At Global Summit, Elder Soares Advocates for Peace Through Religious Freedom

Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles told global faith leaders gathered in Washington, D.C., on Monday, February 3, 2025, that protecting religious freedom is “a key to peace and stability” around the world.

The Apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spoke at the opening reception of the 2025 International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit, held at the House of the Americas. This is an annual two-day summit that supports religious freedom worldwide. More than 90 organizations representing more than 30 faith traditions are participating to discuss ways to advance international religious freedom. According to IRF, nearly 80% of people around the world live in countries with high levels of restrictions on religion.

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Elder Soares said the path to peace is dialogue and action. He pointed to his native Brazil as an example of how such peace can be achieved.

“Religious freedom scholar Brian Grim observed that, ‘Given the level of religious switching in Brazil, it is particularly notable that … there have been no reported incidents of hostility over conversions or proselytism,’” Elder Soares said. “Though far from perfect, tension has been managed through dialogue between the various religious communities.”

Religious liberty matters, the Apostle said, because faith helps people find purpose, fosters respect and encourages personal responsibility, hard work, and strong families.

“These virtues flowing from a flourishing and diverse religious landscape serve to mend and tighten the fabric of our shared world in ways perhaps nothing else can, leading in turn to the united and peaceful societies for which we yearn,” Elder Soares said.

He concluded his remarks by pointing to Church President Russell M. Nelson’s April 2023 call for peacemakers.

“While peacebuilding does not always come easily or naturally, it is a prize worthy of our finest and most determined efforts,” Elder Soares said. “The reward for such sacrifice and labor, however, is a gift that transcends even this world. ‘Blessed are the peacemakers,’ Jesus taught, ‘for they shall be called the children of God.’ May we each consider how we may become better peacemakers, at home and abroad. And may God’s blessings be upon you in this most honorable cause.”

A Q&A With a Baptist Pastor

On Monday evening at the Washington Hilton, Elder Soares took part in a Q&A with Baptist Pastor Bob Roberts Jr., cofounder of the Multi-Faith Neighbors Network (MFNN), an organization committed to promoting religious freedom through intentional cross-cultural relationships.

The two discussed Elder Soares’ background, the Church’s missionaries and temples, and the importance of interfaith interactions.

“I don’t believe that differences in opinion or theology or the way we think cause us to be enemies or unfriendly to each other,” Elder Soares told Pastor Roberts. “I see these differences as an opportunity for us to love each other even more. I view them as a blessing, so we get to know different points of view that strengthen and help us to be safer in the way we do things together. We are eager to work with anyone in the world—Baptists, Evangelicals, Catholics, Jews, Muslims—to help bring relief to the pain of the world.”

The two first met several years ago at an interfaith dinner in Dallas. Pastor Roberts also attended the October 2024 general conference.

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“Pastor Roberts told me that he didn’t expect to feel what he felt during that visit in Salt Lake City,” Elder Soares said in a separate interview Monday. “It was something very touching to me. I put out an Instagram post about his visit, and I think it was well received by all members of the Church, seeing that we are trying to cultivate friendship with other religious entities and that we respect their beliefs and we can live in peace together and do good things together. I think that’s the purpose of my coming here in these events.”

Pastor Roberts, speaking in an interview after Monday’s event, said he looks forward to future collaboration with Elder Soares and the Church of Jesus Christ.

“I want to do a whole lot together, and so does he,” the Baptist leader said. “Despite our differences, both what you and I both believe about God is — He holds us accountable for how we’re a blessing to the rest of the world, and we can do a lot more together than we can apart.”

Additional Resources

• Religious Freedom
• Elder Soares Speaks at Second Brazilian Symposium on Religious Liberty (2023)
• In Kazakhstan, Elder Soares Encourages Leaders to Build Connections That ‘Help Our Societies Weather the Storms of Life’ (2022)