Gina Sefeti, Makereta Vodo and David Ross Atalifo, all young members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, recently participated in a two-day interfaith workshop in Pacific Harbour, west of Suva.
All three are returned missionaries. They were among the youngest attendees of the conference.
On day one of the workshop, the attendees were assembled into groups of five. Each group was given the task to revisit the life of Christ with a particular focus on hopes and concerns from their own faith perspective.
During their group discussions, David, Gina and Makereta shared some of the goals that Latter-day Saints across the Pacific region are focusing on this year. Click here to read goals.
On day two, the groups were asked to identify some of the challenges Christians from different churches face when seeking to work together to serve the community.
Participants were asked, "What happens when people of all faiths fail to come together and find common ground?"
Some of the responses were: No faith, misunderstanding, division, confusion, pride, self-righteousness, disrespect, disagreements, isolation, self-centred attitude, lost, unhappy, and a communication breakdown.
“We are so grateful to be part of this," said David. “What a wonderful experience for the three of us."
He added, “One of the highlights for us was that a member of Foursquare (evangelical Pentecostal), Pastor Timoci Matakiwai, stood up and said he knew that the LDS Church believed in God and His Son Jesus Christ.”
Speaking of the need to strengthen faith and relationships among persons of faith, Elder Dallin H. Oaks, an apostle in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has said, “Religion strengthens the social fabric of society. As Rabbi Jonathan Sacks has taught: '[Religion] remains the most powerful community builder the world has known…Religion is the best antidote to the individualism of the consumer age. The idea that society can do without it flies in the face of history.'"
