Looks like the Bishop did a bit of reading. It’s exactly what the character in “What Would Jesus Do” (the book that prompted the movement) did.
Yeah, this Mormon bishop did a little bit of reading...but numerous articles showed Pastor Jeremiah Steepek doing this earlier this year...and it probably wasn't original with Pastor Steepek either:
Food for thought: Pastor who dressed like a homeless person
Of course, we don't see the Mormons give proper attribution for such idea-borrowing.
But, hey, the Mormons have borrowed over 50% of their hymns from Christian leaders, Christian music leaders, etc. -- without usual prominent attribution there, either.
Their missionaries go out & tell the world that the Christian world is "apostate" -- all as they sit in their wards & see hymns written by so-called "apostates." (Go figure)
Many years ago, when that book first came out, one of the deacons in our (Evangelical) church did the same sort of thing.
He let his beard grow in some, didn't shower for a couple days, wore some old, dirty clothes and came into the church to see what the reaction would be.
Some people reached out to him but it was not as good as it should have been, or what people claimed our church was like, that it would welcome homeless people.
I didn't see him until it was over so I heard about it before I saw him. You would not have recognized him.