The leader of the world’s largest Islamic organization visited leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah this week.
KH Yahya Cholil Staquf, general chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama Central Board, and a delegation of six others visited the house of the Lord in Orem, Utah, on Sunday, Dec. 10, and met with President Dallin H. Oaks of the Church’s First Presidency and other leaders at Church headquarters on Monday, Dec. 11, according to a news release on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
What is Nahdlatul Ulama?
Nahdlatul Ulama was founded in 1926 and is based in Jakarta, Indonesia. The organization has a membership of more than 100 million people. In addition to promoting tolerant Islamic teachings, Nahdlatul Ulama has a network of some 7,000 boarding schools and 44 universities, is involved in economic and social studies and provides social services, mostly in Indonesia.
In the last five years, the Church and Nahdlatul Ulama have worked together on several humanitarian projects, including a prosthetic leg distribution in Cianjur this year and aid for earthquake victims in Pandeglang (2020), Donggala, Lombok and Palu (2018).
Meeting Pak Yahya
The Church’s association with Pak Yahya started one year ago when Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles met him at the G20 Religion Forum in Bali, Indonesia, in 2022. As part of their visit, the two discussed the pamphlet “Muslims and Latter-day Saints: Beliefs, Values, and Lifestyles,” which introduces Muslims and Latter-day Saints to each other.
“When citizens learn to live together with respect and unity despite religious differences, we have the foundational stones to true peace,” Elder Stevenson said at the 2022 event. “The gospel of Jesus Christ calls on us to love people of all faiths, cultures, races and nations for the common good — all are alike unto God.”
In November of this year, Elder Anthony D. Perkins, General Authority Seventy, met Pak Yahya briefly at the pre-COP 28 Faith Leaders Summit in Abu Dhabi.
Visiting Utah
Elder Adilson de Paula Parrella and Elder William K. Jackson, both General Authority Seventies, led Pak Yahya’s group on a tour of the Orem Utah Temple on Dec. 10. This new house of the Lord is scheduled be dedicated on Jan. 21.
The following day he met with President Oaks, Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elder Perkins, Elder Matthew S. Holland and Elder David P. Homer, General Authority Seventies.
