Why doesnt the Mormon (LDS) Church release financial records? -

The Mormon Church has not released financial records to the public since 1959. Why is this? The Catholic Church releases it s financial records, at least on some levels, I don t know that the Vatican releases financial records! It just seems suspicious that the LDS Church would not want anyone, especially it s members, to know how their hard earned money is being spent. I understand that the LDS Church has a great welfare system, providing food and other services to those members in need, but this comes from Fast Offering, which is the money you would have spent on 2 meals, and is only collected once a month. That s what, $10 a person at most? Far less than the huge amount of tithing that is collected. They say tithing goes toward building funds and maintenance for buildings, but I doubt it takes the entire tithing of 13 million members to build a few temples and meeting houses every year and keep them going! I would think that members would want to know how their money is being spent. I know there is the idea that you should be faithful that those in charge are inspired by God and do what s best, but I don t think there s anything wrong with a little accountability either!|::::|quot;the Catholic Church relesaes it s financial records, at least on some levelsquot; Hypocrite. I know where my tithing money goes. I see it when I see the budget for the Young Women, I see it when a new temple is built, I see it when a young man from our ward is supported on his mission, I see it when a new chapel is built, I see it when a new convert is given a very nice brand new set of scriptures. Are you putting money into the LDS church? No? Then why do you care? EDIT: Furthermore, your church HAS TO release certain records because you have a paid clergy. If the Catholic church didn t have to disclose the small amount they did I doubt they would disclose anything. We don t have paid clergy and therefore don t have to disclose. It doesn t bother the members.|::::|I am Mormon and give of my tithes and offerings freely. I don t quot;need to knowquot; how the funds aer spent, as I have trust and faith that the Lord s servants will use it wisely for the building up of the kingdom of God. Life requires us to live by faith. It is commonly known that tithing funds go to support the costs of building and maintaining the thousands of chapels, temples, and church buildings across the world. Those things require funds to operate.|::::|We know exactly where our money is going. It is going to feed the hungry and help the poor. When we pay tithing we believe we receive blessings from our Heavenly Father.We do not second guess our leaders, because we have faith-We believe in them. They keep records for legal reasons-That is all we need to know. Every year at the end of the year we receive a document of our tithing (It shows how much we have paid for that year). It is called Tithing settlement. They also get audited every year.|::::|Yesterday you said you were LDS but were confirmed Catholic - if you are LDS, you would not be posting this type of question. They do release financials - you would know about the auditing if you were an active member. Truth twisting - and caught. Here is the link to your other question wanting to know about being excommunicated from the LDS church - in case you forgot . . . http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...|::::|They release them when they are asked to. Every year the LDS church goes through an audit by the U.S. Government. THe government doesn t find anything unusual or illegal every year.|::::|There should be separation of church and state, in that churches should be treated no differently than than any other business. They should all be taxed.|::::|Im pretty sure the government makes them release financial records.|::::|I paid to the LDS Church of my own freewill, and have faith in the leadership that handles the money. They are accountable to God, and judge by God. They are not accountable to you.|::::|A lot of it goes to humanitarian services. http://www.mormonwiki.com/Humanitarian_E... The Church owns 400 welfare farms and 220 canneries/welfare storehouses to care for the poor. Members volunteer their time to staff these facilities. In 2003, over half a million man-hours were donated. One Church farm in Florida, the world s largest beef ranch, is over 312,000 acres. The Church also has an extensive program to help the unemployed. In 2003, Church employment centers helped 85,000 people in the United States and Canada find employment. About the same number of jobs were found for members of the Church in foreign countries. LDS Family Services, a Church organization, has 64 offices to provide adoption, foster care, and counseling services. 