Thanks for telling this story. These efforts of the SBC over these years have been solidly effective in stemming the rate of acceptance of the LDS faith among baptist communities. It's too bad that they've had to hash over the same old "Mormon" half truths, distortions, blatant lies and inflamed rhetoric over all these years to get their job done. The minds of Baptists and other evangelical congregations have been so bent by these programs that the word "Mormon" and "cult" have taken on a life of their own. Complete and absolute bigotry in and environment of group pressure has proven to be a very powerful and divisive tool to develop feelings of mistrust and emnity between LDS and most evangelical faiths.

Through it all It is obvious to me that most Mormons have a great deal more compassion for and understanding of evangelicals and their beliefs than has been allowed to flow in the other direction. I hope that this election cycle has brought this unfortunate chronicle of US religious history to light.

You nailed it right on the head, my friend. It appears that some people are looking for a Pastor-in-Chief of the United BIGOTS of America in Mike Huckabee. I'm glad to see he is doing miserably poor now.

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I am sure that there are a number of evangelicals who will not vote for Romney simply because he is Mormon (some of the regulars here on this board), and I am also sure there are those who will not support Huckabee because he is a Southern Baptist minister.

In either case, that might be considered bigotry, or it might be that one does not accept the values that either of those imply.

Personally, as a Democrat, I won't be supporting either, and their religion, per se, will not be the issue. Their ideas about how their religions should drive policy IS a factor, however.

PS, glanced over your blog, and will plan to look it over more later.

I was raised as a Baptist and attended church weekly and during the summer at Vacation Bible Schools. As an adult I became disenchanted with the Baptist religion because of its bigotry and quite frankly its hypocrisy. I knew I still needed a religion in my life so I began investigating quite a few different ones. Guess which one I ended up selecting? Yep, I became a Mormon. I was completely taken by the commitment they have to their faith (not their church) by striving to live Christian ideals 24/7, not just on Sundays, as quite a few Baptists I know do. Their acceptance of others; the kindness and generosity they show to others (not just of their faith); the importance of family and their commitment to their children, along with their understanding that ones quality of life here on Earth is the product of personal choices and accountability, lead me to know in my heart it was the religion I was seeking. I can understand why the Baptists are concerned that so many of their flock are becoming Mormons. But, the problem does not lie with the Mormons and their missionary work, it lies with the Baptists. There is nothing wrong with me wanting to become a better Christian and I did that by becoming a Mormon. Shame on the SBC for its bigotry and hypocrisy. How can they call themselves Christians when they are so intolerant? Is Mitt Romney the best candidate for President? I don't know, but his religion or anyone else's should not even remotely be the criteria for making ones selection.