Skip to main content
Some links on this page are Amazon affiliate links. We may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

Code Names and Church Finances

Image
By Mason

Members of the Mormon church are expected to give ten percent of their income as tithing. It’s treated as a basic requirement of faithful membership. But even though members contribute a significant portion of their earnings, they aren’t given a clear accounting of how that money is used. 

The Utah church does not release detailed budgets, financial reports, or yearly accounting. Members of the church donate fully on trust, without the kind of transparency they would expect from almost any other major charitable organization.

Ensign Peak

This lack of transparency became harder to overlook during the Ensign Peak investigation. For years the church separated its investment funds into thirteen shell companies and failed to fulfill federal reporting requirements. 

The SEC found that this structure used by the church was designed to conceal the true size and unity of Ensign Peak’s holdings.  Per the SEC's 2023 report:

"The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced charges against Ensign Peak Advisers Inc., a non-profit entity operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to manage the Church’s investments, for failing to file forms that would have disclosed the Church’s equity investments, and for instead filing forms for shell companies that obscured the Church’s portfolio and misstated Ensign Peak’s control over the Church’s investment decisions. The SEC also announced charges against the Church for causing these violations. To settle the charges, Ensign Peak agreed to pay a $4 million penalty and the Church agreed to pay a $1 million penalty."

The fact the the church was attempting to hide its financial activities is incredibly clear in the very simple fact that none of the names used for the shell companies are in any way related to Mormonism:

    Ashmore Wealth Management, LLC
    Argyll Research, LLC
    Clifton Park Capital Management, LLC
    Cortland Advisers, LLC
    Elkfork Partners, LLC
    Flinton Capital Management, LLC
    Glen Harbor Capital Management, LLC
    Green Valley Investors, LLC
    Meadow Creek Investment Management, LLC
    Neuburgh Advisers, LLC
    Riverhead Capital Management, LLC
    Tiverton Asset Management, LLC
    Tyers Asset Management, LLC


In the Beginning


Financial secrecy using altered names is not new for the church. In the 1830s Joseph Smith established the United Firm, a small group of leaders who managed the church’s printing operations, storehouses, land purchases, and money. The structure of this firm was hidden through the use of secret names.



The United Firm functioned like a business partnership, and at a time when lawsuits and debts were common, openly naming the leaders involved could expose them to personal liability. To reduce that risk, the church replaced real names with code names in several Doctrine and Covenants sections. Leaders, cities, and even buildings were disguised. It made the Firm harder to identify in court and protected the individuals tied to it. 

The revelations that historically used code names are found in what is now Doctrine and Covenants sections 78, 82, 92, 96, 103, 104, and 105 (as organized by the Utah church). The earliest of these dates to March 1, 1832, and the last to June 22, 1834. Except for sections 103 and 105, all were published in the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants with only the pseudonyms. 

From 1844 through 1869, every edition continued to print the full set of these sections using the code names alone. In later LDS printings, the approach changed. The 1876 and 1921 editions kept the pseudonyms but added the real names in parentheses. The 1981 LDS edition removed the code names entirely and used only the actual identities. 

The Community of Christ still includes the pseudonyms in its edition, offering a brief guide to their real counterparts in the section headings.



The Sections

"The Lord spake unto Enoch [Joseph Smith Jun.], ...ye should, who are joined together in this order; or in other words, let my servant Ahashdah [Newel K. Whitney], and my servant Gazelam [Joseph Smith], or Enoch [Joseph Smith], and my servant Pelagoram [Sidney Rigdon], sit in council with the Saints which are in Zion..."


"...Therefore, verily I say unto you, that it is expedient for my servant Alam [Edward Partridge] and Ahashdah [Newel K. Whitney], Mahalaleel [Sidney Gilbert] and Pelagoram [Sidney Rigdon], and my servant Gazelam [Joseph Smith], Horah [John Whitmer], and Olihah [Oliver Cowdery], and Shalemanasseh [Martin Harris], and Mehnoreson [Martin Harris], be bound together by a bond and covenant that cannot be broken by transgression except judgment shall immediately follow, in your several stewardships... in the land of Zion and in the land of Shinehah [Kirtland], for I have consecrated the land of Shinehah [Kirtland] in mine own due time for the benefit of the Saints of the Most High..."



 "...a revelation and commandment concerning my servant Shederlaomach [Frederick G. Williams] that ye shall receive him into the order..."



