Mormon Billions

In 2019, a whistleblower revealed that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) have amassed over $100 billion in assets.^[1] The Washington Post broke the story, and the news has sparked a controversy yet to be properly addressed.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are required to pay 10% of their income to the church. This practice, known as tithing, ensures that members are worthy of entering the temple to preside over and participate in ordinances that will allow them to reach the highest kingdom of exaltation.^[2]

The tool on this website plainly illustrates the Mormon church’s massive amount of wealth. Each block is shown to-scale to demonstrate the scope of the situation.

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$1,000

1 pixel = $1,000

$68,703

The median annual household income in the United States in 2019.^[3]

$1 million

$1 billion

$1 billion is 2,000px by 500px

$100 billion

See how far you can scroll.

All the money you will ever earn in your life - $2,700,000^[4]

Charitable donations per year - $65,714,285^[5]

* $2.3B including cash, commodities and in-kind donations averaged over 35 years.

Cost to build the Salt Lake Temple - $101,200,166^[6]

* $3,500,000 in 1893 is worth $101,200,166 in 2021.

2021 Utah public education budget - $292 million^[7]

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$100 billion is a difficult number to grasp. Just think what could be accomplished if this money were used to help pressing issues.

What are the takeaways?

Despite possessing over $100 billion, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints continues to require its members to pay tithing regardless of their financial situation. Over the pulpit every Sunday (and outside of church service), church leaders implore members to continue paying tithing even if they cannot afford the expense. The church continuously refuses to transparently disclose where these funds are allocated or how they are spent; even to the members who are donating.

This practice is unnecessary, manipulative, and abusive. It’s time for a change.