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In September 2019, the Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints filed a motion to dismiss a class action lawsuit that claims the LDS religion is a “scheme of lies.”
Plaintiff Laura G. claimed that the LDS church influenced through misrepresentation and concealment to engineer an attraction to faith in the core beliefs of Mormonism.
The Mormon Church class action lawsuit states that Laura was raised by a single mother who joined the church in the late 1970s. The plaintiff states that she attended LDS schools and learned through songs the teachings of Joesph Smith.
The plaintiff says that she spent up to three hours every Sunday learning about Mormonism. In addition, she claims that she would have to perform “janitorial” duties.
After graduating from high school in 2005, Laura would continue to be close to the Mormon Church and attended college-level instruction about Mormonism. During this time, she also worked as a waitress, which helped her save money for a mission.
In February 2018, while preparing for a lesson, Laura Googled “Mormon videos” and came across a video of an interview with Josh Durham, a physician, who talked about mind control and the “religious extremism in the context of Mormonism.”
“After several weeks of intense research, (plaintiff) learned that Smith had multiple visions and that there exist multiple versions of the first vision, that the earliest in 1832, written in Smith’s handwriting, described only a vision of the Lord who forgave Smith for his sins,” the Mormon class action lawsuit states.
Laura states that she also discovered that there was no evidence that Smith studied what was described on the gold plates, or that he ever used the plates.
“She found that she could not reconcile what she had learned and now believed to be the truth about her Mormon beliefs with continuing membership in the Mormon organization. Ultimately, months after that first rude awakening, she resigned from the Church,” the lawsuit states.
The LDS class action claims that “for almost 200 years, the COP, through its agent leaders, has represented Mormonism to be the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, claiming that the divine authority essential to that gospel (Melchizedek and Aaronic priesthoods) was taken from the Earth after Christ’s crucifixion.”
The plaintiff alleges that this information contradicts the orthodox narrative which is taught to church members.
“When the true facts are substituted for the longstanding false orthodox narrative, the story that emerges has shocked devoted Mormons who have made life-altering decisions based upon a scheme of lies,” the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints class action lawsuit states.
The Mormon Church class action lawsuit claims that children, as early as their teens, are “indoctrinated” for numerous months by COP employees at missionary training centers. In addition, at twice annual General Conferences, Mormon leaders espouse that they will never lead their members astray.
“This promise is initially instilled in young children’s minds through song and continues to be emphasized throughout a Mormon’s life,” the plaintiff alleges.
Laura wants to represent a Class of thousands of former Mormons who have been allegedly hoodwinked by the LDS church through the Mormon Corporate Empire.
The plaintiff claims that the Latter-day Saints Church owes the potential Class Members reimbursement for payments of monies as well as for the value of services unwittingly provided by Mormons.
The suit also seeks reimbursement for “emotional distress” which has resulted in harm such as “existential crises, suicides, broken families, insomnia, anxiety, and depression.”
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints class action lawsuit states that the Mormon Corporate Empire is comprised of four levels: Paid General Authorities, Unpaid Local Leadership, Relevant Business Entities, and the Mormon Educational Empire.
According to the lawsuit, the false statements and misrepresentations promulgated form a fraudulent scheme committed by the LDS church, its employees and agents, as well as possible converts to Mormonism.
In its motion to dismiss the case, the Corporation of the President of the LDS Church states that the plaintiff is basically asking the court to order a “modern day inquisition” into the teachings of Mormonism. “(The plaintiff’s) claims would require this Court to adjudicate questions of profound theological import for the Church,” the motion to dismiss argues.
The LDS motion to dismiss further states that none of the questions that the plaintiff poses belong in a court of law and that the law does not ask judges or juries to adjudicate whether any religions are true or false.
“It is not the province of judges or juries to determine whether Moses parted the Red Sea, whether Noah predicted and survived the flood, whether Mohammed ascended to heaven, whether Buddha achieved a state of enlightenment, whether Jesus walked on water, or whether Joseph Smith saw God and Jesus Christ,” the motion to dismiss states.
The plaintiff has accused the LDS church of common law fraud, fraud in the inducement to enter into an oral contract, breach of equitably imposed fiduciary duties, fraudulent concealment, Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO), and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Updated Complaint Filed
In May 2020, Laura filed an amended complaint to clarify she was not seeking to challenge normative statements by the Mormon church.
