Lord save us from Utah Mormons. Keep them at BYU where they won't bother the rest of us who live in the real world where we get along with our neighbors just fine. Another dumb meeting at BYU is just a waste of time. But at least it keeps them there instead of coming out of State to bother the rest of us.

Brother Mahonri,
We don't need in-fighting among members of the church. We have plenty of opposition from outside the church. While many Utah Mormons take a lot for granted, there is also an abundance of very strong followers of Christ. See 1 Corinthians 1:10-17.

"public perception" of the mormon church will be discussed by leaders of the LDS Church.... HMMM, that "perception" will not be skewed in the least. If you want a true public perception of the church then you should get scholars and religious leaders from outside the church to tell you how the "real" world views your church. This will just be more of "we are the best and the greatest and everyone thinks we are wonderful" -- you'd think the whole Mitt campaign and media coverage would've proven that the public perception outside of utah (and in many parts inside utah) is not all that great.

Maybe they will discuss the church sanctuary program for illegal aliens that has brought them to Utah by the droves along with crime wave.

9:05, there are some flaws in your logic. What the Romney campaign taught us is the country's negative views of the church are largely the byproduct of misinformation, misunderstanding, mythology, and outright mischaracterization of church doctrines (think polygamy, worship of Joseph Smith, Mormons have horns, etc.). The national perception of LDS is they are good neighbors, hard workers, and family-oriented.

In summary, the issue is DOCTRINE, not PEOPLE.

And who better to give an accurate representation of church doctrine than church leaders? I wouldn't trust your "religious scholars and leaders" farther than I could throw them when it comes to presenting true doctrine. Many of them are the ones who created and continue to perpetuate the lies that plague the church (and make meetings like this necessary in the first place).

Who better understands the LDS church and public perception, on a global scale, better than its leaders, who deal with perceptions around the globe?

Except maybe the experts commenting here, of course :) Pardon me!

And though you don't need me to weigh in either, personally, I find that my perception of any religious group only improves as I come to understand better its global influence for good. Those who fault the LDS faith for the lack of good in the world don't know the doctrines of that faith.

You may suspect that they will discuss how more and more people are coming to know the LDS faith as a source of good in our world, and you will probably be right: that would be a valid claim, right here in Utah, any other U.S. state, and even many other countries. You should also expect that they will admit the challenges of (false) perceptions, hence the reason for discussion, since it would be silly to focus on the (actual) realities that exist between people who really come to know what the LDS church is all about. When LDS people live their faith, a good perception matches a good reality.

Mahonri, don't flatter yourself.

RE: Mahonri

Gordon B Hinckley was a native Utahn and so is Thomas H. Monson. Hopefully these Utah Mormons don't bother you too much. Stereotypes aren't a very good thing, are they???? Utah is far from perfect, but your remarks make you look foolish.