The Mormon-Canadian-BYU Billion Dollar Tithing Funnel

Investigation reveals more than $1 billion raised by the Mormon church in Canada has been funneled to the U.S. rather than going to charitable works in this country. We hear from former members in Canada and elsewhere who say concerns about how money is spent have led them to leave the church. – The Fifth Estate, Canada’s premier investigative documentary program.

In Canada, the tax code requires full financial disclosure. Looking into the charities directorate, we can see that rather than keeping donated tithing funds in the country, as required by the tax code, the church funnels much of these donated funds out of Canada by donating hundreds of millions of dollars to the church-run private school, BYU. There is a loophole in the tax code that says if these funds are used for educational purposes that benefit Canadians outside of Canada, then funds may be transferred out of the country. The church has found this loophole, which they call a “tax provision,” and is taking full advantage of it by moving most of the Canadian tithing money directly to BYU to keep the funds internal to the global finances of the church but sidestepping the requirement to keep donations in Canada that are made in Canada when they are declared tax-exempt. Rather than keeping Canada’s tithing in-country and using these funds to benefit Canadian charities or the church in Canada, as the law was designed to do, the church is skirting the requirement and just transferring it to fund BYU based on the technicality that some Canadians attend the private school. Should Canadian church members be directly funding the church school? Should these donations be allowed to be tax-deductible?

This investigative news program from Canadian news outlet The Fifth Estate, looks into the books and shares many examples of the church cutting corners and pressing the boundary between legal tax avoidance, illegal tax evasion, and the ethical use of donations. Amid the international behavior of the church and the whistleblowers leaking the secret financials of the church and investigations into any governmentally required disclosures (which the church obfuscates as best it can), we can at least see that the church is not acting ethically, and is likely acting illegally. Some government investigations (after whistleblower allegations tipped them off) have shown this to be the case as the SEC has fined the church $5 million for misfiling investments – as directed by the First Presidency. The church is also in the news for skirting Australian Tax codes and creating shell charity organizations to funnel tithing donations out of Australia.

The program interviews an all-star selection of many who have seen a glimpse into the financial books of the church. Here they are, roughly, in order of feature:

Nigel Kennett

Nigel Kennett from Southern Alberta Canada, once a devout Mormon deeply rooted in his faith, has become more nuanced and is a prominent voice challenging the financial practices of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His journey from faithful tithing contributor to outspoken critic began with a sense of moral obligation to address what he perceived as discrepancies in the Church’s financial transparency. As an accountant, Kennett was uniquely positioned to scrutinize the Church’s financial records, leading him to question the allocation of donations and the extent of the Church’s charitable efforts. He found that the church funnels Canadian tithing donations disproportionately to BYU, apparently to evade taxes in Canada. His decision to speak out was driven not by malice but by a desire for accountability and change within the institution. Despite the potential repercussions, including the risk of excommunication, Kennett’s commitment to integrity and setting an example for his children propelled him to challenge the status quo and advocate for greater transparency and ethical stewardship of resources within the Church.

In Canada, there's a charities directorate and I was able to see the full financial information. I was floored. I was like, holy cow, why don't I see qualified donations for the Red Cross or the Food Bank?
I was like, what the heck!? $100 million donated to BYU? They've manipulated not only the general membership, but they've duped governments. - Nigel Kennet, a Canadian accountant, was working on the books of a church of a different faith, when he saw how much their members gave to charity. So, he looked into the Mormon's books, and was stunned by where their donations were going. - The Fifth Estate, October 27, 2022 | wasmormon.org — In Canada, there’s a charities directorate and I was able to see the full financial information. I was floored. I was like, holy cow, why don’t I see qualified donations for the Red Cross or the Food Bank? I was like, what the heck!? $100 million donated to BYU? They’ve manipulated not only the general membership, but they’ve duped governments. – Nigel Kennet, a Canadian accountant, was working on the books of a church of a different faith, when he saw how much their members gave to charity. So, he looked into the Mormon’s books, and was stunned by where their donations were going. – The Fifth Estate, October 27, 2022

The church is taking away the government's ability to fund health care, and education, and provide other essential services. They've done it at the expense of taxpayer dollars. There's definitely been a change in [my] perspective. The church teaches that the temple should always be a focal point in your life. The temple has become a physical reminder of greed for me. - Nigel Kennet, a Canadian accountant, was working on the books of a church of a different faith, when he saw how much their members gave to charity. So, he looked into the Mormon's books, and was stunned by where their donations were going. - The Fifth Estate, October 27, 2022 | wasmormon.org — The church is taking away the government’s ability to fund health care, and education, and provide other essential services. They’ve done it at the expense of taxpayer dollars. There’s definitely been a change in [my] perspective. The church teaches that the temple should always be a focal point in your life. The temple has become a physical reminder of greed for me. – Nigel Kennet, a Canadian accountant, was working on the books of a church of a different faith, when he saw how much their members gave to charity. So, he looked into the Mormon’s books, and was stunned by where their donations were going. – The Fifth Estate, October 27, 2022

Starting in 2007, the Mormon Church in Canada began moving mass amounts of money to BYU. The biggest year on record, was 2016, when almost 110 million dollars was gifted to the university. That was nearly 70 percent of all the tithing money collected that year by the Canadian Church... More than one billion dollars, donated by Mormons, all eligible for tax deductions for those donations. When you add it all up, those deductions cost the Canadian treasury as much as 280 million dollars. In an emailed statement to The Fifth Estate, the church said, it is using a legitimate and well-known tax provision to transfer money to BYU and points out more donations were retained and used in Canada than the U.S. We crunched the numbers, since 2007, 46 percent of Canadian tithing money left the country. - The Fifth Estate, October 27, 2022 | wasmormon.org — Starting in 2007, the Mormon Church in Canada began moving mass amounts of money to BYU. The biggest year on record, was 2016, when almost 110 million dollars was gifted to the university. That was nearly 70 percent of all the tithing money collected that year by the Canadian Church… More than one billion dollars, donated by Mormons, all eligible for tax deductions for those donations. When you add it all up, those deductions cost the Canadian treasury as much as 280 million dollars. In an emailed statement to The Fifth Estate, the church said, it is using a legitimate and well-known tax provision to transfer money to BYU and points out more donations were retained and used in Canada than the U.S. We crunched the numbers, since 2007, 46 percent of Canadian tithing money left the country. – The Fifth Estate, October 27, 2022

Lars Nielsen

Lars Nielsen, a sixth-generation Mormon and graduate of BYU, has emerged as a vocal critic of the Mormon Church’s financial practices. Nielsen’s journey from devout believer to whistleblower began during his time at Harvard University, where exposure to diverse perspectives prompted him to question both his faith and the Church’s financial transparency. His scrutiny intensified upon discovering the Canadian cash pipeline to BYU, leading him to allege deceptive practices regarding the use of educational funds for Canadian tithe payers. Nielsen’s deep-rooted conviction in truth and integrity, instilled by his Mormon upbringing, propelled him to speak out against what he perceived as institutional deceit. His pivotal role in exposing the Church’s vast wealth, including its substantial investments in commercial ventures like the City Creek Mall, has sparked controversy within the Mormon community and beyond. Nielsen’s unwavering commitment to accountability and ethical conduct underscores his belief in upholding the principles of integrity, even at the expense of challenging entrenched power structures. Through his whistleblowing efforts, Nielsen advocates for greater transparency and scrutiny of religious institutions, particularly those wielding significant financial influence.