"...let my servant Ahashdah [Newel K. Whitney] take charge of the place which is named among you..It is wisdom, and expedient in me, that my servant Zombre [John Johnson], whose offering I have accepted...should become a member of the order..."



“…my servant Baurak Ale [Joseph Smith, Jun.] is the man to whom I likened the servant in the parable which I have given unto you… let my servant Baurak Ale [Joseph Smith, Jun.] go unto the strength of my house… gather yourselves together unto the land of Zion… pray earnestly that peradventure my servant Baurak Ale [Joseph Smith] may go with you and preside in the midst of my people…”



“…and now, concerning the properties of the order…let my servant Pelagoram [Sidney Rigdon] have the place where he now resides, and the lot of Tahhanes [Tannersville] for his stewardship… "

“…let my servant Mahemson [Martin Harris] receive the lot of land which my servant Zombre [John Johnson] obtained in exchange for his former inheritance…"

“…and let my servant Mahemson [Martin Harris] devote his moneys for the proclaiming of my words, as my servant Gazelam [Joseph Smith Jun.,] shall direct…”

“…let my servant Shederlaomach [Frederick G. Williams] have the place where he now dwells…”

“…and let my servant Olihah [Oliver Cowdery] receive the lot appointed for the Lane-shine-house [Printing Office], even lot number one, and also the lot where his father resides…”

“…and let my servants Shederlaomach [Frederick G. Williams] and Olihah [Oliver Cowdery] have the Lane-shine-house [Printing Office] and all things that pertain unto it… and inasmuch as they are faithful, I will bless and multiply blessings upon them…”

“…let my servant Zombre [John Johnson] have the house in which he lives, and the inheritance… save only the ground reserved for the building of my houses…”

“…and let him also receive those lots which have been named for my servant Olihah [Oliver Cowdery]…”

“…let my servant Ahashdah [Newel K. Whitney] receive the houses and lot where he now resides… and the lot south of the Ozondah [Storehouse], and the lot on which the Shule [Ashery] stands…”

“…all this have I appointed to my servant Ahashdah [Newel K. Whitney] for his stewardship, for a blessing upon him and his seed… and inasmuch as he is faithful in keeping my commandments, I will multiply blessings upon him…”

“…and again, let my servant Gazelam [Joseph Smith Jun] receive the lot appointed unto him… for the building of my house… and also the inheritance upon which his father lives…”

“…and this is the beginning of the stewardship I have appointed unto my servant Gazelam [Joseph Smith jun]… and if he is faithful, I will multiply blessings upon him…”

“…you shall no longer be bound as an united order to your brethren of Zion… but after you are organized you shall be called the united order of the stake of Zion, the city of Shinehah [Kirtland]…”

“…write speedily unto Cainhannoch [New York], according to that which shall be dictated by my Spirit… and I will soften the hearts of those to whom you are in debt, that bondage may be taken away…”

“…your brethren, after they are organized, shall be called the united order of the city of Zion… and they shall transact business in their own name… and you shall do your business in your own name, and in your own time…”



"…I have commanded my servant Baurak Ale [Joseph Smith], Jun to go unto the strength of my house… until my servant Baurak Ale [Joseph Smith Jun] and Baneemy [mine elders]… shall have time to gather up the strength of my house…

__________


The instinct to shield financial operations, limit visibility, and protect the institution first has been present from the start. This points to an ongoing pattern in the church’s history, where sensitive financial or organizational details are adjusted, obscured, or revealed only when leaders decide the risk has passed.

Now consider this: If Joseph Smith was willing to make up new names for existing people and places in order to mask the true nature of his writings in the Doctrine and Covenants, then whose to say that he didn't do the same thing in The Book of Mormon?


Know Your Codenames:

Test how well you remember the codenames used in the United Order revelations.

1. Who was known by the codename “Gazelam”?




2. Who was known by the codename “Ahashdah”?




3. Who was known by the codename “Pelagoram”?




4. Who was known by the codename “Alam”?




5. Who was known by the codename “Shederlaomach”?




6. Who was known by the codename “Zombre”?




7. Who was known by the codename “Baurak Ale”?




8. Who was known by the codename “Mahemson”?




9. Who was known by the codename “Olihah”?




10. In these revelations, the place name “Shinehah” refers to which real-world location?




11. “Lane-shine-house” is a codename for what?




