WASHINGTON — A leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints offered a message of solidarity Wednesday to persecuted people of faith numbered in the millions.
“We stand with you. You are not alone,” said Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles at the fifth annual IRF Summit at the Washington Hilton near the White House.
“Amid your suffering, confusion and anger, I urge you not to let these feelings weaken your faith. Hold onto hope, and let it give you strength and resilience,” he said.
The summit gathered more than 2,000 people for three days from dozens of countries, including news media and nongovernmental organizations that cover and work for the religiously persecuted across the globe.
Elder Soares said some answers are rooted in an understanding among all people that everyone deserves human dignity, compassion and respect.
How human dignity is the foundation for rights
He characterized dignity as the foundation of human rights. He said societies thrive when their laws and cultures recognize, respect and protect the inherent value of every person.
“Dignity is a universal birthright,” he said. “Everyone has dignity simply by being human, regardless of religion, race, gender or nationality. While cultural and religious differences enrich our shared humanity, they do not affect our dignity.”
He said the Universal Declaration of Human Rights defines dignity as the “foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.”
“We consequently have the right to life, liberty, security, equal protection under the law and freedom of thought, speech and religion,” Elder Soares said. “These rights place us all on equal moral ground and give our lives meaning. Human dignity is the shared foundation of religious traditions worldwide.”
Human dignity helps balance the inequalities of privilege, wealth and opportunity, he said, and must be universally upheld.
“Dignity is about understanding our humanity,” he said. “The search for meaning, whether individually or within a community, is a sacred right that no one can impose.
“Every person matters, always and everywhere.”
Defending dignity and human rights is a personal calling
The three-day IRF Summit leads up to Thursday’s National Prayer Breakfast and additional religious freedom events this week. Elder Soares noted that the backdrop for all of it is the simultaneous celebration of World Interfaith Harmony Week.
“May we all strive, across faiths and borders, to create a more compassionate world for everyone, everywhere,” he said.
He also called it inspiring to see the IRF Summit participants “working so tirelessly to find sustainable solutions. Thank you for your commitment to this noble cause.”
He called for a multi-faith responsibility for protecting the human rights he enumerated.
“We often take such rights for granted, as if they have always been around and always will be around,” Elder Soares said.
He then repeated key points he made at the IRF Summit’s opening reception on Monday night.
“These rights speak for themselves but cannot defend themselves. That is our task,” he said. “I believe our rights come from God, but that the care of those rights is up to us. This divine origin is important, because if rights are reduced to whatever the current cultural or religious majority wants, then they become nothing more than opinion or, worse, a tool for power.”
How religion is an influence for good in the modern world
Religions inspire compassion and unity, Elder Soares said.
“Our very understanding of human rights originates from religious ideals,” he said during a lunch meeting.
Elder Soares spoke from the same stage where U.S. Vice President JD Vance spoke earlier in the day. Vance talked about seeing churches bring communities together as a boy and still today. Elder Soares referenced the same subject.
“Churches and congregations of all kinds bring communities together, as we heard today,” Elder Soares said. “They provide a setting for people to serve those who they would not normally serve and to talk with people they would not normally talk with.”
Vance quoted a Founding Father, President John Adams, on the same topic.
Adams said that statesmen “may plan and speculate for liberty, but it is religion and morality alone, which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand.”
Elder Soares said, “The idea of compassion is deeply embedded in the fabric of religion, serving as a common thread that connects us to a shared responsibility for each other’s well-being. However, the impact of religion goes beyond compassion. I believe lasting religious freedom is rooted in religious principles that foster moral individuals, encourage peace and promote service to vulnerable communities.”
Also lending his voice to the summit was actor Rainn Wilson, star of “The Office.” He spoke about resilience at the Summit on Wednesday. Wilson is a member of the Baháʼí Faith, and said that from 180 years of persecution, Baháʼí believers are fostering “constructive resilience.”
“What is that?” Wilson said. “Instead of merely suffering, how do we take this kind of persecution and transform it into gold? How do we transform it into survival?”
Religion inspires compassion, which empowers societies
Elder Soares made a case that societies need religion because they inspire compassion, which he called crucial because with it, people see each other as brothers and sisters rather than foreigners and strangers. He also said compassion calls people to action.
“Compassion goes beyond tolerance — it calls us to understand and engage with those who are different,” Elder Soares said. “It should be the driving force behind our shared efforts for conscience and religious freedom. Compassion must not just be an ideal, but a practice we nurture through daily actions, guiding our efforts for greater religious freedom worldwide.”
He said the idea of compassion is embedded deeply in the fabric of religion.
“It serves,” he said, “as a common thread that connects us to a shared responsibility for each other’s well-being. However, the impact of religion goes beyond compassion. I believe lasting religious freedom is rooted in religious principles that foster moral individuals, encourage peace and promote service to vulnerable communities.”
He also said religious belief can do a lot of heavy lifting for people and societies.
“The great religions shield us from despair and feelings of insignificance,” he said. “Sacred texts inspire us to seek goodness, simplicity and higher purpose while teaching us to overcome inner weaknesses and fight external injustices.”
Facing religious violence
Elder Soares expressed sadness and concern that violent acts against religious groups have reached unprecedented levels globally, citing the Pew Research Center.
“My friends, I don’t want to downplay the serious struggles you face, especially the violence and suffering you may be enduring. Religious freedom is a complex issue, and there is no simple solution."
He noted that Latter-day Saints have their own history of intense, violent persecution in the past.
“However,” he said with emotion, “history does not have to repeat itself. Whether we let our violent past shape our future is up to us.”
