To say Ben H. Love enjoys Scouting would be an understatement - he has given the last 33 years of his life to the program. And during that time he has developed tremendous respect for Scouting's largest sponsoring organization, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Love, chief Scout executive of the Boy Scouts of America, headquartered in Irving, Texas, believes the Church and BSA enjoy an "ideal marriage" that benefitsboth partners."I think the Church sees the value that Scouting has to young people. and the value it has to its lay leadership," said Love in an interview with the Church News. "Church leaders treasure what Scouting does for their youth ministry (the Aaronic Priesthood program), and we treasure what the Church does for Scouting. It's a mutually successful relationship."

Love and others at the Boy Scouts of America headquarters appreciate what theChurch contributes to Scouting: 318,600 of its 5,323,000 members; 23,287 of its 127,137 units; quality, trained leadership; meeting facilities; and "total support."

Love sees many parallels in the values espoused by the Boy Scouts of America and the LDS Church.

"The Church has always been concerned about fostering values of home and family," noted Love. "Scouting fosters a strong parent-child interaction, involving Mom and Dad in the program. Scouting, as does the Church, helps develop strong leadership. Our commitment to serving God, country and our fellow men is another parallel. I know the Church...receives divine guidance, and I'm convinced, after my years in Scouting, there is some divine guidance helping us fulfill our responsibility."

Love pointed out that many Church leaders serve Scouting on all levels. President Thomas S. Monson, second counselor in the First Presidency, and Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone of the First Quorum of the Seventy both serve on BSA"s national executive board, along with Church members Rodney L. Brady, Frank W. "Bill" Gay, Glendon E. Johnson and J. Willard Marriott Jr.

The national advisory board includes President Ezra Taft Benson, Elders Marion D. Hanks and Robert L. Backman of the Presidency of the First Quorum of the Seventy, Elder Rex D. Pinegar of the First Quorum of the Seventy, and Gen. PrimaryPres. Michaelene Grassli.

"One of the vital, treasured areas of the Church's sponsorship is that Scouting is important to the First Presidency, Council of the Twelve, First Quorum of the Seventy and the membership in general. It's been an exciting relationship."

Love is proud of the fact that Scouting and the Church and other charter sponsors have stuck to their standards through the years.

"The Boy Scouts of America, along with the religious institutions it works with, made a great contribution to this country in the 1960s and 70s because it never moved away from its values," he related. "During the 1960s, several groups did everything possible to have 'God' removed from the Scout oath. We said 'no.' That's who we are and what we are, and we're not going to change. Scouting held its ground, morally and legally.

"Now America is moving back toward those values, values we never chose to leave."

Love said that though the underlying values of Scouting will never change, the methodology of Scouting will conform to societal changes.

"As society changes...Scouting has to change to meet those needs, but under no conditions do we change the ideals of Scouting - duty to God, country, others and self."