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4 Ideas for Building Interfaith Relations

By Alyssa Bradford

Church Magazines

“God is using more than one people for the accomplishment of his great and marvelous work.”¹

What can happen when individuals of many religions and beliefs come together? Communities, families, and even the world can be blessed! For example, during the April 2020 general conference, President Russell M. Nelson invited everyone—both members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and those not of our faith—to fast and pray for relief from the COVID-19 pandemic.²

In response to President Nelson’s worldwide invitation to fast, many people from faiths around the world united in a common cause.

Various Facebook groups started inviting thousands to share their experiences. Brandi, one group member, said: “Since joining this group, my life has been forever changed. Seeing all the goodness has moved me like none else. … Being a part of this incredible group, with people from all walks of life joining together in love and peace, feels like another world. … What I’ve experienced and felt in that group, along with over half a million others, is surely a glimpse of what heaven will be like. All of God’s children united.”³

Church leaders have continually encouraged individuals to work with those of other beliefs to form friendships, strengthen communities, and build unity.

President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor in the First Presidency, said: “Despite all that our Church does directly, most humanitarian service to the children of God worldwide is carried out by persons and organizations having no formal connection with our Church. As one of our Apostles observed: ‘God is using more than one people for the accomplishment of his great and marvelous work. … It is too vast, too arduous, for any one people.’”⁴

What can we do to follow prophetic counsel and participate in interfaith collaboration as individuals, families, and wards or branches? Here are four ideas to get you started:

1. Do a service activity, such as a blood drive. In California, USA, members of the Church joined fellow Christians for an interfaith blood drive. Then–Area Seventy Elder Robert N. Packer said, “This is being done because there’s a lot of love between this Catholic community and the Latter-day Saint community.”⁵

2. Plan and participate in an interfaith day camp for children or youth. Some Church members in Manila, Philippines, participated in an annual interfaith camp by the Religions for Peace Asia & the Pacific Interfaith Youth Network. The camp provides “leaders with the tools they need to work together to address myriad problems that young people face.”⁶

   Interfaith camps and activities can provide opportunities to unite with others, where we can all feel the peace that comes through serving like Jesus Christ.

3. Participate in local food drives. Walker N., age 7, from Alberta, Canada, said: “Our city does an interfaith food drive every year. We pass out fliers and then pick up the food left on the doorsteps. When we delivered the food to the depot, I felt really excited. My mom said that feeling was the Holy Ghost.”⁷

4. Participate in interfaith concerts. Megan C., 18; Ethan M., 19; and Romy C., 17, from Florida, USA, participated in an Interfaith Music Festival with the goal to “help people from different backgrounds to become friends.”⁸

“In a world where there’s so much persecution of religion and faith, it’s nice that we can all come together and just talk to each other. … [Attendees] didn’t care about anyone’s religion. They were just there to offer their help,” said Romy.⁹

While at a G20 Interfaith Forum in Italy, Elder Jack N. Gerard of the Seventy reminded us of the importance of working together with people of all beliefs as we strive to follow the example of Jesus Christ: “Relationships lead to true understanding. … We have to rise above the polarization we see in the world today. And we need to lead to remind our own members to demonstrate through example all around the world that in our faith traditions the Savior Himself was a great healer. He brought us together and encouraged others not to judge one another but to be tempered, to be measured in the way we consider each other. We can come together and rise above some of [what is] allowed in modern technology, and to find ourselves in a better place, having truly healed the hearts and souls of all mankind, regardless of their faith tradition or no faith tradition.”¹⁰

What Will You Do?

Your participation in building interfaith relationships makes a difference. Prayerfully seek revelation on what Heavenly Father would have you do. You can also counsel together with your wards and families on how to, as Elder Gerard taught, “come together … regardless of [others’] faith tradition or no faith tradition.”

You can also find more ideas of what to do in the “Interfaith Relations” topic at newsroom.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

Notes

1. Orson F. Whitney, in Conference Report, Apr. 1928, 59.

2. Russell M. Nelson, “Opening the Heavens for Help,” Liahona, May 2020, 74.

3. “Global Fast Touches Many Lives,” May 7, 2020, newsroom.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

4. Dallin H. Oaks, “Helping the Poor and Distressed,” Liahona, Nov. 2022, 7.

5. “Bay Area Interfaith Group Honoring Christ Through Song and Service,” Apr. 29, 2014, newsroom.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

6. “Church Participates in 2023 Asia Interfaith Youth Peace Camp,” Feb. 12, 2023, newsroom.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

7. “Show and Tell,” Friend, Aug. 2019, 29.

8. Richard M. Romney, “Like a Window to Your Soul,” For the Strength of Youth, Mar. 2021, 7.

9. Richard M. Romney, “Like a Window to Your Soul,” 7.

10. “Elder Rasband and Sister Eubank Address the G20 Interfaith Forum in Italy,” Sept. 14, 2021, newsroom.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.