12. “Cainhannoch” is the codename for which place?




Category:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mormon Blood and the Esther Cohen-Tizer-Epstein Letter

By Mason
With the recent release of nearly 3.5 million pages of the Epstein files, there have been several connections made regarding Jeffery Epstein paying tuition for several students at BYU. The most notable of which is presented in what is known as the Esther Cohen-Tizer-Epstien Letter.    Some are questioning the authenticity of the letter, but some clues seem to point us to a woman named   Esther Cohen .  Lets look at a few connections. Note that these connections are not an attempt at making any accusations and are simply connections made through publicly available information. I will be updating this page as I find more information. EFTA00129111  Reference to the Seven Bowls School of Nutrition From Esther's website: alchemyofnourishment.com (Update March 04, 2026: The site seems to have been taken down) She began studying nutrition as a teenager: Which also seems to align with her site. Alchemy of Nourishment Along with the claim of residing in Colorado Alc...
2 comments
Read

Floodlit: Shedding Light on Sexual Abuse

By Mason
Sexual abuse within religion is not limited to one faith or one culture. It appears in churches, temples, synagogues, and mosques around the world.  The same systems that promise moral direction and community can also aid abusers in hiding their wrongdoing. When power is concentrated in spiritual authority, questioning leaders can feel like questioning God. That fear keeps many victims silent for years. Across history, investigations have revealed deep problems in multiple religious institutions. The Catholic Church, the Southern Baptist Convention, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and others have faced reports of abuse and cover-ups. The pattern is painfully consistent across the board. Allegations are dismissed, offenders are quietly moved, and victims are told to stay quiet for the sake of the church’s reputation . Each time the truth surfaces, it raises the same questions: -How could this happen? -Who allowed it to continue? The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is no...
Post a Comment
Read

The "Mormon" Trademark is About to Expire

By Mason
 The request for Mormon Stories to rebrand has spread quickly through Mormon spaces. Followers learned that om November 14th 2025, the LDS Church had reached out with claims that the podcast was infringing on the “Mormon” trademark. The demand leaned on the legal idea that the Church owns the word.  The request was shared on social media by @mormstories, but those posts seem to have been removed. Fortunately, copies of the email were  shared on reddit. But there is a significant detail sitting behind this entire dispute. The Church will have to renew the "Mormon" trademark in the 2026 to 2027 window.  Source: USPTO database When that time comes, they must prove that they still use the word “Mormon” in active commerce. USPTO rules are clear on this point. A trademark only survives if the owner can show that it is still printed on actual goods or services that are still being sold or distributed. The official guidelines spell it out at uspto.gov under “ Keeping your r...
3 comments
Read

The Temple Emphasis and Decline of Tithing

By Mason
A review of General Conference discourse in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reveals an interesting shift. Temples have always been mentioned more often than tithing, but the gap has widened dramatically in recent decades. References to tithing appear to be steadily declining, while references to temples have skyrocketed. The question is why. Data was pulled in 2024 from www.lds-general-conference.org  The 2020 dataset sees a large decline in both Tithing and Temple references due to only being halfway through the decade In the nineteenth century, church leaders spoke openly about tithing because the church needed money. The institution faced repeated financial strain. The Panic of 1893 damaged the Utah economy, and federal legislation such as the Edmunds–Tucker Act of 1887 resulted in the confiscation of church property. Under those conditions, leaders frequently urged members to contribute financially. That urgency faded once the church stabilized its finances. In...
Post a Comment
Read

Are You Temple Worthy?

By Mason
Temple worthiness isn’t just about "good behavior" in Mormon teaching. It’s a gate that determines who qualifies for the highest blessings the religion offers. The church teaches that only people judged worthy can enter the temple, make covenants, and receive the ordinances that lead to exaltation, which is the belief that humans can become like God and live forever with their families in the celestial kingdom.  This makes worthiness interviews a spiritual checkpoint that can shape someone’s identity, their standing in the community, and even their hope for eternity.    Are You Worthy to Enter a Mormon Temple? Are You Worthy of the Mormon Temple? Yes No Restart Enter the Temple
6 comments
Read

