Mormons Prepare for Baptists’ Visit

Two of the nation’s most aggressively evangelistic faith groups are gearing up for what could be a monumental case of tit-for-tat.

Southern Baptists are heading to Utah, a place they view as a new mission field. Mormons, long the majority in that part of the country, hope the Baptists’ visit will provide an opportunity to dispel what they view as a caricature of their church crafted in part by Baptists.

One thing’s for sure: A theological culture clash is about to unfold in Salt Lake City when the Southern Baptist Convention meets there for the first time June 9 to 11.

“Baptists, I don’t think, will apologize for going to Salt Lake City and evangelizing,” said Phil Roberts, the director of the Southern Baptist North American Mission Board’s interfaith witness division.

Stephen Robinson, an expert on Judeo-Christian scripture at Mormon-operated Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, agreed.

“Most of the Latter-day Saints that I know have been involved either themselves or sending their children on missions in other parts of the world and feel that turnabout is fair play,” said Robinson. “If we’ve been sending missionaries to their parts of the world, it’s only fair that they should come to ours. I personally welcome them.”

Although the Southern Baptists are gearing up for a Utah media blitz with television spots, offers of videos about Jesus and the distribution of evangelistic newspapers, leadership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as the Mormon Church is officially called, is reminding its members to treat the visiting Baptists civilly.

Mormon officials say they have no plans for counter-evangelistic efforts.

“One of our articles of faith is that we claim the privilege of worshiping God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and we allow all others the same privilege,” said Mormon Church spokesman Don LeFevre. “So the last thing the church would want to do is be confrontive or contentious.”