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Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, accompanied by his wife, Sister Susan Bednar, met with His Excellency Mr. Ali Abdulla Al Aradi, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the King Hamad Global Center for Coexistence and Tolerance on November 20, 2025. The meeting took place in Bahrain and focused on enhancing collaboration between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Center to promote interfaith understanding.
The Church was also represented by Elder Anthony D. Perkins and Elder Adilson de Paula Parrella from the Middle East/Africa North Area Presidency, along with their spouses. On behalf of the King Hamad Center, Mrs. Muneera Nofal Al Doseri, Executive Director, and Mrs. Noora Abdulla Al Mansoori, Director of Coexistence, participated in the discussion.
During the meeting, Mr. Al Aradi shared information about current programs at the Center and emphasized Bahrain’s tradition of religious tolerance and recognition of diverse faith expressions. He also presented Elder Bednar with a copy of The Kingdom of Bahrain Declaration issued in 2017. The declaration states: "We celebrate that religion has been amongst the greatest forces of good in our world, and has principally inspired people to share that same good with their fellow man."
Both groups agreed that fostering interfaith dialogue is key to addressing challenges faced by both the region and the wider world.
The Church delegation expressed appreciation for Bahrain’s hospitality and for allowing members to live and worship in Manama.
Elder Bednar highlighted that similar to other places in the Middle East, a senior volunteer couple from the Church supports local community efforts in Bahrain by facilitating interfaith initiatives and advancing humanitarian work. He also mentioned that nearly 90,000 volunteers from the Church serve globally for periods ranging from 18 to 24 months, learning new languages and adapting to different cultures.
He stated: "They return home more than tolerant of the beliefs and practices of others. They return home as champions of coexistence and promoters of love for the people they served."
Previous interactions between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the King Hamad Center include meetings during international summits such as one between Elder Patrick Kearon and Dr. Shaikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa at a Global Faith Leaders Summit in November 2023 as well as an official visit by Elder Perkins to Dr. Al Khalifa in May 2024.
After this recent meeting, Elder Perkins commented: "We are exploring opportunities for followers of our Church to participate in educational initiatives of the King Hamad Center, which promote practices to improve tolerance."
While visiting Bahrain, Elder Bednar also addressed local members at a devotional held on November 19 in Manama.
The Church continues its engagement in interfaith dialogue both regionally and internationally as part of its ongoing commitment to respecting diverse faith traditions.