Sydney Australia Mortdale Stake Pilot Program: Informed Consent

By Mason
The following email was sent to the Sydney Australia Mortdale Stake on Sunday Oct, 28th 2024 by an  individual (likely using an alias) who pretended to be distributing an official church statement. ----------------- Sydney Australia Mortdale Stake Pilot Program: Informed Consent Dear Brothers and Sisters, I have some wonderful news, your Stake has been chosen to trial a new approach to learning about the Gospel. As you know our leaders are trying to be more transparent with some of the messiness in our history. No doubt you have all started to notice this with the release of the Gospel Topics Essays (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics-essays/essays?lang=eng) 10 years ago and videos of President Nelson  showing us how Joseph translated the Book of Mormon, with his face in a white stove pipe hat, with a seer stone. This pilot program will involve two different objectives. The first is for our beloved missionaries to ensure that all converts are fully ...
Post a Comment
Read

I Watched the Peacemaker Summit So You Don't Have To

By
If you're like most people, you didn't even know this was happening; and, like a good sneeze, it was gone by the time you realized it. (Be warned: there's a lot of YouTube and Instagram posts linked in this article.) Who is The Holy Rebellion? If you're not familiar with The Holy Rebellion , they're a pair of LDS business investors and influencers from Utah - Travis Lish and Christian Williams . In an interview with Greg Matsen of The Cwic Show online podcast, the boys at The Holy Rebellion describe how the y came up with their Instagram handle (and I'll highlight some interesting statements): So we, starting at from that point - this was probably four, five, six years ago even - but we just kind of started meeting...and over time, it became clear that the only thing - our biggest mutual interest was the gospel of Jesus Christ ...and we were talking about Paul and how Paul was just unashamed...and we concluded that if we want to be like Paul, we have to find th...
Post a Comment
Read

Where Did Joseph Smith Dig for Treasure?

By Mason
Before Joseph Smith was known as a prophet, he was known locally for treasure digging. An article written by Dan Vogel   mapped out the physical locations connected to that earlier phase of Smith’s life. Drawing from court records, affidavits, neighbor testimony, and later reminiscences, Vogel was able to place Smith on specific hillsides, farms, and riverbanks across western New York and northern Pennsylvania. Show Dan Vogel's Full Article (If you have issues on mobile, you can read the full document  here ) The article itself is a valuable asset to anybody who wants to understand the treasure digging activities of Joseph Smith. However, due to the design of the maps provided it may be difficult to immediate tell where the digs took place. Which in my opinion, may limit the sharing of his research. As such, I took it upon myself to update the map in Google Earth using Dan Vogel's research as my guide. This gives us a bit of clearer idea of w...
Post a Comment
Read

The Peacemaker Summit, Part 2: Keynotes to the Kingdom

By
Click here  for part 1! Following some initial audio/visual difficulties (which drove my professional A/V friend crazy), the Peacemaker Summit finally got underway with some introductory remarks by Marla Gale, the event sponsor, then by Travish Lish and Christian Williams, the co-owners of The Holy Rebellion social media accounts. What followed over the next several hours were eight keynote addresses and a lunch break. Alternatively, skip to the end to see my final thoughts. In summarizing and evaluating each speaker , I'm employing the rubric below (I am a teacher, after all): Does the speaker... have a consistent thesis related to the stated mission of the conference? clearly articulate an application of content creation online? rigorously demonstrate an actionable metric for peacemaking? utilize a high-quality and engaging presentational format? Christian Williams: "The Accusatory Fog & Two Ineffective Responses" @theholyrebellion Christian begins his address the ...
Post a Comment
Read

Early Mormon Criticisms - 4: Fanaticism

By Mason
 This series looks back at how early critics of the church reacted to the rise of Mormonism. Some mocked it, others warned against it, and a few tried to make sense of it. Each post features a historical excerpt and some brief context to show how critics viewed the new faith as it was unfolding.  -The full series can be found  here - The article titled “Fanaticism” was published on February 11, 1831, in the United States Gazette , a Philadelphia paper with national circulation. It reprints material from the Painesville Gazette , reflecting local reports from northeastern Ohio rather than direct investigation by the Gazette itself. The author is unnamed, consistent with early-19th-century newspaper practice, and the tone reflects mainstream Protestant skepticism toward emerging religious movements. The piece focuses on Kirtland and nearby areas in Geauga and Cuyahoga counties at a very early stage in Mormon development, less than a year after the Book of Mormon’s publica...
Post a Comment
Read
e
Link copied!