Westminster Magistrates' Court is a magistrates' court at 181 Marylebone Road, London. [1] The Chief Magistrate of England and Wales, who is the Senior District Judge of England and Wales, sits at the court, and all extradition and terrorism-related cases pass through it. [2] The court opened on 22 September 2011 as a replacement for the City of Westminster Magistrates' Court. [3]
In February 2014 the court heard a case in which a former member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) launched a rare private prosecution in the court, which issued a summons to Thomas S. Monson (then leader of the LDS Church) to answer claims under the 2006 Fraud Act. [4] A church spokesperson characterised the allegations as bizarre, later stating that Monson has no intention of appearing in person at the 14 March hearing. Experts consulted by the press found it highly unlikely that Monson would be extradited from the United States. A former crown prosecutor stated: "I think the British courts will recoil in horror. This is just using the law to make a show, an anti-Mormon point. And I'm frankly shocked that a magistrate has issued it." [5] The person lodging the complaint is the managing editor of "a website highly critical of the church." [6]
John Dehlin, a Mormon blogger, said he believed publicity to be the plaintiff's goal, and that it worked, based on the 800,000 page views to the plaintiff's website on 4 February, a record for that site. [7] Monson did not appear at the 14 March hearing, but instead was represented by legal counsel, who contested the summons. [8] On 20 March 2014, Howard Riddle, then chief magistrate, ruled that the case was "an abuse of the process of the court" and that "the court is being manipulated to provide a high-profile forum to attack the religious beliefs of others". [9] [10]
Thomas Spencer Monson was an American religious leader, author, and the 16th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As president, he was considered by adherents of the religion to be a prophet, seer, and revelator. Monson's early career was as a manager at the Deseret News, a Utah newspaper owned by the LDS Church. He spent most of his life engaged in various church leadership positions and public service.
The September Six were six members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who were excommunicated or disfellowshipped by the church in September 1993, allegedly for publishing scholarly work against or criticizing church doctrine or leadership. The term "September Six" was coined by The Salt Lake Tribune and was used in the media and subsequent discussion. The church's action was referred to by some as evidence of an anti-intellectual posture on the part of church leadership.
The Genesis Group is an auxiliary organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for African-American members and their families.
The General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is an on-line book of instructions and policies for leaders and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The contents are prepared by the church's First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Along with the church's standard works, the General Handbook stands as the preeminent policy and practice guide for the leaders of the LDS Church.
Elaine Schwartz Dalton was the thirteenth president of the Young Women organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 2008 to 2013.
The Gila Valley Arizona Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the town of Central between the communities of Pima and Thatcher in Arizona. The temple was dedicated on May 23, 2010, following an open house lasting from April 23 to May 15.
The Phoenix Arizona Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in the city of Phoenix, Arizona. It was completed in 2014 and is the 144th temple of the LDS Church. The announcement of the planned construction of the temple on May 24, 2008, came a month after the Gila Valley and Gilbert temples were announced for Arizona.
The Payson Utah Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Payson, Utah. The temple is located on the southernmost edge of Utah's Wasatch Front, and is the 15th dedicated temple in the state.
North Star Saints is an organization for LGBT people in the Latter-day Saint community. North Star is described as a faith-affirming resource for Latter-day Saint people addressing sexual orientation and gender identity who desire to live in line with teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. North Star supports the teaching of the Church of Jesus Christ, including the law of chastity and teachings on homosexuality, which prohibits sexual relationships outside of a legal marriage between one man and one woman, as well as teachings on gender identity and expression. The organization takes "no official position on the origin or mutability of homosexual attractions or gender identity incongruence", and does not "endorse political causes or join political coalitions, including those officially sanctioned by the [LDS] Church."
Peggy Fletcher Stack is an American journalist, editor, and author. Stack has been the lead religion writer for The Salt Lake Tribune since 1991. She and five other journalists at the Salt Lake Tribune won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting. She won the Cornell Award for Excellence in Religion Reporting—Mid-sized Newspapers from the Religious News Association in 2004, 2012, 2017, 2018, and 2022.
The Barranquilla Colombia Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Puerto Colombia, Colombia.
The Durban South Africa Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Durban, South Africa. The intent to construct the temple was announced by church president Thomas S. Monson on 1 October 2011. The temple was announced concurrently with the Barranquilla Colombia, Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo, Star Valley Wyoming, and Provo City Center temples. When announced, this increased the total number of temples worldwide to 166 and the number in South Africa to two.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in England refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in England. England has five missions, and both temples in the United Kingdom. With 145,385 members in 2011, England had more LDS Church members than any other country in Europe.
Ordain Women is a Mormon feminist organization that supports the ordination of women to the priesthood in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was founded on March 17, 2013, by Kate Kelly, a human rights attorney from Washington, D.C., with the website launch containing 19 profiles of individuals calling for the ordination of Mormon women. As of May 17, 2014, the website featured more than 400 profiles.
Mormon feminism is a feminist religious social movement concerned with the role of women within Mormonism. Mormon feminists commonly advocate for a more significant recognition of Heavenly Mother, the ordination of women, gender equality, and social justice grounded in Mormon theology and history. Mormon feminism advocates for more representation and presence of women as well as more leadership roles for women within the hierarchical structure of the church. It also promotes fostering healthy cultural attitudes concerning women and girls.
The Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Port-au-Prince suburb of Pétionville, Haiti. It is located adjacent to an existing meetinghouse at the intersection of Route de Frères and Impasse Saint-Marc.
Jennifer Finlayson-Fife is an American psychologist, sexuality educator, and clinical professional counselor.
This is a timeline of LGBT Mormon history in the 2010s, part of a series of timelines consisting of events, publications, and speeches about LGBTQ+ individuals, topics around sexual orientation and gender minorities, and the community of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Kirton McConkie is an American law firm headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the largest law firm in Utah, and it has long served as the external legal counsel for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was ranked the 300th largest law firm in the United States in 2022 by the National Law Journal.