Mormons have role in inauguration planning

President Ezra Taft Benson and his second counselor, President Thomas S. Monson, were VIPs at the 1989 presidential inauguration of George H.W. Bush. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir performed patriotic and religious music before the inaugural ceremony.

This year, Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, both Mormons, are among four members of Congress on the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies and have responsibilities planning the Jan. 20 inaugural events for president-elect Barack Obama.

Bennett press secretary Tara Hendershott said Tuesday Bennett will be at the swearing-in ceremony on the platform in front of the U.S. Capitol. But even with the inauguration only a week away, Bennett may take on additional responsibilities that haven't yet been specified. "He'll be doing a lot more than we anticipated," Hendershott said, describing the role committee members like Bennett and Reid play as "both functional and ceremonial."

Fourteen members of Congress are Latter-day Saints, and all are given a place on the inaugural stand.

Read the full story at MormonTimes.com

Recent comments

Add your comment