Posted on 06/27/2014 6:28:57 AM PDT by Colofornian
VANCOUVER — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is suing the religious leader of a small polygamous sect in British Columbia, alleging Winston Blackmore has violated the church's trademarks and is attempting to portray himself — and his controversial community — as a part of mainstream Mormonism.
The Salt Lake City-based church has filed a notice of claim against a corporation set up by Blackmore, who is one of two leaders in a commune in southeastern B.C. known as Bountiful. Blackmore and his followers practise a fundamentalist form of Mormonism that still holds polygamy as a tenet of the faith.
The Canadian arm of the Mormon church says it tried to register Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Canada with B.C.'s corporate registry, but the application was rejected.
The registry indicated the church's proposed name was too similar to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Inc., which was registered by Blackmore in 2010, according to the statement of claim.
The lawsuit alleges Blackmore is attempting to suggest his group is sanctioned by the official church, which renounced polygamy more than a century ago and has disavowed any connection to Bountiful or similar polygamous groups in the United States.
"Adopting for its corporate identity the name 'the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Inc.' ... is yet another attempt of the Blackmore sect to convey a false impression of affiliation with the church,'' says the notice of claim, filed earlier this week in B.C. Supreme Court.
"The plaintiffs do not endorse, condone or support the Blackmore sect's practices and tenets.''
The Mormon church seeks a declaration that Blackmore's corporate name violates its trademarks and an injunction ordering his sect to stop.
Blackmore leads one of two divided factions in Bountiful, which is in the southeastern corner of the province a short distance from the U.S. border.
One side of the community is connected to the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or FOLDS, and its jailed leader Warren Jeffs. Blackmore and his followers split off from that group more than a decade ago.
Bountiful has been the subject of numerous police investigations since the early 1990s amid allegations of polygamy, sexual abuse and human trafficking.
In 2009, Blackmore and James Oler, who led the other faction at the time, were each charged with one count of practising polygamy. Those charges were later thrown out after a judge ruled the prosecutor handling the case was chosen improperly.
The collapse of that prosecution prompted the government to launch a constitutional reference case, which ended in 2011 with a judge upholding the anti-polygamy law as constitutional.
The RCMP currently have yet another investigation into Bountiful. A special prosecutor has been appointed to review evidence and consider charges that could include human trafficking, child exploitation and polygamy.
The investigation followed evidence, presented at the constitutional reference hearing, that alleged dozens of teen brides were spirited across the U.S. border to marry older men.
A special prosecutor was appointed in 2012 to handle the case, but there has yet to be any word on potential charges.
Does this mean that the Christian church at-large can turn around and sue The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, alleging that this church is likewise "attempting to portray" themselves -- and their controversial doctrines -- "as a part of mainstream Christianity?"
Well, FReepers, weigh in to the discussion. If not, why not?
I mean hasn't the Salt Lake City based Mormon church adopted for its corporate identity The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and is that not yet another attempt of this sect to convey a false impression of affiliation with the broader Christian church???
Problem is: Which Christian denomination would sue? Class action or individual suits. Then too, all denominations are just a bit different so which one would be the dominant one? Good idea though. Blessings, Janey
What I noticed in the coverage of this among the major Canadian newspapers is that each article tries to claim that the official church "renounced polygamy" in the 1890s.
But it didn't fully. Mormonism still says a widower can marry consecutive wives and be an eternal polygamist.
And the other major Canadian newspapers -- like the Vancouver Sun -- claim that Mormonism "rejected polygamy" in 1890...when in fact, the Mormon church did NOT pull apart polygamous families. Some polygamous unions remained intact -- and sanctioned by the Mormon Church -- into the early 1960s. [The Lds church sanctioned ADDITIONAL plural unions -- hundreds of them -- from 1890 to 1910...In fact, the mainstream Mormon church did not have a monogamist "prophet" leading the Church until the mid-1940s!]
Are you Mormon? I’m wondering what you see as bashing.
No, I am not Mormon.
For too many years, Christianity has been under assault in this nation. Religion is mocked on too many fronts.
It sickens me to see those forces for evil here at FreeRepublic.
Even more interesting is the origin of the LDS moniker.
Joseph's church was originally incorporated in 1830 as the Church of Christ. In 1834, the name was changed to The Church of the Latter Day Saints, a title put forth by Sidney Rigdon. In 1838, following the schism caused by disastrous Kirtland Safety Society adventure, threatened by legal action for misappropriating their name by the Saints remaining in Ohio, the name was again changed as per Rigdon's suggestion to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Following Joseph's death in a blotched jailbreak and the ensuing Succession Crisis, James Strang and many of Joseph's early members split off and organized their own church in Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan. They took the name with them and were the first to properly register it. A brief legal battle followed and as a compromise, the Utah Mormons changed the name yet again by inserting the hyphen.
Thanks for your reply. I’m trying to understand what specifically on this thread is Christian bashing. I still don’t see it.
There are many different Christian faiths, each unique enough to be in conflict with the others. To focus on, and exploit those differences is corrosive to Christianity as a whole.
Now I understand where you are coming from. Thank you for the explanation of your view.
it appears to me the Christ of LDS is different from the Christ of the Bible. do you think that is a topic worthy of respectful discussion?
Now I understand where you are coming from. Thank you for the explanation of your view.
it appears to me the Christ of LDS is different from the Christ of the Bible. do you think that is a topic worthy of respectful discussion?
Hint: 3 Nephi 9:15 on the LDS site begins with “Chapter 9 -
In the darkness, the voice of Christ proclaims the destruction of many people and cities for their wickedness”
https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/3-ne/9.15?lang=eng
Is focusing on that “difference” within Christianity corrosive? Thanks for your thoughts.
You are funny.
mormonISM is not Christianity, so your “alert” makes no sense and in addition this is a news story in the religion forum.
SLC lds “church” is a cooperation.
These “off shoots” are actually closer to Joseph Smith’s teachings that the corporation is.
Oh, yea in addition, mormonISM doesn’t praise The God, praises many godS.
Oh, aye. I do.
Which “God” latozu?...Mormons believe that their “god” was a man who perfected himself and became “the” god and is busy with his celestial harem of wives populating the planet.
A Biblical reference to support this assertion would be in order if you’re going to claim that Christians are “evil” for rejecting this doctrine and exposing it for the falsehood that it is.
Who are the “Christians” being bashed here? The “mainstream Mormons”, or the small polygamous sect in British Columbia?
The “mainstream Mormons”
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