President George Bush on a 22-hour visit to Utah last week met with LDS Church leaders on Friday, July 17, and made a surprise appearance that evening at the Tabernacle Choir's pre-tour concert on Temple Square.

The nation's chief executive met for about 40 minutes with President Gordon B. Hinckley and President Thomas S. Monson, counselors in the First Presidency, and 11 members of the Council of the Twelve. Family values and religious freedom were among topics of discussion at the meeting in the Church Administration Building."President Bush congratulated the Church for the work it is doing with families and for the family values it holds," reported Bruce L. Olsen, managing director of Public Affairs for the Church. "President Hinckley and President Monson told him some of the things the Church does to foster family values, such as holding family home evenings and family prayer, studying the scriptures, and discussing plans for missions and college, and family budgeting."

The Church leaders also emphasized the need to maintain and restore, where needed, religious freedoms not only in the United States, but elsewhere in the world.

Also discussed were some of the hundreds of humanitarian aid programs the Church has under way throughout the world, the value of the Scouting program in maintaining traditional American values, and the Church's missionary efforts in various parts of the world, including eastern and central Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States.

President Bush told the Church leaders that he had appointed a commission to study how to strengthen American families, and invited the Church to give any input to the commission on what would strengthen families and foster family values.

During the meeting, President Bush was presented with a statue by Dennis Smith, titled "The First Step," which depicts a child between her father and mother learning to walk.

In presenting the statue to the U.S. president, President Hinckley said, "The Church is trying to make the world a better place and we appreciate your emphasis on families and family values."

After the meeting, President Hinckley and President Monson accompanied President Bush for a "photo opportunity" with photographers in the reception area of the Church Administration Building.

"Thank you for coming," President Hinckley told President Bush. "you're always welcome."

President Bush was asked what was discussed in the meeting and replied, "It was a total tour of the whole world. I learned a great deal from them."

After being asked what he considered was a political question, President Bush said he was not going to answer the question "in this hallowed setting. It would be most inapproriate."

President Hinckley, in addressing a "Handcart Days" fireside on Sunday, July 19, in Bountiful, Utah, referred to the visit by the U.S. president:

"We welcomed him not as a politician, but as the president of the nation."

On the evening of July 17, President Bush surprised members of the Tabernacle Choir and the audience alike when he walked in through door No. 6 of the Tabernacle just before the choir's concert began. The concert, a preview of the Tabernacle Choir's tour of eight states and one Canadian province from July 19 to Aug. 1, was not part of President Bush's announced itinerary.

However, about 6:30 p.m., Wendell M. Smoot, president of the Tabernacle Choir, received word the chief executive would be attending the 7:30 p.m. concert.

"We were greatly honored to have President Bush attend the concert," said Brother Smoot. "He added a great dimension to it. His presence was a great send-off for our tour, which is to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Columbus coming to America. Having the president of the United States attend this send-off concert made it a unique, exciting evening.

"He came unobtrusively and unannounced to be in our audience. When the crowd realized he was in the Tabernacle, they all arose to their feet and gave thunderous applause. He shook hands with people and waved as he walked across the front part of the Tabernacle.

"I greeted him, and thanked him for coming. I reminded him of the marvelous experience the choir had in singing at his inauguration [in 1989T," said Brother Smoot.

"President Bush said he was delighted to attend. He added that he just wanted to enjoy the concert."

Before taking his seat on the 12th row on the Tabernacle's main floor, President Bush took off his jacket amid the heat of the Tabernacle. Brother Smoot, as he welcomed the audience to the concert, said, "If there are any of you that would care to take your coats off, please follow the example of the president of the United States."

President Bush stayed for the first half of the concert, leaving at intermission. Brother Smoot said he did not know how President Bush learned of the concert or what prompted him to attend.

On Saturday, July 18, President Bush addressed some 15,000 people at BYU. It was the first time in the university's 117-year history that a serving president had spoken at BYU, said university officials.