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Religion, finances and violence: Latter-day Saint leaders provide answers to key questions

Religion, finances and violence: Latter-day Saint leaders provide answers to key questions

Yahoo30-05-2025
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Latter-day Saint leaders recently released new resources providing additional transparency through answers to important questions.
The information can be found in three new Gospel Topics and Questions pages on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
The pages on church finances, religion vs. violence and temples provide a broad look at important issues ranging from the use of tithing funds and other donations, doctrines and policies about violence and what happens inside temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Here's what is new and how the information can help church members and others.
A new Gospel Topics page called Church Financial Administration will be of keen interest to many people, as much for the graphics included as for the information provided.
Nearly all of the financial information has been reported in the past by the Deseret News, from the fact that the church annually spends $1 billion on education to its different reserve funds where it sets aside money for future needs.
The page answers 10 questions like:
Do church leaders receive financial support? Answer: Yes, members of the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the General Authority Seventies and the Presiding Bishopric receive a modest living allowance and insurance benefits so they can devote all their time to serving the Lord.
Does the church pay taxes? Answer: Yes, the church and its affiliated entities pay various income, property, sales and value-added taxes.
Why does the church spend so much on temples? Answer: Because they are houses of the Lord and the only places where people can make and receive covenants and ordinances that bind them and their families to God.
So what is new in the finance Gospel Topics page?
What is most visible are the new and easy to share graphics.
Also, a news release that accompanied the release of the pages shared a graphic about the 19,000 locations where the church's 31,000 congregations worship each Sunday.
'The church spends hundreds of millions of dollars for meetinghouses each year,' the graphic says, representing the first time the church has provided a ballpark figure for meetinghouse costs.
The news release also shared eight other graphics about church finances.
A new page titled Religion vs. Violence openly discusses the Mountain Meadows Massacre ('the most tragic event in Latter-day Saint history') and blood atonement ('not a doctrine of the church').
The page poses and answers 11 questions, including:
Are religious people more likely to be violent? Answer: No, 'most often, religious beliefs lead people to behave unselfishly and promote peaceful solutions to the world's problems.'
How do we make sense of instances of violence in the scriptures? Answer: 'They should never be used to justify violence in the present.'
The overall message of the page mirrors the peacemaking teachings of Jesus Christ, President Russell M. Nelson and others, including President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency, who called violence 'a terrible and inexcusable departure from Christian teaching and conduct.'
The new Gospel Topics page about temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also answers 11 questions.
The page could be helpful both to church members trying to answer questions about temples, temple worship and temple ordinances and to those unfamiliar with them.
It provides a good, one-stop location for information on the covenants made in temples and much more.
Other questions include:
Why have there been some adjustments to temple procedures and ceremonies over time? Answer: Joseph Smith made adjustments to temple ceremonies from the church's beginnings and that has continued over the 195-year history 'as prophets have sought the Lord's guidance about the best way to explain and take the blessings of the temple to the Lord's children.'
How does the temple endowment ceremony compare to Masonic rituals? Answer: 'There are some similarities between the teaching style and outward forms of Masonic ritual and the endowment, the substance and purpose of the two ceremonies are completely different.'
That answer includes a link to the Church History Topics page on Masonry, and such links are provided in several places in all three of the new Gospel Topics pages.
'We're a partner to the cause': Church of Jesus Christ donates to center for child abuse survivors (May 23)
Elder Ronald A. Rasband dedicated the Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple on Sunday. It is the first temple in the country and the church's 205th temple overall. Read the dedicatory prayer here.
Elder Quentin L. Cook is on an eight-day ministry in the church's Europe North Area. In England, he said 'The Savior accomplished everything we need.'
Elder Patrick Kearon joined a Catholic cardinal in ministering to parolees in the Philippines.
Church leaders broke ground for the Benin City Nigeria Temple.
The First Presidency announced the groundbreaking for the Vancouver Washington Temple, which isn't far from where I graduated from high school.
Latter-day Saints now can choose between a mobile or printed temple recommend.
The church used solar-powered desalination plants to provide clean drinking water to villages on five islands in Kiribati, with help to additional islands planned.
A new sign honors the people of Quincy, Illinois, for sheltering Latter-day Saint pioneers expelled from Missouri in the winter of 1838-39.
We're in the middle of a historic upheaval in sports. A new article shows how Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals are changing both the NFL and NBA, as well as college sports. Last month, only 69 underclassmen took part in the NFL Draft, down from 128 in 2021. Next month, only 106 players will be part of the NBA draft, down from 363 in 2021. More are staying in college because NIL money is more stable than draft position.
While Provo, Rexburg, Laie and Salt Lake City — homes to BYU, BYU-Idaho, BYU-Hawaii and Ensign College — are all booming along with the enrollments at those schools, falling student enrollment at many public schools is busting many American towns. Demographics are part of the problem, as U.S. births peaked at 4.3 million in 2007 and have been falling almost every year since. The doors have closed at 242 institutions that issue college degrees in the past decade, according to the Hechinger Report. Also, more students are calculating that tuition prices and the opportunity cost of lost work years aren't it. The phenomenon is mostly striking regional state colleges and universities, according to the Wall Street Journal (paywall).
It's pretty stats-heavy, but I enjoyed this look at whether Mike Trout or Mookie Betts is the best player of their generation.
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Inside the movement to make Idaho a ‘Christian State' — and how that affects Latter-day Saints
Inside the movement to make Idaho a ‘Christian State' — and how that affects Latter-day Saints