There is in [Canada's] tax system a loophole that says if it's used for educational purposes that benefit Canadians outside of Canada, then you can use the money that way. They rationalize, oh, well maybe one percent of BYU is Canadian. They say as long as it's benefiting anyone who is Canadian at BYU... Even if it benefits one student. [My brother] started to hear that the leaders of the Mormon Church were saying things like, not one penny of tithing money was being used to build the City Creek Mall. That, blatantly wasn't true. He had seen the journal ledgers, he had been in on these conversations, he knew that 1.4 billion dollars had been spent to shore up the the City Creek Mall. If they do something that's illegal, I'm going to call them out on it because that's the right thing to do, and they taught me that. - Lars Nielsen, Whistleblower - The Fifth Estate, October 27, 2022 | wasmormon.org — There is in [Canada’s] tax system a loophole that says if it’s used for educational purposes that benefit Canadians outside of Canada, then you can use the money that way. They rationalize, oh, well maybe one percent of BYU is Canadian. They say as long as it’s benefiting anyone who is Canadian at BYU… Even if it benefits one student. [My brother] started to hear that the leaders of the Mormon Church were saying things like, not one penny of tithing money was being used to build the City Creek Mall. That, blatantly wasn’t true. He had seen the journal ledgers, he had been in on these conversations, he knew that 1.4 billion dollars had been spent to shore up the the City Creek Mall. If they do something that’s illegal, I’m going to call them out on it because that’s the right thing to do, and they taught me that. – Lars Nielsen, Whistleblower – The Fifth Estate, October 27, 2022

If people knew that the church had a hundred billion dollars, and they weren't putting it to any use, they would be less inclined to continue donating to the church. A lot of members of the Mormon church have been clamoring to get their tithing back. People are upset about this, they know that the ethics are not Christ's ethics. [The church has] billions of dollars in Apple, and in fossil fuel burning companies, and energy companies. All of these vehicles, you wouldn't think, are what churches would invest in. So that rattled people, and then the lack of activity in doing something that that money is designed to be used for. Nothing religious educational or charitable. Small community congregationalist type churches shouldn't be subjected to a severe burden of reporting. But giga churches have to. There are mega churches in this country, maybe there are a few in Canada too, but in this country, there is one giga church, and it's the Mormon Church. - Lars Nielsen, Whistleblower - The Fifth Estate, October 27, 2022 | wasmormon.org — If people knew that the church had a hundred billion dollars, and they weren’t putting it to any use, they would be less inclined to continue donating to the church. A lot of members of the Mormon church have been clamoring to get their tithing back. People are upset about this, they know that the ethics are not Christ’s ethics. [The church has] billions of dollars in Apple, and in fossil fuel burning companies, and energy companies. All of these vehicles, you wouldn’t think, are what churches would invest in. So that rattled people, and then the lack of activity in doing something that that money is designed to be used for. Nothing religious educational or charitable. Small community congregationalist type churches shouldn’t be subjected to a severe burden of reporting. But giga churches have to. There are mega churches in this country, maybe there are a few in Canada too, but in this country, there is one giga church, and it’s the Mormon Church. – Lars Nielsen, Whistleblower – The Fifth Estate, October 27, 2022

Jacqueline Foster

Jacqueline Foster, a Canadian graduate of BYU, reflects on her journey as a queer individual within the Mormon faith. Her experience at BYU, once seen as a central pillar of her religious identity, became fraught with challenges upon coming out as queer on campus. Witnessing public displays of affection between same-sex couples juxtaposed against the backdrop of Mormon symbolism stirred mixed emotions, highlighting the tension between personal identity and institutional beliefs. The conflicting messages from Church authorities regarding LGBTQ+ relationships further exacerbated the sense of isolation and disillusionment among queer students like Foster. Despite graduating from BYU, Foster grapples with lingering questions about the allocation of Canadian religious donations to fund an American institution, prompting her to scrutinize the Church’s priorities and its commitment to addressing pressing needs within Canada’s diverse communities.

Jeannie Williams

Jeannie Williams, a student at BYU, shares the harrowing reality of navigating her bisexual identity within the confines of a campus culture steeped in homophobia. Despite the significant financial contributions made by Canadian Mormons to BYU through tithing, Williams grapples with the fear and discrimination prevalent in her daily experiences. From being confronted about her sexuality by residence managers to enduring the pervasive atmosphere of judgment and surveillance, Williams reflects on the constant sense of vulnerability and scrutiny faced by queer students at BYU. Despite these challenges, Williams remains resolute in her belief in the institution and the possibility of acceptance and love within the Church community, clinging to the hope that her faith will ultimately prevail over adversity.

I'm bisexual, I'm not straight. I don't struggle with same-sex attraction, I struggle with people who struggle with my same-sex attraction. [Being bisexual at BYU] is absolutely awful. Because anyone can report you to the honor code office. That's the reality for queer students—we all live with that fear. They allow this atmosphere of homophobia to permeate. - Jeannie Williams, a Bisexual BYU Student. The Fifth Estate, October 27, 2022 | wasmormon.org — I’m bisexual, I’m not straight. I don’t struggle with same-sex attraction, I struggle with people who struggle with my same-sex attraction. [Being bisexual at BYU] is absolutely awful. Because anyone can report you to the honor code office. That’s the reality for queer students—we all live with that fear. They allow this atmosphere of homophobia to permeate. – Jeannie Williams, a Bisexual BYU Student. The Fifth Estate, October 27, 2022

Ryan McKnight

Ryan McKnight, once a devoted member of the Mormon Church, has emerged as a leading advocate for transparency and accountability within the institution. His journey from faithful adherent to vocal critic began with a deep sense of moral responsibility to uncover and expose the financial practices of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Drawing on his background as a government regulator, McKnight has dedicated himself to ensuring truth and transparency prevail, even when it challenges powerful institutions. His groundbreaking work in uncovering the Church’s vast financial holdings, including its extensive real estate portfolio, has shed light on what he perceives as a pattern of deception and prioritization of wealth over spiritual values. Teaming up with fellow ex-Mormon Josh Bigley, McKnight has been instrumental in revealing the true extent of the Church’s wealth, sparking widespread discussion and scrutiny. For McKnight, transparency is not just a matter of principle but an ethical imperative, particularly for an organization funded primarily by tax-free donations. Through his advocacy and investigative efforts, McKnight continues to push for greater openness and accountability within the Mormon Church and beyond.

