On November 17, 2025, Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles met with His Excellency Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders in Abu Dhabi, to explore ways to promote peace, coexistence and human fraternity.
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- Elder-David-A.-Bednar-of-the-Quorum-of-the-Twelve-Apostles-meets-with-His-Excellency-Judge-Mohamed-Abdelsalam,-Secretary-General-of-the-Muslim-Council-of-Elders,-in-Abu-Dhabi,-UAE,-on-November-17,-2025.
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Reflecting on the meeting, Elder Bednar affirmed the significance of this growing relationship. “We deeply value the opportunity to engage with the Muslim Council of Elders,” he said. “Their efforts to promote peace and coexistence are very similar to our hopes – to bring more understanding and collaboration into this divided world.”
Other representatives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the meeting included Elder Anthony D. Perkins, Elder Adilson de Paula Parrella and Elder Roland J. Bäck, who constitute the Middle East/Africa North Area Presidency of the Church and oversee the Church’s efforts across the region.
During the meeting, the leaders reflected on a greater need to promote peace and understanding across faith traditions. Elder Bednar and Judge Abdelsalam both noted that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been a great host country for the diversity of cultures and religions, with representatives of these cultures living, working and worshipping in the UAE.
The meeting also explored possible joint initiatives, including the promotion of family values, humanitarian efforts and ethical use of AI.
“This meeting in Abu Dhabi is another step towards better understanding,” said Elder Perkins. “As a Church, we seek meaningful ways to cooperate with our Muslim friends—both institutionally and personally. There should be no space for hate speech or prejudice toward our Muslim brothers and sisters in our communities.”
Elder Parrella highlighted that the Church has been working with Judge Abdelsalam and other representatives of the Muslim Council of Elders at various international conferences and events. He noted: “When we join hands, we are able to create the solutions which will serve and bless everyone.”
This meeting between Church leaders and the Muslim Council of Elders continues the collaboration between the two organizations, which included a recent visit by His Excellency Judge Abdelsalam to the Church headquarters in Salt Lake City.
While visiting Utah in September 2025, Judge Abdelsalam met with President Dallin H. Oaks, Elder Bednar and Elder Gerrit W. Gong, and visited Brigham Young University to learn more about the Church’s efforts in education and in promoting human dignity. He also learned about the Church’s global humanitarian program and other efforts to bless people worldwide.
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The Muslim Council of Elders is an international organization founded in Abu Dhabi. The council’s mission is to foster peace within Muslim and non-Muslim communities alike and to advance the principles of interfaith dialogue, tolerance and human coexistence.
In 2021, the Church released a pamphlet titled “Muslims and Latter-day Saints: Beliefs, Values, and Lifestyles.” It highlights similarities and differences between the two faiths and emphasizes shared core values, such as love of God and neighbor.