Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints participated in a special gathering in Auckland on 16 February aimed at connecting New Zealand faith and other communities.
Faith representatives from Northland, Auckland and Waikato attended the meeting, which is the second of four scheduled across the nation this month and into March.
The meetings, called "hui," are being organised by the New Zealand Government's Office of Ethnic Communities.
The purpose of the meetings is to bring together people of faith, and other communities, from around the Auckland-Waikato region.
Discussions are focusing on ways to promote greater social inclusion and wellbeing, and to counter racism, discrimination and religious intolerance.
Sunday's hui was opened by the Minister of Ethnic Affairs, the Hon. Jenny Salesa.
Roundtable sessions followed, where discussions centred on defining social inclusion and identifying how New Zealanders can collectively build interfaith collaboration in our communities.
Elder Glenn Burgess, Area Seventy, led the Latter-day saint group at the meeting.
"It was a wonderful afternoon spent with a diverse range of New Zealanders," Elder Burgess said.
"Social inclusion is improving the ability, opportunity and dignity of those disadvantaged on the basis of their identity."
He added, "Our faith ‘claims the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience and [we] allow all men [and women] the same privilege, [letting] them worship how, where or what they may (11th Article of Faith)."
Elder Burgess continued: "Diversity brings the richness of variety with an array of cultures and religions. It makes our world and country a wonderful place to live."