The boom in building historic Mormon temples is facing resistance in some parts of the United States

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A historic construction boom of large, bright temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — beacons for believers with skyward spiers around the world — is facing opposition in some parts of the U.S., including in one location not really known for moderation.

In Las Vegas, just a 30-minute drive from glitzy casinos, homeowners in a rural foothill neighborhood complain that the size and lighting of a city-approved temple will forever change the dark surroundings. Some say they feel trampled and that church and city officials rushed to approve the project.

“I feel like it has tainted people's tastes to see how they bulldozed the neighborhood,” said Matthew DeLoe, a homeowner who campaigned against the temple for months.

Most temples built by the religion have been well received, but the dispute in Las Vegas reflects objections to construction plans in Texas, Wyoming and even the religion's home state of Utah. The fighting is forcing the faith, widely known as the Mormon Church, to explain to non-members why the magnificent temples are so important to their faith.

It is said that temples bring believers closer to God. They are places for the most sacred ceremonies, such as weddings that seal couples for eternity, and baptisms to welcome deceased family members or others into the married circle. Officials insist they consult with locals and carefully design the temples for each setting.

“Our goal is to allow more members access to these very precious places that are sacred to us and our religion,” said Senior Bishop Gérald Caussé, a senior official whose duties include overseeing global temple construction, during a Interviews with The Associated Press in Utah in June.

The temples are separate from the Church's 20,000 meetinghouses worldwide, where everyone is welcome and members gather for Sunday worship. Only religious members who adhere to church rules are permitted to enter temples.

Thousands of supporters and vocal opponents were in planning meetings for months before the Las Vegas City Council unanimously approved a three-story temple in July. Bigger than that Notre Dame Cathedral In Paris there is said to be a golden church tower that rises almost 200 feet (61 meters).

Some want to sue to stop the project. They insist their concerns have nothing to do with the religious teachings of a sometimes misunderstood faith known for its belief in eternal families, close-knit communities and bans on alcohol, coffee, gambling and same-sex relationships.

“I don’t have a problem with the church being there, and none of the neighbors have a problem with the church being there,” said Sue Kristensen of the Nevada Rural Preservation Alliance. “The size of the building is the problem. It blocks everyone's view of the beautiful Lone Mountain. Monstrosity is the best word I can think of.”

Church officials have a different description for the more than 300 temples built in recent years. “They are clean, beautiful and quiet, just like the people who will visit these sacred places,” said church spokesman Doug Andersen.

New temple projects could be announced this weekend at the church's twice-yearly conference, where congregants of the 17.2 million-member denomination gather in person in Salt Lake City or search online for guidance and church news.

What the believers don't hear is how much the elaborately built and lavishly equipped temples cost. The church declines to disclose construction figures, but its investment arm has a portfolio worth nearly $55 billion, according to recent Securities and Exchange Commission disclosures.

The SEC imposed a fine on the church and its money management division $5 million in February 2023 for using shell companies to conceal the size of the church's financial holdings. The test focused on whether the tax-exempt faith had a treasure trove of wealth. The government noted that the church was concerned that disclosing its portfolio would lead to unspecified “adverse consequences.”

The push to build the temple gained momentum after President Russell M. Nelson became head of the church in January 2018. Since then, about half of the new temples have been built. Nelson, the turned 100 in September, named 15 new temple locations during a conference last April to bring the total number of buildings announced, open or under construction to 350.

It is the largest construction boom in the faith's history, said Matt Martinich, a researcher and church member who tracks the growth of the global religion. Construction accelerated after 1980, from 19 temples worldwide to 122 in 2005. The 150. Temple Opened in Provo, Utah in 2016. The church says five of these are scheduled to open in Honduras before the end of 2024; Brazil; Tooele, Utah; Casper, Wyo.; and Tallahassee, Florida.

North of Pittsburgh in August, the non-church public had a rare opportunity to tour a temple, the 196th, that was being completed. Crystal chandeliers, woodwork, and framed paintings of idealized biblical scenes decorated the interior.

The Las Vegas temple grounds are a large, undeveloped plot of land surrounded by single-family homes, schools and parks. At sunset it is enveloped in the shadow of a rocky natural monument, Lone Mountain.

Residents note that there are hardly any street lights or sidewalks, houses get their water from wells and neighbors ride horses on the dirt roadsides. They fear that the temple will bring light pollution, noise and traffic.

It will be the second temple in Las Vegas. The first opened in 1989, about a 30-minute drive across town.

Bud Stoddard, a regional church leader in the area, said the palatial structure was intended to be “something that, when we see it, immediately draws our minds and our eyes to heaven.” He predicted it will be a beacon for the church's 100,000 believers in and around Las Vegas.

“I believe that in five years this area will be nicer and more desirable,” Stoddard said at the site. “That guarantees a place of peace, a place of solitude.”

Far from Sin City, a court battle may also be looming in the Texas city of Fairview. Mayor Henry Lessner said church officials had promised legal action after the City Council last month unanimously rejected plans for a temple that would be among the largest buildings in a community of 11,000 people. At 47 meters high, the tower would be taller than the city's two water towers.

Church officials might argue that the lack of tall church steeples violates their right to worship. They point to the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, which since 2000 has prohibited the use of zoning and landmark laws to discriminate against “religious gatherings or institutions.”

Lessner predicted that his city on the edge of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area could become a test case for religious architectural freedom.

“We want to be good neighbors,” said Lessner. “But our community will not allow itself to be bullied. “Don’t Mess with Texas” includes Fairview.”

In Las Vegas, the temple's exterior lighting plan was changed and the tower height was lowered by 20 feet (6 meters) before obtaining City Council approval.

Caussé said the church is prepared to make adjustments that are appropriate and do not alter the “spiritual value or nature” of the temple.

“It is so important for us to be seen as good neighbors because a temple is not about arguments,” he said. “It needs to create a connection between people and the community to be well received.”

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Schoenbaum reported from Provo, Utah. Associated Press journalist Peter Smith in Cranberry, Pennsylvania.; Ty O'Neil in Las Vegas; Rick Bowmer in Provo, Utah; Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Sam Metz in Rabat, Morocco, contributed to this report.