To counter what the church sees as inaccuracies and stereotypes about what the church teaches and what it requires of its members, two new initiatives directed at media have been added to a string of recent public pronouncements by the church, designed to provide detailed answers to questions that intersect faith and politics.

The first was inaugurated earlier this week, when two LDS Public Affairs officials held the church's first-ever live online press conference for more than two dozen religion reporters across the country. In addition to taking live questions, the press conference featured eight video clips of Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve addressing questions the church is frequently asked. Five of the eight dealt with the role of Jesus Christ and how others have tried to define the church:

• "Are you Christian? What is the role of Jesus Christ in your faith?"

• "Why do some people say your church is a cult?"

• "Do you worship Jesus Christ in your church services?"

• "How are your beliefs similar to those of other Christians?" and "How do your beliefs differ from other Christians?"

The church's Web site, www.lds.org, now contains an archive of both the press conference and the video clips, which can be viewed by both the media and the public by clicking the "newsroom" section of the main Web page. Officials said if the press conference was considered successful among reporters, they would likely conduct similar events in the future, featuring top church leaders to answer questions live online.

Also featured in the newsroom is a new section headlined "Core Beliefs: Why and How Are Mormons Different?" The explanation features a large painting of Jesus Christ, with a listing of "some of the more important differences in belief and practice between the (LDS) church and other Christian churches."

The second, and to some a more surprising, initiative involves a move to have members of the Quorum of the Twelve, the church's second-highest governing body, visit with editorial boards of major media outlets across the nation in the near future. While LDS Public Affairs officials have been making such site visits for some time now, unofficial protocol among top church leaders in the past has been to grant periodic interviews to reporters who seek them out and meet at the leaders' convenience.

Other than announcing that the visits would soon take place, no other information was provided.

The newest public moves directed specifically at the media come after officials quietly posted an official statement on the Web late last year, trying to make it clear that Mormon political candidates, including Romney, won't be expected to follow their direction on matters of public policy.