The LDS Church holds an estimated $265 billion in assets. Its investment income now exceeds what it collects from member tithing. And it still requires 10% of your income for life to stay a full member.
This episode is the structural overview — the bird's eye view of how the LDS Church was built, how it extracts money, labor, data, and loyalty from members, and why it keeps working even when people find out things like this. From Joseph Smith's treasure-seeking origin story to the 2023 SEC fine for hiding $32 billion in shell companies, from the mission as a sunk-cost manufacturing machine to the genealogy database built by volunteers and owned by the institution — this is the machinery, piece by piece.
If someone in your life keeps asking what the big deal is, this is the episode to send them.
🎙️ Postmormon Postmortem — where we lovingly sift through the ashes of our former faith.🌐 postmormonpostmortem.com📱 @postmormonpostmortem☕ buymeacoffee.com/postmormonpostmortem🎙️ patreon.com/postmormonpostmortem
00:00 The Cost of Belonging
03:05 Understanding Mormonism: A Systematic Overview
03:57 The Origins of Mormonism: Joseph Smith's Influence
07:01 Power Structures in the LDS Church
08:51 Financial Extraction: Tithing and Its Implications
11:31 The Mission Experience: A Tool for Investment
13:21 Temple Secrecy and Its Effects
15:05 Social Isolation: The Cost of Leaving
16:57 Genealogy: A Hidden Benefit for the Church
18:41 Institutional Protection: Revelation and Adaptation
23:20 The Church's Optimization: Power and Control