Four men file court petition to halt construction of Christian temple over size concerns

A small group of residents is asking a Utah court to temporarily block construction of a new temple for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, arguing that the planned structure exceeds local zoning restrictions.

Four men, led by Bruce Van Dusen, filed a motion on Thursday requesting an expedited hearing in Fourth District Court. Their petition seeks to halt work on the Heber Valley Utah Temple while their appeal of an earlier ruling moves forward.

The request comes less than a month after Judge Jennifer Mabey dismissed nearly all of the group’s claims, except one recognizing that they had legal standing to challenge the project. The men have since appealed to the Utah Supreme Court, which has transferred the case to the Utah Court of Appeals.

Despite the dismissal, church officials waited to begin site preparation until after Mabey’s decision. Grading of the land, located on an 18-acre parcel in Wasatch County, began earlier this week.

In their motion, the opponents argue that proceeding with construction before the appeals process concludes could cause “irreparable harm.” They also contend that delaying work would ultimately protect the church from the expense of reversing or modifying construction if the court were to rule in their favor.

The group’s attorney, Robert E. Mansfield, emphasized that the men are not opposing the temple’s presence outright. “The petitioners are not opposed to the temple itself, but to a structure that, in their view, significantly exceeds the height and mass limitations set by county law,” Mansfield wrote in a statement.

Church representatives, however, point to the county’s approval of the project nearly two years ago. Sam Penrod, a spokesman for the church, noted that Wasatch County issued a building permit in 2022, and that construction could have begun at that time. “On July 23, a district court judge ruled against the plaintiffs and dismissed the case,” Penrod said. “Construction work is now underway on the church’s property to grade the site and install necessary infrastructure.”

The Heber Valley temple, first announced in 2021, is planned as a three-story building of more than 87,000 square feet. The church agreed last year to reduce exterior lighting in response to concerns from nearby residents. President Russell M. Nelson, the church’s leader, presided over a groundbreaking ceremony at the site in 2022.

The court has asked Wasatch County and church officials to respond to the motion by September 5.