The Mormon church will have you to believe that it's a religion that dabbles in business, but the evidence clearly shows that they are a business dabbling in religion, 100 percent. We uncovered, in terms of dollar value, even if you go on the conservative end of it, the church are clearly without a doubt, the wealthiest single landowner in the United States. There's no no question about it. Nobody comes even close. - Ryan McKnight, Government Regulator & Founder of Mormon Leaks. The Fifth Estate, October 27, 2022 | wasmormon.org — The Mormon church will have you to believe that it’s a religion that dabbles in business, but the evidence clearly shows that they are a business dabbling in religion, 100 percent. We uncovered, in terms of dollar value, even if you go on the conservative end of it, the church are clearly without a doubt, the wealthiest single landowner in the United States. There’s no no question about it. Nobody comes even close. – Ryan McKnight, Government Regulator & Founder of Mormon Leaks. The Fifth Estate, October 27, 2022

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

Josh Bigley

Josh Bigley, now residing as an ex-Mormon in Prince Edward Island, stands as a vocal critic of the Mormon Church’s trajectory, particularly regarding its perceived shift towards wealth accumulation. Disillusioned by what he views as a departure from spiritual principles in favor of financial gain, Bigley challenges the notion of prosperity gospel propagated within Mormon culture, emphasizing the discrepancy between this interpretation and the teachings of Jesus. His quest for transparency led him to delve into the Church’s financial records, where he was met with astonishment at the complexity of its corporate entities in the United States. Recognizing the need for collaborative action, Bigley reached out to Mormon Leaks, eventually teaming up with Ryan McKnight to uncover the extent of the Church’s wealth. Together, they embarked on a two-year journey, driven by a shared commitment to truth and accountability. For Bigley, the accumulation of wealth often comes at the expense of transparency and integrity, highlighting the need for continued scrutiny and advocacy for ethical stewardship within religious institutions.

The [prosperity gosepl] idea is, if you bring your tithing to God, that he will open the windows of heaven and you will have everything that you need. That is false. Jesus never taught that. It's not the way that the scripture should be interpreted. That's the way that Mormon culture interprets it. When you build out these complex corporate structures, you do it for one purpose and one purpose only, and that is to hide. I observed that when there's money and the accumulation of wealth involved, truth and transparency often take a back seat. - Josh Bigley, Canadian Ex-mormon Whistleblower - The Fifth Estate, October 27, 2022 | wasmormon.org — The [prosperity gosepl] idea is, if you bring your tithing to God, that he will open the windows of heaven and you will have everything that you need. That is false. Jesus never taught that. It’s not the way that the scripture should be interpreted. That’s the way that Mormon culture interprets it. When you build out these complex corporate structures, you do it for one purpose and one purpose only, and that is to hide. I observed that when there’s money and the accumulation of wealth involved, truth and transparency often take a back seat. – Josh Bigley, Canadian Ex-mormon Whistleblower – The Fifth Estate, October 27, 2022

Ben Schneiders

Ben Schneiders, an investigative journalist with the Asian Sydney Morning Herald, casts a probing eye on the financial practices of the Mormon Church in Australia. With a keen focus on transparency and accountability, Schneiders raises critical questions about the Church’s alleged involvement in widespread tax avoidance or evasion, prompting calls for investigation by the Australian tax office. His investigation unveils a staggering surge in donations to the Church over a short period, coupled with a notable lack of paid staff within its main charity, raising eyebrows about its operational practices. Drawing comparisons with other charitable entities, Schneiders challenges the narrative of the Church’s purported generosity, highlighting concerns raised by critics and former Mormons regarding its limited social welfare initiatives. Through his rigorous reporting, Schneiders advocates for greater scrutiny and transparency in the financial affairs of religious institutions, underscoring the broader implications for government revenue and public welfare.

Compared to other religions or Christian denominations, [the LDS church] is actually not a very charitable entity. It doesn't spend a lot of money out there. It doesn't create hospitals, it doesn't create social welfare, it doesn't do soup kitchens, that kind of thing. There's a lot of questions about whether the church has engaged in wide-scale tax avoidance or illegal wide-scale tax evasion. - Ben Schneiders, Investigative Journalist with the Asian Sydney Morning Herald, The Fifth Estate, October 27, 2022 | wasmormon.org — Compared to other religions or Christian denominations, [the LDS church] is actually not a very charitable entity. It doesn’t spend a lot of money out there. It doesn’t create hospitals, it doesn’t create social welfare, it doesn’t do soup kitchens, that kind of thing. There’s a lot of questions about whether the church has engaged in wide-scale tax avoidance or illegal wide-scale tax evasion. – Ben Schneiders, Investigative Journalist with the Asian Sydney Morning Herald, The Fifth Estate, October 27, 2022

Neville Rocco

Neville Rocco, a former devout member of the Mormon Church, has emerged as a vocal critic, questioning the financial practices and priorities of the institution. His journey from being a substantial tithe payer to a free thinker reflects a profound shift in perspective. Rocco raises concerns about the massive sums of money collected by the Church and questions why a God of Miracles would require such wealth. He highlights discrepancies in how tithing is treated tax-wise and criticizes the church’s increased focus on corporate investments over charitable endeavors, especially in developing countries. Rocco’s outspokenness and call for transparency and accountability have sparked discussions about the ethical implications of the Church’s financial management and its impact on those in need.

Why does God, God of Miracles, require all this money? With its preponderantly corporate structure, what else is it going to do? It's going to bring money in like a vacuum cleaner, to benefit the shareholders. That's what it does. When you join the dots, this seems to be a pattern of behavior that doesn't really favor the church very well in how it looks as a church. - Neville Rocco, Australian Barrister, Former Mormon, Bishop, Free-thinker - The Fifth Estate, October 27, 2022 | wasmormon.org — Why does God, God of Miracles, require all this money? With its preponderantly corporate structure, what else is it going to do? It’s going to bring money in like a vacuum cleaner, to benefit the shareholders. That’s what it does. When you join the dots, this seems to be a pattern of behavior that doesn’t really favor the church very well in how it looks as a church. – Neville Rocco, Australian Barrister, Former Mormon, Bishop, Free-thinker – 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

Trevor and Sue Given

Trevor and Sue Given, parents of Nathaniel, share their heart-wrenching journey of grappling with the Mormon Church’s stance on LGBTQ+ issues and the financial contributions they were compelled to make. Despite their deep-seated faith and commitment to the Church, their son’s experience as a gay individual within the community shed light on the Church’s limited acceptance of LGBTQ+ individuals. Nathaniel’s struggle with his identity and subsequent suicide attempt shook the Givens to the core, prompting them to reevaluate their beliefs and their financial contributions to the Church. Trevor’s candid assertion that their donations were coerced rather than given willingly reflects their profound disillusionment with the Church’s messaging and practices. The Givens’ demand for transparency and accountability underscores their desire for acknowledgment and restitution for their contributions, as they grapple with the incongruity between the Church’s purported charitable endeavors and its treatment of marginalized individuals like their son.

