HILDALE -
The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has a new president, at least of its corporate entity. The move raises questions about the role of convicted polygamist leader Warren Jeffs in the church.
In a filing with the Utah Department of Commerce obtained by Fox 13 on Saturday, it was announced that Wendell Loy Nielsen has been "called as president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in conformity with the constitution, canons, rites, regulations or discipline of such church..." Nielsen, 69, was previously a counselor in the FLDS Church.
Jeffs, 53, resigned his role as president of the FLDS back in 2007 shortly after being convicted in Utah of rape as an accomplice for performing a marriage between a then-14-year-old girl and her 19-year-old cousin. He is also facing criminal charges in Arizona and Texas.
The filing appointing Nielsen to head the 10,000-member FLDS Church raises questions about Jeffs' role as leader, although it is likely he remains the church's spiritual figurehead. FLDS Church attorney Rod Parker told Fox 13 on Saturday that any decisions about who members follow are made on an "individual basis." Many members consider Jeffs a prophet. The FLDS Church is a breakaway sect from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The filing does clarify who can represent the church in ongoing settlement talks over the United Effort Plan (UEP) Trust, the FLDS Church's real-estate holdings arm. The UEP Trust controls homes and land in the FLDS communities of Hildale, Utah; Colorado City, Ariz., and Bountiful, British Columbia, in Canada. The trust was taken over in 2005 over allegations that Jeffs and others mismanaged it. A judge in Salt Lake City's 3rd District Court appointed an accountant to manage the trust, which has recently become mired in lawsuits and disputes.
A spokeswoman for the court-appointed fiduciary said Saturday the filing will help them in settlement negotiations to know who can speak for the FLDS Church. The Utah Supreme Court is expected to take up some of the appeals over the UEP Trust in a hearing Feb. 17.
FOX 13's Ben Winslow reports.
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In a filing with the Utah Department of Commerce obtained by Fox 13 on Saturday, it was announced that Wendell Loy Nielsen has been "called as president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in conformity with the constitution, canons, rites, regulations or discipline of such church..." Nielsen, 69, was previously a counselor in the FLDS Church.
Jeffs, 53, resigned his role as president of the FLDS back in 2007 shortly after being convicted in Utah of rape as an accomplice for performing a marriage between a then-14-year-old girl and her 19-year-old cousin. He is also facing criminal charges in Arizona and Texas.
The filing appointing Nielsen to head the 10,000-member FLDS Church raises questions about Jeffs' role as leader, although it is likely he remains the church's spiritual figurehead. FLDS Church attorney Rod Parker told Fox 13 on Saturday that any decisions about who members follow are made on an "individual basis." Many members consider Jeffs a prophet. The FLDS Church is a breakaway sect from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The filing does clarify who can represent the church in ongoing settlement talks over the United Effort Plan (UEP) Trust, the FLDS Church's real-estate holdings arm. The UEP Trust controls homes and land in the FLDS communities of Hildale, Utah; Colorado City, Ariz., and Bountiful, British Columbia, in Canada. The trust was taken over in 2005 over allegations that Jeffs and others mismanaged it. A judge in Salt Lake City's 3rd District Court appointed an accountant to manage the trust, which has recently become mired in lawsuits and disputes.
A spokeswoman for the court-appointed fiduciary said Saturday the filing will help them in settlement negotiations to know who can speak for the FLDS Church. The Utah Supreme Court is expected to take up some of the appeals over the UEP Trust in a hearing Feb. 17.
FOX 13's Ben Winslow reports.
SEND US YOUR NEWS, WEATHER AND SPORTS PICTURES! www.fox13now.com/pics
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER! @fox13now
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