Post tithing settlement thoughts...

[Goatnapper'96]

Or Utah. Water is a lot more expensive in Utah than Vegas.

But you only have to water 5 months of the year!

[Goatnapper'96]

These budgets are pathetic.

I'm guessing your budgets are similar in relation to revenue for the unit.

We have a large, active ward with lots of kids and youth, so I could see that as a reason why we have a larger budget.

But still.... 13K out of 1million in collections?


That is .....1.3%!!!!!

Even if you add in the suggested $40k in building maintenance, that is only 4.3%!!!

Four. Point. Three. Percent.

Joseph Smith was a flaming liberal.

[Paperback Writer]

I understand that not all wards are created equal and that in, say, Bolivia, a ward may not be able to fund itself to an American standard. So looking at an individual ward may skew the finances. But we'll never know until the finances are public.

Why don't they release financial information? Because they were making poor financial choices and decided they didn't want anybody to know about it anymore.

Could be. But I think an alternative explanation is that SLC doesn't want the rank-and-file to know the annual revenue and assets of the corporation of the president. I think the Marriott School of Management produces enough sound minds to avoid too many poor financial choices.

But I understand that tithing is sort of a law of consecration for the international LDS church; especially in the third world. However, I do support greater financial transparency and more local control of tithing donations. If more tithing funds stayed locally, there would be much greater financial transparency.

[Indy Coug]

If more tithing funds stayed locally, there would be much greater financial transparency.

And the mismanagement of funds would be even greater than they allegedly are now.

[Pheidippides]

Could be. But I think an alternative explanation is that SLC doesn't want the rank-and-file to know the annual revenue and assets of the corporation of the president. I think the Marriott School of Management produces enough sound minds to avoid too many poor financial choices.

But I understand that tithing is sort of a law of consecration for the international LDS church; especially in the third world. However, I do support greater financial transparency and more local control of tithing donations. If more tithing funds stayed locally, there would be much greater financial transparency.

It's pretty well documented that the church had massive and irresponsible overspending in the 60s and the contemporaneous cessation of the public release of what limited financials existed was the result. N. Elden Tanner was a (literal?) Godsend. But you are right in that is probably not the reason now.

[Paperback Writer]

And the mismanagement of funds would be even greater than they allegedly are now.

So you are implying that my idea for a local Mormon country club is not going to happen? Good point about the concern for mismanagement of funds. Perhaps a ward council or similar fund committee. Because Mormons just love their meetings and need another excuse for one.

[Indy Coug]

So you are implying that my idea for a local Mormon country club is not going to happen? Good point about the concern for mismanagement of funds. Perhaps a ward council or similar fund committee. Because Mormons just love their meetings and need another excuse for one.

It's already hard enough to find someone in the ward that can properly operate MLS.

[Eddie]

In the first ward I lived in after getting married, during a priesthood meeting the Bishop showed the ward budget to everyone on an overhead projector (it's been a few years).

He showed what was being allocated to each axillary and the overall totals, then asked for questions. He only got a couple. First - could the ward put an extra $10-$15 in the budget to purchase new nets for the bball hoops. Second - why do the YM use twice the budget of the YW?

I've never been in a ward before or since that did anything like that (showing the entire budget to everyone in Priesthood). And now that I think about it - I'm kind of curious as to whether or not they did anything similar with the Relief Society.

[Katy Lied]

In the first ward I lived in after getting married, during a priesthood meeting the Bishop showed the ward budget to everyone all the men on an overhead projector (it's been a few years).

FIFY

[Eddie]

FIFY

I figured saying that it was shown to everyone in a priesthood meeting kind of made mentioning it was only men redundant. I mean, back then the women weren't even threatening to wear pants!

[Uncle Ted]

Churches spending priorities:

building houses of worship, supporting Brigham Young University and a seminary system, operating nearly 140 temples and the world's largest genealogy research program, and humanitarian aid for both members and non-members.

Since 1985 the church has spent a total of $1.4 billion on relief for disasters such as Japan's earthquake and Ethiopian famine, and it operates 129 "bishops' storehouses" with food and household items for the needy.

Also, Rmoney was only a 9.7% tithe payer:

Romney, the Republican presidential candidate, gave $4.1 million to the church over the past two years (amounting to 9.7 percent of his gross adjusted income, according to the two years' worth of tax returns he has released).

Maybe he paid on net and that is the reason he lost the election.

[LeedsCougar]

I'm a believing LDS but you chaps are downright barmy to be paying 10% of your income. I visited the mall whilst in salt lake and made me want to honk right there in the bloody middle of it all; i could not believe a charitable organisation was allowed to do such a thing. i pay what i damn well please

And I'll nut you in the blimey face if any of you twats offend my faith...

[All-American]

Also, Rmoney was only a 9.7% tithe payer:



Maybe he paid on net and that is the reason he lost the election.

Did that 9.7% include donations to his charitable foundation, which also paid tithing?

[Joe Public]

Also, Rmoney was only a 9.7% tithe payer:



Maybe he paid on net and that is the reason he lost the election.

Did that 9.7% include donations to his charitable foundation, which also paid tithing?

The linked article didn't mention which two years of tax returns were reviewed, but Romney deducted less than his total contributions at least one year to keep his effective tax rate above a certain level.

[Portland Ute]

Churches spending priorities:



Also, Rmoney was only a 9.7% tithe payer:

He paid 10% on what he felt was his "increase."

End of story.

I wonder how many of the "netters" of the Church actually figure out the true value of their benefits packages if they receive them from their employer and pay 10% on that. My guess from talking to people: Not many.