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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
Yes some people in the Church of Jesus Christ are bad people but not all of us are I am sorry you went through such a horrible experience at such a young age.
Excuse me but I was harassed before they lured me in on educational promises and classes in the medical field and I was actually ‘KICKED OUT’ IN 2019 ACCORDING TO THEIR LEADERS YET THEY ARE STILL HARASSING ME NOW. THAT IS A CULT. IT IS EVIL CONDUCT AND IT IS INSIDIOUS TO STALK PEOPLE, EVEN SENIORS IN ABUSE SHELTER. I’M IN ONE IN NORTH GA. THE LDS WORK HERE AND THEY HARASS THOUGH THE B.I.T.E METHOD AND THEY CROWD STALK AND THEY CYBER STALK. ITS NEARING 2021 AND THEY ARE USING METH ADDICTS TO HARASS ME IN THIS S.A.F.E. SHELTER. PLUS A BRAINWASHED SET OF STAFF LDS MEMBERS.
No one is forced to go on a mission or to clean the church your family will be scheduled to clean the building once a year but if you have a problem doing so you can talk to your bishop. Don’t criticize a religion before understanding it.
The plaintiffs point is not that she had to clean the church or pay tithing, but that she did so under false pretenses. The church is presenting a story that is palatable, while they knowingly hide truths about the origin story snd how tithing money is used for things like bailing out an insurance company and building a mall. This is actually an extremely important case. If this case is dismissed, the LDS church and other religions have a green light to lie and misuse tithing or donations. Corruption unchecked in the name of God. So dangerous.
Mormonism is unfortunately not what it claims to be and deserves to be investigated and questioned at the very least.
add me, i was forced to attend and get baptized in the faith
Hey sweetie I had to learn fricken Commandments for tokens and some cloth thing ridiculous my memory doesn’t memorize shit I hear ya sucks
CULT, CULT, CULT RICO FRAUD SCAMMERS.
CULT IS CORRECT!
RICO FRAUD SCAMMERS RIGHT DOWN TO ANCESTRY.COM. MY FAMILY KNOWS OUR HISTORY, THESE PEOPLE ARE DRUG DEALERS / CHILD MOLESTERS, REAL ESTATE FRAUD. AND CONNECTED TO OTHER ORGANIZED CRIMES SUCH AS THE KKK. I AM NOT A MORMON. TRIED OUT THEIR CHURCH.iT’S TOTAL FRAUD SCAMMING. IT’S ABOUT MONEY GREED POWER. B.I.T.E MIND CONTROL TACTICS AND CROWD STALKING. I.T.TECH SCAMS. I.D. THEFT, MONEY LAUNDERING, EDUCATIONAL LURES AND MIND CONTROL. NOT A CHURCH, BUT A MAFIA, DON’T WORRY THE IRS IS ON THEM. CHRISTIANS ARE TARGETS TO THESE CROOKS.
Yes y’all were scammed. This will be an wasted ongoing battle with no resolution or restitution. Pointless cause, and the Freedom of Religion is protected… Their word against yours. Anything criminal (rape, molestations…) needs to be handled by the local authorities and not the the church leadership.
RAPE NEEDS TO BE HANDLED BY FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT , SO DOES THEIR DRUG RING OF DIRTY DOCTORS AND CORRUPT FRAUD SCAMMING HUMAN TRAFFICKING LAWYERS SUCH AS TOMMY JOE WILLIAMS OF ROANOKE VA. AND PAUL PEARSON OF AZ AND ARK. REAL ESTATE FRAUD AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING/ CAUGHT BY THE FBI. THESE MORMONS ARE A MAFIA , NOT A CHURCH, A MAFIA RING ALONG WITH MURDER AND DRUG RUNNING. IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY. POWER AND CONTROL. WELL, I DON’T DRINK THE KOOL-AID.
This suit is the biggest crock I’ve ever heard. If one was molested, one should go to the cops. Not church authorities. Get real.
I converted in 2016 based off of one well known family in the church that I began working for in 2014. That family taught a lot of nonsense regarding my prelife with God. It’s horrific. I was questioning my decision of converting. There are a lot of wonderful people in the church; however, since I wouldn’t attend because of my mormon employers lies and the treatment by them at the office many shunned me and worse. So much more worse. I was fired via text as Mormons are passive aggressive and there was no reason to fire other than they wanted a better mormon. Two or so days later there replaced me with a mormon woman. In approximately 2017 my depression was high as I was treated bad at work. The family asked if I want to see a therapist and I said yes. Turns out the therapist was a good friend of my employer and he came into the office and was using his index finger pounding the desk when he told me the therapist the church sent me to was his good friend abd to stay away from his family and a threat. Then the office turned into a nightmare for me. Now it’s going on eight months and no job no matter how much I apply. The church ward has come at me hard and every day. During the last three years of working the office stopped raises, bonuses, birthdays, holidays, etc. They planned my firing for months. I’m left with zero income and no way to pay for house, car etc. I have filed an HRB complaint but I know 100% the people in the Ward, the Bishop abd members have and are involved in all of it. I’m told I can’t sue the church but I have read other articles and this article and the damage that this group of bullies are coming at me. I want to hold them accountable and have my due process for the lies they told me to appease me with horrible things from my past.
What this family and it’s law office brought religion into the office and I went to the office to work.
PAUL PETERSON SOLD AND TRAFFICKED HUMAN BABIES FOR THIS CULT. AZ AND ARK -LOOK IT UP. ALSO JIM AND DIANNA GHERKINS OF SALEM VA. PLUS CHRIS JENSON OF PREMIER STONE ARE CULT CREEPS ALL DRUGGED AND BRAINWASHED. DIRTY CORRUPT ABUSIVE AND EVADING TAXES IN WEST VA AND IN SALEM VA. DRUGGED UP CHILDREN, USING FAKE STORIES FROM THEIR PHONY RELIGION. BOUGHT AND ADOPTED CHILDREN. ABUSING THEM ALSO, JUST AS THE MORMONS ABUSED INDIAN CHILDREN OUT WEST. ANY STATE OE FEDERALLY MONEY FUNDED, THE LDS GET THEIR HANDS DIRTY IN IT.
I want in too. The whole LDS message is a stinking pile of delusional crap. I’ve wasted 42 precious years of my life as a believer. NO MORE. I don’t even want to think about the tithing. How stupid I’ve been.
Agree totally
The issue isn’t that it is a religion with peculiar doctrine. The issue is that the doctrine and history presented is false and distorted and lies in an attempt to make it palatable and to bring in new membership and with it money and free service. That is what should be litigated and the Church needs to be hammered on this hard, because they have lied and deceived for a hundred years about their teachings and history for the sake of making “sales”, that is, convincing people to buy into the corporation. That is, by definition, fraud, and calling itself a religion should not protect it from lawsuit.