President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, visited with the president of Switzerland at the Church’s global headquarters in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, June 30, in a welcoming encounter discussing mutual interests.
During the visit, President Uchtdorf and President Guy Parmelin of the confederation of Switzerland discussed shared values, including the family, education, volunteerism, self-reliance and civic engagement, according to the Church Newsroom.
President Uchtdorf presented his guest with a glass Christus statue. The gift giving is a signature part of Church diplomatic meetings.
President Parmelin, who has been in office since January 1, 2026, arrived with a delegation that included his wife, Caroline Merotto; the Swiss ambassador to the United States, Ralf Heckner; and other government officials. President Uchtdorf was joined by his wife, Sister Harriet Uchtdorf.
Parmelin, who was in Utah to visit the Swiss-based rail line company Stadler and commemorate 10 years in the state, was featured in KSL News saying that the state “feels a little bit like Switzerland.”
The Swiss commitment to community involvement is evident in programs such as a youth apprenticeship program that allows high school students to take classes and work part-time at the Stadler facility.
Utah also has a long history with Swiss settlers, with settlements-turned-cities such as Midway, Santa Clara and towns in Cache Valley, all dating back to the mid-19th century.
President Uchtdorf and Sister Uchtdorf also have had a longtime relationship with Switzerland since they were teenagers; they were married in 1962 in the Bern Switzerland Temple. Their son and his family also reside in the country.
Switzerland and nearby European countries have also been a large part of their ministry and travels, including a 2026 visit where he met with the president of Germany, a 2024 visit tracing back his European heritage and a 2022 trip visiting with Saints in the area.
Other important meetings establishing critical relationships between world leaders and the Church have also taken place around the international hub, such as a 2026 meeting to discuss caring for those in need in Geneva.
As an Apostle, Lorenzo Snow visited Switzerland in 1851 to dedicate the land for the preaching of the gospel, taking the first steps of the history of the Church in the country. Now, over 9,600 members of the Church reside in the country.
