Controversial cover questions LDS business practices [Mag cover image provokes Mormons]

Fox13 (Salt Lake City) ^ | July 13-14, 2012 | Brittany Green-Miner and Max Roth

[Colofornian]

SALT LAKE CITY – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is under national scrutiny again, this time from Businessweek, whose cover story this week investigates “How the Mormons Make Money.”

The article suggests that the LDS church doesn’t contribute many resources to charity and that they leverage volunteer hours for profit. Images that accompany the article are causing as much controversy, if not more, as the article’s words.

[READ: How the Mormons Make Money on Businessweek.com]

The periodical’s cover has an image of John the Baptist with hands on LDS founder Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdry with a voice bubble saying, “…And thou shalt build a shopping mall, own stock in Burger King, and open a Polynesian theme park in Hawaii that shall be largely exempt from the frustrations of tax…”

SNIP

The story describes the church’s $2 million investment in the recently-opened City Creek Center. Jason Mathis with the Downtown Alliance says that the investment didn’t come from tithes of the LDS faithful.

SNIP

FOX 13 couldn’t find an example of another mainstream religion that is as invested in business as the LDS church.

[Colofornian]

From the article: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is under national scrutiny again, this time from Businessweek, whose cover story this week investigates “How the Mormons Make Money.” The article suggests that the LDS church doesn’t contribute many resources to charity and that they leverage volunteer hours for profit.

The Businessweek article and mag cover is starting to make a LOT of headlines...[Sample]:

* 'How the Mormons Make Money': Cite: "It’s perhaps unsurprising that Mormonism, an indigenous American religion, would also adopt the country’s secular faith in money. What is remarkable is how varied the church’s business interests are—and, at a time when a former Mormon bishop is about to receive the Republican Party’s presidential nomination, that so little is known about the church’s financial interests. Despite a recent public-relations campaign aimed at combating the perception that it is “secretive,” the LDS Church remains tight-lipped about its holdings and offers little financial transparency, even to its members, who are required to tithe 10 percent of their income to gain access to Mormon temples."

* Magazine cover angers Mormons Citation: "Bloomberg Businessweek’s cover illustration for a story about LDS Church finances is setting off Mormons even before it hits newsstands Friday. The illustration, playing off an iconic LDS image, depicts John the Baptist — with his hands on the heads of Mormon founder Joseph Smith and his assistant, Oliver Cowdery — saying, "And thou shalt build a shopping mall, own stock in Burger King and open a Polynesian theme park in Hawaii that shall be largely exempt from the frustrations of tax ... " Another bubble quote has Smith responding, "Hallelujah."

* Business magazine probes Mormon church's finances

From the Fox article: FOX 13 couldn’t find an example of another mainstream religion that is as invested in business as the LDS church.

[Logical me]

None of their damn business. Or anyone else! Communists will lie, distort, and rape America. Another communists effort.

[Colofornian]

Hey, if Romney's elected, and ran the govt like the way the Mormon general authorities run the church, I'm sure he could eventually put this country into the black (with enough Mormon POTUSES at the helm, that is).

1. "Hire" only "volunteers" for government positions, including all educators and admins. Wages? (No) Health benefits? (No) Pensions? (No)

2. Get the government to start building -- and controlling -- shopping malls. (That'll put construction workers back to work)

3. Invest in Australian properties that will garner an annual return of $276 million (like the Lds church does!)

4. Build multi-cultural centers all over the states and islands tied to the U.S. Charge $50 a head -- and $229 per "VIP" ticket. Have "volunteers" as your labor force, but pay the cultural center head $300,000 to ensure he can garner the proper "volunteer" force to do the real work!

5. Make sure Romney's Cabinet members become board members for umpteen hundred corporations -- each!!! (Just as the General Authorities are for the Mormon church!!!) This way, we know they have "pulse" on Corporate America!

[Larry Lucido]

Agreed.

The religion is a bit out there for me, but I admire business acumen.

[Colofornian]

None of their damn business. Or anyone else! Communists will lie, distort, and rape America. Another communists effort.

Romney's religious track-record re: Communism...see the last column to the right below...and then realize that Romney says he is "faithful" to the faith of his forefathers in the faith!

