The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints joined 16 other faith communities to commemorate the National Day of Religious Freedom and participate in the Interreligious Fair, held in Bogotá, Colombia, on July 12, 2025.
During the event, Jean Paul Carnevali, a local leader of the Church of Jesus Christ in Bogotá, presented Gustavo Quintero, district secretary, with a copy of the Book of Mormon, the Bible, the Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price.
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Quintero highlighted the importance of collaboration between the various faith groups.
“It is from this platform that the wisdom is found, the calm needed to make crucial decisions in difficult times. We live in a city with constant tensions. From the religious sector, together with the district administration, we have made a commitment to help reduce these social tensions,” he said.
Julián Andrés Carvajal, district deputy director of religious freedom affairs, emphasized the importance of religious freedom.
“We are concerned about the growing harassment toward religious freedom. We want to raise awareness in society about the strategic role of religion in community building,” said Carvajal.
He continued “There is an interreligious harmony; what unites us is stronger than what separates us, and what unites us is service to our neighbor.”
“Our function is to ensure human rights. Activities like this promote respect for religious plurality and encourage peaceful coexistence,” said David Lopez Amaya, representing the Working Group on Religious Freedom, a national agency responsible for protecting human and civil rights in Colombia.
The participating groups presented their contributions to society. The Church of Jesus Christ presented materials and courses that promote self-reliance.
Jean Carlo Rodríguez, from the In Ministry to Children Foundation, said, “I think the Church’s educational offerings are excellent. We work with vulnerable populations and we want to integrate these courses into our efforts.”