Heber Valley Temple

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.

The legal dispute over Wasatch County’s outdoor lighting ordinance is over. The lawsuit with ties to the proposed Heber Valley temple has been voluntarily dismissed.

The final count is in for Save Wasatch Back Dark Skies’ effort to put a referendum on the ballot.

Citizen group Save Wasatch Back Dark Skies announced its referendum attempt failed to gather enough signatures.