Senior leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints frequently travel across the world to manage the affairs of the Church and to minister to members. On occasion, these trips provide opportunities for Church leaders to meet with government officials and other opinion leaders.
Elder Cook said after the meeting that he had been graciously received and that the discussions were substantive. He was accompanied by Elder Carl B. Pratt of the Asia Area Presidency and Hoang Van Tung, a Church leader in Hanoi.
This Vietnamese news article and picture appeared on the Vietnamese site daidoanket.vn. An English translation of that article is below:
Afternoon February 15 – At the headquarters of the Central Committee of Vietnam Fatherland Front, Mr. Vu Trong Kim - Member of the Communist Party Central Committee, Vice Chairman and General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and Vice Chairman Ha Van Nui received a delegation of representatives from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (USA) including Elder Quentin L. Cook, one of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church as head of the delegation.
Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints visit the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front. (Photo courtesy of diadoanket.vn)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is also known as Mormon Church or LDS. It is the fourth largest religion in the United States and the Church’s headquarters are located in Salt Lake City, Utah.
At the meeting, Mr. Quentin L. Cook expressed his appreciation for the attention of the Government and the Vietnam Fatherland Front on the religious activities of members of the Church in Vietnam; introduced the history and development of the Church throughout the world and in Vietnam, affirmed that the Church always obeys the laws of all nations and the law of Vietnam, promotes tolerance, harmony and social solidarity, family unity, while paying attention to social and charitable projects, aid to the poor and the disadvantaged in many countries throughout the world. In Vietnam in recent years, the Church has conducted a number of humanitarian activities: distributing wheelchairs to the disabled, building clean water wells, providing medical equipment and free eye operations for the poor... in provinces and cities like Quang Binh, Ha Tinh, Ninh Binh, Thai Binh, Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh City ... He also expressed his hopes that the government and the Vietnam Fatherland Front at all considered levels would create positive conditions for religious activities of the Mormon believers in Vietnam under the laws of Vietnam.
Vice Chairman and General Secretary Vu Trong Kim cordially greeted and welcomed the delegation to the Vietnam Fatherland Front; welcomed and thanked the Church for its charitable projects implemented in Vietnam in recent years, introducing the position, role, functions and tasks of the Vietnam Fatherland Front in the political system and confirmed with common responsibility of the entire nation, in recent years the Vietnam Fatherland Front has always been focused on protecting the legitimate legal rights of all classes of people, among which are included the rights of all religions, promoting the rich development of religious activities in the past, diversity, which actions affirmed the consistent policy of the Party, the State, and the Vietnam Fatherland Front to respect religious freedom. The comrade expressed his wish that the Mormon Church will have many activities to promote cultural exchanges between the people of the United States with the people of Vietnam, contributing to developing friendship and cooperation between people of the two countries and confirmed that activities of all religions in Vietnam, including those that faithful members of the Mormon religion have always been interested in, to create conditions according to the law.