The Church's financial situation

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by Adam

You assume the Church of Jesus Christ should operate as a non-profit, spending only the interest earned on the endowment and seeking always to increase the endowment.

But maybe, just maybe, there is a different, more Christlike path for the Church of Jesus Christ to take. Maybe the best path would be to take care of the poor and needy starving today rather then piddle out a few million each year while building the endowment.

If you goal is to become self sufficient forever--even if donations dry up--then the Metropolitan Museum of Art is without question the way to go.

If you are the Church of Jesus Christ and you actually have faith that you will roll forth like a stone cut out of the mountain without hands until you fill the whole earth, well then maybe just maybe you don't have to worry about the donations drying up. Maybe you can go forth and do good with all you have today with faith that tithing and offerings will continue to be paid in the future.

Of course the Church Administrators/GAs agree with you. I don't dispute this. But I think the question is a good one to discuss.

And how much endowment is enough endowment? At how many billion do you have enough and start spending the principal? We'll never be able to have an intelligent discussion on point because the Church Administrators don't want us to know and discuss the numbers.

The issue is interesting, but spending the interest makes sense to me. Once you step outside the box on spending, you open the door for fiduciary mismanagement.

Financial caution makes the most sense.