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Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles met with Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders, on November 17, 2025, in Abu Dhabi. The purpose of their meeting was to discuss ways to encourage peace, coexistence, and human fraternity.
Elder Bednar commented on the importance of this relationship. “We deeply value the opportunity to engage with the Muslim Council of Elders,” he said. “Their efforts to promote peace and coexistence are very similar to our hopes – to bring more understanding and collaboration into this divided world.”
The meeting included other Church representatives: Elder Anthony D. Perkins, Elder Adilson de Paula Parrella, and Elder Roland J. Bäck. These leaders form the Middle East/Africa North Area Presidency and oversee Church activities in that region.
Both parties discussed the need for greater peace and understanding among different faiths. They also recognized the United Arab Emirates as a supportive environment for people from various cultures and religions.
Potential joint initiatives were considered during the meeting, such as promoting family values, humanitarian projects, and ethical approaches to artificial intelligence.
“This meeting in Abu Dhabi is another step towards better understanding,” said Elder Perkins. “As a Church, we seek meaningful ways to cooperate with our Muslim friends—both institutionally and personally. There should be no space for hate speech or prejudice toward our Muslim brothers and sisters in our communities.”
Elder Parrella noted ongoing cooperation between the Church and Judge Abdelsalam at international conferences. He stated: “When we join hands, we are able to create the solutions which will serve and bless everyone.”
This recent meeting builds on previous collaboration between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Muslim Council of Elders. In September 2025, Judge Abdelsalam visited Salt Lake City where he met with President Dallin H. Oaks, Elder Bednar, and Elder Gerrit W. Gong; he also toured Brigham Young University to learn about educational efforts and global humanitarian work by the Church.
The Muslim Council of Elders is an international organization based in Abu Dhabi that works toward peace within both Muslim communities and wider society through interfaith dialogue and promoting tolerance.
In 2021, The Church released a pamphlet titled “Muslims and Latter-day Saints: Beliefs, Values, and Lifestyles.” This publication outlines similarities between both faiths including shared values like love for God and neighbor.
