A recent Deseret News article praising the hospitality extended by BYU fans to visiting football fans from Arkansas reminds of something that locals understand a little bit better than outsiders about the LDS mentality.

Community outreach events sponsored by local, predominantly LDS groups of people are not always motivated out of pure neighborly American friendliness, as many Arkansas fans seemed to think.

Annual “trunk or treat” events in the church parking lot that are advertised to the community, patriotic holiday pancake breakfasts for all, and free ice cream for out-of-state football visitors are as much church public relations events and missionary proselyting events as anything else.

Nothing wrong with that, except the real purpose sometimes gets lost in all the fun and hospitableness. It would be great if LDS folks were motivated to celebrate neighbors and visitors for the strength of their Baptist or Catholic church affiliations, or for their commitment to science education and democracy, or for the beautifulness of just being Americans, but that is often not the case.

LDS people view others as “hardened, fallen, and lost,” as the Book of Mormon scripture says, and are looking to ensconce all others outside their circle to a place inside the circle in the local ward meetinghouse and the nearest available temple.

Again, not a problem, as long as the motivation is clearly understood.

Kimball Shinkoskey

Woods Cross

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