The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently invited about 4,000 local and national dignitaries, leaders and members of the media to tour the new completed Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple prior to the public open house, which concludes this week.
About one-third of those special guests consisted of religious leaders and representatives from a broad spectrum of faiths, including Jewish, Muslim, Catholics, Amish, Methodist, Lutheran, Evangelical, Seventh-day Adventist and others. Their collective response to the invitation and tour was overwhelmingly warm and positive, and opened doors to stronger interfaith relationships, said John Taylor, director of interfaith relations for the LDS Church.
"It is the City of Brotherly Love. We felt that during this whole process," Taylor said. "It gave them an opportunity to see one of our sacred spaces, and I think that is something that we very much have in common with so many faiths. Whether it's a beautiful mosque or cathedral, a magnificent synagogue or a simple structure, we are all united in our desire to go to special places where we can feel closer to the God we worship. Â? It was a remarkable experience."
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