http://www.religionnewsblog.com Religion news about religious cults, sects, world religions, and related issues Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:34:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23536/berry-knoll-farm http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23536/berry-knoll-farm#comments Fri, 31 Jul 2009 12:04:42 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23536 A Utah judge suggested Wednesday she may offer a polygamous sect's historic farm to the highest bidder -- a sale hundreds of FLDS members gathered outside the Matheson Courthouse Wednesday to oppose.

Salt Lake City accountant Bruce R. Wisan, who has overseen the trust for the past four years, wants to sell the farm property to solve the trust's "liquidity" crisis. The trust has debts of about $3 million, mostly in fees owed to Wisan's firm and that of his attorneys.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23536/berry-knoll-farm/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23265/elissa-wall-lawsuit http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23265/elissa-wall-lawsuit#comments Sun, 15 Feb 2009 10:36:45 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23265 A fiduciary overseeing a polygamous sect's trust has sued the parents, a sister and former husband of Elissa Wall, saying they, not the trust, are responsible for her forced marriage at age 14.

He argues that any damages that may have resulted from her 2001 marriage to Allen Steed were "primarily and ultimately" caused by their failure to act.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23265/elissa-wall-lawsuit/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/22877/united-effort-plan-trust-3 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/22877/united-effort-plan-trust-3#comments Fri, 31 Oct 2008 07:58:40 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=22877 The fight over the proposed sale of property from a communal trust set up by a polygamous sect intensified Thursday as the trust overseer alleged there is a "conspiracy" to thwart his efforts.

In a new court document, Bruce R. Wisan refutes claims he is waging war against or seeking to destroy the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Instead, he accused sect members of ''a conspiracy of noncooperation, hostility and sabotage'' against the United Effort Plan Trust that now includes filing "frivolous" lawsuits.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/22877/united-effort-plan-trust-3/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/22790/flds-temple-site http://www.religionnewsblog.com/22790/flds-temple-site#comments Mon, 20 Oct 2008 05:34:39 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=22790 A swath of farmland on the Utah-Arizona border has become the subject of the latest legal war involving the polygamous sect. FLDS members Willie Jessop, Dan Johnson and Merlin Jessop are seeking to halt plans by the court-appointed special fiduciary of the United Effort Plan Trust to sell Berry Knoll.

If a proposed sale of Berry Knoll Farm is allowed to proceed, it will divest the FLDS Church of one of its most sacred sites and place it in the hands of a rival religious group, three sect members allege.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/22790/flds-temple-site/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/22656/united-effort-plan-trust-lawsuit http://www.religionnewsblog.com/22656/united-effort-plan-trust-lawsuit#comments Wed, 08 Oct 2008 09:29:26 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=22656 Members of a polygamous sect contend a court-ordered reorganization of their property trust violated their constitutional rights and are suing to reverse the changes or regain control of the trust.

In a federal civil rights lawsuit filed Monday, members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints argue that changes to the United Effort Plan Trust since a court takeover in 2005 have secularized it, violating their religious freedoms.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/22656/united-effort-plan-trust-lawsuit/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/22227/united-effort-plan-trust-2 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/22227/united-effort-plan-trust-2#comments Sat, 30 Aug 2008 15:35:32 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=22227 Attorneys for a polygamous church sued a court-appointed accountant on Friday, seeking to reverse an $8.8 million judgment against its $110 million property trust.

The trust is the charitable arm of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. A court gave Wisan guardianship of the trust in 2005 after state attorneys said church leaders had mismanaged its assets.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/22227/united-effort-plan-trust-2/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/22072/flds-united-effort-plan-trust http://www.religionnewsblog.com/22072/flds-united-effort-plan-trust#comments Fri, 15 Aug 2008 09:39:37 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=22072 More than three years after the Utah courts took control of a polygamous church's property trust, a representative of the embattled sect is speaking up -- asking a state judge whether church members can ultimately own the homes and property now managed by a court-appointed accountant.

FLDS spokesman Willie Jessop appeared in court wanting to clear up confusion surrounding the ownership of assets in the United Effort Plan Trust. ]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/22072/flds-united-effort-plan-trust/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/21946/bountiful-flds-school http://www.religionnewsblog.com/21946/bountiful-flds-school#comments Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:12:06 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=21946 Bruce Wisan said he launched the lawsuit to force an equitable distribution of FLDS assets in Canada.

He has asked the court to remove the FLDS members as directors of the society that runs the school and to appoint him as the trustee to regulate its affairs.

He has also asked the court to designate him as the beneficial owner of the school properties.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/21946/bountiful-flds-school/feed 0