I was lunching in Sandy this weekend when two caucasian LDS missionaries came in to dine. Both were Spanish-speakers and one, from Missouri, reminded me of a recent controversy ---involving ICE officers being suspected of disguising themselves as LDS missionaries.

 The two were working Sandy and Draper in search of converts, but admitted to slim pickings when it came to finding Spanish-speaking folks. 

I brought up articles in The Nation and Salt Lake Tribune which had quoted the suspicions of an ACLU attorney in Salt Lake City that immigration cops were pretending to be LDS missionaries to gain information on undocumented Hispanics.

The Missouri missionary said LDS colleagues in Texas were encountering significant resistance accessing potential Hispanic converts because ICE officials were turning up at Spanish-speaking people's doorsteps in white shirts, soliciting information about residents.

The missionary I spoke to seemed genuinely concerned. Such concern is not surprising, given that missionaries are inevitably vulnerable to assault with only their partner for back-up.