Second ‘kiss-in’ on Mormon church plaza in Utah draws shouting, but no arrests

September 30th, 2009 New signs at Mormon plaza say anyone can be barredSALT LAKE CITY — New signs at a Mormon church-owned plaza in downtown Salt Lake City put visitors on notice: Anyone can be asked to leave for any reason. The change follows a much-publicized incident this summer in which two men were cited with trespassing on the plaza after sharing a kiss.

September 23rd, 2009 Utah Supreme Court moves sect leader's hearingSALT LAKE CITY — A hearing on an appeal of the 2007 criminal conviction of polygamous church leader Warren Jeffs has been moved to a larger venue to make room for his family and members of his church. Utah State Courts spokeswoman Nancy Volmer says the Utah Supreme Court will hear arguments at 11 a.m.

September 14th, 2009 LDS Church releases Spanish-language Bible editionSALT LAKE CITY — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is publishing its own edition of a Spanish-language Bible. It's the first time the Mormon church has published an edition of the Bible in a language other than English.

August 28th, 2009 Police: Man shoots wife, tells son, 'Let her die'YORK, Pa. — Police say a Pennsylvania man shot his wife then told the couple's 18-year-old son to "just let her die." York police say 50-year-old Francis Plaza is heard in the background of the 911 call as his 18-year-old son was summoning help.

August 17th, 2009 Kiss to release new album at Wal-Mart, Sam's ClubNEW YORK — Wal-Mart is being embraced with a Kiss. The veteran heavy metal group, Kiss, is joining a growing list of classic acts putting out new music through the world's largest retailer.

August 15th, 2009 Gay marriage fight, 'kiss-ins' smack Mormon imageSALT LAKE CITY — The Mormon church's vigorous, well-heeled support for Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in California last year, has turned the Utah-based faith into a lightning rod for gay rights activism, including a nationwide "kiss-in" Saturday. The event comes after gay couples here and in San Antonio and El Paso, Texas, were arrested, cited for trespassing or harassed by police for publicly kissing.

August 15th, 2009 Mormon image suffers after gay marriage fightSALT LAKE CITY — The Mormon church's vigorous, well-heeled support for Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in California last year, has turned the Utah-based faith into a lightning rod for gay rights activism, including a nationwide "kiss-in" Saturday. The event comes after gay couples here and in San Antonio and El Paso, Texas, were arrested, cited for trespassing or harassed by police for publicly kissing.

July 29th, 2009 Utah boy, 7, goes for spin to avoid churchPLAIN CITY, Utah — Police say a 7-year-old boy led officers on a car chase Sunday through Weber County in an effort to avoid going to church. Dispatchers received reports of a child driving recklessly on Sunday morning and Weber County Sheriff's Capt.

July 29th, 2009 Holy car! Utah boy goes for spin to avoid churchPLAIN CITY, Utah — Police in Utah say a 7-year-old boy led officers on a car chase in an effort to avoid going to church. Dispatchers received reports of a child driving recklessly on Sunday morning.

July 29th, 2009 No charges in Mormon church plaza kissing incidentSALT LAKE CITY — The Salt Lake City prosecutor's office says it will not pursue charges against two men who were cited for trespassing on a Mormon church-owned downtown plaza earlier this month after sharing a kiss. Prosecutor Sim Gill says in a statement there is reason to believe that although the property is private, Matt Aune and his partner, Derek Jones, did not think they could legally be ejected from the plaza because it is perceived to be open to the public.

July 23rd, 2009 Judge rejects polygamous church trust settlementSALT LAKE CITY — A judge has rejected a proposed settlement that would have returned control of a state-managed land trust back to followers of polygamous leader Warren Jeffs. The United Effort Plan Trust was formed in 1942 to hold the collective assets of members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

July 20th, 2009 Obama, Mormon leader meet in Oval OfficeWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama met with the leader of the Mormon church on Monday in the Oval Office, thanking the religion's president for a thorough history of the first family. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints President Thomas S.

July 19th, 2009 Mormon 'kiss-in' in Utah leads to shouting matchSALT LAKE CITY — A mass-kissing protest near the Mormon church temple Sunday drew a shouting match between gay activists and a group of faithful Mormons. For the second consecutive weekend, about 100 people gathered to stage a "kiss-in" to protest the treatment of two gay men cited for trespassing July 9 after they shared a kiss on the plaza owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

July 11th, 2009 Gay couple detained near Mormon plaza after kissSALT LAKE CITY — A gay couple say they were detained by security guards on a plaza owned by the Mormon church and later cited by police, claiming it stemmed from a kiss on the cheek. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said that the men became argumentative and refused to leave after being asked to stop their "inappropriate behavior." The men say they were targeted because they are gay.

April 30th, 2009 Some fear eviction in polygamous sect's land fightSALT LAKE CITY — Some former members of a polygamous sect on the Utah-Arizona line are worried they will lose their homes in the legal wrangling for control of the church's property trust. Residents no longer connected to the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints say they fear that settlement talks may lead to members of the church winning control of the land and homes in the twin towns of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz.