Corporation of the Presiding Bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints v. Amos

483 U.S. 327 · Decided June 24, 1987 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

Corporation of the Presiding Bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints v. Amos was decided on June 24, 1987 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Byron R. White wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Establishment of religion” in the First Amendment area.

Read the opinion

• CourtListener (Free Law Project) — opinion text
• Library of Congress — official U.S. Reports scan

Case details

How the Justices voted

Full case caption

Corporation of the Presiding Bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints et al. v. Amos et al.

SCDB identifiers: case 1986-149, docket 1986-149-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “Establishment of religion”

• Bowen v. Kendrick
  487 U.S. 589Decided June 27, 19885–4William H. Rehnquist
• Bender v. Williamsport Area School District
  475 U.S. 534Decided March 25, 19865–4John Paul Stevens
• Texas Monthly, Inc. v. BullockLaw held unconstitutional
  489 U.S. 1Decided February 21, 19896–3William J. Brennan Jr.
• Estate of Thornton v. Caldor, Inc.Law held unconstitutional
  472 U.S. 703Decided June 26, 19858–1Warren E. Burger
• County of Allegheny v. American Civil Liberties Union
  492 U.S. 573Decided July 2, 19895–4Harry A. Blackmun
• Board of Trustees of the Village of Scarsdale v. Kathleen S. McCreary
  471 U.S. 83Decided March 27, 19854–4

See all

Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (establishment of religion)

• Edwards v. AguillardLaw held unconstitutional
  482 U.S. 578Decided June 19, 19877–2William J. Brennan Jr.
• Witters v. Washington Department of Services for the Blind
  474 U.S. 481Decided January 27, 19869–0Thurgood Marshall
• School District of the City of Grand Rapids v. Ball
  473 U.S. 373Decided July 1, 19855–4William J. Brennan Jr.
• Aguilar v. FeltonLaw held unconstitutional
  473 U.S. 402Decided July 1, 19855–4William J. Brennan Jr.
• Wallace v. JaffreeLaw held unconstitutional
  472 U.S. 38Decided June 4, 19856–3John Paul Stevens
• Mueller v. Allen
  463 U.S. 388Decided June 29, 19835–4William H. Rehnquist

Same Term, same area (First Amendment)

• City of Newport v. Iacobucci
  479 U.S. 92Decided November 17, 19865–4Per curiam
• Federal Election Commission v. Massachusetts Citizens for Life, Inc.Law held unconstitutional
  479 U.S. 238Decided December 15, 19865–4William J. Brennan Jr.
• Hobbie v. Unemployment Appeals Commission of Florida
  480 U.S. 136Decided February 25, 19878–1William J. Brennan Jr.
• Meese v. Keene
  481 U.S. 465Decided April 28, 19875–3John Paul Stevens
• Pope v. Illinois
  481 U.S. 497Decided May 4, 19875–4Byron R. White
• Turner v. Safley
  482 U.S. 78Decided June 1, 19875–4Sandra Day O'Connor

See all

Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error