Infallible FAIL!

There’s a running joke among Mormons (and perhaps Catholics) that goes: The Pope says he’s infallible, and the Catholics don’t believe him.  The Prophet says he’s not infallible, and the Mormons don’t believe him.

The official LDS quote on this matter goes something like: The Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as president of this Church to lead you astray.  This is doctrine in the D&C.  It has been taught from the pulpit at general conference.  It is in official church manuals.

Is it true?

Earlier in 2012, after controversy surrounding statements by a BYU professor Randy Bott on the history of blacks and the priesthood, the church released a press statement that read: "It is not known precisely why, how, or when this restriction began in the Church but what is clear is that it ended decades ago...We condemn racism, including any and all past racism by individuals both inside and outside the Church."



This statement is very profound.  It tacitly admits that the previous statement, that the Lord won’t allow a prophet to lead the members astray, is false.  For nearly 150 years the prophets have led the people astray with racist policies and the current prophet administration does not know why this happened, they just know firmly, racism is wrong.  That repudiation of the former policy, of hundreds of statements made by Brigham Young, Wilford Woodruff, John Taylor, Bruce McConkie, and many more effectively opens the gate to an understanding that the current administrating prophets could be absolutely dead wrong on policies they have in place currently.

Many members believe this is in fact happening.  Without be-laboring a point I have made over and over on this blog, the focus on profits by the prophets is, in my opinion, absolutely a modern equivalent of the money changers at the temple square. 

For those members that agree, believe it or not, we can make a change.  The leaders often fall to peer pressure on many issues that trouble members as well as society at large.  Examples include the manifesto on polygamy, changes in meeting blocks, missionary age requirements or length of service, ordaining blacks and allowing entrance to the temple of minorities, changes in the view of what defines a Lamanite, going silent on the ban against oral sex, removing of acerbic & violent penalties in the endowment.  You may think that these were changed purely through inspiration, but don’t fool yourself.  If they were inspired to begin with, what changed in the world that caused a needed change in policy?  What changed were societal lack of acceptance on plural marriages, civil right pressures, scientific understanding of DNA and Amerindians, complaints about the violent pantomimes, exhaustion from prolonged meetings and more.  The inspiration changed because the people and evidence demanded it.

Actually, one could argue that the common element of change was the drop in donations or the loss of financial holdings, either wrongly by the government or correctly withheld by wavering members. Eventually, the emphasis on profits may ironically hurt the bottom line when tithing drops and profits at the mall cannot compensate that loss.  At that point, the leaders will be inspired to go back to basic charity and preach love and service like never before, in an effort to raise donations again.

Announcement:  This is likely my last blog as a member of the LDS church.  Something is about to happen.  Stay tuned…

What Ned could teach Mormons

Ned Ludd, a prole of 18th-century England, is famed for his rage against framing machines.  He became the stuff of heroic legend among weavers and framers that feared their way of life was on the decline when technologies (machines) were developed that could out-perform them. Early 19th-century “Luddites” destroyed the framing and weaving machines in the factories that were down-sizing their labor.

Raging against machines to preserve one's lifestyle has in Joseph Smith another memorable history: the destruction of The Expositor, a Nauvoo press that dared print the "interchanges" and dalliances between Joseph and several women.  There is no question that Mayor Smith ordered the printer’s destruction.  What I ask is, given other presses (even the New York Times) were also bad-mouthing the Mormons, why didn’t Smith order their demise as well?  Let’s get back to this in a minute.

Fast-forward to 2012.  The LDS Church attempts to shut down MormonThink by scheduling disciplinary courts on the founder, and then only a couple of months later on the managing editor on Sept 30.  The latter court of love is “postponed” after media fall-out.  Then a week later in General Conference, there are no less than three talks particularly dedicated to warning members to avoid the modern press, like those found on websites run by 21st-century William Laws.  

