Talafaasolopito o le Ekalesia
Mea Tautupe a le Ekalesia

“Mea Tautupe a le Ekalesia,” O Autu o le Talafaasolopito o le Ekalesia (2022)

“Mea Tautupe a le Ekalesia,” O Autu o le Talafaasolopito o le Ekalesia

Mea Tautupe a le Ekalesia

Mai po po fou o le Toefuataiga, na otooto mai ai e faaaliga vaega o le misiona a le Ekalesia lea o le a manaomia ai auala faaletino, e aofia ai le tausia o e matitiva, lolomiina o tusitusiga paia ma isi anomea a le Ekalesia, ma le fausiaina o fale tapuai. Na mulimuli Iosefa Samita i faaaliga faapea foi ma faataitaiga faapisinisi i lena taimi mo le faatupeina o nei taumafaiga taua. Na mulimulitaia e taitai o le Ekalesia na mulimuli mai lea lava mamanu e tasi, ma fetuunai mea tautupe a le Ekalesia e taulima ai manaoga fesuisuiai o le Ekalesia. I le aluga o taimi, sa aafia ai le Ekalesia i vaitau o mafatiaga i mea tautupe faapea foi ma vaitau na mafai ai ona fausia ni tupe faaleoleo.1

O faaaliga i le 1831 na faavaeina ai le “tulafono o le faapaiaga ma le tausimea,” lea na faatonuina ai tagata o le Ekalesia e tuuto atu a latou meatotino e faalautele ai le galuega a le Alii ma faaitiitia ai le mativa. O nei faaaliga na faavaeina ai foi le tofi o le epikopo e maua ma tufatufa atu ai meatotino faapaiaina.2 O Iosefa Samita ma isi taitai na mulimuli foi i faaaliga na fautuaina ai i latou e pulea ia gaoioiga o faafetauaiga faapisinisi ma lomiga faasalalau a le Ekalesia e ala i se faalapotopotoga na ta’ua o le Kamupani Tuufaatasi.3

Ata
tupe pepa a le faletupe o le 1830

O se tupe pepa a le faletupe o le Sosaite o le Saogalemu o Katelani na sainia e Iosefa Samita ma Sini Rikitone ma faaaogaina o se tupe i le va o le 1836 ma le 1837.

E pei foi o isi lotu i Amerika i po po fou, o taitai ole Aupaia o Aso e Gata Ai, sa faaaogaina meafaigaluega tautupe e pei o faamatalaga faamaonia, pili o fesuiaiga, nonogatupe, oloa, ma folafolaga faamauina.4 I le 1836, i Katelani, Ohaio, sa faatuina ai e taitai o le Ekalesia le Sosaiete o le Saogalemu o Katelani, o se faletupe sa faatupeina i le faatauina mai o oloa. O le faamoemoega o lenei faalapotopotoga o le faalauteleina lea o le mauaina e Au Paia o Aso e Gata Ai o tupe faavae e faatupe ai faamoemoega o le Ekalesia. Ae paga lea, o se faaletonu tautupe i le Iunaite Setete ma Peretania i le 1837 na tuuitiitia ai tupe faaleoleo a le faletupe, faalavelave i faatauga o fanua, ma taitai atu ai i le gau o le tele o faletupe, e aofia ai le Sosaiete o le Saogalemu o Katelani.5

E lua faaaliga i le 1838 na faailogaina ai se suiga i le faiga a le Ekalesia i le faatupeina o ana faatinoga. Sa latou faamamafaina le taua o le sefuluai o se auala e faatupeina ai le galuega a le Ekalesia ma faatuina ai se aufono e vaaia tupe faaalu o le sefuluai, lea na lauiloa o le Aufono i le Pulefaasoasoaina o Sefuluai.6

Na amata i le 1841, le faatautaia e Iosefa Samita o pisinisi e fai ma sui o le Ekalesia o se “Tausi Mavaega,” po o le tagata e nafa faaletulafono ma aseta a le Ekalesia.7 O se faataitaiga masani lenei o le faatulagaina o le tele o lotu ma isi faalapotopotoga i lena taimi.8 Ina ua mavae le maliu o Iosefa Samita, sa lagolagoina e tagata o le Ekalesia le Korama a Aposetolo e Toasefululua “e faatonu e uiga i mea tautupe a le ekalesia” seia oo ina mafai ona toefaatulagaina le Au Peresitene Sili.9

