Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles recently strengthened interfaith relationships in New York City, ChurchofJesusChrist.org reported.
The Apostle, who oversees the United States Northeast Area of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, spent Friday, Aug. 21, meeting with local Christian and Jewish leaders.
“It was beautiful to see the relationship established between different communities and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” Elder Soares said. “The most important thing to me was to recognize the connection we have with them, that they trust in our ability to support them and also the capacity that we have to contribute to good initiatives in this area.”
He added: “We do this because we love God, and we love our neighbors, and our expression to love our neighbor and to love God is to work with this diverse community.”
Elder Soares was joined by Elder Robert M. Daines, a General Authority Seventy and president of the United States Northeast Area; and Elder David R. Marriott, an Area Seventy, who arranged the visits.
Together, the senior Church leaders traveled to four locations throughout the city to meet with the Rev. A. R. Bernard, founder and CEO of the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn; Rabbi Joseph Potasnik and Rabbi Diana Gerson of the New York Board of Rabbis; J. Antonio Fernandez, executive director of Catholic Charities of the New York Archdiocese; and the Rev. Nicolas Kazarian of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.
Bernard, who established the Christian Cultural Center with his wife in 1978, said meeting with Elder Soares was a pleasure.
“He gets it. He understands the importance of partnering and collaboration,” Bernard said of Elder Soares. “He understands what it means to find common ground so that we can work together. So I look forward to working with him in the future.”
Bernard also said the Church has helped his center expand its efforts to feed thousands of families in need with food donations that began during the pandemic. The Christian Cultural Center went from feeding 25,000 families a year through its pantry to 130,000 families annually.
Kazarian, of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, expressed gratitude to Elder Soares for getting to know the local Greek Orthodox community and learning about the issues that are important to them.
“There are so many spaces where we can collaborate, and the first space is really about establishing a strong relationship,” Kazarian said.
In a social media post, Elder Soares highlighted his visit to Central Synagogue, where he participated in a Shabbat service with other faith leaders. Elder Soares wrote that he was “deeply touched” by the experience, and referenced President Dallin H. Oaks’s April 2026 general conference talk, in which President Oaks invited all to be peacemakers.
“As we accept that invitation, we can help build communities where fear gives way to friendship and where every child of God is treated with dignity, compassion and love,” Elder Soares wrote. “Peace in the world begins within each of us. We become peacemakers as we choose kindness over contention, understanding over suspicion, respect over prejudice and love over hatred.”
