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I put the word “Commentary” in quotes because it seems odd to me and I want to emphasize that it is the church calling this release a commentary and not me. AI provides the following: Quote:A “statement” is a simple declaration or assertion of a fact or opinion, while a “commentary” is a detailed analysis, explanation, or interpretation of something, often including personal opinion and insights, going beyond just stating a basic fact; essentially, a commentary provides a deeper level of discussion around a topic compared to a straightforward statement.
Key points to remember:
Directness:
A statement is direct and concise, aiming to convey information clearly without much elaboration.
Interpretation:
A commentary involves interpretation and analysis, offering a perspective on a subject matter.
Example:
Statement: “The company reported a significant increase in profits this quarter.”
Commentary: “The company’s substantial profit increase this quarter indicates a positive shift in market strategy, likely due to their recent expansion into new markets, which could further fuel future growth.”
If this is true then we will likely see more “commentary” in the future as it seems like virtually everything that comes from church HQ includes “analysis, explanation, or interpretation of something.”
It appears that this commentary was released in response to the church successfully defending a lawsuit about the source of the funds used for the city creek mall project and whether that source was misrepresented or inappropriate.
I personally found it interesting that the “commentary” quotes the famous tithing promise found in Malachi and then immediately follows with the following interpretation:
Quote:That promise is being fulfilled today. The Church has been blessed with the resources needed from sacred tithing donations to support the worldwide spiritual and temporal work of helping people live the gospel of Jesus Christ, caring for those in need, inviting all to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ, and uniting families for eternity.
So, the promised blessing in connection with paying an honest tithe is … {drum roll} … for the church to have funding?
That is surely an interpretation that I don’t think I ever heard of before. If I give the church money then God will bless the church with my money.
When a big part of one’s mission / focus / purpose requires monetary funds, I understand seeing monetary funds as a blessing. I also don’t see an automatic connection to “the love of money” in the statement, so I don’t have that concern. I see it as a way of saying, “We need money to fulfill our mission, and we are grateful for the blessing the money that has been donated has provided.”
I might be able to quibble about some expenditures, but I can’t quibble with the statement itself. I have had good and bad financial times, and I might frame an answer asked of me in much the same way – IF I believed my financially good times were connected to divinity in some way.
I don’t think the commentary says much, other than to justify the representation of the church’s use of funds for the City Creek Project. They also released commentary (or whatever you call it) when they were fined for hiding funds on the strength of recommendations from their financial advisers. I do find it a bit of a double standard that the church describes itself as led by revelation, but in the case of the fine for hiding funds, they simply said they were relying on advice from their financial advisers — not revelation. So, it appears that revelation only guides the church when the decision works out. Not when decisions result in a fine.
I agree with Roy that the blessings of paying tithing are most often described as blessings to the giver — not the receiver, which in this case, the church. I do see how it’s a blessing to be instrumental in blessing the lives of others, THROUGH THE CHURCH, but given the size of required tithing dollars, particularly as you advance in your career, I think there needs to be some blessing that comes back to the giver, beyond feeling good that they gave to a charitable cause.
Old-Timer wrote:
I might be able to quibble about some expenditures, but I can’t quibble with the statement itself.
Yup. Pretty straight forward. I personally have no issues with church expenses such as City Creek Mall investment. 1) I consider it “their” money and I don’t much worry about what others do with their money. 2) The LDS church is one of the best for lack of corruption/financial malfeasance. 3) I actually wish the church would spend MORE (on things that I care about).
SilentDawning wrote:
I agree with Roy that the blessings of paying tithing are most often described as blessings to the giver — not the receiver, which in this case, the church.
Right. I think I have even heard it described as “The church/Lord doesn’t need your tithing money, but you NEED the blessings to be had by paying an honest tithe.”
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