President Dallin H. Oaks of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints welcomed religious leaders from around the world to Salt Lake City on Thursday, October 15, 2026, calling for peacemaking and mutual understanding during the opening ceremony of the G20 Interfaith Forum at the Salt Lake Tabernacle.
Calls for Global Peacemaking
During the ceremony, Oaks praised the assembled leaders for their commitment to building peace while respecting differences in belief. He described the gathering as the most prominent assembly of leaders on the subject to ever convene in Salt Lake City.
"People of goodwill, compassion, and a desire to understand and help one another — without demanding a compromise of distinctive commitments — are at the core of peacemaking," Oaks said. He further commended the participants for their efforts to serve as peacemakers in the modern world and expressed a desire for the Church to support their efforts.
A Global Forum for Faith
The G20 Interfaith Forum, which is being held in the United States for the first time, brought together religious leaders, scholars, humanitarian practitioners, and public officials. Founded in 2014, the annual event meets in the country that holds the G20 presidency to provide religious perspectives on global issues, including religious freedom, peacebuilding, poverty, technology, and economic development.
Organizers noted that faith communities can inform the broader G20 economic discussions through their global experience operating humanitarian programs, relief networks, hospitals, and schools.
Keynote Address on Diversity
The opening ceremony featured a keynote address from His Excellency Dr. Mohammad Abdulkarim Al-Issa, the secretary-general of the Muslim World League. Al-Issa emphasized the importance of hope and urged faith communities to collaborate to promote human dignity and mutual understanding.
"Dear friends, our natural difference should not be a threat, nor an incitement to clash and conflict," Al-Issa said. He noted that diversity is a part of the diversities intended for humanity through universal predestined wisdom.
Diverse Faith Perspectives
The event included messages from several major faith traditions. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, representing Pope Leo XIV through Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, stated that the gathering serves as a shining example of human family solidarity and highlighted the importance of the common good and religious freedom.
Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon, the second-ranking hierarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, used a musical metaphor to describe interfaith cooperation, comparing it to choral harmony. He noted that just as different vocal ranges create harmony without asking one voice to change its range, different faith traditions can work together without being required to become alike.
Building Resilient Hope
Other speakers addressed the theme of "Resilient Hope, Shared Future," which serves as the central focus of this year's forum. Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, a Hindu spiritual leader and author, urged participants to view hope as a capacity that must be built rather than a mood to wait for.
"Our faith gives us an inner, resounding yes — yes to life, yes to love, yes to peace, yes to human dignity, yes to hope," Saraswati said. She also emphasized the need for faith to provide a resounding "no" to oppression, exploitation, violence in the name of God, and environmental destruction.
The Conviction of Hope
Rabbi Mark Dratch, the executive vice president of the World Jewish Congress, spoke about the concept of being "prisoners of hope," a phrase from the Hebrew Bible's Book of Zechariah. He encouraged attendees to refuse despair despite global conflict and uncertainty.
"When the world says our hope is lost, let us, people of faith, answer together: We are not without hope. We hold fast to God, to one another, and to a future we cannot yet see but are willing to work for today," Dratch said.
Forum Conclusion Details
The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square provided musical accompaniment during the ceremony, performing six selections, including "Look Up" and "Peace Like a River."
The forum was scheduled to conclude on Saturday at the Catholic Cathedral of the Madeleine, located a half mile east of the Salt Lake Temple.