I le taimi na totoe o le seneturi lona 19, sa galulue ai le Tausi Mavaega ma aufono a le Ekalesia ina ia maua mai meatotino ma faatautaia isi pisinisi e fai ma sui o le Ekalesia, faafaigaluega tupe i le fausiaina o nuu o le Au Paia o Aso e Gata Ai, ma faatupe ai le faapotopotoina o le Au Paia i Amerika i Matu i Sisifo.10 Mo se faataitaiga, sa fesoasoani le Ekalesia e faafaigofie femalagaiga a le Au Paia o Aso e Gata Ai i Amerika i Matu i Sisifo e ala i le tuuina atu o nonogatupe e ala i le Tupe Faaagaaga mo Femalagaaiga a le Ekalesia.11 I le 1877, i se taumafaiga e faamautinoa le tausia o tusi ma le faaeteete ma le faifai pea, sa faatulagaina ai e Peresitene Ioane Teila se komiti suetusi lea na iloiloina ia fesiitaiga uma na faatautaia i lalo o le Tausi Mavaega.12

O tulafono e tetee i autaunonofo na faia e le malo o le Iunaite Setete i le vaitau o le 1880 na taulai atu i mea tautupe a le Ekalesia, ma iu ai ina faaleaogaina le Ekalesia ma ave faamalosi ana tupe ma meatotino. O le fesuisuiai o maketi ma le le lelei o tupe teufaafaigaluega na atili faaitiitia ai punaoa o totoe a le Ekalesia, ma tuuina atu ai i Peresitene o le Ekalesia o Wilford Woodruff ma Lorenzo Snow ni aitalafu tetele. Ina ua mavae le Manifeso o le 1890, sa galulue faatasi Peresitene Uitilafi ma le au faitulafono ma taitai o le faamasinoga ia toe maua mai meatotino a le Ekalesia ma fesuiai le tele o pisinisi e fesootai ma le Ekalesia i pisinisi tumaoti, o se faasologa na faaauau e i latou na suitulaga ia te ia. I le 1899, na valaau atu ai Peresitene Snow i Au Paia o Aso e Gata Ai e faateleina lo latou tuuto i saofaga o le sefuluai, lea na fesoasoani e toe faafoi atu ai le Ekalesia i le tulaga manuia i mea tautupe.13

I le amataga o le seneturi lona 20, o le Peresitene o le Ekalesia o Heber J. Grant ma le Epikopo Pulefaamalumalu o Charles Nibley, o e sa faigaluega muamua o ni tagata faipisinisi, sa tuufaatasia ia galuega a le Ekalesia lea sa pulea toatasi muamua e le tausi mavaega i ni faalapotopotoga se tolu. I le 1916, sa faavaeina ai le Faalapotopotoga a le Epikopo Pulefaamalumalu e pulea ai foai ma tupe faaalu mo “galuega o le agalofa ma mo tapuaiga faitele,” e aofia ai falelotu i le lotoifale. I le 1923, na faatuina ai e Peresitene Grant le Faalapotopotoga a le Peresitene, lea na vaaia isi aseta uma a le Ekalesia sa faaaogaina mo faamoemoega faalelotu. Sa ia faavaeina foi le faalapotopotoga o le Zion Securities Corporation e pulea ai faalapotopotoga totogi lafoga ma lē faalelotu ma meatoino. I le vaitaimi lea, sa galue ai Epikopo Nibley e aumai faamaumauga tautupe a le Ekalesia ia o faatasi ma tulaga faatonuina tau tausitusi i ona po nei. A o agai i luma le tulaga tautupe a le Ekalesia, sa amata ona tuuina atu e taitai o le Ekalesia le 50 pasene o le tau o le fausiaina o falelotu i le lotoifale, ma tuua ai le vaega o totoe i paketi i le lotoifale. O aiaiga faavae o mea tautupe na faatinoina e Peresitene Grant sa tumau pea le maopoopo seia oo i le vaitau o le 1960.14

I le va o le 1915 ma le 1959, na fofogaina mai ai lipoti faaletausaga o tupe maua ma tupe faaalu a le Ekalesia i konafesi aoao. O nei lipoti na faaalia ai o le tele o tupe sa tuuina atu mo fale o uarota ma siteki, fale o ofisa o le laumua, aoga a le Ekalesia, misiona, ma le uelefea.15 Ina ua mavae le 1959, sa tuuina atu e suetusi i le konafesi aoao na o taunuuga o se suegatusi aoao faaletausaga, na faamautinoa atu i tagata lautele sa mulimulitaia e taitai ia faiga faavae e nafa ma mea tautupe ma taulimaina ma le faamaoni lo latou faaaogaina o tupe a le Ekalesia.

