Colorado Interfaith Group Finds Deep Symbolism and Faith During Tour of Church of Jesus Christ Temple & Meetinghouse

By Corey Christiansen, Denver Metro Area News Media Specialist

During the first real cold snap of December, a diverse group of Denver-area faith leaders met outside the Denver Colorado Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Despite the chilly night air and a blanket of snow on the ground, the attendees all flashed warm smiles as they greeted each other.

This gathering brought the 11 members of the Belonging Colorado Cohort (aka the Multiple Circles of Belonging or “Circles Group”) together to learn more about the beliefs, customs and culture of the Church of Jesus Christ. The cohort was created by the University of Denver’s Iliff School of Theology and is composed of local Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Native American and non-affiliated faith leaders.

Each month, a different member of the Circles Group gives the others a tour of their sacred spaces and shares important facets of their faith tradition. For Behka White, Interfaith Specialist for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Denver metro area, there was no better place to begin introducing her fellow group members to her faith than at the temple.

Regional leaders for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also joined the group for this special tour. Attendees included Elder Thad Brown, Area Seventy for the Denver North Area, and his wife, Raylene, plus Aurora South Stake President Justin Matthews and his wife, Gayla.

As the group huddled in front of the gleaming white building, White and her communication director, Heidi Staheli, explained the purpose of temples. As true Houses of the Lord, temples provide Latter-day Saints the opportunity for special worship, learning, and performing unique ordinances like eternal marriage and proxy baptisms for the dead.

Once temples are dedicated, only faithful Latter-day Saints may enter so the group primarily toured around the outside of the building. With each brief stop, Staheli provided information about the various purposes of the temple including uniting families for eternity through marriage sealings and performing baptisms on behalf of ancestors who never had the opportunity to be baptized. Toward the end of the tour, the Circles Group was able to enter the temple’s annex building which houses an 8’ replica of Bertel Thorvaldsen’s Christus statue that is open to the general public.

Circles Group member Hamza Scheidigger of the Denver Islamic Society was reminded of a trip he took when he was a child with his family to Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah. “There was a statue of Jesus, similar to the one we saw in the temple tonight,” Scheidigger said. “My sister was looking at that statue and tears were going down her face and it made a very big impact on me. These are memories that were brought back to me today so I just want to say thank you.”

After completing the temple tour, group members loaded up in their cars and traveled a short distance to the nearby Littleton Stake Center, a large meetinghouse for the Church of Jesus Christ. There, the Circles Group was able to enter and tour the building that is open to the public and used for Sunday worship. Sister Brown and President Matthews took turns explaining the uses of the different rooms in the church building.

The tour winded through multiple classrooms including the Primary room – a special room for children up to age 11 where they learn songs about Jesus and share in faith-filled instruction. In the chapel where all the congregation meets together to worship, Sister Matthews spoke to the group about the good work the women of the Church do in providing service and relief to those in need within their communities. Sister Brown then taught about The Book of Mormon and the critical role this book of scripture plays in conjunction with the Holy Bible in establishing the foundational beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ.

Elder Brown also addressed the group and shared his powerful testimony about the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The group members received a free copy of The Book of Mormon and he encouraged each of them to read it, to pray about its teachings and he promised that they would get closer to God if they did so.

The final stop of the tour of the stake center was in the Relief Society room – a space designated for the women of the church to learn and serve together. Here, the Circles Group enjoyed a catered dinner while listening to White share more about her faith journey and what she enjoys most about being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. White explained that all local leaders of the church, including her, serve in their positions as volunteers. She also shared how her lifetime effort of building faith and trust in God and Jesus Christ helped her navigate the loss of multiple children who were born with severe disabilities.

Following White’s remarks, all of the Circles Group members took turns sharing their thoughts on their experiences touring the temple and the stake center. Here are some excerpts from the conversation:

“I learned a lot tonight about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I’ve done interfaith work for 20 years, but I haven’t learned as much about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints until this evening. And so it felt like a real gift and a real opportunity to peek inside. I’m just grateful for the sharing and the depth and the stories.”

-Reverend Dr. Amanda Henderson, Director of the Institute for Religion, Politics & Culture, Iliff School of Theology

“I feel like I’m better. And that’s one thing I try to work on throughout my life is experience things that will make me a better person. And I’m better because I don’t go through life, I grow through life. And, I feel like I’ve grown. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has drawn me to know more, to embrace more, to love more and to accept more. So I have grown tonight.”

-Dr. Thomas Mayes, Senior Pastor at Living Water Christian Center and President of the Aurora chapter of the NAACP

“I feel like an honored guest. And I’m struck by just a sense of reverence. It’s just obvious that this matters deeply. It impacts everything. It is so striking to me the idea of you doing this as volunteers. There’s so much for so many of us to learn from you. And that’s amazing – honestly, the commitment. I learned a lot and it’s just really encouraging to be here.”

-Bekah Stewart, Spiritual Director in the Evangelical community

“I’ve really appreciated and enjoyed the hospitality which is essential to living together in community. There is a feeling of [being] highly structured, but with no burden of carrying the structure and living the structure. It’s highly symbolic so that you see inspiration everywhere.”

-Reverend Dr. Lee H. Butler, President & CEO, Iliff School of Theology

“I felt joy. It was such a gift to have you all share something that is obviously so deeply personal, that impacts every facet of your life. I’m Catholic and I’m very convicted in my faith. And I think it is just so beautiful the way that you allow yourselves to be convicted every day in what the Lord is calling you to do. So thank you for sharing it with us.”

-Emma Ramirez, Catholic Charities of Denver

About the Belonging Colorado Cohort
“Our work at Iliff for this initiative will focus on engaging a broader network of diverse faith leaders within the Denver metro area. We aim to bridge differences within this group, fostering dialogue and collaboration among leaders from various faith traditions. By creating spaces where these leaders can come together, share their experiences, and learn from one another, we hope to cultivate a stronger, more resilient network that can work together to address the challenges facing our communities.”