Some quotes (paraphrased since the actual transcripts have yet to be released—we’ll update then) include:

"Some have emerged themselves in internet materials that magnify, exaggerate, and in some cases invent shortcomings of early church leaders. Then they draw incorrect conclusions that can affect testimony. Any who have made these choices can repent and be spiritually renewed." Elder Quentin Cook, 6 Oct 2012

Apostle Neil Anderson warned: "There has always been a few who want to discredit the church and destroy faith. Today they use the internet. Some of the information about the church, no matter how convincing, is just not true."

Elder Walter Gonzalez declared: "Today surrounded by so much information we might think that navigating millions of webpages will give us all that we need to know. We can find good and bad information on the web. But information alone is not enough. God has given us another source for greater knowledge even knowledge sent from heaven. Our heavenly father can give us such knowledge when we navigate the celestial web in our hearts and minds."

Elder Holland clamored against "Those who were once with us but have retreated, preferring to pick and choose a few culture hors d'oeuvres from the smorgasbord of the restoration and leave the rest of the feast."


And some years ago, President Monson told the youth:
"Should doubt knock at your doorway, just say to those skeptical, disturbing, rebellious thoughts: ‘I propose to stay with my faith, with the faith of my people. I know that happiness and contentment are there, and I forbid you, agnostic, doubting thoughts, to destroy the house of my faith. I acknowledge that I do not understand the processes of creation, but I accept the fact of it. I grant that I cannot explain the miracles of the Bible, and I do not attempt to do so, but I accept God’s word. I wasn’t with Joseph, but I believe him. My faith did not come to me through science, and I will not permit so-called science to destroy it.’ "


While the leaders never speak about MormonThink directly in conference, it is clear by word and action they want it avoided or destroyed.  There are, however, dozens of other popular sites dedicated to discussing the history of Mormonism.  Why, then, are the GAs so particular about hunting the founder and editors at MormonThink?

This is the same kind of question asked about why Smith didn’t go after other presses.  It should be obvious by now.  It’s a matter of access.  That is, access to the press or the editor or the site.  Smith would’ve been hard-pressed to send his legion to N.Y. City or Boston or elsewhere.  Nauvoo was local.  If he had legions in place in those cities with the power and strength to take out the presses, there is little doubting about the attempt.  

Older men like my stake president, like Elder Anderson, Elder Cook and Elder Holland find sites like MormonThink as an enigmatic weapon or disease. They don't understand it but want to inoculate members, telling them to avoid the sites at all cost, and to repent if they ever do come into icky contact with them online.  In fact, they really seem to prefer members avoid or take special care going on the Internet at all (unless it is for advertising the church as a member-missionary on facebook or doing genealogy at familysearch).  

The Internet is one of the most important inventions of humankind.  It has changed the face of the planet and will only increase in its position evermore.  It is not a fad.  It is not going away.  And yet, if Anderson, Cook or Holland had a switch that would turn off the Internet everywhere in the world, they would power-down The New Expositor without pause, despite the miraculous human change it brings about.

Technology, like the Internet, with its foundation in semi-conductors on-top of the theory of quantum mechanics, validates science each day with every data-bit sent across the network.  Trillions of data points.  It’s the same quantum theory that validates radio-active dating methods of the old-age earth theory and evolution.  The same foundation that allowed Watson & Crick to develop a precise understanding of DNA structure that has spiraled into revolutions in medicine.  The same underlying evidence and methodology that confronts Ancient American historical claims of the Book of Mormon, of Noah’s ark, of Jaredite barges, of Adam & Eve as first humans, and so much more.  The evidence is overwhelming and continually pouring forward with new scientifically sound technology filed daily at the patent office.

And modern Luddites fear that their way of life is going extinct.  They want to toss aside in heaps the framework of science and the weaving of technology in everyday life just as the framers and weavers resisted the rise of machines centuries before.

Ned’s people are gone.  They did not win.  They lost the idea war in a complete technological slaughter.  It’s sad to watch old suits who protest progress.  But they are teleprompt-reading dinosaurs at the brink of extinction.  

Thank you, President Monson, for supporting the Paisley Perestroika at Sunday's GC. 

Giggidy on the choice tie.  Did you tuck it in because the Church is tightening its financial belt?

