Women win lawsuit after Jesus fails to appear

Pratyatosa Dasa · February 21, 2002

http://www.startribune.com/stories/614/1134296.html

The above URL no longer works, so here's the original article:

Associated Press

Published Jan 30 2002

SALT LAKE CITY -- A jury awarded $290,000 to two women who said they were deceived by a fundamentalist church whose leaders promised to produce Jesus Christ in the flesh.

The True and Living Church of Jesus Christ of the Saints of the Last Days was ordered Monday to pay $270,000 to Kaziah Hancock and more than $20,000 to Cindy Stewart for fraud, breach of contract and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

As a condition of church membership, Hancock gave 67 acres of her farm and shares of water rights to the church for redistribution among members. Stewart contributed money from her retirement plan, attorney Don Redd said.

In return, church founder Jim Harmston promised payments on other property, membership in heaven's elite and the chance to meet Christ on earth, Redd said.

The eight-member jury threw out complaints of racketeering and unjust enrichment against the church and Harmston.

Harmston refused to comment and referred questions to his attorney, Mark Middlemas. Middlemas did not return calls Tuesday.

Harmston's wife, Elaine, told The Salt Lake Tribune that she was disappointed with the verdict, adding: ``God's people have always been persecuted and right now is no different.''