Please note re: the many farms the Lds church owns & operates: Do you realize that they keep up a good chunk of it w/"volunteers" who earn nothing? -- in fact, they are less than slave labor because these retired couples have to pay their way to "serve" the farms there. Do you realize then that they are able to operate like a commercial enterprise w/little labor overhead @ non-profit tax rates?
Hey, that's OK. Jim Jones did the same thing first in Northern CA & then in Guyana.
Then there's the other problems the LDS church creates w/their commercial produce enterprise -- like this article from Jan '08 re: Idaho (& states it did the same thing in Washington state):
Note this quote from an LDS church member:
Declo farmer Mark Darrington, however, is also concerned the church intended to take over management and does not see that as being in the best interest of his community. "I am an active member of the Mormon Church, but facts is facts,” he said. “I did not want them to turn this into a big corporate farm because of the impact on the local community.” For one, he said, “local vendors are bypassed. I think that puts a bad taste not just in non-members’ mouth but also in members’ mouth.” ...He said the church setting up a large entity and garnering large potato contracts would have an adverse effect...“The church tends to not cooperate with growers,” he said.
Source: Farmers face off with LDS Church
They don’t have anything on how much the Chinese own us!!!!
The Flying Inmans excelled in 2010 in exposing the reality behind these statistics:
* See post #28 by Greyfoxx39 at Are The [Mormon] General Authorities Deluded Religious Fanatics Or Manipulating Conmen?
* See post #28 by Greyfoxx39 at Noteworthy Flaws in Mormonism
* See post #19 by Reaganaut at Even with decline in baptisms, the church is still true
* See post #163 by Colofornian at The Return of 'Mormon'
Being a “not for profit” organization, the LDS doesn’t have to pay income tax on their net revenues.
Good for the LDS. As long as they paid for the property it’s really none of your business how much of Florida they own.
Are they also exempt from property taxes?
I agree that it is questionable as to why your aunt and uncle would have to PAY to go perform hard labor at the ranch.
Did not find any property owned by LDS, Inc. in Douglas County, NE, but possibly I did not do it correctly.
Who knows how many acres in KS...and TX.
They also own a packing plant somewhere...
FWIW
On a business trip to FL, a Mormon coworker of mine told me about the huge cattle ranch properties owned by the LDS in this part of FL. He also told me that in each state, the LDS has picked the most lucrative staple industry to invest and run. Mormons are very good about preparedness to ride out any economic/political/military crisis as a whole religious community. Those farms and businesses work as an integral “safety net” and the results (crops/products/services) are shared across all of LDS’ world-wide community.
Many other churches (Catholic, Baptists and Jews) do this on smaller scale and in the past religious enterprises played a greater role at taking care of the needy. In today’s world, most people go to the government first. I would argue that the Mormons generally are more civicly responsible than the average liberal. I have no problem at all with that.
Whatever the criticism—I would rather have the Mormons owning it rather than the Red Chinese or the Saudis.
“LDS, Inc. has more than $1 billion in for-profit property in Florida”
..........................................
“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.”
- Jesus
..........................................
“Hey, let’s tear down our barns and build bigger ones to hold our wealth - also, some luxury Hawaiian spa hotels, some luxury shopping malls, most of Florida, and more wealth than most could imagine. Make those poor people donate their gold fillings! We need more!”
- Mormonism (LDS)
.........................................
... and so it goes
INB4PD
"Makes people pay"? If they are literally doing that, it's a crime. If people are doing that of their own free will, it's none of my business.
Ethics, Smithics? Who knows?
And I'm far, far from being a mormonism defender.
When the LDS business folds, who gets to claim all this wealth ???
Tommy Monson or all 15 of the top CEOs ???