Church leaders pledge to engage press & media further

Elders Russell Ballard and Quentin Cook of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have pledged to continue promoting understanding of the Church, its beliefs, and its history through the international news media.  After extensive meetings, seminars, and interviews with the editors and journalists of the Washington Post, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, CBS, and many others, Elders Ballard and Cook are pledging to continue their media blitz.  

Elders Ballard and Cook commented that during the next months the Church will thoroughly observe how it is perceived publicly.

Elder Cook said the Church would not leave others to define its beliefs and its people. In some instances, anti-Mormon comments had been allowed to pass without much challenge.  “I don’t think we have to accept it when some people deliberately mischaracterize the Church,” he said.

Regarding the Church and politics, Elder Ballard has said: 

“We have members in the Church of all political persuasions. We encourage our people to get involved, to participate in party politics, to vote. But which party and which candidates are matters for them to decide.”

But he acknowledged that the need to avoid being partisan or drawn into political debate had sometimes hampered the Church in responding to criticisms or misrepresentations.

(Much of this information courtesy the LDS Newsroom.)