Elder Kevin G. Brown spoke to more than 600 interfaith residents of North Texas on May 3 about foundations of faith and temples, in the most recent Saints in Unity devotional series.
In its ninth iteration, the Saints in Unity event, in a Duncanville, Texas, meetinghouse of the Church, featured Elder Brown, a General Authority Seventy, as its keynote speaker.
Elder Brown spoke about the role temples have in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and how they inspire connection with Jesus Christ.
“Elder Brown gave exactly the message the room needed,” said John Rex, the Dallas-Fort Worth Metro assistant director of outreach for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who helped coordinate the event. “He grounded Latter-day Saint temple worship in Old Testament scripture so a non-Latter-day Saint audience could follow him plainly.”
Using the story of Moses finding the Israelites worshipping the golden calf (see Exodus 32), Elder Brown taught about the importance of recognizing the Lord’s hand in one’s life. He encouraged the audience to consider what they would have done in that situation.
“It made me reflect on how many of us see the miracles of the Lord in our own lives but still focus on our own ‘golden calves.’ I have been contemplating what those might be in my own life and how I can work to tear them down,” said Jasmin Felton, a member of the Plano Texas Stake.
Elder Brown also used personal experiences to demonstrate the significance of temples in the past and present.
“He helped all of us, regardless of our particular denomination, learn about the significance of temples through the ages. We witnessed his devotion to honoring the role of temples as directed by Jesus Christ,” said Peter Harris, Dallas-Fort Worth Metro communications director for the Church.
Prior to the devotional, special guests were able to research their ancestors and view their family trees. After Elder Brown’s address, the event honored these special guests and other members of the community who promote unity among faiths.
Trish Hodges, director of the OneVoice Community Outreach Choir, was honored with an exemplary service award. The choir brings vocalists from various faiths together through the power of gospel music.
The OneVoice Choir provided music for the event, including a soloist performance of “You Deserve It.”
Deidre Hamid of CARE Services, a community outreach program that provides food to those in need and helps individuals find financial stability, was also honored for her work in the community.
Prominent members of the religious community were honored as well, including Superintendent Pastor Robert Horton and his wife, Kamie Horton, of the Christ Holy Sanctified Church of America; Bishop Emmanuel Ekong from Brotherhood of The Cross & Star; Nisaa Muhammad from the Desoto Islamic Center; and the Rev. Cassandry Keys Jones and the Rev. Harlan Jones from the Jones Hill Chapel CME and the Mosley Chapel CME.
Red Oak, Texas, Mayor Willie G. Franklin Jr. and his wife, Karen Franklin, were also honored.
To conclude an evening of testimony and music, the congregation sang a rendition of “Amazing Grace,” marking the end to another interfaith event in the Saints in Unity devotional series for the people of North Texas.
Sharisa Lewis, assistant director of media for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, contributed to this report.
