The meeting between Bush and the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is scheduled for May 29, said Rob Howell, a spokesman for the church. The White House has not released details of the trip.
Other Utahns will pay handsomely to meet with Bush, as he visits the state to raise money for Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign and the Republican Party.
Supporters are being asked to raise or contribute at least $30,800 per person or $70,100 per couple to attend an intimate reception with the president hosted by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney at Romney's multi-million dollar Deer Valley home, according to event invitations.
The contributions go to a joint fundraising account, McCain Victory 2008, which parcels the money. For example, for a donor who makes the maximum donation of $70,100, $2,300 would go to McCain's campaign; $2,300 to McCain's legal compliance committee; $28,500 to the Republican National Committee; and $37,000 that would be divided up between the Colorado, Minnesota, New Mexico and Wisconsin state Republican parties' federal accounts.
The allocations would be doubled for a couple.
There is also an afternoon fundraiser with Bush, hosted by Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., with a $500 per person price tag and a host committee lunch for those giving $10,000 per person. The event was originally scheduled at the Grand America Hotel, but organizers are looking to relocate the gathering.
"Romney had a very powerful fundraising operation with a lot of donations coming out of this area, and of course now he can leverage that to help McCain," said Quin Monson, a Brigham Young University political science professor. "And the McCain campaign clearly needs the money to compete. They're clearly not raising the small donors' money that Obama is."
McCain visited Utah in March with Romney to raise money at an event at the Grand America Hotel, and a private reception with EnergySolutions executives.
McCain's campaign report through the end of April showed that he raised $502,650 from Utah donors. Obama has raised $584,009 and Clinton raised $489,842 through the same period.
Romney, who was head of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Utah, raised $5.5 million before dropping out of the presidential race and endorsing McCain.
