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SALT LAKE CITY -- Elder Dallin H. Oaks of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will testify before a Senate Finance Committee on charitable giving next week.
Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), ranking member of the committee, made the announcement Friday.
"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a long and rich history of giving to those in need throughout America and the world," Hatch said in a news release.
"I look forward to hearing Elder Oaks' thoughts on how we can ensure that individuals in Utah and across the country continue to be gracious in donating to those in need," he continued.
On its website, the church says it has been actively involved in humanitarian relief and development activities throughout the world for years. The efforts include emergency relief assistance in times of disaster and humanitarian programs that strengthen the self-reliance of individuals, families, and communities.
- Most Rev. John C. Wester, Catholic Bishop of Salt Lake City
- Rt. Rev. Scott Hayashi, Episcopal Bishop of Utah
- Dr. Iqbal Hossain, President, Islamic Society of Greater Salt Lake
- Rev. Erin Gilmore, Pastor , Holladay United Church of Christ
- Rev. Eun-sang Lee, Senior Pastor, First United Methodist Church of Salt Lake City
- Rev. Dr. France Davis, Pastor, National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc
- Rev. Thomas Goldsmith, Minister, First Unitarian Church of Salt Lake City
- Randolph Holladay, Clerk, Salt Lake Monthly Meeting of Friends
- Rev. Marian Edmonds, Pastor, Cathedral of Hope Salt Lake City
- Rev. Steve Klemz, Pastor, Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church
- Rev. Scott Dalgarno, Pastor, Wasatch Presbyterian Church
- Rev. David Nichols, Pastor, Mount Tabor Lutheran Church\
In other religion news- Twelve local religious leaders are urging support of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. In a news release, the Utah Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons said the group members, from different faiths, are sending a letter to Sens. Hatch and Mike Lee, R-Utah. The U.S. Senate rejected ratification of the treaty 12 years ago.
- The Associated Press reports Iowa's evangelical pastors are pretty well divided ahead of the 2012 political caucuses. Four years ago, Mike Huckabee won Iowa's Republican presidential caucuses partly by locking up the support of evangelical pastors. Today, Iowa's increasingly political pastors are up for grabs, divided on whom to support from a GOP field that features several candidates who call themselves born-again Christians.
- One-time GOP frontrunner Rick Perry is distancing himself from the comments of a pastor and supporter who called Mormonism a cult. Friday on Good Morning America Perry said, "I have a lot of people that endorse me but I don't endorse what they say or what they believe, for that matter. And that's the case on this one."
