Mormons Accused of Ripping Off Taxpayers by Hundreds of Millions of Dollars | 60 Minutes Australia

Oct 30, 2022 | Once famous – or infamous – for its stance on polygamy, these days the Mormon Church is better known for its earnest young missionaries who doorknock our suburbs promising enlightenment. But on 60 MINUTES, enlightenment about a subject the Mormon Church wants to keep secret: serious accusations that Mormons in Australia have been able to draw on $400 million in tax deductions not lawfully available to followers of other religions. It’s alleged by church whistle-blowers that the Mormon books are being cooked in an elaborate tax dodge. As Tom Steinfort reports, this is money Australia could well use, but despite the federal government’s bluster about cracking down on waste and rorting, so far it has done nothing.

Former Mormon Tabernacle Choir Singer Explains Why She Quit Over Donald Trump Invite | MSNBC

Jan Chamberlin, who resigned from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, joins to discuss why she left when she learned the choir would be performing at Donald Trump's inauguration.

Mormon Leader Reiterates Church's Opposition to Same-sex Marriage

THE GUARDIAN: Neil L Andersen said during the church's biannual conference that though others had redefined marriage, 'the Lord has not'

A Mormon leader on Saturday reiterated the church's opposition to gay marriage.

Neil L Andersen, of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Quorum of the Twelve, said during the church's biannual general conference in Salt Lake City: "While many governments and well-meaning individuals have redefined marriage, the Lord has not.

"He designated the purpose of marriage to go far beyond the personal satisfaction and fulfilment of adults, to more importantly, advancing the ideal setting for children to be born, reared and nurtured."

After a June 2013 US supreme court ruling struck down parts of the federal Defence of Marriage Act, gay marriage has become legal in 17 states and the District of Columbia. Federal judges have also struck down bans in Michigan, Utah, Texas, Oklahoma and Virginia, and ordered Kentucky and Tennessee to recognise out-of-state gay marriages, though stays have been issued pending appeals.

On Friday, a judge in Ohio said he would order the state to recognise same-sex marriages from other states.

The Mormon church's message on homosexuality has softened in recent years, but this marks the second consecutive conference in which leaders have talked about their opposition to gay marriage. In 2012, Dallin H Oaks of the Quorum said human laws cannot "make moral what God has declared immoral". Read on and comment » | Associated Press in Salt Lake City | Saturday, April 05, 2014

Head of Mormon Church Thomas Monson Summoned by British Magistrate's Court over Adam and Eve Teaching

Thomas S. Monson, worldwide leader of the Mormon Church

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Thomas S Monson, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ordered to appear before British magistrate's court amid claims that the organisation's teaching amounts to 'fraud'

A British magistrate has issued an extraordinary summons to the worldwide leader of the Mormon church alleging that its teachings about mankind amount to fraud.

Thomas S. Monson, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been ordered to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London next month to defend the church’s doctrines including beliefs about Adam and Eve and Native Americans.

A formal summons signed by District Judge Elizabeth Roscoe warns Mr Monson, who is recognised by Mormons as a God’s prophet on Earth, that a warrant for his arrest could be issued if he fails to make the journey from Salt Lake City, Utah, for a hearing on March 14.

In one of the most unusual documents ever issued by a British court, it lists seven teachings of the church, including that American Indians are descended from a family of ancient Israelites as possible evidence of fraud.

It also cites the belief that the Book of Mormon was translated from ancient gold plates revealed to the church’s founder Joseph Smith by angels and that Adam and Eve lived around 6,000 years ago.

The document suggests that asking members of the church to make contributions while promoting theological doctrines which “might be untrue or misleading” could be a breach of the Fraud Act 2006. » | John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor | Wednesday, February 05, 2014

Mitt Romney and the Mormon Factor
What is Mormonism and what would a Mormon in the White House mean for US politics and the world?

AL JAZEERA ENGLISH: Read the article here » | People & Power reporter Bob Abeshouse | Thursday, April 05, 2012

WIKI: American exceptionalism »

Blessing: A Gay Mormon Film


Gay Mormon Films (ProText Films) »

Gay Mormon Students Discuss Struggles With Suicide in 'It Gets Better' Video
ABC NEWS: Students at Mormon college Brigham Young University have released avideo about their experiences as homosexuals in a religious community that prohibits gay sex and marriage.

The video, called "It Gets Better at Brigham Young University," is part of the "It Gets Better" project, founded by columnist Dan Savage to prevent suicide among LGBT youth.

Erikka Beam, a recent BYU graduate in psychology, said that when she realized she was gay, she became depressed, started cutting classes, and was told by her bishop that she wasn't worthy to take the sacrament.

"I just felt, 'I'm not worthy. God clearly doesn't love me because he does not love gay people,'" she said in the video.

Beam also talked about her struggle with suicide.

