Ever walked past a Mormon temple at night? They’re usually glowing, white, and look like they cost a fortune to build. It makes you wonder. People have been whispering about the "Mormon fortune" for decades, but lately, those whispers have turned into a full-blown roar.
Honestly, the answer to how much money does lds church have isn't just a single number on a spreadsheet. It’s a massive, complex web of stocks, sprawling cattle ranches, and skyscrapers. For a long time, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) kept their books tighter than a drum. Then 2019 happened. A whistleblower named David Nielsen, a former investment manager, leaked documents to the IRS.
The world found out about Ensign Peak Advisors.
Suddenly, we weren't just talking about "a lot of money." We were talking about "more money than most countries" money. By 2026, independent analysts and tracking projects like the Widow’s Mite Report estimate the church’s total net worth has climbed toward $290 billion.
That is a staggering amount of capital for a religious organization.
The Stock Market Giant You’ve Never Heard Of
Most of the liquid wealth sits inside Ensign Peak Advisors. Think of it as a massive rainy-day fund that just never stops raining cash. This isn't just a savings account; it's a sophisticated investment engine.
As of early 2026, the church's public stock portfolio—the stuff they actually have to report to the SEC—is valued at over $60 billion. But here’s the kicker: that’s only the tip of the iceberg. The SEC only requires reporting on U.S.-listed stocks. It doesn't include bonds, private equity, or international holdings.
What are they buying? Basically, everything you use every day.
- Tech Titans: They hold billions in Nvidia, Microsoft, Apple, and Alphabet.
- Retail & Logistics: Huge chunks of Amazon and Walmart.
- Finance: Major positions in JPMorgan Chase and Mastercard.
It’s a "who's who" of the S&P 500. For years, the church used 13 different shell companies to hide the size of this portfolio, a move that resulted in a $5 million settlement with the SEC in 2023. They basically admitted that they didn't want the public to know how successful their investments had become.
More Than Just Temples: The Real Estate Empire
If you think the church only owns the chapel on your street corner, you’re missing the scale of this. They are one of the largest private landowners in the United States.
They own roughly 2.3 million acres in the U.S. alone. To put that in perspective, that’s bigger than Delaware and Rhode Island combined.
A huge portion of this is agricultural. They own Deseret Ranches in Florida, which is one of the largest beef ranch operations in the world. They’ve been buying up farmland in Nebraska, Arkansas, and Washington like it’s going out of style. In 2024 and 2025, they dropped hundreds of millions of dollars on dozens of new farms through their subsidiary, Farmland Reserve.
Why farmland? It’s a hedge. It’s stable. People always need to eat.
Then there’s the commercial stuff. They own the City Creek Center mall in Salt Lake City—a $2 billion development. They own office towers in London, residential complexes in Chicago, and timberlands in the Panhandle. When you add up the temples (nearly 350 announced or operating), the meetinghouses, the universities like BYU, and the for-profit land, the real estate portfolio alone is estimated to be worth over **$120 billion**.
Where Does the Money Come From?
It starts with tithing.
Faithful members are expected to give 10% of their income to the church. For a long time, people guessed they brought in maybe $7 billion or $8 billion a year in donations. Current estimates suggest it's closer to **$10 billion annually**.
Now, here is the math that makes the fund grow so fast: the church’s operating costs (paying for light bills at chapels, printing manuals, running BYU, and building those fancy temples) are estimated at around $5 billion to $6 billion a year.
The leftover billions? They don't just sit there. They go straight into the investment fund.
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It’s a compounding machine. If you take $3 billion or $4 billion in "surplus" tithing every year and dump it into a market that’s returning 7-10% annually, you end up with the mountain of gold we see today.
The Transparency Problem
The church's leaders, like President Russell M. Nelson, argue that this money is a "sacred reserve" for the future. They talk about the "rainy day" of all rainy days—the Second Coming or a global economic collapse. They want the church to be able to function without tithing if the world falls apart.
But critics, and even some active members, aren't so sure.
The tension comes from the ratio of wealth to charity. While the church has significantly increased its humanitarian spending—reporting over $1.3 billion in aid for 2024—critics point out that this is a tiny fraction of their total wealth. It’s like a billionaire giving away twenty bucks.
There's also the "Corporation Sole" structure. Legally, the President of the Church owns the assets in a way that provides immense protection and very little public accountability. In 2026, the push for more transparency is louder than ever, especially from younger members who want to see that money used to solve immediate global problems like housing or clean water.
What Most People Get Wrong
People often think the LDS Church is "broke" or struggling because they see local congregations cleaning their own bathrooms to save money. Or they think the "Mormon Church" is just another small denomination.
Neither is true.
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The church is essentially a massive sovereign wealth fund attached to a religion. They are more financially stable than many European nations. They don't have debt. They pay cash for their temples—which can cost $50 million to $100 million each.
Another misconception? That the top leaders are pocketing billions.
There is no evidence of that. While the "General Authorities" receive a "living allowance" (estimated around $200,000 a year in 2026), they aren't living like tech CEOs with private jets and yachts. The money stays in the institution. It’s about institutional power and longevity, not personal luxury for the apostles.
Actionable Insights: What This Means for You
Whether you're a member, a former member, or just someone interested in high-stakes finance, there are a few things to keep in mind regarding the church's massive holdings.
- Follow the Filings: If you want to see what they are actually doing, watch the Form 13F filings from Ensign Peak Advisors every quarter. It’s the only real "window" the public has into their financial strategy.
- Understand the Strategy: The church invests for the long term—decades, not months. They favor "blue chip" stocks and hard assets like land. If you’re looking for a model of "boring but effective" wealth preservation, this is it.
- Look Beyond the Headlines: Don't just look at the $100 billion number. That’s old news. When you factor in real estate and the growth of the last three years, the total "ecosystem" value is much closer to $300 billion.
- Watch for Policy Shifts: As the church faces more pressure from the SEC and international tax authorities (like in Australia and Canada), expect to see them shift more money into visible humanitarian projects to protect their tax-exempt status.
The bottom line? The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is likely the wealthiest religious organization in history. Their financial footprint is so large that it now influences global markets and U.S. real estate trends.
To stay informed on how these funds are managed, you can monitor the quarterly 13F SEC disclosures or review the annual "Caring for Those in Need" reports issued by the church to see how the balance between investment and charity is shifting.