Inside the bitter fight between the Mormons and small town America: Church accused of 'bullying' picturesque hamlets into letting them build towering temples
Communities say building spree of mega temples will ruin their peaceful idyllsChurch opponents have been labelled 'bigots' and threatened with legal actionResidents say campaign of 'intimidation' has torn neighborhoods apart
When the rural neighborhood of Lone Mountain, Nevada, stood up to the might of the Mormon church, they may have anticipated an explosive argument.
But not literally.
'We've had people setting off fireworks,' says resident Erin LeDoe. 'It was a neighbor who lives up against the mountain. They were setting off what were basically large cannons, right outside her backyard.'
Those behind the pyrotechnics are thought to be supporters of a planned Mormon mega temple - and members of the church itself.
Their target was a local woman who had fiercely opposed it, along with many of her neighbors, on the grounds that the proposed 216-foot tall building would dwarf their homes and destroy their peaceful idyll.
The tiny tourist town of Cody, Wyoming, is one of several rural communities locked in a toxic feud with the Mormon church over its plans to build a mega temple in its neighborhood
A rendering of the planned temple in Cody shows it would cover 10,000-square-feet and stand at 101-feet tall, far exceeding the town's 30-foot limit for all other buildings
The residents of Lone Mountain, Nevada, claim they have had fireworks set off in their backyards over their opposition to plans for a mega temple in their community
Despite its name, Lone Mountain is just one of several rural towns across America taking on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), commonly referred to as the Mormon church, over its plans to plant 'humongous' temples in the heart of their communities.
Residents claim the proposals ride roughshod over local planning rules, designed to preserve the character of these unique settlements.
Yet simply by defending their land, locals have ignited the ire of their religious neighbors, who have labeled opponents as 'bigots' and threatened to sue those who resist.
And while the church flexes its legal muscle, it mobilizes its members by issuing rallying cries to descend on town halls from far and wide in a bid to show their projects have mass support.
Ecclesiastical leaders say the size of these temples is 'essential' to their religious practice - and therefore protected by law.
But many of their own members have poured scorn on these arguments, while others have suggested it is merely a cynical ploy to bolster the church's vast real estate portfolio.
As neighbor is pitted against neighbor, DailyMail.com lifts the lid on a land grab that has turned toxic.
Scared into silence
LeDoe has become used to the name-calling.
Among other things, opponents of the proposed 87,000-square-foot Mormon temple have been called agents of the devil and 'a bunch of dumb monkeys'.
But some of the 'intimidation tactics', as LeDoe calls them, have become downright sinister.
Just last week, one of her neighbors had a banner on his property 'slashed up' by a church lackey, while others had cars honking in their driveway as LDS members 'stared them down'.
'It's kind of scary,' says LeDoe. 'It's like, "you better stay silent, or we're going to come for you".'
For some, it appears to be working. The woman who was given the impromptu firework display said she has camera footage showing the fireworks were set off from her neighbors' property, who are church members, and aimed in the direction of her home.
Given the timing of the incident - and the fact it had never happened before - she believes it was done to 'intimidate' her. She did not wish to be named due to fear of reprisals.
Businesses are also afraid of speaking out. After voicing her concerns about the temple, local photographer Victoria Bremmer was given a one-star Google review along with the comment: 'Victoria discriminates against other people because of their religious beliefs.'
The proposed temple in Lone Mountain would stand at 216-feet, dwarfing all other buildings in the area, which are limited to a maximum height of 35 feet
In order to illustrate just how much taller the temple would be, some residents floated a balloon 216 feet high in the air in April
Resident Erin DeLoe (pictured), who opposes the temple, accused the church of 'intimidation' tactics in order to frighten protesters into silence
The lot (pictured) on which the Mormon church hopes to build encompasses some 20 acres- enough to contain the proposed 87,000-square-foot bulk of the temple
Lone Mountain takes its name from the solitary peak that casts a long shadow over the smattering of homes, rocky terrains and livestock that make up its surroundings - an oasis of tranquility barely a half hour drive west of the Las Vegas strip.
In this residential area, homes are limited to a maximum of 35 feet.
There are no street lights and the neighborhood's quiet roads have dirt shoulders so people can ride their horses up to the equestrian arena nearby.
The proposed temple, quite apart from towering above anything else in the town, includes plans for 514 parking spaces in a lot that would be lit up from 5am to 11pm.
