An anonymous family has given the Community of Christ 40 (m) million dollars -- a donation that exceeds the smaller Mormon denomination's annual operating budget.
The Community of Christ, formerly known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, traces its origin to Joseph Smith, who organized the Mormon church in 1830. The denomination split from the Utah-based Mormons in 1860 and changed its name in 2001.
Church spokeswoman Linda Booth says officials knew about the pending gift for about 18 months, well before a recent article appeared in the magazine discussing financial concerns facing the 250-thousand-member church, due in part to a decline in tithes.