Word: mormons
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...found guilty of two counts of being an accomplice to the rape of a 14-year-old girl, known throughout the trial as "Jane Doe IV," by forcing her into marriage with her first cousin, Allen Steed. In a town that is a 50-50 split between old Mormon residents and newcomers with more liberal politics and lifestyles - a split echoed in the makeup of the eight-person jury - it was a gamble for both sides. Would Mormons harbor secret sympathy for polygamists, or come down harder on the sect? Would newcomers be horrified by the child marriages...
...more than 17,600 people were killed in alcohol-related traffic crashes, according to a new study from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Utah, whose Mormon population largely shuns drinking, is the state with the lowest rate of alcohol-related fatalities: just 24%. Hawaii has the highest rate: 52% of its fatal crashes involved high alcohol levels. To fight drunk driving, state courts may require that prior DUI offenders install devices that prevent impaired drivers from starting their cars...
...some way to penetrate the remote FLDS enclave, whose apostate refugees tell stories of exploitation of children as workers, of incest and of sexual abuse. Sitting in court amid the throngs of reporters and silent church members was Utah attorney general Mark Shurtleff, a Republican and a practicing Mormon, come to offer moral support to his team. He has called Jeffs "a religious tyrant, a demagogue" with an "absolute disregard for the laws of the nation, of the state." But charges involving polygamy are notoriously hard to prove, especially in a sect so secluded, so protective and so intent...
...FLDS was born more than a century ago when the Mormon church divided over the issue of plural marriage. Church founder Joseph Smith offered polygamy as one of the "eternal principles" of Mormonism, teaching that men would be exalted in heaven by marrying multiple wives on earth. In 1890, after years of penalties, persecution and seizure of church property, a new divine revelation inspired church leaders to reject the practice--which, among other things, paved the way for Utah's statehood. But traditionalist Mormons thought the church was selling out and established their own fundamentalist sects, which continued the practice...
...trial was set in St. George, about 40 miles (65 km) from the twin towns, where many of the 126,000 residents are descended from early Mormon settlers: this was Brigham Young's winter home. The once homogenous redoubt, which welcomes travelers at the Seven Wives Inn, is now a magnet for developers and retirees. The second fastest-growing urban area in the country, it has seen home prices triple in the past five years. Its golf courses number 10, and Starbucks has arrived. Polygamy is tolerated by some residents, ignored by others. Locals say if you want a house...