Mandatory Reporting: The Helpline Problem
In most US states, clergy are mandatory reporters of child abuse. The LDS Church has lobbied successfully in several states, including Utah, for clergy-penitent exemptions that allow bishops to withhold abuse reports from law enforcement when disclosed "in confidence."
The Church operates a 24-hour "bishop's helpline" -- a legal hotline staffed by Church-retained attorneys that bishops are instructed to call before contacting police when abuse is disclosed. Critics and some former bishops have stated that the helpline's primary function is to protect the institution from liability, not to facilitate reporting.
A 2022 investigation by KUER (Utah Public Radio) documented multiple cases in Utah where bishops consulted the helpline and were counseled not to report abuse to police, even in states without clergy exemptions.
In 2023, a jury in Arizona awarded $30 million to a survivor who alleged the Church's helpline advice suppressed reporting of her abuse. The Church is appealing.
Political Neutrality Claims vs. Lobbying Record
The Church publicly states it is politically neutral and does not endorse candidates or parties. However, it has taken direct legislative and ballot positions on specific issues throughout its history.
The most documented case is Proposition 8 in California (2008) -- the ballot measure that banned same-sex marriage. The Church actively coordinated a campaign, encouraging members to donate and volunteer. Post-election analysis by the LA Times estimated that LDS members provided approximately 50% of the approximately $22 million raised in support of Prop 8.
The Church's role was coordinated through official channels, including a letter read in sacrament meetings across California. The Church later acknowledged the campaign and faced IRS complaints about its tax-exempt status, which were investigated and resulted in no findings of violation.
More recently, the Church supported the Utah Compact on Immigration (2010) and, in a notable reversal, supported the federal Respect for Marriage Act (2022) -- both of which were read by observers as strategic political positioning rather than principled neutrality.
The General Handbook: What Members Aren't Told
The LDS Church's General Handbook -- the governing document for all Church policy -- was classified as confidential until 2010, and was not publicly available to members until 2020 when the Church released it online in full. Prior to this, lay leaders operated under instructions members had no access to.
The current Handbook includes instructions on: how to handle abuse disclosures, standards for temple recommend interviews, grounds for excommunication, how to conduct membership councils, and specific categories of sin ranked by severity. None of this is part of standard member instruction or Sunday curriculum.
The Handbook's Section 38 -- covering "Church Policies and Guidelines" -- includes policies on: abortion (discouraged but not grounds for discipline in most cases), birth control (left to individual conscience but historically taught against), suicide (no longer grounds for denial of Church burial), and a range of medical and end-of-life decisions.
Women and the Priesthood: Institutional Structure
The LDS Church restricts its priesthood -- the authority to perform ordinances, lead congregations, and preside over councils -- exclusively to men. Women may not baptize, ordain, or bless. They may not serve as bishops, stake presidents, or apostles. They cannot vote on policy or doctrine in any institutional capacity.
The Church teaches that women lead through the Relief Society, Young Women, and Primary organizations. However, these organizations are subordinate to male priesthood leadership at every level. Relief Society presidents serve at the discretion of and are released by their bishops.
In 2013-2019, a movement called "Ordain Women" organized to petition Church leadership for female ordination. Its founder, Kate Kelly, was excommunicated in 2014 for apostasy. No formal dialogue with movement leaders was conducted by Church leadership prior to the excommunication.
In recent years, women have been given expanded roles including serving as witnesses at baptisms and sealings (previously male-only roles). These changes have been presented by the Church as progressive steps; advocates note they remain advisory, not authoritative.
Financial Transparency: What the Church Reports (and Doesn't)
US law does not require religious organizations to file financial disclosures. The LDS Church has not published audited financial statements accessible to members since 1959. The Church's annual audit -- conducted by an internal Auditing Department -- reports only that funds were expended in accordance with "approved budgets and procedures," with no specific figures.
In countries with stricter requirements (the UK, Canada, Australia), the Church files accounts. UK filings have shown the British Church entity receiving tens of millions in donations annually and reporting specific expenditures. These filings are public record.
US members fund the institution's operations but have no mechanism to verify how their donations are used beyond the Church's own statements.