The LDS church recently has shown its true colors. Those colors are green and black. Green for money and black for its civic heart. The Church’s frequently vaunted billions of dollars of disposable income have been used as a threat to force the city of Cody, Wyoming to grant a permit to build a temple whose specifications are against the will of the citizens of the city.

The Cody Enterprise newspaper reports the town threw in the towel issuing these words, “Engaging in a protracted legal battle does not align with our values.” (“City issues building permit for temple,” 9-19-23)

Such a protracted legal battle does, however, align with the values of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, who have threatened to take the city to federal court for damages and legal expenses unless it gets its way.

It looks increasingly like the future of life in Cody, Wyoming and perhaps elsewhere will not be a story of church living peacefully together with state, but rather of church riding roughshod over state.

Kimball Shinkoskey, Woods Cross

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