Sometimes google searches are a bit of a pain...but if you keep trying, you eventually find what you need.
First:
The Mormon church arranged for a Utah senator to write a law to shield churches from prosecution for knowingly allowing illegal aliens to be ministers or do volunteer missionary work for them. Kim Farah, a spokeswoman for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, released a statement saying the church asked Sen Robert F. Bennett, Utah Republican, to sponsor the provision, which she called a "narrow exception to the immigration act."
Second:
U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO), today criticized a loophole in U.S. immigration law that was quietly created by Sen. Robert Bennett (R-UT) in 2005. The "Bennett Loophole" created a broad exemption that allows religious organizations to knowingly transport, aid, abet and harbor illegal aliens....The Senator claims he authorized the far-reaching provision to assist the Mormon church in utilizing illegal alien missionaries and volunteers.
A Salt Lake Tribune link I found unfortunately no longer worked.
So yes, apparently, the church wants to give undocumented immigrants, raised in the US, the chance to serve inside the US without the church getting punished for it; and apparently the church has been successful in convincing Congress to pass a bill that allows the church to do that. Unless anyone interprets these articles differently than I do...or unless the articles are false.
I'd need the leadership handbook to be certain, but it certainly seems like the church doesn't discriminate based on citizenship when sending out missionaries.
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3 comments:
The first article seems suspect to me since I have never heard of any church leaders asking congressman to write "special exemption legislation" just for them. And the "Bennett Loophole" written to "assist" the Mormon church also seems suspect. Since when has the church ever stepped into politics that way - asking for under-the-table special legislation just to send a few more missionaries out. I read so many bogus articles on Mormons when Romney was in the race that I have to say I'm not convinced by these articles. The church does not work that way. I don't know what all of their policies are on illegal immigration, but I do know you can find articles supporting just about anything if you google long enough.
Okay, that being said, I would be interested to know from an official church source what their policy is. I don't know about mission calls but I do think you're right in that the church has open arms to all people.
Another link, then, from the church-owned Deseret News:
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695261419,00.html
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