Judge to hear arguments in sect land sale dispute

ST. GEORGE, Utah (AP) — A judge was scheduled to hear arguments Friday over whether to sell a parcel of land that a polygamous church has designated for a temple.

The 700-plus-acre Berry Knoll is held in the United Effort Plan Trust, a land trust that is the charitable arm of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

The $110 million property trust was taken over by the Utah courts in 2005 after allegations of mismanagement. Now a court-appointed fiduciary, Bruce Wisan, wants to sell it to pay millions of dollars in legal fees.

The FLDS have collected more than 4,000 signatures on a petition asking Judge Denise Lindberg not to approve the sale.

The sect claims their religious practices have been violated by secular control of the trust.

On Friday at the 5th District courthouse in St. George, hundreds of church members lingered outside, with the women wearing their trademark prairie dresses.

Lindberg is a judge in 3rd District Court but held the hearing in St. George so the interested parties could have easier access to the court.

Lindberg was scheduled to take two hours of arguments on each side Friday, followed by an open forum allowing people to comment.

“All I know is that all the people here are concerned that the church property not be sold,” said Jake Barlow, 52, a lifetime church member.

The majority of the trust property is in Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz., the twin border towns where most FLDS make their homes. The property being discussed in court Friday is all on the Arizona side.

Isaac Wyler, an ex-church member who works for Wisan, said it was good to see so many church members at the courthouse.

“They haven’t been involved in the past and they need to be more involved,” Wyler said.

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