A thought experiment

What if all Mormons stopped donating or paying tithing? Just a hypothetical...

How would the LDS church appear if tithing abruptly quit flowing in?

It probably wouldn't take long for temples to be boarded up & perhaps sold off. No member can enter, work in or pass through the temple if they stop paying tithing. Likewise, meetinghouses would suffer for lack of support to pay utilities, up-keep and ”learning materials”.  BYU campuses would raise tuition, drop classes, close down some facilities and run on bare costs. Visitor centers, institutes, seminaries and genealogy libraries would probably lock their doors.

But the LDS City Creek Mall would still retail fine apparel, gold watches and fifth-gen IPhones. Condos looking over the mall would still collect fees. The church-owned cattle ranches and Polynesian theme park would still sell beef, punch tickets and host luau dinners.  Insurance agents would collect premiums. Deseret would still line the shelves with new books. LDS radio & TV stations would keep broadcasting advertisements.

Without tithing, the church would most definitely go on in a form much like many other conglomerate corporations.

What about missionaries? Would they still seek out new tithe payers? What about LDS charities? Would they still disperse aid?

Perhaps, but we don't know since the church has little financial transparency on these endeavors.

Now compare this scenario with another thought experiment. What if UNICEF - one of the largest secular charities - abruptly stopped receiving government & private donations?

UNICEF receives about $3.5 billion a year in donations (about a third privately). It has financial transparency, listing its internal audits in complete, showing that it disperses just over 90% of its receipts back into charitable programs & services. The other ten percent pay to run and advertise its mission.

If UNICEF stopped receiving donations, it would likely disappear in a year. Just evaporate. Because it's a true charity and has no profit making agenda.

Not that it isn't without criticism, but it hands out well over $3 billion at present per year in aid and services. That's about twice what the LDS church has done in a quarter century, even though the church collects closer to twice what UNICEF does in a year.

Think about that. The church collects much much more in donations and takes about fifty years to disperse as much in charity as UNICEF does in a single year.

The LDS ”church” is a business. We really should be questioning its tax exemption.

A Paisley Perestroika

Notice: My 30 Sept disciplinary court & excommunication have been canceled! However they reserve the right to reschedule at a future date. 


Mormon members are wonderful people. They work tirelessly, donate profusely, clean meetinghouses and are constantly trying to be happy exemplar members of their church. They do this obediently. We hear they're fasting for Mitt Romney this Sunday. They feel part of something very important. And, perhaps they have been. 

Mormon culture is unique, not only for its beliefs, but its history & cultural idiosyncrasies. I believe it could seriously transform the world through charitable action. But something is standing in the way of that.

The LDS Profits.

The LDS hiearchy is comprised almost entirely of businessmen, lawyers and corporate professionals. Why is that? It's certainly an influence in the direction the LDS Church has taken when investing money. Members are told that constructing City Creek created jobs and protects the area near Temple Square. What isn't said is that it builds & protects profits. What isn't said: Jobs can be created by  building shelters to protect the battered, homeless and heartless instead of protecting a church building. The money-changing at the side of Temple Square are given flashy tables and five-year rent-free contracts to protect the LDS temple.

Mormon 8:37 For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted. 

Plenty of members are secretly sick inside when thinking about the direction MormonCo heads as it deals with the temple-protecting money-changers.  This is not the gospel.  This is the business.
Many members are tired of the corporate takeover of their religion, but afraid to speak out. Understandably when they see that the slightest words can pull you into disciplinary council at the drop of a paisley shirt. But I'm here to tell you, if enough members make a silent statement in a way that cannot be punished, it will be recognized and the corporation will get the message.

A turn from money-changing to heartfelt donation can change the world. Take the $3-4 billion spent on the City Creek Center and solve world hunger for school children for a year ¹. It can be done. The good will the church could receive will outstrip the negativity of a fancy elitist-mall. In just one year. The Mormon church would be esteemed beyond measure.

What can you do? 

