Is China Slowly Inching Towards Allowing Unrestricted LDS Activity? Two Mormons Featured On Chinese Television

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints walks a political tightrope in the People's Republic of China. Although the Chinese government permits LDS activity, it is highly restricted. The Chinese government does not permit direct proselytization of its citizens by foreigners. Furthermore, worship services for foreign-passport holding Latter-day Saints are separate from worship services for Chinese citizens, whose branches are directed by their own local priesthood leaders. In addition, Church members are counseled not to mail religious materials to China or carry scriptures or other Church materials into China beyond a copy for personal use, and Latter-day Saints are advised not to discuss or promote the Church while traveling in China. The LDS Church has even gone so far as to establish the Mormonsandchina website to provide a common clearinghouse of information on dealing with China and to prevent misunderstandings. Church leaders last met with Chinese government officials in August 2010 to better regularize Church activity in China.

The scrupulous respect shown towards the Chinese government by the LDS Church, in keeping with the Twelfth Article of Faith which proclaims that "We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law", may be paying off. On Mormanity, Jeff Lindsay, a resident of China, discloses that two members of his branch, one of three branches in Shanghai, were recently featured on significant television broadcasts. First, there was a recorded TV broadcast about Jeff Olsen, who actually just returned to the US: http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNTE0MjczMDY0.html. This was a lengthy story giving positive attention to a foreigner who has made a difference in China. And second, Debra Roundy, who teaches English with her husband at Jiao Tong University through BYU's Kennedy Center program, was on TV for a five-minute segment that highlighted her involvement with local Chinese people as she shares her passion for dance. She works with many local Chinese as they practice and perform group dances.

Since the Chinese government seeks to actively control information being transmitted to their citizens, the appearances of two Mormons on Chinese television would be most unlikely if the Chinese government was actively opposed to Mormonism. Consequently, this is a strong indication that the Chinese government may be slowly and incrementally relaxing their attitude towards Mormonism. If this trend continues, we could see the larger urban areas of China, such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Canton, opened to unrestricted LDS activity within five years, leading to the possible announcement of a temple in China within 10 years. At this point, this is strictly conjecture, but don't forget that the government of what was then the German Democratic Republic allowed a temple to be built on their soil while they were still officially "Communist"; the current LDS President, Thomas S. Monson, was instrumental in making that happen. Five years later, the Berlin Wall fell. I suspect the Chinese government would prefer a more orderly transition.

This is why I was enthused when Barack Obama selected Jon Huntsman Jr. to serve as our ambassador to China. Huntsman is not one of those Mormons who locks into missionary mode and is obsessed with pounding on doors and spamming every living creature with the "Golden Questions". Instead, Huntsman preferred to soften Chinese hearts and provoke Chinese interest by exemplifying Mormonism through his behavior FIRST. All too often, we look upon other people as prospective converts first and human beings second; Huntsman is more mature and understands that taking the Amway approach to "sharing the Gospel" can drive people away from Mormonism. Too bad Huntsman chose to cut his mission short and run for President; who knows what he could have accomplished had he remained. Perhaps the Lord inspired Barack Obama to select Huntsman as ambassador in the first place.

Why is China important to us? Because as Latter-day Saints, we believe that one of the prerequisites for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is for the Gospel to be carried to the ends of the earth. Not just transmitted through the airwaves, but PHYSICALLY carried by authorized messengers of the Lord. This requires missionary activity in China as well as in other remaining places not penetrated by the Church, such as the Middle East. Perhaps the removal of the Islamofascist President Morsi by the Egyptian military may be a precursor to the return to the Church to Egypt, and its subsequent spread throughout the Middle East. At the same time, we must continue to defend the Gospel where it is already established. This may be a tall order, but the Lord does not give us a task save He prepares a way for us to accomplish it.

LDS Church In Talks With Chinese Leadership To "Regularize" The Church's Status In China; Deployment Of Missionaries Not Anticipated

On August 30th, 2010, the leadership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced that they have entered into discussions with the political leadership of the People's Republic of China for the end purpose of "regularizing" the status of the Church in China. With the endorsement of the People's Republic, the First Presidency of the Church issued the following statement:

The First Presidency and other senior leaders at Church headquarters in Salt Lake City have had discussions with a senior official of the People’s Republic of China from Beijing, and have established a relationship which we expect will lead to regularizing the activities of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in China.

The Church's full news release provides more details. The announcement comes in the wake of a meeting of an unidentified senior Chinese official with the LDS First Presidency in Salt Lake City on August 24th, 2010, which followed up meetings with Chinese officials in Beijing in February and May, attended by Church apostle Elder Dallin H. Oaks and Elder Donald L. Hallstrom. All of these meetings were initiated by Chinese representatives.

LDS Church spokesman Michael Otterson explained the meaning of "regularizing". He said it primarily better defines how the Church and its members can proceed with daily activities, all in harmony with Chinese law. But he emphasized that the Church does NOT anticipate sending full-time missionaries to China, saying that the issue isn't even up for discussion. And for those who are wondering if the accession of an LDS member, Jon Huntsman Jr, to the position of U.S. Ambassador to China had anything to do with it, Otterson explained that the pending developments are actually the result of 30 years of building mutual trust with the Chinese, although Huntsman's conduct undoubtedly created a friendlier attitude towards the Church by Chinese authorities. Upon accepting the ambassadorial appointment, Huntsman had said he would not use his position to proselytize for the Church.

Mainstream media stories about the Church's announcement published by KSL Channel 5 and the Deseret News.

According to the LDSChurchGrowth blog, there are currently 14 English-speaking branches organized in two districts meeting in China, with many more groups in isolated areas. Elder M. Russell Ballard reported in 2008 that around 20 small branches had been established for native Chinese members, none of which appeared to have been operating just eight years earlier. Chinese law requires citizens and foreigners to be segregated for worship services. Foreigners tend to consist of North Americans, Europeans, and Koreans. Chinese Latter-day Saints living in China either joined the Church abroad or through family members in China as permitted by the government. Chinese members and congregations continue to meet privately (meaning that they're allowed to meet, but cannot publicize details about the meetings). Native Chinese LDS members are allowed to accept mission calls, but cannot serve in China. Even more detailed information about LDS history and operations in China can be found on this Cumorah.com article.

So one possible result of "regularization" may be to allow foreigners and native Chinese to worship together. Another possible result is that Latter-day Saints may eventually be allowed to worship publicly and even build chapels, although full-time missionaries are unlikely to be allowed anytime soon.