The local Northwest Rural Preservation Association, of which LeDoe is treasurer, fears the area's undisturbed dark skies would be lost forever if the temple was built.
'We're not saying you cannot build here,' LeDoe says. 'We're not bigots. It has nothing to do with religion. We have other churches that have developed in the area that have worked with the community.
'We're just asking the LDS to follow the same rules as everyone else. Don't come in and steamroller us and build something that is not compatible with our neighborhood.'
Friends in high places
This sentiment is echoed elsewhere, including in Cody, Wyoming, a small tourist town around 50 miles from Yellowstone National Park that is home to Buffalo Bill's final resting place.
Here, the grassroots group Preserve Our Cody Neighborhoods (POCN) has taken a stand against a proposed 10,000-square-foot temple that has already broken ground.
'We are not against the LDS or their religion or their right to have a temple,' says Carla Egelholl, a group member. 'We are against the proposed location because the building doesn't fit.'
But residents know they are up against the full force of the Mormon machine, which has insiders on the local council.
Cody lies around 50 miles from Yellowstone National Park and is the final resting place of Buffalo Bill. Residents fear the scale of the Mormon temple would destroy their rural idyll
Those opposed to the planned Cody temple have been angered by the fact that the city planner who recommended construction go ahead is himself a member of the church
Residents of Heber Valley, Utah, are suing the county claiming the way officials approved a planned Mormon temple in their community was illegal
Opponents say proposed the 88,000-square-foot temple (pictured) encroaches on their property rights and would bring noise and light pollution to the area
The POCN have alleged that city planner and LDS member Todd Stowell was biased in his recommendation that the proposal was in line with local planning laws.
Stowell effectively argued that the 101-foot building would actually comply with Cody's 30-foot limit, because the 77-foot spire would be unoccupied - and therefore should not count towards the total height.
Deb Wendtland, the attorney representing Cody residents, has argued in court that Stowell's standing in the Mormon community has benefited from his work on the temple application and he even got a job offer because of it.
The church attorney, Kendal Hoopes, responded by saying Stowell received no benefits and was simply performing his duties.
But it is a measure of how the church's extensive network can be brought into play in such matters.
In Heber Valley, Utah, where local officials have held leadership roles within the LDS, zoning rules were changed to accommodate a proposed 88,000-square-foot temple without a vote from its citizens.
A residents group is now suing the county, claiming the approval process was illegal and that the development encroaches on their property rights, while bringing noise and light pollution to the area.
And in Lone Mountain, public records seen by DailyMail.com show the LDS law firm gave $70,000 in individual campaign contributions to members of the Las Vegas City Council, shortly before and after it purchased the parcel of land on which it intends to build.
Councilwoman Victoria Seaman, who received $20,000 in donations from the law firm, said her votes on the temple plans were 'based solely on a review of all the facts'.
Grassroots mobilization
Mormon leaders have also unleashed an extraordinary grassroots campaign, drawing 'unprecedented' crowds to town hall meetings usually attended by one man and his dog.
On May 14, a crucial planning vote in Lone Mountain was swarmed by LDS members dressed in navy blue who had answered a call to arms from the church's official Las Vegas Facebook page.
On Tuesday, a meeting in Fairview, a small town in north Texas, drew 2,500 Mormons dressed in white as residents debated plans for a new mega temple.
That is despite church figures showing that only around 70 of the Fairview's 11,000 population are LDS - and these are believed to be overestimates.
The slick hierarchy of the church means its leaders are able to rally its troops at the snap of their fingers, with their flock descending on Fairview from across the region.
Around 2,500 Mormons descended on the town of Fairview, Texas, from neighboring towns and cities to show their support for a planned mega temple that is opposed by residents
The town mayor has vowed to block the project based on the fact that the proposed 174-foot structure far exceeds the 35-foot limit imposed in the residential zone it seeks to join
The Mormon church has a list of more than 150 temples that are either planned or under construction, with at least five (shown above) already opposed by residents' groups
DailyMail.com has seen letters sent to rank-and-file members from local church leaders in neighboring towns and cities including McKinney, Dallas, Sherman and Cross Roads.
The correspondence noted that opposition to its planned 16-storey temple 'has been louder and more numerous than our support' and demanded 15,000 emails be sent to the town planner from all members aged 12 and over.
Church faithful were advised to bring camping gear in anticipation that not all would get into the 300-capacity venue, which had been hired specially by town officials as part of a number of 'crowd control' measures.
