Wesley L. Jones
Managing Director, Church Auditing Department
To the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints
Dear Brethren: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints maintains an auditing department which performs its work independently
from all other Church departments and operations. The managing director of the
Church Auditing Department reports directly and regularly to the First Presidency.
Church Auditing Department staff consists of certified public accountants, certified
internal auditors, and other qualified, credentialed professionals.
Under the direction of the First Presidency, the Church
Auditing Department has authority to audit all Church departments and operations
worldwide. The Church Auditing Department has access to all records, personnel,
properties, and systems needed to audit Church contributions, expenditures,
and resources. Risk is the primary factor guiding the selection and performance
of audits.
Expenditures of Church funds in 2001 were authorized by
the Council on the Disposition of Tithes. This council is composed of the First
Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and the Presiding Bishopric,
as prescribed by revelation. Expenditures are controlled through the Budget
and Finance Departments under direction of the Appropriation and Budget Committees.
Administration of approved budgets was audited and reported.
Based upon performance of our audits, the Church Auditing
Department is of the opinion that, in all material respects, contributions received
and funds expended during the year ended 31 December 2001 have been managed
in accordance with approved budget guidelines and established Church policies
and procedures.
The financial activities of Church-affiliated organizations,
which are operated separately from the Church, were not audited by the Church
Auditing Department in 2001. These organizations include Deseret Management
Corporation and its subsidiaries and Brigham Young University and other institutions
of higher education. However, financial activities in these organizations were
audited by independent public accounting firms. In addition, the Church Auditing
Department did verify that appropriate reporting of these audit results occurred
with each organization's audit committee.
Respectfully submitted,
AUDITING DEPARTMENT
Wesley L. Jones
Managing Director
1 April 2002