"Every community has some dynamics you have to deal with," the Rev. Jackson said. "There is going to be a majority and a minority opinion no matter where you go. What makes religion, in particular, such a problem is that you're often dealing with people's core beliefs."

In 1998 the Rev. Jackson drafted a proclamation signed by Rock Canyon members that declared support for the LDS community. Then, the church hosted a "Service of Repentance" that drew a standing-room only crowd, including more than 100 LDS visitors.

A framed copy of the declaration hangs in the third-floor conference room at BYU's Religious Studies building, and faculty members at the LDS Church-owned school say they wish Latter-day Saints had made the first move.

"There was no subversive agenda," he said. "In fact, if the agenda was to make the church become huge, we failed. It got smaller. It went the other way. But in my opinion, it got healthier."

The Rev. Jackson admits he's been put off at times by comments and actions of some Mormons. But he quickly notes that many Mormons have likely been put off by him.

He blames it on a human tendency to make sweeping generalizations before getting to know others or their culture.

"Both sides demonize the other," the Rev. Jackson said. "But when you can demonize someone or something you can behave in a way that's normally unacceptable. As soon as both sides start demonizing, decency disappears and it becomes impossible to understand each other."

Overall, though, the Rev. Jackson believes he has helped bridge a divide that once existed between his church and the LDS Church. He also believes he's helped some Mormons understand that they don't have a monopoly on the Holy Spirit or humanitarianism.

The Rev. Jackson has shown them that his church services aren't just loud revival meetings. He has also helped his LDS friends realize that conversion attempts masquerading as friendships are easy to spot.

"Sooner or later an agenda is revealed," the Rev. Jackson said. "A relationship can only go so far as the unreached agenda. If the only reason we're getting together is so you can convert me, eventually you're going to stop coming over. It becomes a checklist. It becomes subversive.

"Something that has always struck me about Jesus is that he did some things where there wasn't this big religious agenda. They were just things that needed to be done. He wasn't trying to figure out how feeding the multitude had some evangelical implications. It was just something that needed to be done."

But don't be mistaken. The Rev. Jackson counts many Mormons as friends.