O le faaaluina o tupe sili atu nai lo sa iai i polokalama faavaomalo naunautai a le Ekalesia o le fauina o fale o uarota ma siteki i le vaitaimi o le 1960 na tuuitiitia ai tupe a le Ekalesia. O N. Eldon Tanner, lea sa avea muamua ma se tagata faipisinisi, sa valaauina i le Au Peresitene Sili i le 1963 ma faalauiloa atu le puleaina atoatoa o le paketi i le faagaoioiga o le Ekalesia. Sa ia otootoina mai se fuafuaga tautupe lea na uunaia ai le fausiaina o tupe faasili, faatumauina o se paketi faatatauina, ma le faaaluina o tupe faaleoleo. I totonu o se vaitaimi puupuu, sa mafai ai e le Ekalesia ona ausia ana paketi o faagaoioiga ma totogi ana aitalafu.16

O lenei tulaga tautupe ua faaleleia na mafai ai e le Ekalesia ona lagolagoina ma le mataalia atili le tele o vaega o lana misiona. Mo se faataitaiga, talu mai le amataga o le 1900, sa faagaoioia ai e uarota ma siteki i le lotoifale a latou paketi e ala i se suifefiloi o foai i le lotoifale ma tupe o sefuluai. I le 1990, na faasilasila mai ai e le Aufono mo le Pulefaasoasoaina o Sefuluai e faapea o tupe faaalu uma mo le faagaoioiga o iunite i le lotoifale o le a totogiina mai lea i tupe lautele o le sefuluai. O le tausaga na sosoo ai, sa faatagaina ai e se tupe tuufaatasia mo faifeautalai ua auina atu ia tupe faaalu faalemasina o le auaunaga faafaifeautalai faamisiona ina ia faalaugatasia ai i misiona.17

I le mavae ai o le tele o tausaga o le tele o tupe faaalu mai tupe faasili ma le fuafuaina ma le faaeteete, o saofaga faatuatua a Au Paia o Aso e Gata Ai na iu ai i le faatupuina tele o tupe faaagaga a le Ekalesia, o le tele lava na toe teuina faavaitaimi e taitai o le Ekalesia, sefeina mo manaoga i le lumanai, pe faaaogaina mo galuega faatino o fesoasoaniga alofa ma poloketi toe faafou faaletaulaga i le lalolagi atoa.18 E amata atu i le 2013, na gaosia ai e le Ekalesia se lipoti faaletausaga e auiliili ai ana tupe faaalu i taumafaiga agaalofa.19

I le 2019, sa faatonuina ai e le Peresitene o le Ekalesia o Russell M. Nelson le tuufaatasiga o le Faalapotopotoga a le Epikopo Pulefaamalumalu ma le Faalapotopotoga a le Peresitene, ma o le taunuuga o le faalapotopotoga sa toe faaigoaina O Le Ekalesia a Iesu Keriso o le Au Paia o Aso e Gata Ai.20 I lena lava tausaga, sa toe faamamafa atu ai e le Au Peresitene Sili la latou tautinoga e faaaoga ma le poto tupe paia a le Ekalesia: “Matou te tauaveina ma le manatu mamafa le tiutetauave o le tausia o sefuluai ma foai na maua mai tagata o le au paia. O le tele lava o nei tupe e faaaoga i le taimi lava lena e taulima ai manaoga o le Ekalesia ua faatupulaia e aofia ai le tele atu o falelotu, malumalu, aoga, galuega alofa ma taumafaiga faafaifeautalai i le lalolagi atoa.”21

Autu Fesootai: United Firm (“United Order”), The Kirtland Safety Society, Bishop, Consecration and Stewardship, Tithing, Settlement of Joseph Smith’s Estate, Cooperative Movement, United Orders, Wilford Woodruff, Lorenzo Snow, Heber J. Grant

  1. Tagai i le Matthew C. Godfrey ma Michael Hubbard MacKay, eds., Business and Religion: The Intersection of Faith and Finance (Provo, Utah: Religious Studies Center, 2019).

  2. Tagai i le Autu: Consecration and Stewardship.

  3. Mataupu Faavae ma Feagaiga 41; 42; tagai i le Autu: United Firm (“United Order”). Tagai foi i le Max H Parkin, “Joseph Smith and the United Firm: The Growth and Decline of the Church’s First Master Plan of Business and Finance, Ohio and Missouri, 1832–1834,” BYU Studies, vol. 46, nu. 3 (2007), 4–66; Nathan B. Oman, “‘Established Agreeable to the Laws of Our Country’: Mormonism, Church Corporations, and the Long Legacy of America’s First Disestablishment,” Journal of Law and Religion, vol. 36, nu. 2 (2021), 212–13.

  4. Amanda Porterfield, John Corrigan, ma Darren E. Grem, eds., The Business Turn in American Religious History (New York: Oxford University Press, 2017), 4–8; tagai foi i le Robert E. Wright ma David J. Cowen, “An Historiographical Overview of Early U.S. Finance (1784–1836): Institutions, Markets, Players, ma Politics” (Washington, DC: National Park Service, 1999), 3–15.

