HOSTS WELCOME WORLD DIGNITARIES AT CHURCH HEADQUARTERS
Ref. https://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,...3109-14,00.html
Salt Lake City entertained the world during the Winter Olympics in 2002. Three years later, many of the world's important and influential people continue to visit Church headquarters, and the Church continues to welcome them. A small team of Church volunteers host the kings, prime ministers, ambassadors, consuls general, legislators, religious leaders, senior business executives, and prominent educators visiting the Church's headquarters.
The Church is trying very hard to make a better name into the world and have a good relationship with people of other faiths and people of renown. I think is a great teaching opportunity for everyone. I think also it helps the Church to know and have a good relationship with political leaders in case we will have a need of them once again like in the old times.
I agree with you LDS. However, I hope they don't become political like other Churches have. In the Catholic Church there is a lot of politics involved. Well, not so much now as in the past because the Church leaders recognized it wasn't a good idea and so they made their nuns and priests give up any political holdings.
I think it is good to have relationships with political leaders, but I think the Church as an official body needs to stay out of politics as much as possible.
I think that is quite possibly one of the reasons FarSeer. Also, as the Church grows in other countries around the world, these leaders notice the changes in the people living in their country and probably wonder about it as well.
That's very true too, FBC. One of the main teachings of the church for many years is self-reliance. Gardening, food storage, hygiene, parenting, and other family relations issues have long been topics of lessons in Relief Society, Priesthood, and other Sunday School classes. When people begin to take care of themselves and their own families, I would imagine that it makes a big difference in a community's resources.