Published:May 12th, 2012 20:00 EST

Lifetree Cafe to Host Discussion on Mormon Beliefs

What Mormons really believe will be explored at Lifetree Café community forums from coast to coast during the week of May 13, 2012. 

The Lifetree event will encourage various views from the community. It may also provide a glimpse into how the religious vote may swing during the November presidential election, according to Lifetree representative Craig Cable. Presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney is a Mormon. 

The program, titled "Mormons: Christian? Cult? What Do They Really Believe?" includes filmed interviews with someone who left the Mormon church as well as someone who joined it. 

Kelli Kirk, who was raised in the Mormon church, joined a mainstream Christian church. At 23, seeking answers to faith questions, she said she was told by her Mormon bishop that as a woman she would never fully understand the faith.

"He told me to just have faith and not have questions," said Kirk. "There weren`t any answers." 

Brandony Lesser, whose father is an ordained Christian minister, said faith was always a big part of her life. "But as I visited The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I kept finding more answers." 

The program also will also feature a filmed interview with Dr. Craig Blomberg, professor of New Testament at Denver Seminary and co-author of How Wide the Divide? A Mormon and an Evangelical in Conversation. 

Lifetree Café is a national network of venues where people gather for conversation about life and faith in a casual coffeehouse-type setting. 

Lifetree Café locations and times may be found at lifetreecafe.com. 

See an excerpt of the video interview with Dr. Craig Blomberg,vimeo.com/41512718.