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Churches are protected by the First Amendment from government intrusion in their doctrines, their finances and hiring practices.

That “church autonomy doctrine” doesn’t just protect religions. It also stops courts from being swamped by lawsuits asking judges to make decisions about church teachings.

So when a former member sued The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints seeking a narrower definition of those protections, a non-profit law firm dedicated to protecting the free expression of religious traditions sprang into action.

The religious liberty law firm, Becket, filed a friend-of-the-court brief with the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals last

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