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Letter: I’m not tithing until the LDS Church opens its books

(Trent Nelson | Tribune file photo)  The Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Thursday, April 18, 2019.

(Trent Nelson | Tribune file photo) The Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Thursday, April 18, 2019.

My community is holding a fundraiser with all proceeds going to Kenya.

Every time I see a sign advertising the event, I remember the words of Russell Nelson, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to citizens of Kenya.

He said, “Poverty continues from one generation to another, until people pay their tithing.”In other words, for Kenya to prosper, they must first pay money to his church.

What does the church do with this money? In short, we don’t know. The church closes its books, even to paying members.

A recent article reports the church is in talks to pay $129 million for an office building in London. This single business transaction is more than three times what the church will spend all year on charity.

Instead of hospitals, food kitchens or clean water, my church builds malls, resorts and skyscrapers.

A small community in Utah sends money to Kenya, while my church asks for it.

I personally will not pay tithing until the church opens its books and demonstrates that its leaders care more about the sick and needy than they do about the bottom line.

Marion Jensen, Fruit Heights

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