Is the Mormon Church honest in all of its dealings? The Securities and Exchange Commission announced charges against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for obscuring the Church’s money and misstating Ensign Peak’s control over the Church’s investment decisions. To settle the charges, Ensign Peak agreed to pay a $4 million penalty and the Church agreed to pay a $1 million penalty. If people want to help they can call the Senate finance committee and urge them to take action and have a hearing on this issue.   https://www.sec.gov/litigation/admin/2023/34-96951.pdf Senate Finance Committee phone: 202-224-4515 Senate Finance Committee fax: 202-228-0554 Religion Unplugged article with full Senate Finance Committee memo: https://religionunplugged.com/news/2023/2/8/former-employee-of-ensign-peak-advisors-submits-document-to-senate-finance-committee Mark Pugsley's Law Firm: https://www.pugsleywood.com/ Mormon Church Finances Exposed Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxq5opj6GqOBpeZFSE0_Cdw3oz2gJDprC Chapters: 00:00:00 Intro & Mark’s background 00:13:00 Whistleblower’s background & decision to file 00:25:15 How the Church got its money & starting dishonesty 00:36:00 The importance of disclosure for the free market 00:40:00 First Presidency directly implicated 00:52:00 Better things to do with the money 01:05:30 Church admits in Paragraph 3 the money comes from tithing & tithing returns 01:07:30 The earliest they knew to file 01:10:00 First Presidency chooses secrecy over lawfulness 01:12:00 EPA only operates upon direct orders from First Presidency 01:13:00 The lengths the Church went to 01:29:00 Each LLC has a voicemail & EPA deletes all messages except from SEC regulators 01:34:00 First Presidency annually approved to continue their illegal conduct 01:38:00 Why the fine is so small 01:52:00 IRS is a bigger threat to the Church 01:54:00 Call to Action: Senate Finance Committee phone: 202-224-4515 01:57:00 The Church’s response violates the SEC Order they agreed to 01:58:45 “The most ridiculous press release” 02:03:00 Not the standard of honesty the Church teaches for members 02:10:35 LDS Church “We consider this matter closed” 02:14:00 The Church, the Investment Advisor, and the SEC by Sam Brunson 02:24:15 FAQs: Did the Church know? 02:28:15 Did they stop the illegal activity 02:28:40 Did EPA fail to comply with SEC resolutions? 02:29:45 When will the fines be paid? 02:30:00 Where will the funds for the fine come from? 02:32:30 How are the Church’s Reserves invested? 02:34:00 Why is this being filed now? 02:34:25 Will this impact the EPA’s future investing? 02:36:30 Mark’s feelings summarized 02:38:00 What will happen to the whistleblower? 02:46:30 Conclusion Financial Issues in Mormonism Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxq5opj6GqOAQ_n41JwwlsP8mG-tqe4Vq _________________________ ABOUT US: Mormon Stories Podcast is the longest-running and most successful podcast in Mormonism - hosted by Dr. John Dehlin. At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We also occasionally interview scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals. Our overall mission is to: 1) Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology, 2) Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis, and 3) Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions. Mormon Stories Podcast is a product of the Open Stories Foundation - a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to supporting Mormons in religious transition. Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today: One-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories Our Platforms: Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-stories-lds/id312094772 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mormstories TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mormonstoriespodcast Discord: https://discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjF Contact us: MormonStories@gmail.com PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117 #MormonStories #SEC #MormonMoney