Although the LDS Institute of Religion isn’t exactly a list-topper when it comes to Spring Break destinations, a group of students from Colorado drove more than 500 miles to get there-and they’re not even LDS.
As part of a weeklong Utah outing, students from Colorado Christian University attended a luncheon last week hosted by the Institute. While in Utah, the students hoped to gain a better perspective of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and to “immerse themselves in Mormon culture.”
“Students have questions, ideas and a lot of misconceptions about each other,” said Erik McHenry, an employee of Standing Together, an evangelical organization that strives for peaceful religious discussion.
“Oftentimes people are so focused on getting their point across and sharing what they believe to be true that they become indignant in the process,” he said.
Last week’s luncheon was anything but heated. Kristina Doran, a junior in history and global studies at CCU, explained how her faith grew after her father died of cancer. “My faith went from, ‘Yes, I believe in God’ to relying?on God as my heavenly father-because that’s the only (father) I have now.”
U students from the organization Campus Crusade for Christ were also in attendance at the luncheon. Campus Crusade for Christ has recently been partnering with Standing Together in an effort to create more frequent “civil dialogue” between evangelical and LDS students.
Katie Cunningham, a member of the Campus Crusade student leader team and native of Oregon, didn’t know what religious culture was like in Utah.
“I didn’t expect there to be a huge religious divide,” said Cunningham, a sophomore in mass communication. Because of that division, it is all the more “important to make friends and come together on common ground.”
LDS students anticipating a more heated debate were surprised when one member of the evangelical group denounced a new anti-Mormon DVD as “nothing more than hate mail.”
Evangelicals and LDS students alike felt the luncheon was a success. “This was a great opportunity for people to put away the lines of religion that seem to be so distinct here in Utah,” said John Marsh, a U graduate student in accounting.
After visiting BYU, the U, Temple Square and doing a local service project, CCU students returned to Colorado on Saturday afternoon.
Victoria JohnsonBrad Wright, a junior in philosophy, talks about his faith to members of the Campus Crusade for Christ and visiting students from Colorado Christian University on Thursday afternoon at the LDS Institute of Religion. The luncheon was part of an effort to bridge communication between LDS and evangelical students.