If you stand for increasing monies to poverty and hunger, and diminishing the money-changing influence in Salt Lake HQ, then you can stand in solidarity at church by quietly dressing differently.  

We can begin a silent Paisley Perestroika.

White-shirts and dark ties are binary. Stripes are finite. Paisley with the non-ending variants in patterns and volumous numbers of acceptable color combinations is infinite. It represents the diversity of thoughts & hearts in the membership while uniting us in a common range of patterns.

Women, you can show silent support for reform by wearing something as subtle as a paisley scarf, carry a paisley handbag, or being bolder, wear that paisley blouse, or a complete dress. Men, your options could be a kerchief, tie, or shirt.

We're not fighting God, the gospel or the message. We can braid paisley into a silent scourge and overturn the tables of the money-changing. Reform and get back to what was intended: love thy neighbor and treat him as you want to be treated, even if you don't wear the same colors in life.

I ask for peaceful and even silent protest against the actions mentioned here, by donning the apparel that lets them know that love, acceptance, helping others and giving to the needy are what we want with our donations of money, time and talents. 

Overturn the tables of corporate empowerment.  Stop the suppression of dissent.

We understand there is a fast this Sunday for Mitt Romney.  If the members can fast for a wealthy politician, then they can wear paisley for the poor.

Bring back true charity!  

1.  "$3.2 billion is needed per year to reach all 66 million hungry school-age children. Of this, US$1.2 billion would allow World Food Programme to reach 23 million children in Africa." 

See http://documents.wfp.org/stellent/groups/public/documents/communications/wfp220221.pdf

Boogie on Down: A Corporation with Sole

Most of you have heard that the LDS Church corporation is called a Corporation Sole.  All LDS businesses are owned under two sole-corporations: The Corporation of the President of the COJCOLDS, and The Corporation of the Presiding Bishopric of COJCOLDS.

What is a corporation sole?  It's a very hip, cool thing, if you're at the top of the multi-level pyramid.  Thomas S. Monson currently is the top dog and owner of all that is LDS inc.  That's estimated at upwards of $40-60 BILLION in assets.

Officially, a corporation sole is a legal entity consisting of a single ("sole") incorporated office, occupied by a single ("sole") man.  This allows corporations to pass without interval in time from one office holder to the next successor-in-office, giving the positions legal continuity with subsequent office holders having identical and sole-ownership powers to their predecessors.  Now, what can Thomas S. Monson do with this ownership?

Let's take a look at the internal memos at LDS Inc on this matter.  The original articles of incorporation were drafted in 1923, by Heber J. Grant and his counselors.  (Scans of the original documents and amendments since are now posted in a 2014 blog here.)  I'll show you that later.  Most interesting is the fifth amendment.  (I posted a link and the entire articles of incorporation at the bottom.)

The articles of incorporation for the Sole LDS inc were amended by Harold B. Lee to account for the end or demise of the LDS incorportion.

The 5th amendment text reads:

"Upon the winding up and dissolution of this corporation, after paying or adequately providing for the debts and obligations of the corporation, the remaining assets shall be distributed to a nonprofit fund, foundation or corporation, which is organized and operated exclusively for charitable, educational, or religious and/or scientific purposes and which has established its tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code."

"Upon the winding up and dissolution of this corporation" --did you catch that??   The Brethren, back a few decades ago, expected that the stone rolling forth without hands would not fill the earth.  It will wind up and dissolve.  And what will happen to the considerable wealth, property and ownership of businesses?  It will go to a non-profit "fund" that can take on the form of a "corporation" (or, in case you feel squeamish about that, they added "charitable, educational, religious or scientific" to cover most any base they wish)

 The vagueness of which non-profit would get the assets is clearly intentional.   Yes, they have a plan. 

Now, what defines and decides this winding up and dissolution point?  And who can really end up holding the lucrative bag of non-profit handovers?

The second amendment allows LDSinc to give property to any member they wish.

"The object of this corporation shall be to acquire, hold and dispose of such real and personal property as may be conveyed to or acquired by said corporation for the benefit of the members ...this corporation shall have power, without any authority or authorization from the members of said Church or religious society, to grant, sell, convey, rent, mortgage, exchange, or otherwise dispose of any part or all of such property."

