Boys, Boys, Spies? Mormon Missionaries As Suspected American Agents In Finland This presentation tells the story of the suspicions in some Finnish political circles that during the Cold War, Latter-day Saint missionaries gathered information on the Finns’ political thoughts and perhaps even forwarded them to U.S. government intelligence. The resulting public scare, though limited, was born of a mixture of anti-cult activity, political interests, a helping of sensation-making journalism, and the distinctly American image of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. What can happen when political interests and Mormon activities clash in a foreign country? How might the public association of Mormonism with the U.S. factor into the Church’s desire to become a “world religion”?

Kim Ostman, M.Sc., Presenter; David Knowlton, Ph.D., Respondent