GOV. Romney	Mormon 'scripture' & History	Sources	Quotes
ObamaCare based upon RomneyCare [SoConPubbie has posted some threads the week of April 16, 2012 along these lines]. In addition, what about Romney's $50 taxpayer-subsidized abortions -- and some $0 abortions -- he permanently imposed a Planned Parenthood rep into supervision of RomneyCare? (Since he vetoed other portions of that legislation, the Planned Parenthood rep section was also something he could have vetoed). For all of the pro-abortion damage done by Romney in the Bay State, see: RomneyCare Now Funding FREE Abortions: A Disqualifier for Mitt Romney’s Candidacy [Enabler Mitt]	Mitt's Mormonism embraced socialism/communism under the 'United Order' – sacred commands still on the Mormon “scriptures” – depicted to be “everlasting” commandments of the Mormon god	The Mormon socialistic/communistic “everlasting” nature of the “United Order” depicted in Lds “scriptures” – Doctrine & Covenants 82:18-19 and 104:1, 48, 53.	Even Lds author George Givens described Brigham Young’s communist-built community of Orderville, Utah as “pure communism”: "When Brigham Young established Orderville and similar United Orders, John Taylor was less than enthusiastic. He realized that enterprises such as Orderville were pure communism and not the law of consecration. He made this plain after he became President, when in 1882 he sent an epistle to all authorities of the Church in which he bluntly stated: 'We had no example of the 'United Order' in accordance with the word of God on the subject...Our relations with the world and our own imperfections prevent the establishment of this system [i.e. the system of consecration and stewardship spoken of at times as the 'United Order'] at the present time, as was stated by Joseph in an early day, it cannot yet be carried out.'" (George W. Givens, 500 More Little-Known Facts in Mormon History, 2004, p. 169)"One of the most famous utopian books ever written was Looking Backward by Edward Bellamy, published in 1889. Some scholars believe Looking Backward had considerable influence in the making of Lenin's Soviet Russia. If this is true, then [ensuing Lds "prophet"] Lorenzo Snow and the Latter-day Saints must receive some of the credit--or blame. Hearing of the success of the United Order in Brigham City, Edward Bellamy made a special trip to Utah in 1886 to study its operation. There he spent three days with Lorenzo Snow, Brigham City's founder and forty-year resident. Impressed with the thirty to forty industries run by its 2,000 inhabitants and the vitality at that time of one of the most successful United Orders, Bellamy returned home and wrote his influential book." (500 More Little-Known Facts in Mormon History, p. 185). Way to go, 19th century Mormon leader-“prophets” of Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, John Taylor & Lorenzo Snow!!! They all unwittingly fueled Soviet Communism!
What about Marion G. Romney, cousin to Mitt's father?	Who was he in Lds hierarchy? (Title: 'President' - Top 3 of church as 2nd counselor to both #11 & #12 Lds 'prophets')	(Things As They Really Are, p. 73). Cited in official Lds publication, Search the Commandments: Melchizedek Priesthood Personal Study Guide, pp. 275-276 (1984)	"Elder Neal A. Maxwell has said: 'Following the living prophets is something that must be done in all seasons and circumstances. We must be like President Marion G. Romney, who humbly said, '..I have never hesitated to follow the counsel of the Authorities of the Church even though it crossed my social, professional, and political life' (Conference Report, April 1941, p. 123). There are, or will be moments when prophetic declarations collide with our pride or our seeming personal interests...Do I believe in the living prophet even when he speaks on matters affecting me and my specialty directly? Or do I stop sustaining the prophet when his words fall in my territory? if the latter, the prophet is without honor in our country!

"I believe in my Mormon faith and I endeavor to live by it. My faith is the faith of my fathers - I will be true to them and to my beliefs." - Mitt Romney

Source: Transcript: Mitt Romney's Faith Speech

[aMorePerfectUnion]

“Communists will lie, distort, and rape America. Another communists effort.”

Thanks Senator McCarthy, for your vigilance.

[Conservative Vermont Vet]

Romney's religious track-record re: Communism...see the last column to the right below...and then realize that Romney says he is "faithful" to the faith of his forefathers in the faith!

REALLY?

ARE there ANY of you Hate Mitt and MORMONS Freepers who have a "PAIR" and would care to engage in a little dialogue vis-a-vis, WHICH "Religion" is more of a a THREAT to our SURVIVAL and SECURITY: Mormonism or ISLAM?