Yahoo

time7 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Inside the movement to make Idaho a ‘Christian State' — and how that affects Latter-day Saints

One of the most influential conservative policy groups at the Idaho Capitol wants to make the state explicitly Christian. But their definition excludes a quarter of the population who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, not to mention those in the state who belong to other religions or no religion at all. Over the past five years, the Idaho Family Policy Center has become a legislative powerhouse, drafting, sponsoring and training lawmakers to debate a host of bills promoting Christian values in public spaces. This year the organization pushed to mandate daily Bible reading in public schools. Though the policy never received a floor vote, the organization has vowed to bring it back next year, with the proposal representing just the beginning of what the group envisions for the state. Religious litmus tests in Idaho? Idaho Family Policy Center president Blaine Conzatti told the Deseret News he would not oppose declaring Idaho a 'Christian state' and implementing religious tests for public office, although he clarified these are not his short-term goals. While the Supreme Court struck them down in 1961, provisions to prevent non-Christians from office are not new or radical, according to Conzatti. Many early American states incorporated religious tests requiring a belief in the Christian God, or a specific affiliation to Protestant sects. Conzatti does not advocate for states to put their stamp of approval on one specific denomination but he does draw a line between 'historic Christianity,' based on the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds, and the faith of Latter-day Saints. While they share many beliefs in common with Conzatti, some of the roughly one-third of Idaho lawmakers who belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints say this approach could alienate the state's nearly half million members, and threatens religious pluralism. 'Mr. Conzatti, unfortunately, would not consider the majority faith in my legislative district to be Christian,' said Rep. Josh Wheeler, a Republican who represents the southeast corner of Idaho. 'That right there shows you the danger of becoming too narrow in what you require in policy that brings faith into the public square.' Since Wheeler entered the statehouse in 2023, legislators have introduced a record number of bills, with 'a large majority' of those originating from groups like the Idaho Family Policy Center, Wheeler said. The organization has had some major victories like the 2023 passage of bills letting parents sue libraries that carry sexually offensive books and letting students sue for encountering members of the opposite sex in public bathrooms. The Idaho Family Policy Center is characterized by its relentless approach, providing lawmakers with several versions of a bill to introduce each session to make it more likely that efforts like daily Bible reading will eventually pass, according to Wheeler. 'What I was surprised by is the way that this influence kind of shapes the whole legislative process in Idaho,' Wheeler said. But these legislative wins may ultimately come at the expense of broader goals to spread Christian values across society, Wheeler said, because they don't take into account the needs of all state residents. What the founders intended? In a series of email responses, Conzatti said that his political mission rests on the belief that the Founding Fathers crafted constitutions with the assumption that governments would actively promote what Conzatti calls 'biblical Christianity.' 'We are a Christian nation, as our founders at both the federal and state level affirmed,' Conzatti told the Deseret News. 'Put simply, we want our public schools and local governments to acknowledge God, in ways consistent with the history and tradition of our state and nation.' To support his conclusion, Conzatti, who studied government and law at Liberty University, cites numerous sources from the American Revolution and late 19th century where founders and Supreme Court justices affirmed the nation's Christian foundations. Drawing on Federalist leader Fisher Ames, Commentaries on the Constitution (1833) by Justice Joseph Story and Church of the Holy Trinity v. 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I'm a conservative Catholic. Keep politics out of my church, other houses of worship
I'm a conservative Catholic. Keep politics out of my church, other houses of worship

