Abu Dhabi/Salt Lake City: The message of love, peace, and coexistence championed by the United Arab Emirates continues to resonate across the world, with the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi emerging as a key symbol of this vision. The UAE’s longstanding commitment to tolerance and interfaith understanding was further echoed during a significant meeting in the United States between leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and BAPS spiritual leader His Holiness Brahmavihari Swamiji.
The meeting, held in Salt Lake City, Utah, saw His Holiness meet with President Dallin H. Oaks and President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency of the LDS Church. It was a continuation of the UAE’s values as propagated through its initiatives like the 2019 Year of Tolerance and the creation of cultural hubs like Saadiyat Island, which celebrates world heritage and pluralism.
A meeting of spiritual minds
During his visit, Brahmavihari Swamiji also toured major LDS Church sites including Deseret Industries, Welfare Square, and the Conference Center on Temple Square, immersing himself in the Church’s philanthropic and spiritual ethos. He also listened to an organ recital, symbolising the cultural exchanges taking place.
Senior LDS leaders present included Elder David A. Bednar and Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elder Anthony D. Perkins of the Middle East/Africa North Area, and Elder Matthew S. Holland, Executive Director of Church Communication.
The meetings were filled with mutual respect and reverence. Both sides discussed humanitarian efforts, interfaith coexistence, and the BAPS Hindu Mandir as a global exemplar of peace and harmony. The sentiments expressed were deeply rooted in shared values of community service and moral living.
BAPS and LDS: Faiths grounded in service and spirituality
The LDS Church, with more than 17 million members across 160 countries, is known for its organised spiritual outreach and large-scale humanitarian efforts. Similarly, BAPS, a socio-spiritual Hindu organisation, operates 1,800 mandirs and 21,000 congregations globally, with followers numbering in the tens of millions.
Both organisations share an emphasis on faith, service, and community upliftment, striving to offer inner peace as a pathway to societal progress.
His Holiness Brahmavihari Swamiji, a key figure in BAPS’ global expansion and interfaith dialogue, serves on the seven-member BAPS Core Committee under His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, the global head of BAPS. He has been instrumental in projects like the Neasden Temple in London, the Swaminarayan Akshardham temples in Delhi and New Jersey, and now, most notably, the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi.
The Mandir: A bridge of cultures
The BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi is the first traditional stone Hindu temple in the Middle East, and a defining representation of the UAE’s belief in cultural diplomacy and interreligious understanding. It stands as a monument to the idea that despite differences in faith, humanity can unite in compassion and cooperation.
The Mandir project, under the guidance of the UAE’s leadership, reflects the core values of the nation — coexistence, acceptance, and global harmony — values that continue to ripple outward, as seen in the interfaith efforts unfolding across the United States.
As global communities continue to grapple with division and discord, institutions like BAPS and the LDS Church stand as pillars of global unity, demonstrating that religion can be a force for connection rather than conflict.
