D. Michael Quinn discusses Henry D. Moyle and the practice of "baseball baptisms"; notes that, under Moyle, the Church spent $8 million more than it received in 1959.
- Type
- Periodical
- Hearsay
- DirectSecondary
- Reference
D. Michael Quinn, "I-Thou Vs. I-It Conversions: The Mormon 'Baseball Baptism' Era," Sunstone (December 1993): 30-44
- Scribe/Publisher
- Sunstone
- Audience
- Reading Public
PDF- Transcription
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This movement was linked with the fact that the LDS church issued its last public statement of expenditures at the April 1959 conference. Moyle, appointed second counselor two months later, assumed direction of Church finances, with President David O. McKay's optimistic encouragement. President Moyle immediately set aside the current budget and launched a massive increase of expenditures, especially in the construction of new buildings. Six months later the LDS church had spent $8 million more than it had received in 1959. This was extraordinary when compared to the Church's surplus income of $7 million after 1958's expenditures. Because the last published report of expenditures included the building program, Elder Moyle persuaded President McKay not to publish even an abbreviated accounting of Church spending. There has been no itemized financial report of LDS expenditures from 1960 onward.
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- BHR Staff Commentary
Endnote 3 of Quinn's article reads as follows:
April 1959 Conference Report, 91-92; Ernest L. Wilkinson diary, 4 December 1959, Western Americana, J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah; LDS Church Financial Department's Condensed Financial Report to the Corporation of the President, 12 April 1961 (for summary from 1950 to 1960), LDS Church Archives, Historical Department, Salt Lake City. Wilkinson's diary for 4 December 1959 said the Budget Committee announced "the Church last year had spent $8,000,000 in excess of its income," which leaves the impression that he referred to 1958. However, the Financial Department reports show that deficit was in 1959, which means Wilkinson's diary reference to "last year" referred to the year which was just ending in December 1959.
- Citations in Mormonr Qnas
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