Did you catch that?  I italicized it for you.  The sole owner can convey in any manner they want any of the property or wealth held by the LDS corporation sole.  

As a member, not anyone of us, except the sole owners at the top, can do anything about what happens to the property.  Membership in the church is almost entirely comprised of being on a list owned by Intellectual Reserved Inc, a business unit under the LDS coproration sole. As such, you are nothing more than a subscriber to meetings and information given out about the church. You own no part of it as a member.  Your baptism and sealing are purely ornaments to your membership number.


If the church imploded or winded or dissolved, legally, the members on that list have no legal rights.  If the gig were up tomorrow, you would get nothing as a member.   Every year, the church re-iterates this on your donation statement: You received no goods or services, only intangible blessings for your donations. 

 They also specify on that same donor slip:   all donations become the Church's property and will be used at the Church's sole discretion to further the Church's overall mission.

Who has that "sole discretion"?  The fourth amendment places all the power to give what they wish and do what they want with all funds to the president as a corporation sole...

"The title of the person making these articles of incorporation is "President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." He and his successor in office shall be deemed and are hereby created a body politic and corporation sole with perpetual succession, having all the powers and rights and authority in these articles specified or provided for by law. But in the event of the death or resignation from office of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints..."

In other words, the prophet is still legally in charge and the disposition even in the dissolution is decided by the president.

If the church leaders wanted to, they could find round-about ways to distribute the mega-amassed wealth of the LDS corporation sole, and eventually giving it to themselves through "laundering" techniques.  Would they do that?  Probably only if they realized the gig is up.  That could be in the next decade.  Tithings fall off, members learn the truth.  A church is only worth its membership rolls.  However, a $60 Billion corporation sole is eternal.  You think they'll just let that wither and die?  Not at all.  They can plant it in an off-shore account and nurse it to full health with a good supply of beach-side margaritas.

Source: Scans of the original documents and amendments since are now posted in a 2014 blog here.

Another reprint of them:  http://user.xmission.com/~research/central/chorg3.htm

Here is the official regisrty with the state of Utah.
https://secure.utah.gov/bes/action/details?entity=555534-0145

Below is a reprint of the LDS articles of incorporation for archival purposes.

Corporation of the PresidentARTICLES OF INCORPORATION
of the
CORPORATION OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS
CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS.UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
STATE OF UTAH
COUNTY OF SALT LAKE
I, the undersigned, having been duly chosen and appointed President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in conformity with the rites, regulations and discipline of said Church, being desirous of forming a corporation for the purpose of acquiring, holding and disposing of Church or religious society property, for the benefit of religion, for works of charity and for public worship, under and pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 3, Title 19, of the Compiled Laws of Utah, 1917, on "Churches and Religious Societies," and all acts amendatory thereof and supplementary thereto, for that purpose do hereby make and subscribe, in duplicate, the following


ARTICLES OF INCORPORATIONFirst: The name of this corporation shall be the CORPORATION OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS.
Second: The object of this corporation shall be to acquire, hold and dispose of such real and personal property as may be conveyed to or acquired by said corporation for the benefit of the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a religious society, for the benefit of religion, for works of charity and for public worship. Such real and personal property may be situated, either within the State of Utah, or elsewhere, and this corporation shall have power, without any authority or authorization from the members of said Church or religious society, to grant, sell, convey, rent, mortgage, exchange, or otherwise dispose of any part or all of such property.
Third: The estimated value of the property of which I hold the legal title for the purpose aforesaid, at the time of making these Articles of Incorporation, is One Million, Five Hundred Thousand Dollars.
Fourth: The title of the person making these Articles of Incorporation is "PRESIDENT OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS."
Fifth: The corporate seal shall contain the words, "Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," and an impression thereof is hereto affixed.
[Seal] [Signed] Heber J. Grant
President of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints.
STATE OF UTAH
SS:
COUNTY OF SALT LAKE
On this 26th day of November, 1923, before me, Arthur Winter, a Notary Public in and for said County, personally appeared HEBER J. GRANT, who is known to me to be the person whose name is subscribed to the foregoing instrument as President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and duly acknowledged to me that he executed the same as such President.
[Seal] [Signed] Arthur Winter
Notary Public
Residing at Salt Lake City, Utah.
My commission expires Dec. 1, 1923.