DON'T RUN AWAY AND HIDE UNDER YOUR BED. COME OUT AND DEFEND YOUR POSITION....IF YOU DARE AND IF YOU CAN.

Hows about you provide a single (EVEN ONE) example whereby the Mormon religion ADVOCATES "Global Hegmenony and wants to convert EVERYONE on Earth of Mormonism "by force if need be;" "has as its primary objective, to "Destroy our miserable house from within, by our own hand" AND REPLACE OUR CONSTITUTION WITH "The Book of Mormons;" dictates STONING for adulturers; the cutting off of hands for thiefs; KILLING of apostates; HATES all Infidels (but especially, Jews and Christians); gives infidels only 3 choices: Convert (SUBMIT), live as "Dhimmis" (SLAVES) or be KILLED; etc., etc., etc.

Oh, and PLEASE include ONE example whereby Mittens has EVER said or done anything (LIKE THE ONE Y'ALL "SUPPORT" and WANT TO SEE REELECTED...you so called "Principled CONSERVATIVES"...your Dear Leader) which shows his hatred for America and dislike for our Constitution?

NO ONE WHO CLAIMS TO BE A CONSERVATIVE "PATRIOT" would EVER, sit back and allow the FASCIST, Neo-Commie, Islamic-Jihadi/Muslim Brotherhood-appeaser/defender/supporter, to be reelected....at least NONE who has ever served in the Military and knows what it is like to put it all on the line for our Republic.

Mmmm, lets see now, who is more of a "threat" to the safety and security of the United States among these 2?

And of these 2, which is more dangerous to our survival?

The Muslim Brotherhood Agenda as outlined in 1991 in Phildelphia:

The process of settlement [of Islam in the United States] is a "Civilization-Jihadist" process with all the word means.

The Ikhwan must understand that all their work in America
is a kind of grand Jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within
and "sabotaging" their miserable house by their hands
and the hands of the believers
so that it is eliminated and God's religion is made victorious over all religions.

Without this level of understanding, we are not up to this challenge and have not prepared ourselves for Jihad yet. It is a Muslim's destiny to perform Jihad and work wherever he is and wherever he lands until the final hour comes, and there is no escape from that destiny except for those who choose to slack.

(REMINDER of that—The Muslim Brotherhood/Islam--which B. Hussein Obama SUPPORTS and which is ACTIVELY working—through “Civilization/Stealth” Jihad—to replace our Constitution with SHARIA )

THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD CREED:

Allah is our objective;
the Prophet is our leader;
the Quran is our law;
Jihad is our way;
dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope.”

Though we are all aware of Obama's proclivity towards appeasing Islam and Islamic Republics; his negotiating with our enemies (Taliban); his release of captured Terrorists; his support of the "Arab Spring" in the ME which has led to the takeover of those countries by Radical Islamists; etc, many are not aware of what he has done to facilitate their (Islamists) acceptance and appointment to positions of "trust" within our own Government

Here are but 6 of those individuals:

Rashad Hussain

Kifa Mustapha

Momamed Elibiary

Huma Abedin

Daliah Mogahed

Mohamed Magid

Islam is a frontal attack on Christianity and Judaism and its time we understood this threat and called it what it is. We are not in a “war on terror”, which so many politically correct politicians would have us believe.

The whole world is, and has been for 1,400 years, in a WAR AGAINST ISLAM! If we do not stand up against this cancerous enemy, whose ultimate goal is to bring the entire world into submission to Islam and have all people worship none but Allah, then Western Civilization and human freedom as we know it will soon cease to exist.

America faces in addition to the threat of violent jihad another, even more toxic danger – a stealthy and pre-violent form of warfare aimed at destroying our constitutional form of democratic government and free society. The Muslim Brotherhood is the prime-mover behind this seditious campaign, which it calls “civilization jihad.”

For a detailed description of who these individuals pictured above are, their goals and what damage they have done and the real threat they pose, see the following:

Muslim Brotherhood in America Part 8: Team Obama and the Islamists

IF after viewing this video, one does not come away with the resolve to do whatever it takes to defeat Barack Hussein Obama, then I worry about the future of our Great Republic.

PS: One should at least bookmark this most enlightening, informative, well researched and documented 10-part Series by Frank Gaffney (Muslim Brotherhood in America) and watch all of it as soon as time permits.

