National, 23rd November 2022: The World Interfaith Harmony Conference 2022 was organised by World Peace Dome where the statue of Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, was unveiled. The unveiling was done by Satish Mahana, the Speaker of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, and Bhikkhu Sanghasena, the founder and president of Ladakh’s Mahabodhi International Meditation Centre (MIMC).
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS), also called The Mormon Church, traces its origins to a religion founded by Joseph Smith in the United States in 1830 with millions of global adherents today, and growing. The first Mormons came to India in the 1850s, and the Church has enjoyed an official presence since 1981.
“Joseph Smith possessed a noble character of boldness, independence, positivity, and manner that was easy and familiar. Joseph is not a deity, but we readily acknowledge his goodwill for the world. He set an example for the supreme sacrifice he made for the people, and his devotion to the living god. Religious harmony is one of the core elements for the progress and development of a nation. India has a culture that accepts the diversity of all religions and faiths”, said David Todd Christofferson, an American religious leader and a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, during his address.
Satish Mahana, the Speaker of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly said, “Our democracy is supported by four pillars: the legislature, the judiciary, the executive, and the media. It is crucial for a balanced political and social system that all four pillars are in sync with one another. He preached the message of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”, or ‘the world is one one family’. The entire world must work together to achieve happiness and peace. As all rivers meet the oceans, it is critical for all religions to preach the idea of peace and harmony in order to establish a prosperous humankind.”
Shri. Rahul V. Karad, Managing Trustee & Executive President, MAEER’s MIT and Executive President, MIT World Peace University said, “Casteism, corruption, and criminalization are the three most dangerous demons to our democracy. We will achieve a great harmonious society where peace can be established if we eradicate all such social evils from our society. We want to spread the message of love and harmony among all the religions through this conference. Only inter-sectarian and inter-religious dialogues in the world can lead to prosperity and development. We all talk about global peace, but it all begins at a local level.”
More than 200 members from the Mormon Christian community flew down to India from the United States to attend this event. The conference saw the presence of several eminent personalities such as D. Todd Christofferson, an American religious leader and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; David P. Homer, Asia Area President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, USA; King Husein, Chairman, and CEO, Span Construction and Engineering; Dr. Ashok Joshi, Founder, Microlin LLC, Salt Lake City, USA; David Huntsman, President & Chief Operating Officer Huntsman Foundation, Salt Lake City Utah, USA; Ronald C. Gunnell, Founder, Global Chairman at Truth Alone Triumphs, USA; W. Cole Durham, Founding Director, International Centre for Law & Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, USA.
