Heber Valley Temple

Days after a judge ruled in favor of the Heber Valley temple plans, the residents who sued Wasatch County and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints say they will appeal to the state’s highest court.

Construction of the Heber Valley temple can go forward after a judge said Wednesday that Wasatch County’s approval of the project was legal.

A year after a group of Cody, Wyo., residents filed a lawsuit challenging the city’s approval of plans for a temple reaching 100 feet at its tallest point, the Wyoming Supreme Court ruled temple construction can go forward.

About 40 members of the public, plus plenty of attorneys, filled the courtroom in Wasatch County Monday, June 2, for oral arguments, the latest in a legal battle over the future of the planned Heber Valley temple.

Plans for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to construct a temple in Fairview, Texas have been controversial. The church is now conceding to community pushback by lowering the steeple and limiting its nighttime lighting.

All parties have asked the judge to rule in their favor without going to trial.

Conflicts over LDS temples are playing out in several towns around the country, including here in Wasatch County. In a Texas town outside Dallas, leaders rejected temple plans.

The legal fight over the future of the Heber Valley temple will continue. A judge has returned two key decisions.

It will be another six weeks before any decisions are made in a lawsuit over the Heber Valley temple.

Plans for 15 new temples were announced this weekend during the April general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Meanwhile, Heber Valley temple construction plans are pending litigation.