---

AMENDMENT TO
ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION
of the
CORPORATION OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHURCH OF
JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTSUNITED STATES OF AMERICA
STATE OF UTAH ss.
COUNTY OF SALT LAKE
HEBER J. GRANT, being first duly sworn, deposes and says:
That he is now and for more than twenty years last past has been the duly chosen and appointed President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and as such President has been since on or about the 26th day of November, 1923, and now is, the legally constituted Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter=day Saints, a corporation sole; that under and pursuant to Section 18-7-5 R.S.U. 1933 he hereby amends Article "Fourth" of said Articles of Incorporation as now of record in the proper offices of this and other states, said article as amended to read as follows:


ARTICLE FOURTHFourth: The title of the person making these articles of incorporation is "President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." He and his successor in office shall be deemed and are hereby created a body politic and corporation sole with perpetual succession, having all the powers and rights and authority in these articles specified or provided for by law. But in the event of the death or resignation from office of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or in the event of a vacancy in that office from any cause, the President or Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of said Church, or one of the members of said Quorum thereunto designated by that Quorum, shall, pending the installation of a successor President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, be the corporation sole under these articles, and the laws pursuant to which they are made, and shall be and is authorized in his official capacity to execute in the name of the corporation all documents or other writings necessary to the carrying on of its purposes, business and objects, and to do all things in the name of the corporation which the original signer of the articles of incorporation might do; it being the purpose of these articles that there shall be no failure in succession in the office of such corporation sole.
[Signed] Heber J. Grant
President of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints,
corporation sole.
[Seal]
Subscribed and sworn to before me this 18 day of June, 1940.
[the name of Notary Public not shown on copy of amendment]
(Original in State of Utah Archives, Salt Lake City, Utah)

---

ARTICLES OF AMENDMENT
TO THE
ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION
OF THE
CORPORATION OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHURCH OF
JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS
A UTAH CORPORATION SOLEPursuant to the provisions of Section 16-7-5 of the Utah Code Annotated 1953 (as amended) relating to amendments of articles of incorporation of corporations sole, the CORPORATION OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS, a Utah Corporation Sole, does hereby amend its Articles of Incorporation by adding an additional Paragraph V thereto as follows:

Upon the winding up and dissolution of this corporation, after paying or adequately providing for the debts and obligations of the corporation, the remaining assets shall be distributed to a nonprofit fund, foundation or corporation, which is organized and operated exclusively for charitable, educational, or religious and/or scientific purposes and which has established its tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused these presents to be executed this 19th day of November, 1973.
CORPORATION OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE
CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY
SAINTS, a Utah Corporation Sole
By: [signed] Harold B. Lee
Harold B. Lee, Corporation Sole
STATE OF UTAH ) ss:
County of Salt Lake )
HAROLD B. LEE, being first duly sworn, deposes and says: That he is now and ever since July 7, 1972, has been the duly chosen and appointed President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and, as such president, is now and ever since said date has been the legally constituted CORPORATION OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS, a Utah Corporation Sole; that the original Articles of Incorporation of said Corporation Sole were executed by Heber J. Grant, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; that he, Harold B. Lee, is the successor in office to the said Heber J. Grant; that he, Harold B. Lee, executed the foregoing Articles of Amendment as said Corporation Sole.
[signed] Harold B. Lee
SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me this 19th day of November, 1973.
[signed] Wilford W Kirton, Jr
NOTARY PUBLIC
Residing at Salt Lake City, Utah
My commission expires:
2-3-77

---

Articles of Incorporation as amended:

ARTICLES OF INCORPORATIONFirst: The name of this corporation shall be the CORPORATION OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS.
Second: The object of this corporation shall be to acquire, hold and dispose of such real and personal property as may be conveyed to or acquired by said corporation for the benefit of the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a religious society, for the benefit of religion, for works of charity and for public worship. Such real and personal property may be situated, either within the State of Utah, or elsewhere, and this corporation shall have power, without any authority or authorization from the members of said Church or religious society, to grant, sell, convey, rent, mortgage, exchange, or otherwise dispose of any part or all of such property.
Third: The estimated value of the property of which I hold the legal title for the purpose aforesaid, at the time of making these Articles of Incorporation, is One Million, Five Hundred Thousand Dollars.
Fourth: The title of the person making these articles of incorporation is "President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." He and his successor in office shall be deemed and are hereby created a body politic and corporation sole with perpetual succession, having all the powers and rights and authority in these articles specified or provided for by law. But in the event of the death or resignation from office of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or in the event of a vacancy in that office from any cause, the President or Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of said Church, or one of the members of said Quorum thereunto designated by that Quorum, shall, pending the installation of a successor President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, be the corporation sole under these articles, and the laws pursuant to which they are made, and shall be and is authorized in his official capacity to execute in the name of the corporation all documents or other writings necessary to the carrying on of its purposes, business and objects, and to do all things in the name of the corporation which the original signer of the articles of incorporation might do; it being the purpose of these articles that there shall be no failure in succession in the office of such corporation sole.
Fifth: Upon the winding up and dissolution of this corporation, after paying or adequately providing for the debts and obligations of the corporation, the remaining assets shall be distributed to a nonprofit fund, foundation or corporation, which is organized and operated exclusively for charitable, educational, or religious and/or scientific purposes and which has established its tex-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Sixth: The corporate seal shall contain the words, "Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," and an impression thereof is hereto affixed.

Pay Lay-Clergy

With all my blogs about the LDS corporate empire...

...You may be saying, “Just because the Church has a lot of money doesn’t mean its leaders are wrong.”

Of course not.  But what if the top leaders get a lot of money because of their positions?

“Ridiculous!” You could retort.  “They might get a small stipend, but they do not earn a living from the church.”

Are you sure?  

If you knew your prophet, the apostles and others were raking it in, would that change your perspective?

The church keeps the lid on its finances very tightly closed.  They do not report income or expenses, salaries or any information except as absolutely necessary in each state where they operate businesses.  The reason, they claim, is that they don’t want to reveal the donations of church members.  However, a lot of the finances are found in records held by individual states where the subsidies of the “Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” incorporate in each location.

And by searching these kinds of state databases, a lot of very interesting information about Profits of Prophets are revealed.

A quick search on the Corporation Wiki websites shows that the top leaders of the Mormon church do have high level (and very probably high paying) positions among the many multi-billion dollar entities under the LDS church umbrella corporation.  A few of the more prominent examples include:

Thomas S Monson holds the position of Chairman of LDS Business College, Director of BYU-Idaho , Chairman & Director of the Corporation of the President and probably more, if one is willing to investigate all the links between the brethren at the corporation wiki.

See

http://www.corporationwiki.com/Utah/Salt-Lake-City/l-d-s-business-college/53567380.aspx

http://www.corporationwiki.com/Idaho/Rexburg/brigham-young-university-idaho/38300317.aspx

http://www.corporationwiki.com/Utah/Salt-Lake-City/corporation-of-the-president-of-the-church-of-jesus-christ-o-4714594.aspx

A Chairman of a US college earns an average salary well over $100,000 per year.  A director on the board of trustees of a university earns close to six-figures, and the President of a corporation, especially that is the umbrella corporation holding over $30 Billion in subsidies, well, that would earn you seven figures.  Granted Monson does not work full time at any of these positions, but one can rest assured he gets a good salary, otherwise he couldn’t afford his driver and the Security edition Audi A8 that with full upgrades runs close to $1 million to buy new. 