The city says 87 percent of the 350 messages it has received from Fairview residents about the temple have opposed it.
But it's received more than twice as many from non-residents, with 89 percent of those messages in favor of it.
It is this form of lobbying that has most angered Fairview Mayor Henry Lessner, who has vowed to block the project based on the fact that the proposed 174-foot structure far exceeds the 35-foot limit imposed in the residential zone it seeks to join.
'LDS folks are being told to come from up to 300 miles away,' he told DailyMail.com. 'That really upsets me because it's none of their business.
'They want a show of force, but it probably makes us dig our heels in harder.'
'We do this all the time...and we never lose'
Lessner added that a church attorney had already threatened legal action if Fairview voted against their temple, describing the move as 'bullying'.
'Their attorney basically said, "we're going to do this and if you don't let us, we're going to sue you",' the mayor claims.
'Some local LDS officials have said "if you don't like it, you can't move, and LDS folks will move in and buy your houses".
'That is completely arrogant.'
Indeed, the church sledgehammer has been wielded by its lawyers - often to great effect.
Amid threats of legal action, the Las Vegas Planning Commission approved the Lone Mountain temple under the condition that it meet the neighborhood's lighting standards.
Before casting his vote in the temple's favor, commissioner David Walsh said: 'The last thing this city needs is another lawsuit.'
A report by the city found that the 35-foot limit did not apply to religious or government buildings.
The City Council is expected to vote on the issue in July.
In Cody, city officials got themselves in a twist after approving, rejecting, then ultimately approving plans for the Mormon temple after the church sued over the matter.
Preserve Our Cody Neighborhoods quickly filed a petition in district court as a 'last line of defense against an LDS corporation that has threatened and intimidated our community'.
Despite its efforts, equipment has been moved to the site.
Egelholl and other members of the neighborhood group claim they have been personally threatened with legal action by church leaders.
'They told us that they have a right to build their house of worship,' she says. 'They said we should take this very seriously, that they need to be accommodated. They also said "we do these kinds of cases all the time…and we don't lose".'
A place of worship or wealth generator?
The church's argument is based on the Religious Land Use And Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), which protects houses of worship from discrimination in zoning and landmarking laws.
To this extent, its leadership has been at pains to explain that the size and scale of their temples are essential to their worship, with the height of the steeples 'drawing their eyes towards heaven'.
As an integral part of their religion, the church argues, the height of temples should not be bound by local planning restrictions.
Yet at least half a dozen Mormon temples across North America do not have steeples, which opponents say contradicts their claims.
As to why they need to be built in these rural, residential areas, church representatives say these peaceful surroundings are most conducive to their style of worship.
But others have offered alternative theories.
Joel Schuh, an accountant who lives with his wife Jennifer in Fairview, believes any religious arguments are 'a complete ruse'.
'My opinion is that this is financially beneficial for them,' he says. 'If they buy land and real estate, they generate wealth.'
Schuh believes affluent rural residential areas are being targeted because planning laws would prohibit other commercial buildings being constructed next to the temples, protecting them from any potential depreciation in value.
The LDS church certainly appears to have a voracious appetite for buying up land, with DailyMail.com previously revealing its remarkable real estate portfolio is worth an estimated $15.7billion.
The Mormon church owns an estimated $15.7billion worth of real estate across America
Pictured: The Salt Lake City temple in Utah is the largest and best-known temple of the Mormon church
Church President President Russell M. Nelson
Quite why a religious institution needs to generate such riches is subject to much debate, with one whistleblower previously suggesting the Mormon belief in The Second Coming is the reason for its vast reserves.
Meanwhile, Landon Brophy, a disaffected church member and co-host of the Mormonish podcast, has suggested the building spree is merely a vanity project for LDS President Russell M. Nelson.
'They're trying to dominate the skyline so everyone sees their power and wealth in the community,' he told DailyMail.com.
DailyMail.com reached out to the Mormon church for comment on these issues, but it did not respond.
Regardless of the reasons behind the construction drive, this is just the start.
The church has a list of more than 150 temples that are either planned or under construction.
In April, the LDS announced plans to build a new 124-foot temple in Bakersfield, California, where buildings are limited to 60 feet.
A residents' group is already mobilizing against it.
If the bitter feuds already erupting elsewhere are anything to go by, there could be more fireworks to come.