Summary: <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> [dropcap]G[/dropcap]iven our production schedule the past few weeks, we haven't actually discussed the big one: the Church's wealth! In case you missed it, a whistleblower <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/mormon-church-has-misled-members-on-100-billion-tax-exempt-investment-fund-whistleblower-alleges/2019/12/16/e3619bd2-2004-11ea-86f3-3b5019d451db_story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">alleged</a> that the Church has mishandled charitable contributions and used them to either build a war chest or bail out other for-profit, Church-owned entities as opposed to spending the charitable contributions on charitable purposes.<br> <br> The Church is famously opaque about its finances, but that was not always the case. You might have read in passing that Salt Lake used to publish financial reports well into the 20th century, but then stopped sometime in the 1950s or 160s. The presumption is that this was to avoid shedding a light on all of our money. However, that wasn't the case, as <a href="https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/commentary/2019/12/20/nathan-b-oman-cost/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">this great op ed</a> explains. It was to avoid embarrassment for being in the red during the McKay era due to spending so much money on international expansion. The tradition has continued, but at this point, for what purpose? Who is benefiting from caginess about money? We don't need to know everything, but perhaps some greater detail would take away the mystery and the bogeyman in the process.<br> <br> For its part, the First Presidency r<a href="https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/first-presidency-statement-church-finances" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">eleased a statement</a> that largely said nothing new, and Newsroom also published <a href="https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/church-of-jesus-christ-finances" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">an article</a> purporting to explain how Church funds are used, but it was also (perhaps predictably) bereft of detail. If you want to see that lack of detail in video form, enjoy below.<br> <br> <br> <br> There's actually been news not related to the Church having a portfolio half the size of Apple's cash on hand! The Gay Men's Chorus of Washington <a href="https://affirmation.org/gay-mens-chorus-washington-performs-dc-temple-visitors-center" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">performed</a> at the Washington, D.C. Temple visitors center as part of the beloved Festival of Lights celebration. This seems like a perfectly good thing, right? Ecumenism! Outreach! New friendly relationships! Well, many of you on Facebook did not think so, and that makes us sad.<br> <br> <br> <br> In temple news on the other side of the country, the Salt Lake Temple is <a href="http://www.thisweekinmormons.com/2019/04/salt-lake-temple-to-close-for-four-years-for-major-structural-work-renovated-temple-grounds/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">now closed for about four years</a> to undergo the largest, most extensive renovation in its history. As one might expect, there are many couples who have wanted to wed in the historic building, which resulted in a major crunch of weddings leading up to the temple's closure. One <a href="https://kutv.com/news/local/utah-couples-line-up-to-wed-in-temple-ahead-of-4-year-closure" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">bride even reserved the temple before even being engaged</a>!<br> <br> Also in Utah, a man claiming to be frustrated with the gentler sex's refusal to pay him the attention he feels he deserves decide to <a href="https://www.thespectrum.com/story/news/2019/12/27/utah-man-charged-burglary-over-alleged-mormon-temple-break/2756340001" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">run around in the Logan Utah Temple with an ax</a>. Neat.<br> <br>