"I just thought that I needed to just kill myself because the heartbreak of me dying would be less than the heartbreak my parents would experience if I came out to them," Beam said.

According to the video, 74 percent of LGBT students at BYU in Provo, Utah, have contemplated suicide, and 24 percent have attempted suicide.

"I thought that eventually maybe it would be better if I died," one male student said, "so I did everything I could to really be that perfect Mormon. I thought that was going to cure myself." » | Olivia Katrandjian | Sunday, April 08, 2012

Anne Frank 'Posthumously Baptised as a Mormon'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Anne Frank, one of the most revered victims of the Holocaust, was posthumously baptised by the Mormon church, according a researcher examining the church's proxy records.

The allegations come just a week after The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints apologised when it was brought to light that the parents of Holocaust survivor and Jewish rights advocate Simon Wiesenthal were posthumously baptised by church members at temples in Arizona and Utah in late January.

Mormon researcher Helen Radkey, who revealed the Wiesenthal baptisms, said this week she found Anne Frank's name in proxy baptism records dated Feb 18, showing the ritual was performed in the Santo Domingo Temple in the Dominican Republic.

The Mormon church almost immediately issued a statement, though it didn't mention Frank by name.

"The Church keeps its word and is absolutely firm in its commitment to not accept the names of Holocaust victims for proxy baptism," the Salt Lake City-based church said. "It is distressing when an individual wilfully violates the Church's policy and something that should be understood to be an offering based on love and respect becomes a source of contention." » | AP | Friday, February 24, 2012

Mitt Romney Leads the Charge as Mormonism Moves into the American Mainstream

THE OBSERVER: With two Mormons contending for the presidency and a growing media profile, the church has never been so popular – nor so closely scrutinised

The stone-clad building stands on a busy intersection in the heart of Manhattan's Upper West Side. There is little to distinguish it from any other modern place of worship in New York: it has a simple design, subtly decorated windows and a modest spire – one topped by a golden statue of a trumpet-wielding angel. And that is the difference: the angel, unfamiliar to most Christians, is called Moroni.

The building is the Manhattan temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, better known around the world as the Mormons. There are other temples scattered throughout New York, serving a growing community in the city of one of the world's youngest but fastest-spreading faiths. Normally associated with the desert mountains of Utah, where it has its headquarters, the church's 6 million-plus members are rapidly rising to prominence in America's consciousness: two Mormons are running for the Republican presidential nomination. Indeed, Mitt Romney is a frontrunner in that race and by 2013 the US could have a Mormon president.

There are already 15 Mormons in Congress, including Democratic Senate leader Harry Reid. Rightwing media firebrand Glenn Beck is a Mormon. So is rock star Brandon Flowers, lead singer of the Killers, and former Utah governor Jon Huntsman, contending with Romney for the Republican nomination. Mormons run businesses such as hotel chain Marriott International, and shows about them – such as the HBO drama Big Love – are television hits. For a faith that has often been persecuted, Mormonism, it seems, has never been more American.

"I am not only a New Yorker and a Mormon, but I am proud to be so. I have raised a family here," says David Buckner, a business consultant who worships at the Manhattan temple. For Buckner, 48, who has called New York home since 1995, the city and Mormonism are a perfect fit. "There is a deep respect for different religions here in New York. People are respectful of our mores and values."

That is not true everywhere. Robert Jeffress, a leading conservative Baptist minister with links to Romney's rival for the nomination Rick Perry, recently launched a blistering attack on the faith, calling it a "cult" and saying it is "not Christianity". Others appear to view the emergence of Mormonism into everyday life with nervousness: a poll in June found one in five US voters would oppose a Mormon candidate for president.

Nor is that a reflection of concern only on the religious right. Mormonism takes a strong view against gay marriage: it has provided financial backing for campaigns to stop same-sex couples getting full married rights, notably in California in 2008. The church's actions triggered nationwide protests by campaigners. » | Paul Harris in New York | Sunday, October 16, 2011

Romney's Faith Splits Religious Conservatives

THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: WASHINGTON: Mitt Romney's Mormon faith, an issue that has largely stayed below the surface of the presidential race, erupted into the open again at a gathering of religious conservatives, reviving questions about whether some in the evangelical community could accept him as the Republican nominee.

Mr Romney spoke to the conference on Saturday, a day after a Texas pastor and supporter of the Texas Governor, Rick Perry, at the event labelled Mormonism "a cult" and said Mr Romney was not a Christian.

Mr Perry's campaign quickly distanced itself from Robert Jeffress's remarks. "The Governor does not believe Mormonism is a cult," the campaign spokesman, Mark Miner, said.

Mr Jeffress introduced Mr Perry at the Values Voter Summit, but made his controversial statements to reporters after Mr Perry's speech, calling his own view "mainstream" among evangelicals.

