Religions and faith communities regularly make the news. Usually inglorious. Often there are outright scandals, as the world’s largest church – the Catholic one – has shown time and time again.
Now it has caught the Mormons too. The largest New Revelation church with the striking name “Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints” is involved in a financial scandal in the US. Utah headlines once again show that while denominations are primarily about religious and spiritual matters, many become very worldly when it comes to money matters. Specifically: greedy.
The Mormon Church, which has approximately 15 million faithful and generous members worldwide, brings in tens of millions of dollars annually. What the faithful did not know: their church was hoarding a significant portion of the proceeds instead of funding religious and social projects as promised.
Cash flows hedged with letterbox company
To invest and disguise the money, Mormons founded the investment company Ensign Peak Advisers. This built a network of shell companies and moved millions. As a result, the investment firm has failed to properly report its portfolio of stocks, bonds and real estate to authorities for 22 years, Der Spiegel reported this week. So now the Securities and Exchange Commission has fined her and the Mormon Church $5 million.
The Mormon cadres will probably suffer more from the damage to their image than the buses. You can easily pay the fine with the letterbox. In any case, the church accepts the verdict and is willing to pay a million. Ensign Peak should take care of the rest.
Dropouts estimate the Mormon Church’s fortune at at least $100 billion. The faithful, like the members of the Christian free churches, are obliged to donate ten percent of their income. Capital gains also make a nice contribution.
Mormons are also secular when it comes to politics. Believers who engage in politics are held in high esteem. A good example is Cadre member Mitt Romney, who ran as the Republican presidential nominee against Barack Obama in 2012.
Mormonism is a curious religion. Founder Joseph Smith claimed that in 1827 the angel Mormon brought him gold plaques inscribed with the “Mormon Bible.” With the help of a magic crystal, he was able to translate the ancient characters into English. He wrote these down, after which the divine being picked up the gold plates again.
The Book of Mormon is a kind of modified Bible. It is clear that Smith used the Christian book as a model. However, his rescue story did not take place in the Middle East, but the Mormon Jesus lived in the US, which Smith says had been inhabited since ancient times. The American Son of God also died on the cross.
Like all free churches, Smith believed in the approaching end of the world, as evidenced by the name. With his apocalyptic predictions, he turned out to be a false prophet.
The founder of the Mormon Church preached polygamy. Many clergy had numerous wives. Even ordinary believers who could afford it married several believing sisters. The women were second-class citizens, oppressed and sexually exploited.
Gay marriages and abortions are taboo
When the U.S. Constitution banned polygamy, Mormons had to abandon the misogynistic practice. But there are still scattered groups whose leaders secretly have several wives.
Nevertheless, Mormons, like most free churches, are retarded. Homosexuality is forbidden, same-sex marriages and abortions are taboo.
Mormons are sworn to secrecy. Only the baptized are allowed to enter the holy temple. Whatever rituals are practiced there, they are not allowed to carry out.
The special “sacred” underwear that Mormons are supposed to wear all the time also appears to be sectarian. It is intended to remind believers of their faith day and night and to shape their identity.
The night baptisms are also special. If you want to go to paradise, you must be baptized into Mormon. However, this exclusive dogma had a catch: the Moromons realized that their ancestors could not benefit from this grace and a reunion with the ancestors in paradise was in jeopardy.
They came up with a trick and introduced vicarious baptisms. The faithful carried out meticulous genealogical research and today have the most extensive genealogical collection in the world. If they find an ancestor, a believer can be baptized in their place.
Missionary methods are also problematic, if not sectarian. Young Mormons are sent abroad for 1.5 to 2 years around the age of 19. They have to prepare for their assignments as youngsters and learn the right language.
Inhuman standards of behavior
The rules of conduct are inhumane. The young missionaries are only allowed to contact their families a few times a year. So call or write. The church determines their lives and behavior down to the smallest detail. For example, close contact with strangers in their mission environment is strictly prohibited. Church leaders fear that the lonely missionaries will befriend unbelievers or even fall in love and give up begging.
Mormon communities also exist in Switzerland. However, believers in this country are cautious and reserved. They want to avoid being classified as a cult because many believers are successful business people who don’t want to jeopardize their company’s reputation.
Conclusion: There is no doubt that Mormon beliefs, some dogmas, and codes of conduct are indoctrination and sectarian in nature.
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With his blogging Hugo Stamm has been serving a loyal readership for years with his critical thoughts on religion and soul rape.
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I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
