Radio Free Mormon: 119: Hundred Billion Dollar Baby

Today Radio Free Mormon and Bill Reel work together to discuss the multiple facets of the recent breaking story that the LDS Church has 100 billion dollars stockpiled in Ensign Peak Advisers, and investment arm of the Church. We listed all the resources of this shared in this podcast below.

RESOURCES:

7 minute synopsis of the issue

PDF “Letter to an IRS Director

Dropbox version

full 1 hour 17 minute video

Original Washington Post breaking this story

Religion Unplugged breaking the story

Newsweek’s coverage of the Whistle Blower’s motives

President Q12 Boyd K Packer being declined Access to EPA Financials

Website declaring the actual EPA value at 124 Billion

LDS owned KUTV sharing quotes that the Church did something wrong

President Nelson Advice to avoid God’s vengeance on the day of burning

Wayback Machine Elder Anderson’s “We are not a wealthy people”

Thomas Monson as a spokesman for “Beneficial life insurance”

President Nelson promising tithing as a way to get out of poverty

Old Lorenzo Snow video of his tithing visit to St George Utah

Presiding Bishop H. David Burton and City Creek Mall

Church Newsroom Response to this story breaking

“If paying tithing means that you can’t pay for water or electricity, pay tithing. If paying tithing means that you can’t pay your rent, pay tithing. Even if paying tithing means that you don’t have enough money to feed your family, pay tithing. The Lord will not abandon you.” – Quote 1 to pay tithing before feeding children

One day during those difficult times, I heard my parents discussing whether they should pay tithing or buy food for the children. On Sunday, I followed my father to see what he was going to do. After our Church meetings, I saw him take an envelope and put his tithing in it. That was only part of the lesson. The question that remained for me was what we were going to eat. – Quote 2 on paying tithing before feeding your children

Among those who do not sacrifice there are two extremes: one is the rich, gluttonous man who won’t and the other is the poor, destitute man who believes he can’t. But how can you ask someone who is starving to eat less? Is there a level of poverty so low that sacrifice should not be expected or a family so destitute that paying tithing should cease to be required? Faith isn’t tested so much when the cupboard is full as when it is bare. In these defining moments, the crisis doesn’t create one’s character—it reveals it. The crisis is the test. – Quote 3 on paying tithing before feeding oneself adequately

“I repeat that the Church is frequently spoken of as an institution of great wealth. When all is said and done, the Church is wealthy only in the faith of its people. One of the expressions of that faith is the payment of tithing. The Church is spoken of as an institution with great business interests. The income from those business properties would keep the Church going for only a very short time.” – President Gordon B Hinckley – https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/gordon-b-hinckley/widows-mite/

Furthermore, I want to say to you, we may not be able to reach it right away, but we expect to see the day when we will not have to ask you for one dollar of donation for any purpose, except that which you volunteer to give of your own accord, because we will have tithes sufficient in the storehouse of the Lord to pay everything that is needful for the advancement of the kingdom of God. I want to live to see that day, if the Lord will spare my life. It does not make any difference, though, so far as that is concerned, whether I live or not. That is the true policy, the true purpose of the Lord in the management of the affairs of His Church. – Quote on Tithing ending once the Church had sufficient funds