We knew they had plenty of money, but we always assumed the money was just being used for good, charitable purposes. That's the messaging that you receive through the church anyway. It wasn't a gift, it was extorted out of us, and I want that acknowledged. I want it acknowledged that I did not give that money willingly. I gave it because I had to, and I don't believe the rubbish their peddling. I want my tithing money back. - Trevor and Sue Given, Australian Ex-Mormons, seeking refund of donations to Mormon church - The Fifth Estate, October 27, 2022 | wasmormon.org — We knew they had plenty of money, but we always assumed the money was just being used for good, charitable purposes. That’s the messaging that you receive through the church anyway. It wasn’t a gift, it was extorted out of us, and I want that acknowledged. I want it acknowledged that I did not give that money willingly. I gave it because I had to, and I don’t believe the rubbish their peddling. I want my tithing money back. – Trevor and Sue Given, Australian Ex-Mormons, seeking refund of donations to Mormon church – The Fifth Estate, October 27, 2022

The Fifth Estate Special

The Mormon Church in Canada: Where did more than $1 billion go?

The Fifth Estate Program Transcript

[Mark Kelly] You may know them from that knock at your door, or these sprawling iconic temples, or maybe their nostalgic TV commercials. Even the Broadway priority, The Book of Mormon, was a runaway hit. With almost 17 million members worldwide, two hundred thousand in Canada, the Mormon Church isn’t the world’s biggest religion but it is one of the wealthiest.
Ryan McKnight: The Mormon church will have you to believe that it’s a religion that dabbles in business. They are a business dabbling in religion.
David A. Bednar, LDS Apostle: People want to bang on the church and say well you’ve got all that money in reserve yeah and it’s a good idea for other people to follow that example.
Neville Rocco: Why does God, God of Miracles, require all this money?
[Mark Kelly] But has the church built its wealth on the backs of taxpayers in Canada, and around the world?
Ben Schneiders: There’s a lot of questions about whether the church has engaged in wide-scale tax avoidance or illegal wide-scale tax evasion.
David A. Bednar, LDS Apostle: We have been mischaracterized since 1830. That’s always been the case I don’t think it will ever go away.
Mark Kelly: Do you think that this is a case of fraud?
Lars Nielsen: Of course I do, absolutely. It’s a fraud.
[Mark Kelly] I’m Mark Kelly in Salt Lake City Utah, home of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints a church shrouded in secrecy and mired in controversy involving complaints about homophobia and how the church is managing its vast fortune with connections to Canada. This is a story about whistleblowers from Alberta to Australia and stunning financial revelations as we investigate the Mormon’s books. This is The Fifth Estate.
[Mark Kelly] These are members of the Mormon Church lining up in Salt Lake City, not to worship, but to quit. An angry illustration of a church in crisis. A crisis that reaches into Canada and into the pockets of Canadian taxpayers. Southwest Alberta marked by Rolling ranches and fertile farmland and towering over it all this temple in the town of Cardston. Settled in 1887, Cardston was the first outpost in Canada of what was then a new religion, the Mormon church.
Mark Kelly: What is the significance of this Temple?
Nigel Kennett: Well, this was the first temple that was built and dedicated outside of the states.
Mark Kelly: So, it’s a big part of, certainly the church’s, Canadian history then?
Nigel Kennett: Absolutely yeah like this goes back more than 100 years.
[Mark Kelly] As a child Nigel Kennett visited this Temple every year with his family devout Mormons. He was married here 14 years ago, his faith as solid as these granite walls.
Mark Kelly: So this is the closest thing we have to Salt Lake City North.
Nigel Kennett: Yeah, yeah exactly.
[Mark Kelly] But then Nigel learned something about the finances of the church he felt he had to share.
Nigel Kennett: It’d been weighing on my mind for years. I was just like, one of these days I’m just going to write a letter. I’m going to send it to a news outlet just to clear my own conscience, so that I can say I did everything that I could.
Nigel cleared his conscience with an email to The Fifth Estate.
Nigel Kennett: My desire to present the story is not driven by malice, but by the belief that by making the issue known, may drive some change.
[Mark Kelly] So we met with Nigel speaking out for the first time, little did we know where this story would take us.
Mark Kelly: Do you feel that the church is being honest with you?
Nigel Kennett: I don’t, but I’ve heard it said that lying isn’t necessarily the words that you’re saying, but it’s the intent to deceive people. I think that the church has built an empire by deceiving people.
[Mark Kelly] Remember these tv ads? They helped build the Mormon brand: faith, family, and honesty. Today, the church is a huge international operation with almost 17 million members and some 300 temples in 74 countries.
Gérald Caussé, Presiding Bishop: As we strive to follow Jesus Christ, we reach out to those in need.
[Mark Kelly] This recent video highlights the church’s branding now, alleviating global suffering. [Video] The real overarching goal is what are we going to do with the relationships that we develop so we can actually make life better for the people that are suffering.
[Mark Kelly] Since 1985, the church says it’s given away a total of three and a half billion dollars in humanitarian aid. That money originates from tithing, donations from church members. Unlike most churches, tithing is not optional, it’s a commandment for the Mormon faithful.
Lynn G. Robbins, Seventy, April 2005 General Conference Talk: One of the first things a bishop must do to help the needy is ask them to pay their tithing. Like the Widow, if a destitute family is faced with the decision of paying their tithing, or eating, they should pay their tithing. The bishop can help them with their food.
[Mark Kelly] Since he was baptized at the age of eight, Nigel has been faithfully giving tithing money to his church.
Nigel Kennett: I was broke. I took out student loans, I was working a couple jobs, I was working a night job, and then another retail job. Then for me to be considered worthy to go to the temple, I had to be contributing 10% of my income.
Mark Kelly: What was your understanding as you were paying tithing where that money was going?
Nigel Kennett: I was taught that there was a strong emphasis on humanitarian aid with tithing. It’s like you pay tithing, and then it furthers the Lord’s work. But that it also goes towards people who need help.
[Mark Kelly] Nigels’s an accountant. He was working on the books of a church of a different faith, when he saw how much their members gave to charity. So, he looked into the Mormon’s books, and was stunned by where their donations were going.
Nigel Kennett: As you identified, I’m an accountant. So, in Canada, there’s a charities directorate and I was able to see the full financial information. I was floored. I was like, holy cow, why don’t I see qualified donations for the Red Cross or the food bank. I was like, what the heck? 100 million dollars to BYU?