46 Church-operated thrift stores function in part to provide employment for the disadvantaged/disabled. The LDS Church has sponsored Boy Scout troops since 1913. About 23% of all Scout troops in the U.S. are LDS-sponsored. The Church has sent relief to victims of over 150 disasters since 1986 alone. Aid is provided regardless of any consideration, including religion, ethnicity, and nationality, and is valued in the tens of millions of dollars annually. In the last 20 years, 200 million pounds of food, clothing, and medicine were donated in 147 countries, almost all to members of other faiths. Aid is often made to countries where Mormon missionaries are banned by law. The LDS Church is able to send relief quickly because there is no need to wait for donations or purchase supplies. Church members donate regularly, and supplies are stored at Salt Lake and elsewhere, ready for distribution. The LDS Church also works with and donates extensively to other, non-LDS charities. While the Church s specific humanitarian programs are too numerous to list here, here are a few highlights: * In 2001 the Church established what it calls the “Perpetual Education Fund.” Low-rate college loans are made to impoverished students in the developing world, students that could not otherwise obtain a good education. Over 10,000 loans have been made to date, and the project is expanding. * The Church played an important role in the 2004 Asian-tsunami relief efforts. After working to address the population s immediate needs, the Church began working towards long-term progress, including livelihood restoration, health-care improvement (including operating-room construction, medical-equipment supply, and trauma counseling), and the reconstruction of community buildings (including homes, hospitals, schools, and mosques). In all, millions of dollars have been invested in this type of long-term aid. * The Church has an extensive vision program in the developing world, where local health-care professionals are provided with the necessary training and equipment to treat vision problems. Under this program, 20,000 individuals have received eye treatment at a cost of one million dollars. * Because world-wide only one percent of all who need wheelchairs have access to one, the Church has distributed over 100,000 chairs to the disabled in developing nations at a cost of $6.8 million. * The Church has helped 1.8 million people in over 1,000 communities gain access to clean water at an average cost of only $2.50 per person. This service has included digging wells, providing water storage and delivery systems, and installing water purification systems. Mostly local labor was used, and local community leaders were trained in how to maintain the new facilities. * At a cost of $3.5 million, the Church has sent doctors to developing nations to train local health-care professionals in neonatal resuscitation. Neonatal deaths due to breathing problems cost one million infant lives a year. * Working with international partners (the American Red Cross, the United Nations Foundation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United Nations Children’s Fund, World Health Organization, and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies), the Church donated $3 million to work towards providing measles vaccinations for 200 million children in 40 African countries. * Church members donated 10,000 days of labor to assist Hurricane Katrina victims. * The Church offers small-business loans to the impoverished in developing countries. * So what s a typical year like? Take 2004...“In 2004, the Church provided $31.1 million (USD) in cash and materials in response to the hurricanes in Florida and the Caribbean, tsunamis in South Asia, war in Iraq, flooding in Colombia, and 110 other disasters.” The Church has over 5,000 service missionaries (another site said 3,000) who work without pay to aid the poor.|::::|LDS- LSD! Oooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhh..............|::::|Why should they? They quot;discolsequot; it in other ways - such as building temples, church houses, feeding and clothing the needy, humanitarian aid... and many other ways. I pay my tithing, and that s I need to worry about. IF the money were ever being spent in an unrighteous way, well, then those people would be held responsible. *You doubt it takes 13 million member s tithing to build temples and church houses? Really? Do you know how much 1 temple costs to build? I m guessing in the million range. How much does it cost to heat/cool, give power to, water, sewer, and upkeep one temple? Think about your own home... how much per month do you spend on bills? I spend about $200 on utilities. My house is about 2500 sq feet. The temples are MUCH bigger than my home, so let s just say it costs roughly $1000 to heat/cool, power, water and upkeep ONE temple. Times that by 124 temples. That s over $100,000 a month. Times that by 12 months. That s 1.2 million per year alone just in utilties, and that s ONLY for temples! I don t even know how many church houses there are...!!!! There s a lot to pay for. We as members *faithful members* are doing what we are asked, and I see the quot;fruitsquot; of my tithing. I don t worry about it. You shouldn t either.|::::|the catholic chruch and the mormons coluld end world poverty today if they wanted to vaqtican is the richet organiation on earth the love of money is the root of all evil, being rich is not a crime, but being the richet and banging on about giving to the poor and all the poverty in the world when you had the means to end that poverty is kinda suspect isn t it like i said the vatican could end world poverty if they wanted to and i am sure the LDS HQ could alleviate a lot of it also