BOISE — Hindu leader, Rajan Zed, visited the Boise Idaho Temple in an act of interfaith friendship, on June 8.
Zed, the president of the Universal Society of Hinduism, was visiting from Reno, Nev., by invitation of the Boise mayor and city council members. They had asked him to offer the invocation at their city council meeting, as reportedly the first Hindu invocation of the council.
During the Reno Temple open house in Nevada, Zed had visited and become impressed with Mormon temples. He spoke with LDS public affairs representatives in Reno and arranged a visit to the Boise Temple during his stay.
Elder J. Craig Row, an Area Seventy, and R. Craig Rasmussen, director of LDS public affairs for Idaho, met Zed at the temple, where they had coordinated a meeting with Boise Temple President Wenden Waite and his wife, Laura K. Waite.
The group met inside the temple visitors waiting room and had a friendly, informal discussion about the importance of families and how families can be united forever through temple ordinances.
Zed had wanted to tour the rest of the Boise Temple, Rasmussen said. They explained to him that after the temples were dedicated, only members with a recommend could enter.
As Hindus believe in reincarnation, Zed joked that he had little time left in this life so he would probably have to get a recommend in his next one, Rasmussen said.
Zed took a tour of the temple grounds, where the two parties exchanged gifts. Zed presented Rasmussen and Elder Row with a Hindu book of quotes by former Hindu leaders. In turn, Zed was given a book containing color photos of various temples, a Mormon Tabernacle Choir CD and a video about temples.
"(Zed) made an interesting observation," Rasmussen said. "He has attended different faiths around the world and noticed that LDS and Hindu youth enjoy going to church. He said, 'That is probably why your church is so successful, because the youth want to be part of the church.'"
The visit lasted a couple of hours, before Rasmussen and Elder Row drove Zed downtown and introduced him to the city council.
Rasmussen concluded, "It was a very pleasant and friendly visit, with a good friend to us and our faith."
e-mail: hloftus@desnews.com