Johnson didn't know if that was the case but said the national organization has always represented a distinctly evangelical expression, and he simply clarified that to Walton.

Not allowing LDS Church members to lead prayer "is indefensible, in my opinion," Walton said. "I'm not a member, but I have too many friends that are LDS that I want to pray with, and I can't imagine having this event without them. It's no different than saying we won't include blacks or Hispanics. They are a private group, so they have every right to do this, but I don't have to play into it. We'd rather find those things we agree upon and go from there."

Short agreed with the task force regarding who may lead prayer services.

"We all need to be praying because our nation needs prayer, but I definitely know that there are differences between the LDS Church and what most Christians believe, and they are very substantial differences," Short said. "For me, it would be hard to pray in agreement with LDS people because we have great doctrinal differences. I love the LDS people, and I know they love me, but there are differences."

A spokesman for the LDS Church declined comment, but Scott Daniel, who is LDS and president of the Utah Valley Interfaith Association, said people of all faiths and beliefs should be included.

"I believe that prayer is prayer, and I think that we encourage prayer, whatever faith it is," he said. "If you're praying, and you're sincere in your prayer, then it can't help but make you a better person. I'm of the opinion that I know who LDS people are, I know our beliefs, and I know that we're Christians, and I also know that these folks don't have a clear understanding of us.

"We definitely support the concept of a National Day of Prayer; we just don't believe that it should only be limited to a particular religion," Daniels said. "We felt ostracized, and we are definitely going to do something akin to the National Day of Prayer, but it just won't be on the same date."

A National Day of Prayer service will be Thursday in Salt Lake City in front of the state Capitol at 7 p.m. and in the Orem City Building, 56 N. State, from 7 to 7:30 a.m.

The Christ Evangelical Church, 280 S. 400 East in Orem, will hold services at noon and 7 p.m. Other services will be held in Brigham City, Logan, Manti and Ogden. For more information on services, see www.nationaldayofprayer.org.

The Orem prayer service once had ties to the America's Freedom Festival at Provo, which now hosts a separate prayer breakfast planned by Provo Mayor Lewis Billings. That breakfast will be Friday.

Two National Day of Prayer services will be held in Washington, D.C., one sponsored by the task force at the Cannon House Caucus Room and the other sponsored by the National Day of Prayer Committee at the Jefferson Memorial. Both groups support the Lausanne Covenant.

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E-mail: mdecker@desnews.com