[Mark Kelly] BYU is Brigham Young University, opened in 1875. It’s a private university in Provo, Utah. Owned and operated by the Mormon Church. 98 percent of the students enrolled here are Mormons. So how much Canadian money has been flowing to BYU? We obtained Canadian charity records and found something unusual. Starting in 2007, the Mormon Church in Canada began moving mass amounts of money to BYU. The biggest year on record, was 2016, when almost 110 million dollars was gifted to the university. That was nearly 70 percent of all the tithing money collected that year by the Canadian Church.
[Mark Kelly] American, Lars Nielsen, graduated from BYU. It was at Harvard when his Mormon belief bubble would burst.
Lars Nielsen: I do believe that my experience at Harvard University, I think it liberalized me, it opened me up to the possibility that my church, my religion, wasn’t all that it had said that it was, and allowed me to be a more critical thinker.
[Mark Kelly] Lars was questioning his faith, as well as the church’s finances. That’s when he too, saw the Canadian cash pipeline to BYU, and he has a theory about that.
Mark Kelly: Why is that money going to BYU?
Lars Nielsen: Well, the church wants to grow, and create Zion, and to to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to Earth. Where do they want to do that? They want to do it in America, in the promised land, and Canada is attached to the promised land, but it’s not the promised land. But they they do have a significant portion of tithepayers there, so they would like to get the money out. How do you get the money out of Canada legally?
[Mark Kelly] Legally the church in Canada can’t transfer money to its parent church in the U.S and retain its charitable status, but it can move as much money as it wants to an American University, like BYU. But, there is a key condition.
Lars Nielsen: There is in your tax system a loophole that says if it’s used for educational purposes that benefit Canadians outside of Canada, then you can use the money that way. They rationalize, oh, well maybe one percent of BYU have got Canadians. They say as long as it’s benefiting anyone who is Canadian at BYU.
Mark Kelly: Even if it benefits one Canadian student there?
Lars Nielsen: Even if it benefits one student.
[Mark Kelly] There are more than 85,000 students enrolled at BYU’s three campuses. In 2018, the last available figures we could find, about 1,400 were Canadians. That’s less than two percent of the student body. So how much money has the Canadian Church given BYU? Well, more than one billion dollars, donated by Mormons, all eligible for tax deductions for those donations. When you add it all up, those deductions cost the Canadian treasury as much as 280 million dollars. In an emailed statement to The Fifth Estate, the church said, it is using a legitimate and well-known tax provision to transfer money to BYU and points out more donations were retained and used in Canada than the U.S. We crunched the numbers, since 2007, 46 percent of Canadian tithing money left the country.
Which raises the question, what exactly are Canadian taxpayers supporting? When we come back we go to BYU.
Mark Kelly: What’s it like to be bisexual at BYU?
Jeannie Williams: Oh gosh, it’s absolutely awful. Because anyone can report you to the honors office. The thing is, that’s the reality for queer students everywhere. You know, we all live with that fear.
[Mark Kelly] Brigham Young University represents everything the Mormon Church stands for: moral, pure, and squeaky clean.
Jeffrey R. Holland, LDS Apostle: I believe you to be the very best and I’m counting on you to be consumed with conviction.
[Mark Kelly] The Staples of typical college life are forbidden here: no booze, no drugs, no smoking, even coffee is a no-go.
Jeffrey R. Holland, LDS Apostle: Cherish the Gospel of Jesus Christ and live it. The world needs you.
[Mark Kelly] Dubbed the Lord’s University, our investigation has revealed that since 2007, the Mormon Church in Canada has donated more than a billion dollars to BYU. Tax-deductible, charitable donations, underwritten by Canadian taxpayers. We followed the Canadian money to the campus of Brigham Young University just south of Salt Lake City. Here, we’re told students can get a world-class educational experience, unless they happen to be gay.
Mark Kelly: Brigham Young, this is the space, this is the spot. I mean after everything you’ve been through, what does it mean here in front of Brigham Young?
Jacqueline Foster: I mean, it’s difficult because I really wanted BYU to be the place and then to come somewhere so central to your religion and be told this is the place, but not for you. That’s tough, yeah.
[Mark Kelly] Their Mormon faith led Jeannie Williams and Canadian Jacqueline Foster to BYU. But once they got here, that faith was severely tested after they both came out on campus.
Jeannie Williams: I’m bisexual, okay? I’m not straight, I don’t struggle with same-sex attraction, I struggle with people who struggle with my same-sex attraction.
[Mark Kelly] Back in 2020, protests erupted over BYU’s Honor Code which forbids homosexual behavior. Homosexual behavior includes not only sexual relations between members of the same sex, but all forms of physical intimacy that give expression to homosexual feelings. That includes hugging, dating, even holding hands on campus.
[Newscast] Nearly 50 students and allies made their way up “Y” mount in Provo. Their mission? To send a Beacon of Hope.
[Mark Kelly] The famous “Y” on the mountain, overlooking the BYU campus was lit up with rainbow colors. Faced with mounting pressure, the school lifted the ban.
Jacqueline Foster: And everyone starts taking these pictures of themselves kissing their same-sex partners out right in front of the Statue of Brigham Young, right in front of the administration building, and I started crying because it was so, you know, what we’ve been hoping for this whole time.
[Mark Kelly] But the victory lasted only weeks. The church intervened saying same-sex relationships are not compatible with their faith.
Jacqueline Foster: One of the area authorities sent a letter to BYU basically saying, no. No, you may have removed the language, but the church still doesn’t support queer people dating or holding hands or kissing. So, they can’t do that here at BYU, and everyone felt very panicked. I had just came out as having had a girlfriend for two years.
[Mark Kelly] It was around then Jeannie got a call from the manager of her student residence.
Jeannie Williams: He’s like your sexuality is making your roommates uncomfortable, and I’m like, what do you mean? He’s like, they’ve come in, they don’t feel safe around you, that kind of thing, and then before I know, I have to leave.
Mark Kelly: Jeannie, Canadian Mormons, through their tithing, are contributing hundreds of millions of dollars to BYU. Tell them, what’s it like to be bisexual at BYU.
Jeannie Williams: Oh my goodness, it’s, you’re so scared, because they allow this atmosphere of homophobia to permeate. I have a best friend from back home, sometimes I kiss her on the cheek. People staring, you’re like, oh, what if they take that wrong. Because anyone can report you to the Honors Office, all they need is your name, and go, you did this.
Mark Kelly: I guess my my last question for you is, why are you still here?
Jeannie Williams: I’m still here because, despite everything that’s happened, I believe in BYU. I know that God loves me, and I know that the church, at its best, would love me.
[Mark Kelly] Jacqueline has graduated BYU, and wonders why, with all the need in Canada, the Mormons keep bankrolling BYU.
Jacqueline Foster: It does raise the question for me, you know. Why is it easier for the church to move Canadian religious donations out, by moving it to a private American school?
