Since 1985, LDS Charities has provided over $2.2 billion in assistance, including cash, commodities and in-kind donations in 197 countries and territories.
So that's not $2.2 billion in cash. It's the combined total of cash, commodities and "in-kind" donations. If members volunteer their time, it's valued and that value included in the $2.2 billion total.
Put another way, the Church has a liquid cash surplus equivalent to 500 years worth of charitable "assistance" sat in stocks.
“When we are confronted with evidence that challenges our deeply held beliefs we are more likely to reframe the evidence than we are to alter our beliefs. We simply invent new reasons, new justifications, new explanations. Sometimes we ignore the evidence altogether.” (Mathew Syed 'Black Box Thinking')
And why should we believe them? If they aren't forthcoming about their other finances, I see no reason to trust them on these numbers.
When I worked at BYU Travel Study and learned about how donors overvalued their donations to the church, I learned to question any church-related data.
