http://www.religionnewsblog.com Religion news about religious cults, sects, world religions, and related issues Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:08:05 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26362/judge-again-rules-utah-should-pay-5m-in-polygamous-trust-costs http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26362/judge-again-rules-utah-should-pay-5m-in-polygamous-trust-costs#comments Wed, 07 Dec 2011 08:09:30 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=26362 A judge has rebuffed the Utah attorney general and affirmed a ruling ordering the state to pay more than $5 million to the court-appointed administrator of the FLDS sect’s property trust to cover outstanding debt.

Ex-members claim cult leader Warren Jeffs used the trust to exert control over members of the sect.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26362/judge-again-rules-utah-should-pay-5m-in-polygamous-trust-costs/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26123/judge-orders-utah-to-pay-united-effort-plan-debts http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26123/judge-orders-utah-to-pay-united-effort-plan-debts#comments Wed, 03 Aug 2011 13:00:42 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=26123
The debt is for expenses incurred since those working for the trust were last paid in 2008.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26123/judge-orders-utah-to-pay-united-effort-plan-debts/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25892/utah-supreme-court-to-decide-flds-land-battle http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25892/utah-supreme-court-to-decide-flds-land-battle#comments Wed, 13 Apr 2011 10:04:38 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=25892 The Utah Supreme Court on Tuesday wrestled with the issue of who has the final say over state law as part of a long-running battle for control of a communal land trust tied to Warren Jeffs' polygamous church. The question comes on the heels of a February federal court ruling, which found that the state of Utah violated the religious rights of members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints when it took over the church's land trust in 2005.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25892/utah-supreme-court-to-decide-flds-land-battle/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25469/flds-berry-knoll-farm http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25469/flds-berry-knoll-farm#comments Sat, 04 Dec 2010 12:29:26 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=25469 considering whether to block the sale of property from a polygamous sect’s communal trust based on the argument that the 2005 state takeover of the trust violated the constitutional separation of church and state.

Attorneys for 6,000 members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are asking Benson for an injunction removing the states of Utah and Arizona from the United Effort Plan Trust and preventing the sale of Berry Knoll Farm.

An early leader in the fundamentalist Mormon movement prophesied in 1934 the land would some day be a temple site.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25469/flds-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/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