Miami Herald

timea day ago

  • Miami Herald

I'm a conservative Catholic. Keep politics out of my church, other houses of worship

As a Catholic and someone who used to work in politics, I have often appreciated that when I step into Mass on Sunday mornings, I can focus on my faith and not the latest polling or candidate endorsements. I support religious liberty and being able to worship without government interference. But that freedom shouldn't allow our sacred places to become overly political. Partisan politics should be kept out of our religious institutions. But now a new ruling will allow religious leaders to endorse political candidates in churches and other religious houses without the risk of losing their tax-exempt status. I hope that doesn't mean I'll be hearing about candidate X from the pulpit. The ruling comes after the evangelical group, National Religious Broadcasters and two Texas churches, filed suit against the Internal Revenue Service last August. They were challenging, on First Amendment grounds, a tax code that defines the tax-exempt status for churches and other nonprofit organizations and prohibits their participation in 'any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.' As a result, the IRS has reversed its previous policy and will now allow religious leaders to endorse political candidates. I'm not alone in my dismay over the thought of hearing about politics during the time I set aside for worship. Faith leaders in Miami told the Herald that they're concerned this ruling could create rifts in religious communities. Houses of worship shouldn't become cogs in political machines. There are those who see this as a victory for religious freedom. Dr. Robert Jeffress, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas, praised the filing and tweeted, 'Government has NO BUSINESS regulating what is said in pulpits!' President Donald Trump also applauded the development. During the first White House Faith Office summit on July 14, he said 'God is once again welcomed back into our public square.' But I see it differently. God has never been absent from the public square — as a Catholic, I bring my values into my civic life every day. The real issue here is whether houses of worship will become extensions of political campaigns. I recognize the frustration some conservative Christians and others feel. In the past, many evangelicals embraced political engagement with enthusiasm, speaking at campaign rallies for Trump and mobilizing voters through explicit endorsements. This change in the law means they will no longer have to risk their tax-exempt status if they want to engage in partisan endorsements. The 'Souls to the Polls' movement, which focuses on Black churches, is one way that that faith communities already have influenced voter turnout. But the Catholic Church is drawing a line when it comes to this latest ruling. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement saying that the 'Church maintains its stance of not endorsing or opposing political candidates.' I've spent enough time in pews and on the campaign trail to know the difference between a sermon and a stump speech. And those lines shouldn't be blurred. When politics enters the pew, division follows. Houses of worship should be places of refuge, reflection and reconciliation. I may differ politically with my fellow congregants, but on Sundays during Mass, we are united in worship under one God. The last thing I want to know is who my priest is voting for or their political affiliation. As a conservative, I believe we should value institutions that transcend politics, not surrender them at the altar of partisanship. Religious leaders have many responsibilities — to guide us on issues of morality and faith, for example. But let's keep politics out of it. Mary Anna Mancuso is a member of the Miami Herald Editorial Board. Her email: mmancuso@

