A spokesman for Focus on the Family and Glenn Beck have both issued responses after the Mormon Media Observer reported the news about the Focus on the Family pulling an article about Glenn Beck's "Christmas Sweater" book from its CitizenLink Web site.

Gary Schneeberger, vice president of media and public relations for Focus on the Family Action, issued a statement:

"Even if we hold some concepts in common with Mr. Beck and others of the LDS church (which we indeed do), CitizenLink cannot intimate to our evangelical base that the differences in Mormon faith and the historic evangelical faith are inconsequential.  We can, and do, gladly cooperate with friends outside of the evangelical heritage on common causes; but in no case do we intend to alter our clear distinction as unwaveringly grounded in evangelical theology.

"This was the area of oversight concerning the feature on Glenn Beck's book.  We regret having communicated in a way that has caused confusion both from some within our evangelical base as well as from our friends, like Mr. Beck, who hold a sincere and devout Mormon faith.  We intended no insult; we merely miscalculated on how best to feature Glenn, whom we greatly appreciate.

"Likewise, we did not aim to signal theological compromise, which some from our base were concerned about.  But, to be sure, we do not condone the tone of communications put out from UnderGround Apologetics.  And we can without reservation say that the group's news release had nothing to do with our decision to pull the article from publication."

Glenn Beck responded with a message on his Web site:

"The Christmas Sweater is a story about the idea of Christmas as a time for redemption and atonement. Whatever your beliefs about my religion, the concept of religious tolerance is too important to be sacrificed in response to pressure from special interest groups, especially when it means bowing to censorship. I'm humbled and grateful that hundreds of thousands of people from different faiths have read the book and have appreciated its uplifting message for themselves. At a time when the world is so full of fear, despair, and divisions, it is my hope that all of those who believe in a loving and peaceful God would stand together on the universal message of hope and forgiveness. --glenn "

In an article in the Colorado Springs Gazette, Mark McConkie, president of the Colorado Springs Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said that the Mormons and evangelicals have too many shared interests, including family issues, to be pulled apart.

"It is in our collective best interest to continue to find ways to work together instead of driving wedges between committed believers."