After a lengthy strained relationship with Chinese government, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormon) has now announced that they have good reason to expect to "regularize" church activities in China in the future.
"Regularizing" Mormons in China
On August 20, 2010 the LDS Newsroom reported that a high-ranking representative from China met with the first presidency of the Mormon church.
While the details of that meeting's agenda were not divulged, church officials announced on Monday that they "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."
Mormonism in China Today
Mormonism is not an officially recognized religion under current Chinese law; this severely restricts LDS activity in that country. With the exception of once British-controlled Hong Kong, the LDS church owns no property or buildings and is not permitted to send proselyting missionaries to the region, as it does to most other areas of the world.
Expatriate Mormons living in China today are allowed to gather for religious services in homes or rented buildings with other foreign Latter-day Saints, as long as they have no contact with the small Chinese Mormon congregations throughout the country or proselyte in any form among non-Mormon Chinese nationals.
What Does "Regularizing" Mean?
Though some may jump to the conclusion that China is about to open its doors to Mormon missionaries, LDS church spokesman Michael Otterson explains that "the issue is not even under consideration." Church officials do not anticipate sending missionaries to China anytime soon.
Otterson does, however, suggest that future changes to Chinese policy will "better define how the Church and its members can proceed with daily activities, all in harmony with Chinese law." Under the current system, Mormonism in China is nebulously defined as both legal and illegal.
The LDS church anticipates steps toward the "regularizing" of church activities in China in the foreseeable future, but indicates that those changes will affect mostly the church and its members instead of the non-Mormon population of China through missionary work.
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Jenny Evans - Jenny Evans is a freelance writer and editor specializing in parenting and the family. She is also the Mormonism Topic Editor for ...
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