‘MAGA superstar:' Permits revoked for two of Christian singer's East Coast concerts
‘MAGA superstar:' Permits revoked for two of Christian singer's East Coast concerts

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‘MAGA superstar:' Permits revoked for two of Christian singer's East Coast concerts

HALIFAX - Public officials in Nova Scotia and P.E.I. have cancelled concerts by a U.S.-based Christian musician, citing complaints from residents and planned protests that raised concerns about public safety. Singer Sean Feucht describes himself as a musician, missionary, author and activist. Having spoken out against 'gender ideology,' abortion and the LGBTQ+ community, his religious and political views have grabbed the attention of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration. Late on Tuesday, Parks Canada issued a statement saying it received advice from police before revoking the permit for Feucht's performance, scheduled for Wednesday night at the York Redoubt National Historic Site overlooking Halifax harbour. 'Parks Canada has reassessed the conditions of the permit and potential impacts to community members, visitors, concert attendees and event organizers,' the agency's statement said, adding there were 'security challenges' with the site — a British fort built in 1793. 'After careful review, and due to heightened public safety concerns, Parks Canada has notified the organizer that the permit has been revoked.' Parks Canada did not respond to a request for an interview and Feucht could not be reached for comment. On Wednesday, the City of Charlottetown confirmed it had also consulted police before telling Feucht his concert slated for Thursday at Confederation Landing was cancelled due to 'evolving public safety and security concerns.' The Atlantic magazine, based in Washington, D.C., recently described Feucht as a Christian nationalist who has become a 'MAGA superstar.' 'Between praising President Donald Trump as God's chosen one and suggesting that abortion supporters are 'demons,' Feucht has repeatedly advocated for the fusion of Church and state,' the article says. During a 2023 performance in Wisconsin, Feucht is quoted as saying, 'Yeah, we want God in control of government .... We want God writing the laws of the land.' During the COVID-19 pandemic, he performed at Christian-rock concerts in violation of lockdown orders. And in 2020, he was representing the Republican party when he failed to win a congressional seat in California. In response to Parks Canada's decision, Feucht posted a video on his Facebook page saying he was the victim of intolerance. 'This is the classic playbook of the media, of the anti-Christian bigots out there that hate Christians,' he said. 'This is the same, exact place where people gathered for a Pride event last week. But now they're not so tolerant when peaceful Christians come together.' In another social media post, Feucht announced the Halifax-area concert venue would be moved to a site in Shubenacadie, N.S., a rural community about 60 kilometres northeast of Halifax. 'This is not the hour to bow down to the mob,' Feucht said Wednesday on Facebook. 'No, we need to rise up. Tonight, we are going to gather. The show is going on, baby. God is with us.' Feucht has concert dates scheduled for Thursday in Moncton, N.B., followed by a show in Quebec City on Friday, and a string of performances in Ottawa, Toronto and five locations in Western Canada. There was no shortage of support for Feucht's tour on his Facebook page. 'I am also embarrassed and ashamed to hear this is happening,' said one supporter. 'We live near Moncton and can't wait to go see the Lord moving through you here Thursday night.' Another commenter was more blunt: 'Wow, this is just a Christian event. Not political.' But there were detractors as well. 'It has nothing to do with free speech,' wrote one commenter. 'It is directly a reflection of Sean's political views that support the threat against (Canadian) sovereignty.' Before city officials in Charlottetown revoked Feucht's concert permit, they issued a statement saying it was aware of concerns raised about the event, but they said there were legal restrictions on limiting access to public spaces. Still, the officials expressed the city's support for the LGBTQ+ community. 'This week marks the beginning of Pride Fest 2025,' they said. 'The City of Charlottetown stands in full support of our diverse and vibrant 2SLGBTQ+ community.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 23, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .

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