Meeting of the faiths at Utah Church sites
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Joining the throngs of visitors to Temple Square were leaders of Muslim and Catholic faiths from Southern California on July 15-17. They were escorted by Steve and Judy Gilliland of the Church's Los Angeles Public Affairs Council and hosted by Church public affairs in Salt Lake City.
Overall impressions of their visit included a general admiration for the Church's humanitarian services and the commitment of its members.
Brother and Sister Gilliland said the trip was planned to coincide with the open house of the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple so the visitors, after touring it, could have a deeper understanding of why members of the Church are so committed to faith, families and serving others.
"It gave them a better understanding of 'why,' " Sister Gilliland said. She added, "We have great respect for the interfaith leaders [in Southern California]."
The two-day tour also included visits to BYU, Welfare Square and the LDS Humanitarian Center.
The visitors all said they enjoyed their time in Utah and were grateful for the kindness and hospitality of those they met.
"It has certainly been a very exciting and inspiring two days," said Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the Southern California Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. "I will certainly go back to our Muslim community in the Los Angeles area and share the success story and achievement that I've noticed here." He said he hopes that will solidify a partnership for good between the members of the two religions.
Of the commitment and faith he noticed, he said, "It reminds us that there are bigger things in life than our own selves, and that is to serve God. And we serve God by serving mankind. I certainly saw that in practice with every person we met here."
Kalim Farooki, treasurer of the Shura Council of Southern California and chairman of the Islamic Society of Corona/Norco, said what he observed at Welfare Square and the LDS Humanitarian Center "shows the result of teamwork, commitment and organization."
The commitment of volunteers also impressed him. He said, "When I went to the [Oquirrh Mountain] temple, I noticed there were hundreds of volunteers. All knew what they were doing and had smiling faces."
At the end of her visit, Hedab El Tarifi, vice chairwoman of the Muslim Public Affairs Council National Board of Directors and executive secretary of the Board of the Islamic Center of Southern California, said, "Now I can actually answer questions if I hear certain comments about the Mormons." She said it would give her greater ability to defend the Church from attacks as she would hope its members would similarly defend her faith from attacks.
"I certainly appreciated the visit to the temple," she said. "Not just the beautiful building itself, but understanding the spiritual activities and practices that the [members] do in the temple. To me, that was new knowledge."
Shakeel Syed, executive director of the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California, spoke of the commitment of Church members in serving others. He said that welfare systems should be run as the Church runs its, "not in a patronizing way, but in the spirit of serving people in humility and with grace."
The Catholic visitors arrived a day after the Muslim group, but followed the same basic itinerary.
One of the highlights shared by the Catholic leaders was the discovery by the Rt. Rev. Alexei Smith of some of his Polish ancestors during a tour of the Family History Center. Tour guide Daniel Schlyter sat with him at the computer in his search. The Rev. Smith is the ecumenical and interfaith director of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles Roman Catholic Church and pastor of the Russian Greek Catholic Church in El Segundo, Calif.
After a visit to BYU, the Rev. Smith said, "We have never seen such a large group of modestly groomed and dressed young people. Not one person was scantily attired or wearing revealing clothing. They were all clean and well-groomed."
The Rev. Alfred S. Baca is Episcopal Vicar for Ecumenism and Interreligion for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange County, Calif., and is pastor of St. Cecilia Church and School in Tustin, Calif. After touring Church facilities and the Museum of Church History and Art, he said, "I learned that stories are very important for Latter-day Saints — stories of family, faith and practice. We can learn much better, from stories, who we are and where we are going. … Stories are important for Catholics, too. We have this in common."
Cambria Smith, parish life director for Holy Family Parish in South Pasadena, Calif., told the Gillilands after visiting Church Welfare facilities, "This experience deepened my understanding and appreciation of your charitable works. I learned so much about your organizational structure and practices. I was so impressed to learn about the sacrifices you make for your church and especially for other people."
Father William Connor of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Long Beach summed up to the Gillilands, "I am so grateful to have been invited here to Salt Lake. I have been amazed at the things I have learned about the LDS people. You are so service-oriented and practice living the covenants you have made. You try to live the principles of Christ's gospel in your daily lives."
