Activity at Bishop’s Storehouses New “Index” for Economy
Ashley Evanson – LDS Living
02/03/2009 12:10 PM MST
It’s been called the “Mormon Index,” and economists believe it’s an untraditional yet excellent gauge of today’s market.
The LDS Church’s Bishop’s Storehouse Welfare Program nearly doubled its regular volume of distribution in 2008, a sign of a hurting economy.
The 109 storehouses in the U.S. stock staple foods and essential household items, and allow needy individuals who have been approved by a local bishop to work or render services in exchange for the goods. As the activity at these storehouses has increased, many economists see an escalating anxiety about sustenance and safety for the future.
James Goodrich, who runs the LDS welfare program in Salt Lake City, recently told the press there was “no question that the economy has had an impact on our storehouses system-wide.”
Also on the rise—activity of the Church’s canneries. Members are heeding the council of the prophets more than ever these days, building up their food storages and water supplies. And actions like these have caught the attention of economists.
In a recent article published in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, economist and author Daniel Gross said the Mormon Index and similar boutique economic clues are often more reliable than big-gun barometers, such as housing starts and the unemployment rate.
“Some of the more obscure indicators actually tell you something real because they’re not subject to manipulation,” Gross told the press. “What they’re measuring is unambiguous, and in this case, these numbers are measuring stress in the Mormon community.”
The concept for the storehouses was conceived by Joseph Smith, but it really took root during the Great Depression when revelation was received for members to create a one-year supply of food storage and water.
“We encourage members world-wide to prepare for adversity in life by having a basic supply of food and water and some money in savings,” The First Presidency said in “All is Safely Gathered In: Family Home Storage” in 2007. “We ask that you be wise as you store food and water and build your savings. Do not go to extremes; it is not prudent, for example, to go into debt to establish your food storage all at once. With careful planning, you can, over time, establish a home storage supply and a financial reserve.”
For more information on the Church’s welfare system, go to providentliving.org.
-Information on Starting Your Own Food Storage-
Marching In the Footsteps of the Mormon Battalion
Jamie Lawson – LDS Living
02/03/2009 12:54 PM MST
On January 29, Kevin Henson and his wife, Denny, walked into Old Town San Diego, just like the Mormon Battalion did 162 years ago. The couple had spent seven months re-enacting the 1846-1847 Mormon Battalion march, which they began near Mount Pisgah, Iowa. It is thought to be the first re-enactment of its kind.
“As far as I know, the entire Mormon Battalion route has never been re-hiked in a commemorative way,” said Kevin Henson of Midland, Mich. “We’ve taken a few liberties, but for the most part we’ve tried to follow the trail as closely as possible.” While the original march was about 2,000 miles long, Henson estimates his trek was closer to 2,500 miles due to accessibility and changes in property lines.
The idea for a re-enactment first came to Henson in 2002. His group of 11-year-old Boy Scouts wanted to participate in a local annual event called “The River of Time,” a re-enactment of several historical groups, hosted by the Bay County Historical Society. So Henson decided the boys could play the role of the Mormon Battalion.
“Some of the original Battalion members were from Michigan, so there was some regional interest there,” Henson said.
Six years later, Henson decided to re-enact the march of the Mormon Battalion from start to finish. More than 500 people joined him on the trail at one time or another, including Dow Wilson and his family.
Media Reports on Proposition 8 Filing Uninformed
SALT LAKE CITY 4 February 2009 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was part of a coalition of other faiths and organizations which worked together to pass Proposition 8, which defines marriage as being between a man and a woman, with over 52 percent of the popular vote in California.
Claims that the Church filed only one report of its contributions before January 2009, or did not report all its contributions to the Protect Marriage Coalition, are erroneous. The Church filed all necessary reports over the course of the campaign in compliance with California state law.
Here are the facts:
The Church filed seven contribution reports throughout the campaign. Earlier donations were filed for specific time periods prior to this last reporting period, as required by law.
Reports were required to be filed in different ways: by mail, fax or electronically.
All filings went to the California Secretary of State, the Department of Elections for the City and County of San Francisco, and the Registrar-Recorder for Los Angeles. The electronic filings were sent directly to the Secretary of State but copies were mailed to all three locations.
The Church has no control over what filings are posted on the California Secretary of State’s Web site. Currently, not all the Church’s filings are posted.
The Church’s donations were all in-kind and included travel expenses, compensated staff time and audiovisual production services.
The value of the Church’s in-kind (nonmonetary) contribution is less than one half of one percent of the total funds (approximately $40 million) raised for the “Yes on 8” campaign.
The Church filed the following Proposition 8 nonmonetary contribution reports and amounts to the California Secretary of State’s office and other California officials in San Francisco and Los Angeles as required by California state law.
Date
Amount
Report Form
How Report Was Filed
Additional Information
30 July 2008
$19,831.40 (in-kind)
461
Filed by mail
(This report covers the time period from 1 January 2008 to 30 June 2008.)
25 October 2008
$2,078.97 (in-kind)
497
Filed by fax
30 October 2008
$333.00 (in-kind)
497
Filed by fax
1 November 2008
(See additional information)
497
Filed by fax
(Amendment to 30 October filing; did not represent any additional contribution)
1 November 2008
$2,531.20 (in-kind)
497
Filed by fax
15 January 2009
$30,354.85 (in-kind)
497
Filed by fax
Sub Total:
$55,129.42
30 January 2009
$134,774.16 (in-kind)
Plus the $55,129.42 sub total
461
Filed electronically
(This report covers the time period from 1 July 2008 to 31 December 2008.)
Grand Total:
$189,903.58 (in-kind)
The Form 461 report is required to be filed within a month following each semi-annual period. The Form 497 report is required to report contributions made within the 16-day immediately preceding the election. The total amount included on the 461 report filed on 30 January 2009 shows all contributions from January – December 2008.
