With large families, a deep love of Israel and the Jewish people, simultaneous dedication to our faith and engagement with the broader world, dietary restrictions and modest dress, and being misunderstood (even by our coreligionists), Orthodox Jews surprisingly have much in common with one of the fastest growing religions in the United States – the Church of Latter Day Saints (LDS), colloquially known as the Mormons. I would like to share reflections on last week’s meetings, coordinated by the Orthodox Union’s Advocacy Center, with the church and its political leadership in Salt Lake City, Utah.
There are fourteen million Mormons worldwide. There are fourteen million Jews worldwide. Six million members of each faith live in the U.S., three million of whom are centered in one particular geographical area (the East Coast and Mountain states respectively).