[Mark Kelly] But what the Mormon church does with its money is much bigger than BYU. Cracks started showing in the church’s wall of secrecy, and it all started here in Las Vegas, Sin City, no less. The church would soon realize what happens in Vegas, doesn’t always stay in Vegas. Here on the outskirts of Las Vegas, Ryan McKnight walks in the desert of his decisions. Once a faithful Mormon, he quit the church, accusing it of decades of racism and homophobia.
Ryan McKnight: I’ve dedicated a lot of my professional career to ensuring that truth and appropriate transparency exists, you know, out there. As a government regulator, I worked for many years as a government regulator.
[Mark Kelly] He started his own website, Mormon Leaks, to expose Secrets including what the church does with its tithing money.
[Newscast] Breaking news into the live desk right now, new documents have just been released by Mormon Leaks, take a look here.
Ryan McKnight: We broke a story about the church owning 32 billion dollars in U.S stockholdings, through these 13 random LLC’s that they had tried to hide.
[Newcast] The funds control about 31.9 billion dollars in investments. The LDS church declined to comment for this story.
Ryan McKnight: 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.
Mark Kelly: What does that say to you about the church?
Ryan McKnight: I personally, would find that problematic, you know because that’s dishonesty.
[Mark Kelly] Which led him to start digging into the church’s private land holdings in the U.S., his most ambitious investigation into the church to date.
Mark Kelly: Do you see the Mormon church as as a business?
Ryan McKnight: The Mormon church will have you to believe that it’s a religion that dabbles in business, but but the evidence clearly shows that they are a business dabbling in religion, 100 percent.
[Mark Kelly] Ryan was about to get some unexpected help from the other side of the continent, Josh Bigley is now an ex-mormon living in PEI (Prince Edward Island). He feels the church has lost its way in his pursuit of wealth.
Josh Bigley: It’s been a long time since I’ve had to quote that scripture, but the idea is, if you bring your tithing to God, that he will open the windows of heaven and you will have everything that you need. That Prosperity Gospel is false. Jesus never taught that. It’s not the way that the scripture should be interpreted. That’s the way that Mormon culture interprets it.
[Mark Kelly] Like Ryan in Las Vegas, Josh wanted to know where the church was spending all its money, so he scoured financial records.
Mark Kelly: Were you surprised at what you found?
Josh Bigley: Stunned, absolutely stunned. I couldn’t believe how many corporate entities in the U.S. there were. I actually didn’t know, I wasn’t sure where to go next, and that’s when I realized, the best thing for me to do is to reach out to Mormon Leaks.
[Mark Kelly] So, Ryan and Josh teamed up to add up what the church quietly owned.
Ryan McKnight: We essentially cracked a code, that allowed us to open up the the window to this massive real estate holding.
Josh Bigley: When you build out these complex corporate structures, you do it for one purpose and one purpose only, and that is to hide.
[Mark Kelly] They built a massive database listing thousands of properties owned by the church. Information most people didn’t know.
[Newcast] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints owns over 1.7 million Acres, the portfolio is estimated to be worth 15.8 billion dollars.
[Mark Kelly] This past spring they released the results of their investigation.
Ryan McKnight: What we uncovered is that in terms of dollar value, even if you go on the conservative end of it, they are clearly without a doubt, the wealthiest single landowner in the United States. There’s no no question about it. Nobody comes even close.
Josh Bigley: Huge amounts of money in both the US and Canada, and maybe abroad. Who knows? Why? What’s the reason for it? Is it a rainy day fund? And if so, what does that rainy day look like?
[Mark Kelly] Ryan and Josh spent two years collaborating on their project and through all that time they’d never actually met before, until now.
Josh Bigley and Ryan McKnight: I gotta give you a hug! How are you doing? It’s good to meet you. Good to meet you too, oh my goodness!
Mark Kelly: When you uncovered what you did uncover, what in the end, did it tell you about truth and transparency?
Josh Bigley: That it’s hard. That people are highly motivated by money, I think, that’s the one thing for me, what I observed was when there’s money, the accumulation of wealth involved, truth and transparency often take a back seat.
Ryan McKnight: 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.
[Mark Kelly] When we come back our investigation into the Mormon’s books takes us to Australia.
Trevor Given: I want it acknowledged that I did not give that money willingly. I gave it because I had to, and I don’t believe that rubbish their peddling, I want my money back.
David A. Bednar, LDS Apostle: Thank you, I am honored beyond description to be here with all of you today.
[Mark Kelly] As questions around the Mormon’s finances grew louder each day, in a rare move the church faced the press.
David A. Bednar, LDS Apostle: The last time a senior leader of our church spoke at the Press Club was in 2000, President Gordon B Hinckley. It’s good to be back.
[Mark Kelly] Here in D.C., the Mormons came out swinging.
[Question from Press] The LDS church has more capability than any other Church in the country, to help eliminate poverty. What more could the church do in terms of humanitarian efforts here?
David A. Bednar, LDS Apostle: People want to bang on the church and say, well you’ve got all that money in reserve. Yeah, and it’s a good idea for other people to follow that example.
[Mark Kelly] The church said it was saving and spending. Releasing a report, which said in 2021 alone, it provided 900 million dollars in aid to those in need around the world.
David A. Bednar, LDS Apostle: Generous donations from our church members, as well as friends of the faith, allow us to support the initiatives I just described and many many others.
[Mark Kelly] But with its massive investment fund and property holdings, the church actually gives away just a small fraction of money collected for the needy.
[Mark Kelly] Here in Australia, it’s a completely different story. According to government tax filings, the Mormon Church in Australia donates a staggering 70 percent of its tithing income to charity. Making it one of the biggest charities in the country. So, is this a case of unbridled generosity, or is it something else?
To answer that question we teamed up with this Australian journalist, and a team from 60 Minutes Australia.
Ben Schneiders: So the idea then that in Australia it was disproportionately charitable, that 70 cents in the dollar was going out as charity just made no sense.
[Mark Kelly] Even less sense when you see how the giving has increased dramatically, while the number of Mormons in Australia has declined.
Ben Schneiders: As recently as 2014, the amount of donations that went through it, was two hundred thousand dollars. But we see within five years, that’s gone from that figure, to 73 million dollars a year, we can see that figure there. So, we’re seeing an escalation in donations which is 2,000 fold, over time. It’s just it’s an incredible amount of extra money.
