Several events to mark National Day of Prayer

PROVO — Government should stay out of religion, but its support for the National Day of Prayer does more good than harm.

That's the opinion of Lincoln Steed, editor of Liberty magazine, a publication founded more than 100 years ago by the Seventh Day Adventist Church to promote the separation of church and state.

"There is security in keeping the state out of the religion business," Steed said. "They should make an environment that allows religion to flourish, but they should not fund, promote or be the big brother for any form of religiosity."

"The Freedom of Prayer" will be the theme for Steed's keynote speech at the annual Utah Valley National Day of Prayer service at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Provo Tabernacle, 100 S. University Ave. It's one of several prayer events planned throughout the state.

In addition to Steed's remarks, the Provo event will feature prayers from four religious traditions — evangelical Christian, Navajo, Hari Krishna and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Linda Walton, who owns a public relations firm in addition to her activities as a Seventh Day Adventist minister, has organized the Utah County event for more than a decade. Walton says the eclectic mix of religions invited to pray at the event is designed to demonstrate there are many ways people talk to their deity.

"I really like to pray," she said. "And I like to find ways we can agree once in a while with other people instead of fighting with each other. A lot of people have not been exposed to unusual, to them, kinds of prayer. We want to try to make it as comfortable as possible for everyone. It's educational, and it's inclusive."

Prayers at the event, sponsored by the Utah Valley Ministerial Association and Utah Valley University Interfaith Student Association, will be offered by Jim Powell of the CenterPoint Church; Gladyee Begay of the Navajo tribe; Caru Das of the Hari Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork; and Tami Harris, an LDS chaplain. Provo Mayor John Curtis will lead the Pledge of Allegiance.

This year's National Day of Prayer is generating an unusual amount of interest because of two events. One is a viral e-mail campaign based on a false report that President Barak Obama was canceling the National Day of Prayer. At about the same time, the Obama administration was named as the defendant in a Wisconsin suit in which an April 15 ruling by U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb declared that government support of the National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional.

Disregarding the ruling, Obama issued a proclamation Friday setting aside May 6 as a day to "give thanks for the many blessings God has bestowed upon our nation."