“I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.”

from page 261 of the paperback edition of “The Audacity of Hope.

All it takes for .....

.....EVIL....

..... to triumph is for good men to do nothing.......!"

....you know, like staying home or writing in someone's name which is the same thing as affirmatively, voting for the closest most of us will ever come to WITNESSING PURE EVIL while still alive...Barack, Barry, Hussein, Soetoro, Obama.

"Oh yeah, we'll stand on 'PRINCIPLES' and show them what's what, then in 2016, we will really, REALLY, work to elect a true Conservative....."

Yeah, right, provided there is still a United States of America left as we used to know it.

FAIR WARNING: America's Enemies Within

"A nation can survive its fools, even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within.

An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves against those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself.

For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men.

He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to fear." ...

Roman statesman and political theorist Marcus Tullius Cicero

If Obama is reelected in 2012, the chances of an election, at all, in 2016 is almost nil.

[reaganaut]

The article suggests that the LDS church doesn’t contribute many resources to charity and that they leverage volunteer hours for profit

- - - - - -
It is true. If they want to be ‘for profit’ then they need to admit they aren’t a church. Ever since Smith, the LDS has used their status as a religion to get rich and as a cover for their businesses and money making on the backs of their members.

The lack of financial transparency is the hallmark of a cult, not a legitimate church. At my church, I can go up to the secretary and ask to see the books anytime, there is a 5 minute delay if I am asking for records over 3 yrs old because she has to go to storage to get them.

[reaganaut]

Yet the article is NOT a lie at all. Read The Mormon Corporate Empire for starters.

[greyfoxx39]

Ignore the thread highjack attempt.

I've said since 2007 that running a member of a known racist sect against (from the 1830s until 1978) a black man was utter stupidity.

There will be months of this kind of information put out for voters to see, and in this case there is NOTHING about the article that is not factual.

[Salvation]

Did the Olympics that Willard worked on flop financially?

[MtnMan101]

[Little Bill]

I think that their welfare system has some very good points.

[reaganaut]

I think that their welfare system has some very good points.

- - - - -
As a model for government, yes. Work to get your support.

But as a corporation that CLAIMS to be a Christian church, no. What the LDS do is not ‘charity’ at all and that is a role of the church.

[Conservative Vermont Vet]

1. First prove that Obama IS Muslim

AND you are going to "prove" Mittens is a "Communist" as you "suggest?"

While I can list many, many instances whereby Dear Leader has appeased, defended, praised, and supported the "Religion of Pieces" (WHAT TA "F" DO YOU THINK IT MEANS WHEN HE PERSONALLY RECRUITS AND APPOINTS "MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD" ADVISERS?)....

I'll bet the farm you (or ANY of your fellow HATE Mormons) can come up with even ONE example whereby Mitt has said ANYTHING positive about "Communism;" has any Commie Associates;" has "Dissed" our Constitution, (because of its "NEGATIVE LIBERTIES," etc.

MEANWHILE, chew on this: "Obama Admits He Is A Muslim Video

http://republicmainstreet.wordpress.com/2012/02/19/obama-admits-he-is-a-muslim-video-hannity-pressured-to-not-show-it/

Go ahead, the ball is in your court!!!

[SoConPubbie]

Did the Olympics that Willard worked on flop financially?

Yes, but he relied heavily on Federal Tax-Payer dollars to subsidize the Olympics.

Like everything with Mitt, what he tells you is only have the story.

[SoConPubbie]

No, you've still not answered the most important question proferred to you by Colofornian:

2. Then prove that Mormonism is any less teflon-proof to hell than Islam is...(And regarding the eternal "second death" -- only a fool thinks the "brush fire" here on earth is the three-alarm, city-wide meltdown that hell represents)

So the ball is still in YOUR court.

[SoConPubbie]

This simply goes to show your irrational hatred is based upon a lie as you can NOT prove your case other than using hyperbole, dissembling and other typical, Liberal tactics.

You apparently cannot read.

Of all the threads on FreeRepublic, the Religion Forum threads concerning Mormonism are the best sourced on FreeRepublic. The flying Imams provide all sorts of proof from the foundational documents of Mormonism, their bible, and the Christian Bible. They also use the words of Mormon Leaders themselves in context to prove their points.

You, on the other hand, constantly display an irrational hatred towards those proving their point using a solid factual and logical process.