Release the Mormon Church Financial Statements

[_Hades]

KevinSim, we know that God is not real good with money. He tried a bank in Kirtland and that didn't work out so well. That's reason enough for people to demand transparency.

[_Drifting]

Kevin, how do you know these leaders were picked by God, did He tell you?

He told me back in 1976 that He picked Spencer Kimball, but Kimball taught the succession in the presidency that leads to the conclusion that God also picked Thomas Monson.

The Church publishes financial accounts when it is forced to do so by law i.e. in the UK.
Why won't it do so by choice?

I have no idea what the precise reasons are why the Church doesn't do it. That doesn't mean there aren't any such reasons.

Kevin,

You know the leadership succession in the Church is governed by the articles of incorporation of the Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, right?

I'm sure the Church has its reasons for not publishing the financial statements except where it is legally forced to do so. That doesn't mean those reasons are honourable.

[_Chap]

Kevin, I trust God to be true to his word because he is a faithful God. You appear to be placing a great deal of trust in mere men who have placed themselves between yourself and God just because, as I see it, they say so.

Albion, how do you determine what God's word is, without ending up trusting mere men somewhere in the process?

Exactly. The decision to 'follow God's word' will always involve trusting the judgement of a human being at some stage in the process, since someone has to decide what is 'God's word' and what is not.

And since human beings manifestly disagree profoundly and multiply as to what 'God's word' is, it is clear that even if there is, somewhere out there, an infallible 'God's word' to follow, human beings are very, very bad at finding what it is. Of course every single religious group is pretty certain that they have got it right. Go figure.

[_Drifting]

Kevin, I trust God to be true to his word because he is a faithful God. You appear to be placing a great deal of trust in mere men who have placed themselves between yourself and God just because, as I see it, they say so.

Albion, how do you determine what God's word is, without ending up trusting mere men somewhere in the process?

I do trust a man to determine what God's word is, that man is me.

You put the decision making onus of deciding what is and what isn't Gods word on some salaried blokes in Salt Lake City who have a long track record of getting it wrong.

[_Albion]

Kevin, I certainly wouldn't trust any man whose teaching or preaching did not conform to the word contained in the Bible. It is a common ploy of those who would usurp established religion, institutions or even governments to cast doubt and suspicion on that which has gone before, undermining foundations so that they can be more effective in planting their own ideas and solutions. Hitler did it and others like him certainly did it In the case of the Christian religion it is easier to foist new ideas, new "scripture", if you can undermine what until then has been the accepted standard, The Bible...and I think Joseph Smith and Mormonism has been effective in doing this in their deception. Without getting into issues such as allegory versus literalism and such, I firmly believe that an almighty God is perfectly able to preserve his core truth down through the ages. A God who couldn't probably wouldn't be worthy of the title almighty.