Joe Pyrah

Several lawmakers met privately with LDS Church officials Friday, concerned that their efforts to combat illegal immigration were being construed as out of touch with church policy.

Most recently, Marlin Jensen, a member of the LDS Church's Quorum of the Seventy, said during a speech at Westminster College that lawmakers should step back and consider the human costs of their actions.

"I really do believe he has gone a ways beyond the church's neutrality statement," said Rep. Stephen Sandstrom, R-Orem. "People are trying to read between the lines and say the church is opposed to any type of legislation that cracks down on illegal immigration in our state."

He said those who met with the church officials on Friday were told that "as far as the church is concerned, we should vote our conscience on the issue."

On Friday, Sandstrom had a bill related to immigration die in a committee. It would have required applicants for professional licenses issued by the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing to execute an affidavit stating that they're U.S. citizens or lawfully in the U.S. He said he previously had the votes for it to pass and was surprised when it came up short. Two of those voting against it later told him they switched based on "statements by the church."

Sen. Margaret Dayton, R-Orem, also attended the meeting with church officials.

"We had wanted them to understand our perspective," she said.

That perspective is that many legislators are compassionate when it comes to illegal immigrants, but at the same time, they expect everyone to abide by the rule of law and are asked to uphold the rule of law by their constituents. Dayton held up a handful of printed e-mails, including some from legal immigrants, that ask her to do something.

Her particular concern is with identity theft associated with illegal immigration. Because they are undocumented, they often steal identities of law-abiding citizens. The state Department of Workforce Services recently reported that 37 adults were found using one child's Social Security number.

Sandstrom and Dayton said they were well received and that it was mostly an opportunity to tell the church about their issues.

That was echoed by church spokesman Rob Howell, who added that the church "made no commitments."

There are a plethora of bills targeting illegal immigration this year, from those dealing with identity theft to others tackling local enforcement. An omnibus bill will be debated Monday in the Senate, right after a visit from U.S. Sens. Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett.

Nearly everyone on both sides of the issue have said the federal government should be dealing with it, but many state Republicans are tired of waiting.

"There's so little the states can do," Dayton said. "We have concerns over our state being a magnate state."