Here In The Old Donut-Hole: More Mormon Transformation > The Intersection of Religion & Finance

Published online just one hour ago, Jim Walsh, another EV Tribune Staff Writer, uses a series of conditional conjunctives to tell a story using an 'extensive renovation' of the LDS Temple that could transform downtown that has the potential of becoming a catalyst, using as the anchor revamping Pioneer Park with over $12 Million-Dollars in massive Mesa taxpayer-funded debt obligations paving the way for LDS profits.

Think of taxpayer-money as the pipeline to feed private investments on properties owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of The Latter-day Saints purchased over many years by Property Reserve, Inc., the LDS church's investment wing. Jim Walsh says that much and more to reveal some details how this all works well for a close group of "friends-and-family' descended for six generations now since the mid-1850's for the expansion of The Kingdom of Deseret.

The groups of Latter-day Saints, were sent on a mission from Utah to claim the First Peoples' territory and water rights here in The Salt River Valley. 
Four of "The Pioneer" founder-families are those Mormon pioneers memorialized in Pioneer Park by a bronze statue dedicated in 1987 facing the Temple here on Main Street. In the line of expansion, it was the second temple outside of Salt Lake City, opened in 1927 on an entire 10-acre city block - a location that no doubt benefits from what was a $5.9M figure to over $12M price tag in General Obligation Bond Debt

Walsh gets the details about the LDS investment strategies from the highest authority in The East Valley Partnership, Denny Barney seen in this image to the right, who succeeded another Mormon ex-Gilbert mayor John Lewis who got a calling to go on a mission to Cambodia, continuing the LDS line of succession from Roc Arnett. Readers might also note than the current mayor of Mesa is the 40th in a long line of mostly men with Mormon roots from the city's founding in 1878 to establish The New Zion by buying and holding vast acres of land throughout the entire East Valley for economic development.
(Walsh neglects to mention that The Barney Family owns acres of land in Queen Creek where a family member is the mayor.) 
After years of neglect, ten commercial properties here in The Old Donut-Hole have changed hands in transactions registered to various LLCs and 'Buy-and-Hold" companies.

According to what Jim Walsh writes, Denny Barney and his late father, "a well-respected Gilbert developer", have quietly played a pivotal role in setting the stage for the redevelopment by acting in concert with the LDS Church and acquiring properties west of the Temple, and turning them over to the church. . . "
and "several more mixed-use developments (as noted above) have been proposed downtown to take advantage of light rail. . . " Millions more for LDS profits riding on the back of taxpayer-financed debt obligations!

Massive Mesa Temple plan
could transform downtown

By Jim Walsh Tribune Staff Writer  1 hr ago

 

If this is AN EMOTIONAL THING for more people than the preservationists that are alarmed by these LDS real estate schemes, you can read the Jim Walsh's writing by using the following link >

EV Trib Massive Temple Plan  

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Here's some background from a Symposium held at Brigham Young University during March 1-2, 2018 just last month: 

Financing Faith:
The Intersection of Business and Religion

"In 1958, Leonard J. Arrington published Great Basin Kingdom, a seminal study in Mormon economic history. Arrington followed this work with several other studies pertaining to the economic history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and of the State of Utah. Other scholars have examined in detail financial operations of the church in Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois, including explorations of the law of consecration (first revealed to Joseph Smith in 1831) and its implementation, enterprises such as the United Firm and the Kirtland Safety Society, and the economic impact of creating new communities throughout the Great Basin.

Picking up where Arrington and others left off, there are new and exciting developments in the study of sex, society, race, and the environment that can enlighten the financial aspects of Mormon history.

The 2018 Church History Symposium will explore the intersection of finance and religion in the LDS Church between 1830 and 1930. In doing so, we hope that scholars will take a fresh look at Mormon history through the vantage point of economics and finance. We hope that this symposium will add to, complicate, or even revise portions of the standard economic history narratives mentioned above, while also exploring other areas of Mormon history through an economic and spiritual lens.
To view the full program scheduled March 1-2, click the following link > https://churchhistory.ce.byu.edu/
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