The Montreal Quebec Temple open house, held recently, has brought Catholics and Mormons closer together. On November 10, 2015, Elder Alain L. Allard, a member of the Seventy and the North America Northeast Area representative for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, hosted Monsignor Christian Lépine, archbishop of Montreal, at the open house. It was the first time in the history of the Church in Quebec that a Mormon leader met with a leader of the Catholic Church, which is the majority religion in the mostly French-speaking province of Canada.
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Elder Allard led a private tour of the temple and answered Monsignor Lépine’s many questions about the ordinances performed in temples and the importance of those ordinances in Church members’ lives.
Elder Allard explained of Monsignor Lépine’s visit, “The interfaith dialogue is important to us. It invites us to share our common spiritual values and provides a crucial support of religious freedom. We greatly appreciated Monsignor Lépine’s visit and his openness in this dialogue.”
“It is very refreshing to see people who affirm with faith and generosity that God has the first place in their life. It is beautiful to encounter a community who grants an equal dignity to each human being by considering each and every one as children of God called to eternal life,’’ said Monsignor Lépine.
One of the basic tenets of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints facilitates the cordial exchange of information and acceptance of doctrinal differences. The eleventh article of faith states, “We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.”