As they say, when the Mormon crickets rain, they pour.

Below is further sourced information coming out from the inside on a variety of fronts, pertaining to:

1) the research, authorship and internal consequences of the Mormon Church's essays on problematic areas of LDS history and doctrine;

2) internal Mormon Church developments relating to the evenaul nation-wide legalization of same-sex marriage and how the Mormon Church may be preparing to accommodate that scenario; and

3) the extent of LDS Inc. financial holdings and who inside the Mormon Church super-structure does and does not have full knowledge of LDS Inc.'s full financial picture
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--The Nature and Effect that the Mormon Church's Anonymously-Authored Essays Aee Having on Those Tasked to Write Them

According to a source of mine who has contacts with Mormon Church correlation committee employees, one of these individuals (whose identity, although known, is being kept confidential here) has direct contact with LDS General Authority/Church Historian and Recorder, Steven Snow. This Mormon Church-committee researcher/writer is regarded by colleagues as respected, informed, forthright and honest when it comes to Mormon Church historical issues--and is one who is seen as being well aware of the problems these issues pose to the Church. My source informs me that some of these Church researchers/writers, including this individual, get together on occasion to compare notes with one another.

The particular individual being mentioned here works within the Church's history-committee system and, from that vantage point, has been judiciously and strategically posting information in various venues about what they know about certain historical matters which are described as being sensitive for the Mormon Church.

For instance, it was this individual who publicly noted the following (as quoted earlier on this board):

"The concern going in from the Brethren was how to roll this out without creating a (look-at-all-of-our-problems) page. The Brethren don't want to start faith issues where they don't currently exist, and they are correct that the majority of active and believing Saints don't know or care about this stuff, particularly outside of Utah and the United States.

"The decision was made to incorporate them [the essays] into already-existing areas of the [Mormon Church's official] website and not do a big campaign (outside of the organic interest that will naturally result). From a business perspective, it's probably a wise move. . . . . [I]t's really all about inoculating the next generation. Elder [Steven] Snow has said as much directly to me. They are well aware that skeptics will likely not be satisfied with these answers or their choice of roll-out. It's there for members to see if they are planning lessons, talks, and I know that they are working towards integrating them with curriculum; particularly youth curriculum." . . .

“This much is clear: They [the essays] are not designed to restore people's faith as much as they are designed to lessen future disaffections; Members who come across damning information for the first time and turn to LDS.org to see what the Church says on the matter. The goal is to give them a faithful response while still acknowledging the complexity of the issue.”

("The Debate Over the 13 New Essays?," posted by “epiginosko,” in "New Order Mormon," 10-11 December 2013, at; http://forum.newordermormon.org/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=33954&)start=20)
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--The Mormon Church is Said to Possibly be Preparing for an Inevitable National Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage and Considering Modifiying Its Temple Wedding Procedures Accordingly

My source has been in contact with what has been described as a well-placed and completely credible senior executive in the Utah corporate world (whose identity is also known but being protected here). This individual is reportedly aware of how the Morrmon Church's legal beagles may be looking at unfolding realites on the same-sex-marriage front.

According to this executive (some of whose posts I have seen), a member of the Mormon Church's legal team (a team that has long been battling marriage equality) is of the view that 50-state legalizion of same-sex marriage is an unavoidable eventuality.

Given that expectation, this Mormon Church legal advisor is reportedly of the view that the Mormon Church may ultimately implement a U.s.-focused policy that not only accepts civil unions, but that combines these constitutionally-lawful unions with LDS temple-performed sealings, in order to prevent the Mormon Church from becoming entangled in legal problems (along the same lines as the Mormon Church is now doing in some European countries).

commenting on these possible developments, the senior executive observed that if the law ends up driving the Mormon Church to adopt a civil-marriage-first policy, it would make it much easier to preserve family cohesiveness when, otherwise, certain famly members would be excluded from celebrating LDS marital events because they are not deemed worthy to participate.
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--Secrecy Within the Mormon Church Hierarchy Regarding the Full Breadth of Its Financial Holdings

Citing the same senior corporate excutive mentioend above, my source reported that only eight indivudals within the Mormon Church's highest functioning bodies are fully ware of LDS Inc.'s financials. These individuals are:

1) the First Presidency;

2) the Presiding Bishopric; and

3) two unnamed LDS finanical leaders (although one of whom is said to be related to the aformentioned senior corporate executive)

Pointed note was made that even the Quorum of the Twelve is not kept in the full fnaancial loop.

According to the senior executive, this small, elite group meets only once annually, at which time the complete financil picture for LDS Inc. is reviewed. The other individual components of the organization are described as being limited in their knowledge to only that part of organizational operations in which they are respectively involved.

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I appreciate my source's willingness to share the above credible, insightful and valuable information for the express purpose of public disclosure. As this individual observed, the Mormon Church is in need of experiencing the effects of sunlight on its secrets. To that end, they said they would pass information along as it is received.

(for the initial, now-closed thread on this topic, see: http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1122012)



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/29/2013 01:30PM by steve benson.

I have some very dated (1980s) knowledge that corroborates who knows the total financial situation of the church.

Most members and TBMs overlook the importance and power of the Presiding Bishopric. Ultimately everything is owned by 2 corporations sole - The Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Chist of Latter-day Saints and The Corporation of the Presiding Bishop of the Church of Jesus Chist of Latter-day Saints abbreviated to COP and COPB. Although the COP appoints the PB, so has the ultimate control.

In the 1980s the FP and PB met weekly (as did the Q of 12). Part of the meeting of the FP/PB was attended by the Dick Edgeley, Managing Director of Finance and Records. Dick later became Bishop Richard Edgeley of the Presiding Bishopric. Although the meetings were weekly, I understood that only once a year Dick produced a statement of the total financial position, which corroborates Steve's source.

Church financials are recorded in tens of thousands of "cost centers" consolidated in different groups. As far as I was aware, the only church employee (not counting GAs as employees for this purpose) who knew this overall position was Dick. So, I can understand if one of the 2 unidentified is the current MD of F&R or its current equivalent. The other could be the Budget Officer, CEO of the for profit arm or someone else.

Another very powerful church employee in the 1980s was Dave Burton, later to become Presiding Bishop with Richard Edgeley as a counsellor.

What I don't get is how Uchtdorf fits into the picture. Is he merely a poster boy or does he really wield the same power as the others? Hinckley and Monson were life long church employees. Faust was a corporate lawyer. Eyring (son of Henry and nephew of Spencer W. Kimball) came through the PB after CES. But where did Dieter come from and what experience does he bring? Why should he be party to the overall financial situation or is he excused during that part of the annual meeting?

Why was his rise so meteoric and why was he protected by someone very senior (Monson or Packer?) when questions arose in 2001?

Also, how does the Council on the Disposition of the Tithes fit into the picture? They have the doctrinal duty to supervise church income and expenditures. How much do they know?

. . . who has working contacts inside the Morg. Hope to hear back soon, off-board, or I suggested that they could answer your questions directly here on the board.

You kick over the rocks and all kinds of interesting little things start to scurry out. :)



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 12/29/2013 03:01PM by steve benson.