[Mark Kelly] From two hundred thousand dollars, to 73 million dollars in charitable donations, but why? That led us to a Mormon Insider with a story of his own to tell.
Mark Kelly: Do you consider yourself ex-mormon or post-mormon?
Neville Rocco: Gee, I haven’t really thought about the distinction, I never even use those terms to describe myself. I don’t know how I describe myself, I just, I think I’ve become a free thinker.
[Mark Kelly] A free thinker, a barrister, and a law professor who held senior roles with the Mormon church.
Neville Rocco: I was a substantial tithe pair. I happily parted with a lot of money on an annual basis.
Mark Kelly: How much money do you think you gave the church?
Neville Rocco: Oh, it’d be in hundreds of thousands, but may even be more.
[Mark Kelly] Unlike in Canada tithing money isn’t tax deductible Mormons here only get a tax break when the church donates their money to charities. “It’s very much smoke and mirrors.” Neville wonders why else have the church’s donations to charity suddenly grown more than 300 times in recent years.
Neville Rocco: That’s where I come to the point about, well of course, with its preponderantly corporate structure, what else is it going to do? It’s going to bring money in like a vacuum cleaner, to benefit the shareholders. That’s what it does.
Mark Kelly: What is the benefit to the church for pumping 70 million dollars through through this charitable trust?
Ben Schneiders: The benefits of the church, is that it gives a tax advantage, to Australian Mormons. If that money was just tithing, the Australian Mormons would not get a tax deduction, therefore they would have to pay a lot more in tithing than they otherwise would.
Mark Kelly: Who’s the loser?
Ben Schneiders: The loser is the Australian government and the Australian people. There’s hundreds of millions of dollars of money that should have been taxed, that hasn’t.
[Mark Kelly] The Mormon Church’s charity is now one of the biggest in Australia, and yet…
Ben Schneiders: For the main charity that that donates 70 to 100 million dollars a year, it has no paid staff, not one.
Mark Kelly: In Australia?
Ben Schneiders: In Australia.
Mark Kelly: How can that be?
Ben Schneiders: Well, the church says that a handful of volunteers make these decisions. You don’t run one of the biggest charities in the country with no no paid staff, it doesn’t make any sense.
[Mark Kelly] Neville wants to know if the Australian charity is run from Salt Lake City, which would violate Australia’s tax law. So, he’s part of a complaint to the Charities regulator.
Neville Rocco: You know when you join the dots, this seems to be a pattern of behavior that doesn’t really favor the church very well in how it looks as a church.
Ben Schneiders: It’s walking like a duck, it’s squawking like a duck, but the church is telling me it’s an albatross. But in the end, you come to the point where you realize that, yes, it is a duck.
[Mark Kelly] From what he’s seen, Ben believes the Australian tax office should investigate.
Ben Schneiders: There’s a lot of questions about whether the church has engaged in wide-scale tax avoidance, or illegal wide-scale tax evasion.
[Mark Kelly] In a statement, the Mormon Church insisted it has not violated any tax laws in Australia. “Donations are used for overseas aid projects that satisfy Australia Charities, and tax rules.”
Trevor Given: I mean I’ll be just very straightforward I want my tithing money back.
[Mark Kelly] Sue, Trevor, and their family spent two decades in the church.
Sue Given: So, this is Nathaniel, he’s my youngest, and he’s a professional dancer. He was classically trained.
Mark Kelly: How important was his story into your break with the church?
Sue Given: yeah, that was it was pretty big actually.
[Mark Kelly] Then they came to the crossroads: their family or their faith.
Trevor Given: Nathaniel is gay, and the church has a very limited acceptance of gay people. I’ve been at priesthood meetings where there were just a few people, who all knew that my son was gay, and they would say, “well, we have to love them, but we don’t have to like them.”
Sue Given: I was actually working at the Australian crime commission when I got the call that my son had attempted suicide. Sorry.
[Mark Kelly] After leaving the church, they started asking questions about the Mormon’s wealth.
Trevor Given: We knew they had plenty of money, but we always assumed the money was just being used for good, charitable purposes.
Sue Given: Well, that’s that’s the messaging that you receive through the church anyway.
[Mark Kelly] But with allegations of tax avoidance and billions invested in U.S properties, Sue and Trevor have joined ex-mormons in the US who want to file a lawsuit to reclaim their tithing money.
Trevor Given: It wasn’t a gift, it was extorted out of us, and I want that acknowledged. I want it acknowledged that I did not give that money willingly, I gave it because I had to. And I don’t believe the rubbish their peddling, I want my money back.
[Mark Kelly] Here in the Australia Capital, the political opposition demanded an immediate investigation by the country’s tax office into the Mormon’s finances. Well, there’s a new government in place here now, and the man who demanded that immediate investigation, is now the country’s minister in charge of charities. His name is Andrew Lee.
Mark Kelly: Mr Minister, Mark Kelly from Canadian broadcasting.
Andrew Lee: Lovely to see you.
Mark Kelly: Cheers have a seat, thank you.
Andrew Lee: Thank you very much.
[Mark Kelly] We asked him about the calls by Neville and others for an investigation by the country’s tax office.
Mark Kelly: While in opposition, you demanded for an immediate investigation by the tax office. You’re now in power, but is that investigation currently underway?
Andrew Lee: Well as investigations take place at arm’s length from government, as it should be.
[Mark Kelly] Lee says he can’t confirm if there is an investigation, but he did say this:
Andrew Lee: I think it’s important that everyone is playing by the rules, and I think that when you’ve got anyone that appears to be not playing by the rules then that can undermine the integrity of the tax system.
Mark Kelly: Was your concern here that the Mormon the church was not paying its fair share in taxes?
Andrew Lee: I think it’s important that all charities are appropriately scrutinized for their tax behavior. Charity shouldn’t be a way of sheltering yourself from tax, appropriate tax payments.
[Mark Kelly] Neville asks, what kind of church sits on profits from generous tax breaks instead of directing it to people who need it? Especially in developing countries.
Mark Kelly: But what, to use your word, what is evil about a church saving money for a rainy day?
Neville Rocco: Because the rainy day is definitely here. So, yes, I do hold what I said. I think it is an evil doctrine. In third world countries, at least.
[Mark Kelly] When we come back the biggest Revelation yet.
Lars Nielsen: If they do something that’s illegal I’m going to call them out on it because that’s the right thing to do and they taught me that.
David A. Bednar, LDS Apostle: We have been mischaracterized since 1830 that’s always been the case I don’t think it will ever go away.
[Newscast of City Creek Mall opening] 1, 2, 3! Let’s go shopping!
[Mark Kelly] In 2012, the president of the Mormon Church cut the ribbon on this luxury shopping mall in downtown Salt Lake City. It’s built right across the street from the Mormon’s Majestic Temple.
Lars Nielsen: It’s a symbol of their prosperity, it’s a symbol of their prominence, it means that something is working.
