Jewish delegates visit LDS officials, temple

SALT LAKE CITY — A delegation of 15 representatives from the American Jewish Committee met earlier this week with senior leaders from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, according to a press release issued by the AJC.

The press release indicated "the two-day visit included a VIP tour of a newly completed LDS temple and a high-level briefing on advances in mitigating Jewish concerns regarding the issue of posthumous baptism of Holocaust victims."

The leaders also discussed "Jewish and Mormon approaches to preserving religious identity in an age of secularization and advocacy in behalf of religious freedom," the press release said.

LDS Church spokesman Scott Trotter confirmed that the church had hosted the AJC group at the new Brigham City Utah Temple, and that Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles hosted the tour.

"In addition to touring the temple," Trotter said, "guests visited several church facilities including Welfare Square, Temple Square and the Family History Center."

AJC's interreligious team has traveled to Salt Lake City for similar meetings a number of times during the past several decades in an "effort to understand (the LDS Church) as they understand themselves," the press release noted.

"AJC's longstanding relationship with the LDS Church is based on mutual understanding as a foundation for cooperation and respect," said Rabbi Noam Marans, AJC's director of Interreligious and Intergroup Relations. "Visiting Salt Lake City advances our leadership's knowledge of the LDS Church. We were warmly received by LDS Church leaders with remarkable hospitality."