS social services, so what else is the church doing of which you and I are not aware?

Consider for a moment that we have a couple who moved into our Ward roughly eight months ago. The husband is Russian, the wife Ukrainian. They have two children. They fled the war. They both served missions in Siberia. They met several years ago at a YSA conference in Moscow. The same things, like YSA and Youth conferences, happen all over the world just like they do in North America. That's incredible to contemplate.

My wife and I have close friends in Europe. The husband is German, the wife is Spanish. She speaks Spanish, French, German and English. She works for LDS social services and primarily works with missionaries struggling with mental health, not just in Europe but in Africa. That's also incredible to contemplate.

I have told the story many times, but my neighbour who lives directly behind me is originally from Africa. He is a truck driver which was also his vocation in Africa. When he found out we were members of the church he praised the church's incredible welfare program. He talks about how he personally delivered food and goods for the church to Bishop Storehouses in Africa. He knew the network and how the program works.

Again, that is incredible to contemplate. The shear size and reach of the church, and its ability to fund itself, and care for members in every community across the globe. But hey, supposedly no one knows what the church is doing with its funds And how can you possibly say "it could do a lot more" when you are not even fully aware of what is already being done?

[tooblue]

i'm on record that this is all much ado about very little, but your inability to string together a coherent argument in this thread is both funny and worrisome.

Gregg, I am not sure what troubles you. I genuinely hope you have people around you with which you connect. I wish you well.

[Green Monstah]

They shall know them by their fruits. It's an easy measure to test. If there were leaders enriching themselves at the top levels of the church then I could understand that level of cynicism. Problem is that is not what is happening. There is no evidence to support innuendo or assumptions. In contrast, as you say the church does so much good—of which you are aware. But you weren't aware of LDS social services, so what else is the church doing of which you and I are not aware?

Consider for a moment that we have a couple who moved into our Ward roughly eight months ago. The husband is Russian, the wife Ukrainian. They have two children. They fled the war. They both served missions in Siberia. They met several years ago at a YSA conference in Moscow. The same things, like YSA and Youth conferences, happen all over the world just like they do in North America. That's incredible to contemplate.

My wife and I have close friends in Europe. The husband is German, the wife is Spanish. She speaks Spanish, French, German and English. She works for LDS social services and primarily works with missionaries struggling with mental health, not just in Europe but in Africa. That's also incredible to contemplate.

I have told the story many times, but my neighbour who lives directly behind me is originally from Africa. He is a truck driver which was also his vocation in Africa. When he found out we were members of the church he praised the church's incredible welfare program. He talks about how he personally delivered food and goods for the church to Bishop Storehouses in Africa. He knew the network and how the program works.

Again, that is incredible to contemplate. The shear size and reach of the church, and its ability to fund itself, and care for members in every community across the globe. But hey, supposedly no one knows what the church is doing with its funds And how can you possibly say "it could do a lot more" when you are not even fully aware of what is already being done?

I believe at or near the scripture regarding fruits, it also says a good tree cannot bring forth bad fruit, yet here we are.

listen, I love the church. A couple of months ago I volunteered at the bishops storehouse and loved every minute of it. If I could do that every week, I think I would. The church does a lot of great things. It can improve. In some areas, it can improve significantly. What little faith I have is probably tied up in the belief that it will. It just needs to be told that its fly is down every now and again.

[Uncle Ted]

So would I, but I understand the decision not to.

Case in point. Under President Nelson there has been an explosion of temple-building activity. The growth in the building program far outpaces the growth in membership. Is this a matter of the church spending down reserves, using new construction techniques (like modular pre-fab) to lower costs, or something else altogether? It would be fascinating to know more about the reasoning, but it is unlikely that information will be publicly available anytime soon.

They should just create a mobile temple... It could just visit the various stakes of Zion in their parking lot like one week out of the year. That is about all I get to the temple anyway.

[Jeff Lebowski]

They should just create a mobile temple... It could just visit the various stakes of Zion in their parking lot like one week out of the year. That is about all I get to the temple anyway.

They had a plan for that once! They were going to do a temple on a boat/ship and have it move around the coast of California. Sadly, the plan was killed.

[Applejack]

They had a plan for that once! They were going to do a temple on a boat/ship and have it move around the coast of California. Sadly, the plan was killed.

Sea org!!!

[Green Monstah]

They had a plan for that once! They were going to do a temple on a boat/ship and have it move around the coast of California. Sadly, the plan was killed.

Would make for a great Mormon film/byutv show called the Lord Boat.

[Green Monstah]

Sea org!!!

Oh shiz.

[All-American]

So would I, but I understand the decision not to.

Case in point. Under President Nelson there has been an explosion of temple-building activity. The growth in the building program far outpaces the growth in membership. Is this a matter of the church spending down reserves, using new construction techniques (like modular pre-fab) to lower costs, or something else altogether? It would be fascinating to know more about the reasoning, but it is unlikely that information will be publicly available anytime soon.

Welp. I got what I wanted.

https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist...AOI0cRtRJhUJsg

[BigPiney]

Welp. I got what I wanted.

https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist...AOI0cRtRJhUJsg

You wanted a temple for a trailer park?