The letter

I finally wrote it and sent it. It took a lot longer than I had ever anticipated, but there shouldn't be any surprises for anyone who read the five previous posts.

I included the heading in case anyone wants to write their own letters.

August 7^th, 2020

The First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles

of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Church Office Building

50 E North Temple Street

Salt Lake City, Utah 84150

Hello,

This letter has been a long time in coming. I have felt a need to say something since I first heard about $100 billion spread across multiple hedge funds and shell companies, but it took a lot of personal effort to sort out my own feelings.

I should start by saying that I have been a faithful tithe payer for decades now (for as long as I can remember) and generous with offerings. I had not beeing working when the news broke, making my contributions smaller and less frequent, but they were still full. An odd job got me fifty dollars shortly after hearing about the investments. I felt the strangest combination of sickness and shame when I paid my $5.00. I could never have imagined feeling that way about tithing before.

In the explanation that came out, there was a reference to the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, but the parable that came to my mind was the parable of the rich fool in Luke 12; we should not be storing up for future ease, especially when there is so much good that can be done now.

That was why I felt sick about the five dollars. It is such a small amount, and yet it can still do some good, especially combined with the funds of others. By turning it over to the church, it would only go to supporting capitalism, and increasing corporate bottom lines.

I still believe in the law of tithing, and that I will be blessed for obedience to it. This is still my church. I am continuing to pay tithing, but no longer paying any offerings or additional contributions. That is what I can live with, but also I need to speak out.

We have been given so many changes and directions to try and get us to live more by the spirit; it seems to me that every change is trying to get us to feel more and be more inspired, including the reminders about the names we use and the logo.

When I see members supporting Trump and hating immigrants – again, despite reminders that we care about refugees and don't support any political candidate or party – those reminders do not seem to be working. It kills me inside that we have so much that we could do, and yet we are mainly known for our bigotry. Members with the best hearts are falling away because of that.

Could it be that we have become too conservative? Not merely in terms of a political party, but in terms of becoming afraid of change that we will ignore inequities and resist improvement? God has not given us the spirit of fear.

I understand that we are waiting for Christ's return. There are reasons for believing that it is getting close, and that some preparedness is in order. As true as that is, I cannot believe that when the Savior returns our best offering could be a check.

There might be value in buying food supplies and shelters and goods that can be used to benefit people, but even those could be lost or destroyed or lose potency while we wait.

It would be a wonderful offering now to give Him more hungry people fed, more homeless sheltered, and more sick healed.

I know we make contributions, but I have also done math. One article showed that we have given $5.5 million to Covid-19 relief. That is .0055 percent – less than one hundredth of one percent – of $100 billion. I also read that since 1985 we have given $2.2 billion in humanitarian aid. That is 2.2 percent over 35 years. For all the flaws of individual members, collectively we should be able to do better than that.

We need your leadership to do so. We could give $1 million to 1000 charities and still have $99 billion. We could set aside $12 billion as a savings fund, divide the other $88 billion among the 30940 wards and branches and let each have $2.85 million to spend to improve their local communities. There are so many amazing things that can be done, but we are not doing them.

When Christ returns, will we even use money? Will He support hedge funds? The efforts at concealment in spreading the money across multiple funds (and not letting President Packer see the information when he asked) tells me that there is a level on which this is uncomfortable. It should be.

I do not believe anyone has tried to exploit or act inappropriately in terms of acquiring the funds or deciding what to do with them. It is natural as you accumulate more to become more aware about the losses that can happen, but we are admonished to put off the natural man.

Matthew 25 does tell us what we should be doing: feeding the hungry, giving drinks to the thirsty, welcoming strangers, clothing the naked , and ministering to the sick and those in prison.

There are great needs for food and clean water. There are many without homes, or seeking new countries that will be safer. There are people who have not been convicted of any crime languishing in jail because they lack funds for bail and for representation. There are so many people in need of healing, physically and emotionally. How can we justify ignoring that? Do we know Him at all?

I beg you to think long and hard and to pray about a better way to use these sacred funds.

Sincerely,

Gina Harris