According to court documents, the plaintiff alleges that the COP has engaged and continues to engage in a scheme of deception by keeping certain material facts out of the narrative of the LDS church’s history.
“This scheme, which now appears to include lies about tithing use, was plotted to exploit lay LDS members and potential members, enabling COP to continue its accumulation of wealth and economic and political control over the State of Utah and elsewhere,” says the complaint.
Laura asserts that the COP has started to admit that false statements have been provided and that material facts regarding the religion’s history were omitted. Still, the COP’s Correlation, especially in the last 50 years or so, has allegedly “published grossly misleading statements” that were knowingly false.
At issue is the tithing of 10% of the earnings that Laura and other Mormons donated to the church that allowed them to participate in temple ceremonies and last through eternity. If the 10% is not paid, entrance is denied.
“Absent of COP’s underlying scheme of lies, which form the basis for members’ beliefs, tithing would not be paid,” alleges the LDS complaint.
The LDS lawsuit contends that in late 2019, the COP took several billion dollars from a $128 billion liquid slush fund that the IRS requires to be used toward humanitarian aid and instead used it for profit-making businesses. The money, which included tithing principal from its Ensign Peak Advisors, allegedly helped bail out failing life insurance company Beneficial Life in 2009, and was used to help develop Creek Mall in Salt Lake City.
The court has scheduled a motion for oral arguments, along with a motion to dismiss the amended complaint and a motion requesting judicial notice, for Jan. 5.
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88 thoughts onMormon ‘Scheme of Lies’ Amended Class Action Lawsuit Filed Following Dismissal Attempt
There is increasingly no room for so many lies, plagiarism and distortions of the real world that the LDS Church has committed with impunity. She never apologized for supporting Nazism and imposing 126 years of racial Apartheid, defying Civil Rights that were so important to the black American community. The church/corporation should be its real name, as it is the accumulator of $130 billion spent on shares on the Stock Exchange, never to feed the hungry in the world. All this at the expense of the members. A church that never had the courage to look at the Parable of the Rich Young Man, nor even consider the scripture James 1:27 and Acts 17:24, respectively saying that the only religion is charity and God would never dwell within churches or temples. Do we need anything clearer than that? Firstly, Apocalypse is not even about the end of the world, as the Book of Revelations is about Nero, war against the Jews, Roman colonization, all inspired by Persian culture, never having to do with us, as it would be a serious anachronism! From Zoroastrianism (which inspired the invention of Apocalypse) comes, for example, the concept of paradise (pairidaeza) and greatly influenced the Jewish religion, during the exile in Mesopotamia, such as the prohibition of the worship of sacred images (the entire text of Isaiah in the Bible is of Zoroastrian root). Therefore, liars and cynics are Mormons until the last page of the Book of Plagiarism or Book of Mormon invented by a 19th century treasure hunter who even slept with a 14-year-old girl. The Book of Mormon is a tightly woven patchwork whose stories were drawn from several other books of Smith’s time, including (1) the doctrine of the Three Kingdoms of Glory, (2) Visit of an Angel whose Light is Greater than the Sun and (3) Celestial Marriage, three ideas taken from the theories of Emanuel Swedeborg, whose legacy Sidney Rigdon knew well! After all, he was raised in the same small American town where the Swedenborgians gathered. In short, there is no restoration of any church, because Jesus NEVER CREATED ANY PRIMITIVE CHURCH, BECAUSE HE WAS A JEW AND THAT WAS NO PROBLEM FOR HIM! Sorry to type in capital letters, but it takes a certain amount of effort or indignation in the face of so many religious hoaxes invented to rob the unwary. The West, engulfed by violent and usurping Christianity, in all its versions, needs more education, awakening from the induced mental coma that it finds itself in by believing in the extreme right and allowing tithes to be collected with the promise of Eternal Life! In other words, we want less delirium and much less submission to the American culture that creates empty heads. Thank you for your attention.
Meu nome e Matheus Martins eu quero muito tira meu nome da igreja mórmons da capela Itaim Paulista meu motivo e por causa dos problemas psicológico.
Stupid is as stupid does… the LDS motto revealed thru a seer stone to J Smith Jr. (1820, 1828, and 1832) by one, no wait two, okay three divine personages including Jesus, Heavenly Father, or both or a bunch of angels or just some dude in a white shirt with a badge on a bike.
At first they would come to my pop’s house once or twice a week… slowly they earned my respect….. As time passed they came more frequently.one day I noticed one of them looked all high on drugs.now they go over pops almost everyday and are I’ve noticed them become more demanding of his time and effort even when pops makes it clear that he does not want them at his house.pops has even told me sometimes they’ve come up to 3 times in one day.
I grew up in the west. I believe what she encountered and reported is true. I’ve seen what business pressures and money and power are intertwined with people in that church. Power is addicting and teaching behaviors are critical in the construct of any member of any group. I think that a persons beliefs are what works or makes sense to them, or they are covertly coerced to act differently. Closeness is a safe feeling. Excommunication is a dreadful event to those in any group. Shunning, even your family closes you off. Religions and organizations that dangle or commit excommunication are by definition a cult. So, Jesus loves you, only if you give the church money. Reveal for your own being.
No. No. No. Life, theology, religion, etc. are not that easily evaluated. So many people assume instead of learn/understand. As a Ward Mission Leader and in other callings, I’ve never seen a strong-willed person “forced” into living like Jesus. I have seen people go-along-to-get-along and then become bitter because there was no “happy ending.” Please read “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll probably end up somewhere else” by David Cambell.
BLAH, BLAH, BLAH name calling. BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, accusation. BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, swear word. BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, slander. BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, cult. Oh, and by the way, don’t forget about money money money money. At the end of the days that’s all I hear. People looking to get rich by suing someone and not through hard work. BLAH, BLAH, BLAH
Blah blah. All I hear is Someone annoyed by lies told to them. Blah blah blah.
I believe she’s right the moron church took 10% of my Dad’s hard earned money for 20 yrs now that my parents are dead the church is trying to steal my inheritance like they haven’t gotten enough I think LDS is the most corrupt church out there their abunch of phony cops stealing their gangsters with a badges
I have had my rights violated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
They have been gang stalking me for three years, and I have had my civil rights violated. They tamper with my water, have ruined my rv, which is my home, abused my dogs, and my dogs are terrified to go outside. It’s 24 hour harassment and the Walmart which Mormons are the top investors, charges me extra sales taxes, and just says, you need to contact corporate office, which because Mormons hack my phone, does nothing about it
What an exceedingly stupid suit.
For those who continue to follow the church teachings and believe in its truth claims and enjoy and accept everything about the church, sure, it will seem rediculous. The church is probably a good place for you if you find it easy to live by all its principles and pride yourself in being called “God’s Elect” in the latter days.
To those who followed and believed for years and found it very confusing to deal with all of the church’s mind-bending explanations of the TRUE history of the church, warning its members to avoid reading materials that are not approved by the church or risk losing your place with your family in the Celestial Kingdom, this suit really hits the spot!
Exceedingly correct explanation
To ALL commenting on this subject::
Then EVERY RELIGION IS A FRIGGIN “CULT” if you ALL wanna go there!
And NOBODY can force ANYONE to know what THEY really FEEL in there heart , guts or whatever label you wanna give it!! Wether it’s RIGHT OR WRONG inside you SOMEWHERE YOU AND ONLY YOU (ready for this one? Cause this is one of the key words to this whole thing…) CHOOSE (yesss!) to go with what you REALLY FEEL INSIDE and/or CHOOSE to try and blame things wrong in your life on something you were allegedly “forced” to believe. NOBODY CAN FORCE ANYONE TO BELIEVE ANYTHING THRY REALLY KNOW IS WEONG!! I have been in a few brainwashing manipulative long relationships and I don’t want a brownie button for surviving them etc. I’m only bringing them up because I KNOW WTF ITS LIKE AND NOMATTER WHAT I ALWAYS KNEW THE POS MF WAS WRONG . So just like I said you CANT be forced to believe something that’s not really there in the beginning. So feeling “forced” is A CHOICE YOU HAVE MADE AS AN INDIVIDUAL.not any specific religions fault. Like I said in the beginning of this
THEN ALL RELIGIONS ARE A CULT
A lot of CAPS LOCK there …lol
If you are wanting to know why the LDS church is considered a cult, look up the “BITE model”. You can do it yourself and see if the church fits into the model.