Tithing Lawsuit Against the LDS Church

Thoughts on Paying Tithing and the Lawsuit Against the Church and Its Administration of Tithing Funds

The lawsuit raises several complaints, primarily from former or disgruntled members of the church. These complaints include:

Allegations that the church misrepresented the use of tithing funds.
Claims that funds were not distributed to the poor as expected.
Concerns that the church continued to request tithing contributions despite having a significant surplus.
Objections to the church investing the surplus funds.
Criticism of the church using funds to bail out Beneficial Life.
Discontent over investments in projects like the City Creek Plaza.
Frustration about the lack of transparency regarding the size of the Ensign Peak portfolio.

About a dozen plaintiffs have initiated the case, with an attempt to turn it into a class action lawsuit.

LINK: https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2025/01/15/lds-tithing-lawsuit-your-guide/

LINK: https://www.deseret.com/faith/2025/01/17/what-the-judge-did-in-fridays-federal-court-hearing-about-latter-day-saint-tithing/

Who knows where this will lead? It appears that other denominations are involved in the suit because, if the church loses, it could potentially have detrimental effects on all religions and the charitable donations made to them.

The judge presiding over the case is a liberal progressive who was appointed by Barack Obama. He is also the judge who made gay marriage legal in Utah. Honestly, I feel there is no love lost between him and the church. The question is whether or not he will be honorable and fair in dealing with the church.

Ultimately, I expect that, at some point in the future, the church will lose its 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, and the federal government will confiscate all its money and assets. It will likely be over something trivial, like a discrimination law the church is accused of not adhering to.

The laws of God will always supersede the laws of man. This is something the government and the faithless fail to understand. If the Lord commands His people to pay tithes and offerings, believers will obey no matter what. It does not matter if the church has a surplus or how the church uses the money. The Lord commands that it be given to Him for the building up of His kingdom.

What would people do if the requirement were full consecration? Rather than giving 10%, they would be required to give everything they had…