  5. Tagai i le Autu: The Kirtland Safety Society; Oman, “Agreeable to the Laws” 213–14.

  6. David W. Smith, “The Development of the Council on the Disposition of the Tithes,” BYU Studies Quarterly, vol. 57, nu. 2 (2018), 131–55. Tagai i le Autu: Sefuluai; tagai foi i le Mataupu Faavae ma Feagaiga 120.

  7. Iosefa Samita, “Appointment as Trustee, Nauvoo, Illinois, 2 February, 1841,” i le Record Book of Mortgages, Title Bonds, Leases, Deeds of Trust and Sales of Personal Property, Hancock County, Illinois, vol. 1 (1840), 95, https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/appointment-as-trustee-2february-1841/1.

  8. James Hudnut-Beumler, In Pursuit of the Almighty’s Dollar: A History of Money and American Protestantism (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2007), 10–14; Mark A. Noll, ed., God and Mammon: Protestants, Money, and the Market, 1790–1860 (New York: Oxford University Press, 2001), 8–15, 271–82.

  9. Minutes, Nauvoo, Illinois, stand, Aug. 8, 1844 7-8, Minute o le Ofisa Aoao a le Tusitalafaasolopito o le Ekalesia, 1839–1877, Potutusi o le Talafaasolopito o le Ekalesia, Aai o Sate Leki.

  10. Tagai i le Samuel D. Brunson, “‘To Omit Paying Tithing’: Brigham Young ma le First Federal Income Tax,” i le Godfrey ma le MacKay, eds., Business and Religion.

  11. Tagai i le Autu: Emigration.

  12. Ioane Teila, Saunoaga, Oke. 7, 1877, i le Journal of Discourses, 26 vols. (Lonetona: Au Paia o Aso e Gata Ai’ Fale Tusi, 1854–1886), vol. 19, 122.

  13. Tagai i le Autu: Tulafono e Tetee ai i Autaunonofo, Faatulagaga Autasi, Uilifoti Uitilafi, Lorenzo Snow. Tagai foi i le Thomas G. Alexander, “Church Administrative Change in the Progressive Period, 1898–1930,” mataupu 13 i le David J. Whittaker ma Arnold K. Garr, eds., A Firm Foundation: Church Organization and Administration (Provo: Nofoaga Autu o Aoaoga Falelotu, 2011), 295–98; Leonard J. Arrington, Great Basin Kingdom: An Economic History of the Au Paia o Aso e Gata Ai, 1830–1900 (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1958), 383–86, 400–9.

  14. Alexander, “Church Administrative Change,” 298–99; tagai foi i le Charles W. Nibley, “The ‘Mormon’ Finance System,” The Improvement Era, vol. 16, nu. 9 (July 1913), 941–43; Iosefa F. Samita, Anthon H. Lund, ma Charles W. Penrose, Tusia ia Reed Smoot, Sete. 7, 1916, i le James R. Clark, ed., Messages of the First Presidency, 6 vols. (Aai o Sate Leki: Deseret Book, 1965–1975), 5:36; “Suiga i Mataupu Faavae o le Incorporation of the ‘Corporation of the Presiding Bishop of o le Ekalesia a Iesu Keriso o le Au Paia o Aso e Gata Ai,’” Iuni 1, 1917, Potutusi o Talafaasolopito o le Ekalesia, Aai o Sate Leki.

  15. Tagai i le Iosefa F. Samita, Tithing Report, 4 Ape. 1915, i le Conference Report (Ape. 1915), 8–9; “Statistical and Financial Report—1958,” i le Conference Report, Ape. 1959, 91–93.

  16. G. Homer Durham, N. Eldon Tanner: His Life and Service (Aai o Sate Leki: Deseret Book, 1982), 208–9; John P. Livingstone, “N. Eldon Tanner and Church Administration,” mataupu 21 i le Whittaker and Garr, eds., A Firm Foundation, 485–501.

  17. James B. Allen ma Glen M. Leonard, The Story of the Latter-day Saints, 2nd ed. (Aai o Sate Leki: Deseret Book, 1992), 657; Samuel D. Brunson, Atua ma le IRS: Accommodating Religious Practice in United States Tax Law (Niu Ioka: Cambridge University Press, 2018), 147–68.

  18. Tad Walch, “Church Finances: Presiding Bishopric Offers Unique Look Inside Financial Operations of Growing Faith,” Deseret News, Fep. 14, 2020, https://www.deseret.com/faith/2020/2/14/21133740/mormon-church-finances-billions-presiding-bishopric-ensign-peak-tithing-donations-byu-real-estate.

  19. Lipoti Faaletausaga o Auaunaga Alofa a le Au Paia o Aso e Gata Ai, https://www.latterdaysaintcharities.org/annual-reports/2021.

  20. Oman, “Agreeable to the Laws,” 227, faamatalaga 163.

  21. Au Peresitene Sili, Statement on Church Finances, 17 Tes., 2019, https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/first-presidency-statement-church-finances.