Elder Holland Emphasizes Sacred Spaces at Kazakhstan Interfaith Congress
ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN – elder Matthew S.Holland, a General Authority Seventyโฃ of The church โคof Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and โleader of the โฃChurch’s global communications efforts, โฃunderscoredโ the critical importance ofโ protecting holy โground during the Eighth Congress ofโฃ Leaders โคof World and Traditional Religions, held September 25, โค2025, at the Palaceโค ofโ Independence in Astana,โฃ Kazakhstan. His remarks came during a special session dedicated to preserving sacred spaces,โข a topic โฃhe framedโ as increasingly vital in a world facing numerous challenges to faith and reverence.
The congress, bringing together โreligious leaders from across the globe,โ provided a unique platform โforโข interfaith dialogue โandโค collaboration. Elder Holland’s participation highlights the โChurch’s commitmentโข to fostering understanding โขand respect with othre faith traditions, especially in โคareas ofโ shared concern like the preservation of sites considered holy byโ believers. This emphasis on safeguarding sacred spaces โคresonates with a growing global โฃawareness of the need to protect cultural and religious heritage amidst conflictโ and societal change.
Elderโค Holland’s recent engagements also include โขrepresenting the Church at the inauguration โMass for Pope Leo XIV in May 2025, delivering a congratulatory โฃletterโค from the First Presidency to the Vatican.โ he also served as the keynote speaker โขat โขthe 2024 Patrioticโข Service, part of the America’s Freedom Festival in Provo, โUtah, and participated in โฃthe rededication of the St. George Utah Temple in December 2023, alongside his father, Elder Jeffreyโ R. Holland of the Quorum of the โฃTwelve Apostles. in October 2020, Elderโข Holland delivered the address “Theโฃ Exquisiteโ Gift of the โขSon” โduring general conference, and previously โขspoke โas a teenager in the April 1983 general conference.
