Deseret News | LDS leader urges honesty in business

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LDS leader urges honesty in business

Clean their own house first. | 3:58 a.m. Oct. 17, 2009

This kind of advice is going on deaf ears in Utah. Their is no morality in business in Utah of what this award ceremony had to say. Businesses in Utah, especially owners with church affiliation are among the most immoral and dishonest businessmen in the country.

These businemen with close church ties have the attitude they are doing you a favor giving you a job with slave labor wages and consider employees owe these companies their cheap labor, then turn around and stab you in the back. They consider asking for a raise as immoral and wrong for employees to do. Their favorite slogan, 'Trust Me', I know whats best for you (the employee) and a raise is out of the question. Then send their employees with substandard wages to the welfare offices to get welfare aid.

The only reason business in Utah get involved with community affairs is for insider information on laws to make sure they don't get in to their profiteering. Their reason are selfish and not for the betterment of Utah citizens.

Utah's Leaders Among The Best | 11:12 a.m. Oct. 17, 2009

I have lived and done business in Utah for about 30 years. I have also lived and done business in other states such as Florida, Georgia and California. I have found the honesty and integrity of Utahns superior to anywhere else that I have done business. This is not to say that there isn't room for improvement.

Several years ago while living in San Diego I had my credit card compromised 2 times within one years time. It has never been compromised in Utah. On the other hand I don't normally do business with church associates or close friends. There are sharks here in Utah, but I see fewer of them here than in other states that I have experienced.

It is not wise to do business with any of your religious associates, no matter what religion. Some cons are there for the sole purpose, of ripping you off, not the religious experience. It is often hard to tell who these crooks are. They are sharks trying to swim with the easy prey. This applies to all religions. You see it more in Utah because of the LDS prominent status.

Happy Valley Hillbilly | 11:36 a.m. Oct. 17, 2009

Actually, he was born in Czechoslovakia and grew up in Germany.

Comments continue below

Earnest T. Bass | 6:03 p.m. Oct. 17, 2009

More power to ya President Uchtdorf....

To Clean their own...: | 6:56 p.m. Oct. 17, 2009

Let the free market work for you, bud. Vote with your feet. If you still can't find the wage you want elsewhere in Utah, then try somewhere else. It's a big country and a big world.

Home of the ripoffs | 7:34 p.m. Oct. 17, 2009

Utah is the rip-off capital of the world.

We need all the help we can get. We need all the help that we can get.

No I don't think it is | 9:38 p.m. Oct. 17, 2009

the rip-off capital of the WORLD. But there are dishonest people there--and people who are not wise in their business investments, either. Sincerity doesn't necessarily mean you are a skilled businessman. And "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is" is good advice anywhere.

I've lived most of my life in other places than Utah, and I think we are more shocked when a supposedly good LDS person is dishonest than we would be if the person were of another faith. I lived for a long time in PA where 10% of every business dollar in Philly goes thru mafia hands--and when the bishop or the cardinal does the funeral of the big mafia don nobody is even surprised. In Latin America, the "little bite" is customary in business deals, and in dealing with the police--and that's expected, too.
So don't let's be so hard on Utah--let's just make sure we are as honest as we know how to be--honesty is a private, personal virtue.

Janice | 11:30 p.m. Oct. 17, 2009

I think the LDS church has too many scam artists. They cause some to even lose their homes like our best friends once did. Some members tell lies, cheat and use members to build their car businesses , travel businesses, insurance businesses, and many more. Too many liars out there. I think it is awful when members use the ward phone directory for sending out their mail fliers to build their business up. It is wrong. I say, Never but never do business with ward members unless they ask you FIRST! Never ask them for business. Let them always do the asking.

Anonymous | 1:13 p.m. Oct. 18, 2009

This just shows that the BYU Management Society doesn't have any real candidates to award. If they award it to a prominent GA, their organization can appear to be prominent.

Anonymous | 6:56 a.m. Oct. 19, 2009

The idea of ethical LDS businessmen is an oxymoron. It should not be that way, but it is. Too many LDS business people have tin ears when it comes to ethics. In my business, I was more likely to have my bills paid by non-members than by business clients who also had prominent positions in the church. Pretty sad, really.

Anonymous | 8:05 a.m. Oct. 19, 2009

Clean their own house first. | 3:58 a.m. Oct. 17, 2009

Anonymous | 6:56 a.m. Oct. 19, 2009

I appreciate your opinions on this, and wonder what experiences you have had to give you t his idea, or perhaps you are just looking for something to be mad at Mormons about. Having lived in several places both in and out of Utah, my experience has been just the opposite.

It hurts when I see Mormons being less than honest. They are not perfect in this regard... However, in my experience the likelihood of LDS folks taking advantage of my trust financially is much lower than those I have worked with in other places.

Not perfect, but certainly not as you have portrayed them.

Anonymous | 8:23 a.m. Oct. 19, 2009

My son's view is that too many equate money with righteousness, that the Lord makes the righteous wealthy. What a sad commentary for any Christian. In my own case, I taught the principles of King Benjamin in a quorum and one guy, our called leader, went nuts against the teachings of this ancient prophet. In another situation, a quorum president advocated the writings of Aynn Rand. So, business and political ethics need to be emphasized more by church leaders.

Anonymous | 9:10 a.m. Oct. 19, 2009

Great advice from President Uchtdorf.

If Mormons were perfect in this there would be no need for his message. Since he gave us the message, we obviously need to do better.

Good, but still need for improvement.

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