Understanding the big courtroom showdown in the tithing lawsuit against the LDS Church | Episode 375

Tithing has long been seen by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a test, a trial, if you will, of faith.

Well, now the practice of donating a tenth of one’s income is essentially on trial — in the courts.

Nine plaintiffs are suing the global church, accusing Latter-day Saint leaders of soliciting and amassing these donations by the billions to support the faith’s religious and charitable purposes and instead spending money on commercial ventures, including the construction and development of a mall in downtown Salt Lake City.

Last week, in a key hearing, a federal judge heard arguments in the lawsuit, which, if it is allowed to move forward as a class action, could end up involving thousands, even millions, of plaintiffs and exposing hidden financial dealings within the church.

Lawyers for the faith say the suit unconstitutionally violates religious freedom and should be tossed out. Attorneys for the other side counter that their case is about deception and fraud, not faith.

In this week’s show, Salt Lake Tribune reporter Tony Semerad — who has covered this lawsuit and similar ones for several years, along with other aspects of the church’s vast economic empire — sorts through the various arguments, how the judge received them and what comes next.