"I believe that Governor Romney is a good, moral, family person," Mr Jeffress said. "But he's not a born-again follower of Christ."

Mr Romney did not address Mr Jeffress's comments directly on Saturday but made a plea for tolerance. "Poisonous language doesn't advance our cause," he said. "It's never softened a single heart nor changed a single mind." » | James Oliphant, Michael Memoli | McClatchey Newspapers | Monday, October 10, 2011

The Mormon Church Is Leading the Fight against Gay Marriage in California
ALTERNET: California's Prop. 8 has exploded into an expensive, extensive battle between religious conservatives and gay rights advocates.

REXBURG, IDAHO -- America's Family Community." That's the motto of this Mormon college town, displayed on street-side monuments and in tall letters on the movie-theater marquee. Apparently, it's a formula for success. Rexburg thrives on a burst of construction and population growth. More than 30,000 residents occupy a grid of wide, orderly streets, amid vast potato fields that unfurl toward the majestic Teton Peaks. Plenty of Rexburg parents, following the Mormon prescription for big families, have six or seven children. One guy tells me his next-door neighbors have 13 children, and a family on the other side has 16. The newly expanded hospital maternity unit is already crowded with new babies. If Rexburg is any indication, Mormons are taking over the world.

They certainly run this town. An estimated 97 percent of the locals belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- making Rexburg possibly the most Mormon of all towns. The brilliant white-stone 57,000-square-foot Mormon temple, opened eight months ago, looms on a hilltop, glowing day and night; intense floodlights make Mormon temples the brightest objects in the Western nights. The college that sprawls beside the temple -- Brigham Young University-Idaho -- now boasts an annual enrollment of 21,000 students, more than double what it had eight years ago.

Mormon mores -- some written into local laws -- permeate the community. Rexburg has no real saloon and no supply of hard liquor; only four restaurants are licensed to serve beer or wine. There is only one coffee shop, and it keeps up with the meager caffeine demand by brewing each cup individually. When I cruise town on a pleasant Saturday night in mid-September, the hottest action comes down in a bowling alley: Balls crash down all 16 lanes while the spinning pins and the bowlers' teeth glow even whiter under the ultraviolet lighting.

But something louder and bigger draws me to Rexburg: the religious culture wars, which heat up every election season. Prophets who run the Mormon Church -- the church president, his top counselors and a dozen top apostles, based in the headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah -- encourage all Mormons to be active in politics. The prophets are said to be relaying the word of God, and while they generally don't endorse candidates, they take stands on issues such as abortion and homosexuality. As a result, most Mormons vote very Republican. In the last presidential election, nearly 92 percent of the votes in Madison County (Rexburg is the county seat) went to George W. Bush -- securing Rexburg yet another title: the nation's most Republican town.

On the most critical issues, the Mormon prophets go all out, urging their followers to conduct targeted campaigns. That helps explain why, Thursday evenings in the downtown building of a health-products company owned by one of Idaho's richest Mormons, groups of Rexburg college students and townies get together. They're using the company's call center to make call after call to California voters, trying to persuade them to pass a ballot measure in the November election. It's titled Proposition 8 -- the California Marriage Protection Amendment -- and it aims to prevent gay and lesbian people from getting married in that state.

An eight-year battle led to Proposition 8. In 2000, with Mormon encouragement and campaign money, California voters passed a measure banning gay marriage. It blew up again last May, when the California Supreme Court justices narrowly ruled (four to three) that the ban violated the civil rights of gays and lesbians. The court likened it to the bans many states once had against interracial marriage, all of which were tossed out long ago. Now, Proposition 8 aims to overrule the California Supreme Court, by amending the state Constitution.

Many religious groups have jumped into the campaign; the Mormon Church takes the lead. In June, the church's top prophets commanded Mormons "to do all you can" to work for Proposition 8 and donate money to the campaign. Mormon leaders throughout California read the instructions to their congregations, which have more than 750,000 members. Word spread everywhere in the Mormon realm. In August, the prophets added pages of elaboration: "The Church has a single, undeviating standard of sexual morality: intimate relations are proper only between a husband and a wife united in bonds of matrimony. ... Any dilution of the traditional definition of marriage will further erode the already weakened stability of marriages and family generally ... with harmful consequences for society." Mormon volunteers, additionally inspired by special TV broadcasts beamed from the headquarters into their churches, go door-to-door in California for Proposition 8. In other states, they run phone banks and do whatever they can. Their effort is strongest in the West, because there are more Mormons in this region than anywhere else. Chad Reiser, a leader of the BYU-Idaho College Republican Club, says the phone banks are not an official club activity, but "we do try to get as many people involved as possible. Proposition 8 is a moral issue" related to church doctrine -- "something we believe is important to all people." >>> By Ray Ring, High Country News | October 22, 2008

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