You can find similar information about the Directorships, Chairmanships, Presidents of this and that on other top LDS executive General Authorities. Just quick searches can show you these:

http://www.corporationwiki.com/Utah/Salt-Lake-City/richard-g-scott/54581190.aspx

http://www.corporationwiki.com/Utah/Salt-Lake-City/james-e-faust/54581192.aspx

http://www.corporationwiki.com/Utah/Salt-Lake-City/jeffrey-r-holland/54581198.aspx

And search parcel # 09-31-332-017-0000  at

http://assessor.slco.org/cfml/Query/query2.cfm

What does this mean?

It means that when the church invested billions in the City Creek Center, it was a business move that not only provided jobs to local construction crews, merchants and retailers, it probably provided high-level executive positions for church leaders, who cut the ribbon to open their pride and joy.

There’s a video of a Gala where it is clearly announced that former Church CEO/President/LDS Prophet Gordon Hinckley served as Chairman of the Deseret Management Corp, parent company of Beneficial (at the time). Current President/Prophet Thomas Monson is named too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzldUAG4Ygs

The 1%-er type salary-positions the ecclesiastical leaders hold in the Church Corporation should be disappointing at the very least to those that believe helping the poor and feeding the hungry takes priority over being able to sell Rolex watches at the Church Mall.

"But I never knew this!" 

Of course not!  Sheeple don't need to know how the shepherders get their robes.

Visitors Welcome. (Now here's your muzzle.)

Outside of the Hunters Creek Stake Orlando LDS meetinghouse, where I was interrogated by the leadership on 16 Sep, is a sign like that in front of almost all Mormon chapels.

Mormon.org, an official church site, says:
Our primary family worship service is called sacrament meeting. ... Visitors are welcome to attend. ...Visitors are also welcome to attend other Sunday meetings that precede or follow sacrament meeting

There are no qualifications listed in their invitation.  It does not say that you must dress or act a certain way (there are recommendations and expectations of white shirt,dark tie, conservative dress).  It does not say the media is not allowed to attend, observe and even go home and report.  

During my 45-minute interrogation, the stake president told me he didn't like that I was coming to church with "views that you are propagating in our midst here." I explained that I hadn't expressed my views in the church.  He corrected himself that it was my "derogatory writings" that were the problem.  They told me that "this is not a witch hunt" and that they are "protecting the flock from wolves in sheep clothing."

My attire whenever I attended was definitely not sheepish.  In fact the blog takes the word "Paisley" in its title to represent that I in fact am standing apart. I was not hiding or pretending or infiltrating. When I introduced myself around, I made it clear that I was an inactive member returning to see what's what in the LDS church.  For all intents and purposes I am a visitor, but with a dusty membership card.

The muzzle is for members.  Non-members, reporters, and other visitors--whatever their motive may be--are allowed polite attendance at any one of the over 6000 meetinghouses and can at will write about their experiences in any flavor, color or pattern they like.  If you are a member, even a long-time-gone visiting member, you must immediately don the muzzle in talking.

Was it really my briefing about my experience at the ward that caused the furor?  In order to divert from the publicity my writings on Romney have caused the Mormons, Scott Gordon, the president of FAIR, LDS dame-de-soi, is changing the subject.  Gordon turned me in because, he claims, I was subverting members in my writings.  I've already commented on that in War Worn.  But I want to point out that again the only two links I had sent the member I am alleged to have subverted were one from his LDS-defense website, and another from one talking about the same issue from a less favorable perspective.  This is called choice.  If the leaders & Scott had their way, choice would be between LDS.ORG and MORMON.ORG.  What was it that Lucifer proposed as his plan of salvation?  Oh yeah, take away choice...


So I ask, are visitors welcome?  If we don't wear black-n-white or stripes, or quiet flowered dresses will we be in the council's gun-sights?  If we dare bring up both viewpoints on an obviously controversial point of doctrine or history are we heretics just for using standard, well acceptable discussion protocol? Is it really more enlightening and polite to ignore facts that may alter the outcome of the discussion, just to spare the institution embarrassment?

What kind of visitors is the LDS Church really looking for?