LDS Attorneys Fight Federal Lawsuit over Tithing Funds

Attorneys with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints met in federal court on Friday to fight a lawsuit challenging the church’s use of tithing funds. 

Our news partners with ABC4 Utah reported on the developing lawsuit through an article written by Kayla Baggerly and Trevor Myers. 

Many members of the church donate 10% of their income to the organization in the form of donations which they refer to as paying tithing. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit are comprised of current and former members of the church. 

The article said, “Plaintiffs allege that the defendants — the Latter-day Saint church and its investment arm Ensign Peak Advisors — committed fraud by investing a portion of donated funds and allowing those funds to accrue interest over time, instead of immediately using those donations for religious or humanitarian works, according to court documents.” 

Officials of the church said the money received through tithing is considered sacred and is used to carry out church initiatives. The church argues that the tithing money used in its investment branch, Ensign Peak Advisors, is important to its long-term goals. 

These goals include building church buildings like chapels and temples, and pursuing humanitarian efforts. 

The article said, “The plaintiffs are seeking a class action lawsuit — essentially attempting to sue the church on behalf of millions of its members in the United States who have donated money since 1998. However, in its motion to strike, the church argues the plaintiffs’ claims are not suitable for class action treatment due to the conflicts of interest between the plaintiffs and ‘most members of the proposed class’ — with the ‘proposed class’ being those who have paid tithing since 1998.”  

The church claims the plaintiffs don’t represent the vast majority of faithful tithe payers, and said the lawsuit would be an attack on their own religious beliefs. The church also lists a possible violation of the First Amendment. 

The article said, “Defendants also argued a class action suit would “violate the First Amendment” by forcing the release of names and identities of tithe-paying church members, in addition to how much they have donated.” 

Please check out the full article from ABC4 Utah for more information