An appeals court has thrown out Utahn James Huntsman’s fraud lawsuit against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints over millions of dollars in tithing. In a unanimous ruling ...

Which, if you think about it, is a pretty good defense—if it works. Tithing is a sacred obligation, the Mormon attorneys argued, and as such is off limits under the protections of the First Amendment.

"The church had long explained that the sources of the reserve funds include tithing funds." Huntsman, the judge said, had not presented evidence that the Mormon church did anything other than what it ...