Painted into a Corner: Prophets, Revelation, and the Mormon Church’s Integrity Crisis

The Mormon Church has painted itself into a theological and historical corner. Its unwavering position—that all teachings and policies come from direct revelation from God through a living prophet—has created a system resistant to introspection and allergic to correction. For nearly 200 years, this stance may have worked for the institution. But in the age …

Church Leadership Claims No Financial Compensation For Service

During the 2025 April General Conference, Steven D. Shumway continued to push the narrative that church leaders are not paid for their service in the church. He claims that “we do not receive financial compensation for serving.” This is misleading and exemplifies a glaring transparency issue regarding church leadership and finances. While it is technically true …

Bednar’s Evasive $300 Billion Answer Only Raises More Questions

In February 2025, the LDS Church released a new video featuring an interview with David A. Bednar at the Silicon Slopes Summit on September 28, 2023. The interview was conducted by Ryan Smith, Mormon billionaire, co-founder of Qualtrics, and owner of multiple professional sports teams, including the Utah Jazz (NBA), Utah Hockey Club (NHL), and …

Lilburn Boggs’ Extermination Order and Mormon War

The Mormon-Missouri War (1838) was a conflict between the Mormon settlers in Missouri and their non-Mormon neighbors, culminating in violent clashes, forced expulsions, and the infamous Missouri Executive Order 44, also known as the so-called “Extermination Order.” While the Mormon Church often portrays itself as the innocent victim of religious persecution, the historical reality is …

Ensign Peak Advisors Withdrawls, Religious Tax-Exemption, And Lack of Charitable Work

The Ensign Peak Advisors controversy centers on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or rather the Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, doing business as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, using a tax-exempt investment fund to manage hundreds of billions of dollars derived …

Oaks Demonizing Criticism and Avoiding Accountability

Dallin H. Oaks teaches that even true criticisms of church leaders should be avoided, framing this restraint as a necessary way to maintain unity and love within the church. By comparing criticism to blackmail or breaches of confidentiality, Oaks implies that revealing truths that could harm leaders’ reputations is inherently harmful and spiritually unfaithful. He …

Facts vs Beliefs – No Limit At All On What Church Is Required To Teach Or Not Teach

The LDS Church Corporation is currently involved in many many lawsuits. One such is a RICO case, where the church is being accused of behavior more similar to an organized crime network, like the mafia, than a religious institution. What is RICO? A RICO case refers to charges brought under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt …

Donated Tithing Funds vs Earnings on Invested Tithing

The church repeatedly states that no tithing money is used for its business purposes, like funding the City Creek Center or bailout money for church-owned insurance company, Beneficial Life. The church is surprisingly secretive about finances and has not publicly disclosed any financial statements in the United States since 1959, that’s 65 years and counting. The …

Do General Authorities get paid? "General Authorities are given a living allowance which enables them to focus all of their time on serving in the Church. The living allowance is uniform for all General Authorities. None of the funds for this living allowance come from the tithing of Church members, but instead from proceeds of the Church's financial investments." - LDS Church Website FAQ | faq.churchofjesuschrist.org | wasmormon.org
Do General Authorities get paid? "General Authorities are given a living allowance which enables them to focus all of their time on serving in the Church. The living allowance is uniform for all General Authorities. None of the funds for this living allowance come from the tithing of Church members, but instead from proceeds of the Church's financial investments." - LDS Church Website FAQ | faq.churchofjesuschrist.org

Nothing to Hide?

President Gordon B. Hinckley, top leader of the Church (1995-2008) addresses several issues related to the church’s history and practices in an interview on Christmas Day in 2005. The interview covered many topics but here we’ll look closely at what he said about polygamy and fundamentalist Mormons and church history and transparency. Polygamy and Fundamentalist …

Anytime an organization's operational budget is primarily made up of tax-free donations, from my perspective, they have an ethical obligation to be transparent about their finances. The reason why they have tried for so long to keep these portfolios under wraps, is because they are concerned that it would lower people's willingness to pay tithing. - Ryan McKnight, Government Regulator & Founder of Mormon Leaks. The Fifth Estate, October 27, 2022 | wasmormon.org
Anytime an organization's operational budget is primarily made up of tax-free donations, from my perspective, they have an ethical obligation to be transparent about their finances. The reason why they have tried for so long to keep these portfolios under wraps, is because they are concerned that it would lower people's willingness to pay tithing. - Ryan McKnight, Government Regulator & Founder of Mormon Leaks. The Fifth Estate, October 27, 2022
It makes me feel pretty nauseous, to be quite honest, because although it's good to see a church investing funds in blue chip investments, that has to be balanced against how those funds could be used to benefit the lives of individuals and families. Even if it were only individuals and families within the church, a lot of people who are suffering could have their suffering alleviated if instead instead of diverting those monies into investment, they invested in individuals and families. - Neville Rocco, Australian Barrister, Former Mormon, Bishop, Free-thinker - The Fifth Estate, October 27, 2022 | wasmormon.org
It makes me feel pretty nauseous, to be quite honest, because although it's good to see a church investing funds in blue chip investments, that has to be balanced against how those funds could be used to benefit the lives of individuals and families. Even if it were only individuals and families within the church, a lot of people who are suffering could have their suffering alleviated if instead instead of diverting those monies into investment, they invested in individuals and families. - Neville Rocco, Australian Barrister, Former Mormon, Bishop, Free-thinker - The Fifth Estate, October 27, 2022