Mr. Gore Visits Salt Lake

This article in the Salt Lake Tribune by Judy Fahys about Mr. Gore's visit with LDS church officials seems unusual to me for several reasons. For starters, the church's participation in "Earth Hour" and the counsel to use resources wisely seems a far cry from the draconian measures and fear mongering generally associated with Mr. Gore and his message. Next, Mr. Byron Daynes from BYU does not seem to understand the church very well. The church and its leaders are not "in charge of 13 million people." The church may provide counsel, but it is not "in charge" of anyone. I find this particularly offensive in light of the fact that individual agency is one of those things safeguarded by the Lord, and all too often forgotten in the church. Church members are supposed to think and act for themselves. While I would agree with the church about the wise use of any resources, I would never agree with the premise that CO2 emissions by man are near the problem global warming activists claim, as discussed more here and here. The only CO2 emissions I am worried about as being toxic are those coming from Mr. Gore. Next, I listened to all sessions of the most recent LDS General Conference and I do not remember anything remotely related to global warming (unless you count the snow in Salt Lake on Saturday), so Mr. Gore must not have made that big an impression. Finally, I will comment on Ms. Fahys's assertion that "many Christians have begun treating global warming as a moral issue." While that may be true, and is most assuredly true of global warming adherents, I will be very surprised if the LDS Church starts treating this as a moral, religious issue to the extent Mr. Gore would appreciate. The last thing we need is another "political" or "ideological" idea seemingly endorsed by, or carrying the authority of, gospel truth. Especially since the generally accepted idea of global warming is far from truth, let alone gospel.