Joseph Smith

Founder of the Latter Day Saint movement

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June 2023 Church assets, including international shares, bonds, real estate, and private equity stakes, were estimated to exceed $163 billion.
February 2023 The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a $5 million penalty to the church and Ensign Peak Advisors for concealing investments in multiple shell companies from 1997 to 2019.
2022 Eight of the top ten nations with the highest LDS membership growth rate were located in Africa, indicating a significant shift in the church's global demographic expansion.
2022 The church made its largest one-time humanitarian donation of $32 million to the United Nations World Food Programme.
2022 The church donated $4 million to aid refugees fleeing from the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
2022 Investigative journalism by the Truth & Transparency Foundation suggested the church may own the most valuable real estate portfolio in the United States, with a minimum market value of $15.7 billion.
2022 The church supported the Respect for Marriage Act, which codified same-sex marriage as legal in the United States, due to included religious freedom protections.
October 2022 The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the church claimed to have donated US$1.35 billion to charity between 2008 and 2020, but private financial reports showed only US$0.177 billion in actual donations.
2021 The church reiterated its opposition to the Equality Act while supporting alternative legislation protecting both LGBTQ rights and religious freedom.
2020 The Church ended its relationship with the Boy Scouts of America and launched an alternate, religion-centered youth program to replace all previous youth programs.
2020 During the COVID-19 pandemic, Latter-day Saint Charities increased food product conversion and donated healthcare supplies to 16 countries affected by the crisis.
2020 The Wall Street Journal estimated the LDS Church's investment fund had a net worth of around $100 billion.
2019 The church clarified its stance on substances through the New Era magazine, explicitly prohibiting marijuana and opioid use except when medically prescribed by a qualified physician.
2019 The church opposed the Equality Act, which would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
2019 Church leadership authorized LDS women to serve as witnesses for baptisms, a ceremonial role previously reserved for male priesthood holders.
December 2019 A whistleblower alleged the church held over $100 billion in investment funds through Ensign Peak Advisors, claiming the funds were used for for-profit ventures rather than charity.
2018 The Church formed an alliance with the NAACP in an effort to improve race relations.
2018 Nominal worldwide church membership surpassed 16 million.
August 2018 Church president Russell M. Nelson asked members and others to stop using terms 'LDS', 'Mormon', and 'Mormonism', and instead use the full official church name.
January 16 2018 Russell M. Nelson, the senior apostle, was announced as the new president of the church following Monson's death, following the church's traditional succession process.
January 2 2018 Death of church president Thomas S. Monson, marking the end of his leadership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
2017 The church partnered with Catholic Relief Services and other organizations to provide aid to several African and Middle Eastern nations, showcasing its international humanitarian collaboration.
2016 The church reported spending a total of $1.2 billion on humanitarian aid over the previous 30 years, demonstrating a long-term commitment to global humanitarian efforts.
2014 Pew Research Center Religious Landscape Survey shows 18 percent of church members identify as Democrats or lean Democrat.
2013 The Church directly disavowed its previous teachings on race for the first time.
2013 The Ordain Women organization was founded, seeking formal priesthood ordination for women in the LDS Church.
2012 Pew Center on Religion and Public Life survey reveals 74 percent of U.S. church members lean towards the Republican Party.
2010 The church partnered with Islamic Relief to help victims of flooding in Pakistan, highlighting its interfaith humanitarian cooperation.

This contents of the box above is based on material from the Wikipedia article The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.