[Mark Kelly] But Lars Nielsen, a sixth generation Mormon, says this mall is more than a symbol of Mormon prosperity, it’s also a symbol of deceit.
[Newscast] Lars Nielsen went public after his brother a former investment manager for the LDS church, filed a whistleblower complaint to the IRS.
[Mark Kelly] Lars is now at the center of one of the most explosive revelations to rock the Mormon faith in decades.
Lars Nielsen: So, in some ways, I could say that it’s the Mormon Church’s fault that I am an IRS whistleblower, because um I’m just evangelizing the truth as I see it.
[Mark Kelly] He’s one of two brothers who revealed a tightly held secret within the church. An investment fund worth 100 billion dollars, built from tithing money.
[Newscast: Mark Barnes, Retired IRS Counsel, KUTV] If you instead take those Monies, allow the tax deduction, and then you never perform any of those types of services, you’re in essence, just stealing a little bit of money from everybody.
Lars Nielsen: I mean you have billions of dollars in Apple, and in you know fossil fuel burning companies, and energy companies. All of these vehicles, you wouldn’t think, are what churches would invest in. So that rattled people, and then the lack of activity in doing something that that money is designed to be used for. Nothing religious educational or charitable.
[Mark Kelly] This is Lars’ first feature-length TV interview after going public in 2019.
Mark Kelly: Why do you believe the church was hiding this truth from its members?
Lars Nielsen: If people knew that the church had a hundred billion dollars, and they weren’t putting it to any use, they would be less inclined to continue donating to the church. A lot of members of the Mormon church have been clamoring to get their tithing back. People are upset about this, they know that the ethics are not Christ’s ethics.
[Mark Kelly] The complaint to the IRS was filed by Lars’ Brother David, a senior manager who oversaw the fund and its ties to that shopping mall.
Lars Nielsen: And then, he started to hear that the leaders of the Mormon Church were saying things like, not one penny of tithing money was being used to build the City Creek Mall. That, blatantly wasn’t true. He had seen the journal ledgers, he had been in on these conversations, he knew that 1.4 billion dollars had been spent to shore up the the City Creek Mall.
[Mark Kelly] The complaint alleges the Mormon investment fund should lose tax-exempt status, because it’s spending money on Commercial Investments.
Lars Nielsen: If they do something that’s illegal, I’m going to call them out on it because that’s the right thing to do, and they taught me that.
[Mark Kelly] In a statement to The Fifth Estate the church said it did use money from the investment fund for the mall, but specified it was “earnings of invested reserve funds”. So, profits from the tithing, not the tithing itself. Lars says, more than anything, the IRS needs to investigate.
Mark Kelly: Do you think that this is a case of fraud?
Lars Nielsen: Of course I do. Absolutely, it’s fraud.
[Mark Kelly] When contacted, the IRS wouldn’t discuss the status of the complaint with us. Back in Canada, we learned the secret fund was used to invest in corporations like Shopify, banks, and energy companies.
[Mark Kelly] But the church’s financial footprint in Canada is even bigger than that. The church has disclosed a billion dollars in assets in Canada, now what exactly those assets are is hard to track down. But a land title search has revealed at least six ranches, including this sprawling property in Southern Alberta.
We combed through hundreds of entries and dozens of land databases. Those ranches add up to 60,000 acres, with an estimated value between 200 and 300 million dollars. Outside of the church’s inner sanctum, no one knows the church’s net worth, but it insists a generous portion of its wealth goes to charity.
Ben Schneiders: Critics of the church, and in particular a number of ex-mormons who I’ve spoken to, both in the United States and Australia, say the church, compared to other religions or a number of Christian denominations, is actually it’s not a very charitable entity. It doesn’t spend a lot of money out there. It doesn’t create hospitals, it doesn’t create social welfare, it doesn’t you know do soup kitchens, that kind of thing.
Nigel Kennett: What they’ve done is they’ve manipulated not only the general congregations or the general membership, but they’ve duped governments, that are strapped for cash as it is. The church is taking away the government’s ability to fund health care, the ability to fund education, the ability to provide other essential services. They’ve done it at the expense of taxpayer dollars.
[Mark Kelly] We’d been requesting our own interview with the media-shy Mormons for months, even knocking on their door at the Salt Lake City headquarters.
Mark Kelly: Well, the communications person we’ve been trying to reach now for weeks to get an interview with somebody from the church we’re told is now out of town and unavailable, and there’s no one else we can speak to, and they will not accept walk-in interviews with any official from the church. So, the kind lady at reception said, you’re out of luck.
[Mark Kelly] In an emailed statement, the church says it believes in obeying the law. And “the church and its affiliated entities pay all taxes and levies as required”. Adding “these entities also contribute to local communities and economies”.
David A. Bednar, LDS Apostle: Christ was mischaracterized. We have been mischaracterized since 1830, when the church was re-established. That’s always been the case, I don’t think it will ever go away. We don’t like it, but we don’t spend all of our time trying to respond to it. We have a mission to fulfill, and we’re moving forward to accomplish that mission.
[Mark Kelly] In the end, our whistleblowers in three different countries say, it’s time for the church to be transparent about its wealth, and time to open up the Mormon’s books.
Lars Nielsen: Most churches in this country run on one to seven million dollar operating budgets. They make money from bake sales, small community congregationalist type churches, you know, shouldn’t be subjected to a severe burden of reporting. But giga churches have to. There are mega churches in this country, maybe there are a few in Canada too, but in this country, there is one giga church, and it’s the Mormon Church.
Neville Rocco: 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.
Mark Kelly: Do you fear that by speaking out you’re jeopardizing a lot?
Nigel Kennett: Oh, absolutely! One thing, because I am still a member of the church. I still hold membership there. Oftentimes what will happen is that if the church considers someone to have broken those covenants or to have spoken ill, that they will excommunicate that individual. Then I thought about my kids.
Nigel Kennett: I thought about my kids, and how I wanted them to know that they can make changes. And then I decided. You know what? I’m not ashamed of what I did. I am not afraid of anything that has come out of this. I want my kids to know that I wanted to be an example for them, to show them that they can be comfortable with who they are, whatever they are, and to never turn their back on themselves. There’s definitely been a change in perspective. The church teaches that the temple should always be that that focal point in your life. The temple has become that physical reminder of greed for me.
Original Broadcast October 27, 2022.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgxGYUyvJio