Mormon Church Skips Pre-Session Meeting With Lawmakers

[sjdawg]

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/53367532-90/church-issues-legislative-meet.html.csp

I know I'm a cynic but the optics of an annual meeting with Church Officials and Legislative leaders isn't great. The timing of this scheduling change of a meeting that seems to have taken place for decades is also interesting

[thesometimesaint]

You ARE too cynical.

[Scott Lloyd]

http://www.sltrib.co...e-meet.html.csp

I know I'm a cynic but the optics of an annual meeting with Church Officials and Legislative leaders isn't great. The timing of this scheduling change of a meeting that seems to have taken place for decades is also interesting

This seems to be a fairly sensible analysis:

"My guess would be that they probably do view themselves as being under scrutiny for various reasons, especially since Romney is running for president," said Thad Hall, a political science professor at the University of Utah. But it shouldn’t come as a surprise that church leaders meet with lawmakers.

"They’re an interest group like everyone else. If they want to meet with legislators, they should be able to meet," said Hall. "They’re just like everyone else. They have a right to meet."

Former state Sen. Mike Dmitrich, D-Price, who served for nearly four decades in the Legislature, said Democrats had met with LDS Church officials before every session going back to the early 1980s. He said Republicans had been doing it for years before that.

Dmitrich said he enjoyed the meetings, which he described as social gatherings that occasionally touched on policy matters.

[KevinG]

The Governor of Georgia routinely met with anyone who requested a slot on his schedule. We had photo ops and receptions in the Capitol for clergy, Boy Scouts, Womens groups, Kiwanis clubs, little league teams... you name it.

None of this strikes me as odd.

[Stargazer]

The Governor of Georgia routinely met with anyone who requested a slot on his schedule. We had photo ops and receptions in the Capitol for clergy, Boy Scouts, Womens groups, Kiwanis clubs, little league teams... you name it.

None of this strikes me as odd.

For some people anything the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does is highly suspicious if not downright alarming.

[Jeff K.]

I do know the Catholic church leadership (ecclesiastical an lay) often has a luncheon with Mass political leaders. They are an important constituency within the state.

[CQUIRK]

For some people anything the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does is highly suspicious if not downright alarming.

Tinfoil hats, anyone?

[DarkScythe]

Some people are naturally paranoid about Church small as ours being as rich as we are regardless if it is for good or ill. Then again I do think that many people are stupid as hell.

[Scott Lloyd]

Some people are naturally paranoid about Church small as ours being as rich as we are regardless if it is for good or ill. Then again I do think that many people are stupid as hell.

I think of such paranoia when I read the prophecy about the Church in the last days coming forth out of obscurity and being "terrible as an army with banners."

To some people, the progress, prosperity and societal influence of the Church probably does seem scary.