In front of the Denver Colorado Temple, members of the Belonging Colorado Cohort gathered for their first look at the beliefs, customs and culture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Dec. 5, 2025.
The Belonging Colorado Cohort was created by the University of Denver’s Iliff School of Theology to foster dialogue and collaboration among leaders from various faith traditions. The cohort includes 15 organizations, representing local Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Native American and nonaffiliated faith communities.
Each month, a different faith leader hosts the group, offering a tour of sacred spaces and sharing key aspects of their tradition.
Behka White, interfaith specialist for the Church in the Denver metropolitan area, said in a news release on the Church’s Colorado website that there was no better place to introduce members of the cohort to her faith than at the temple.
Elder Thaddeus M. Brown, an Area Seventy in the United States Central Area, and his wife, Sister Raylene Brown, attended the event, along with President Justin Matthews, president of the Aurora Colorado South Stake, and his wife, Gayla Matthews.
White and Heidi Staheli, communications director for the Church’s Denver North Communication Council, explained the purpose of temples around the world. They described temples as places of special worship and learning where sacred ordinances are performed, including eternal marriage and proxy baptisms for the dead.
The cohort toured the exterior of the temple and concluded in the annex building, which houses an 8-foot replica of Bertel Thorvaldsen’s Christus statue that is open to the public.
The statue reminded Hamza Scheidigger of the Denver Islamic Society of a childhood visit to Temple Square in Salt Lake City.
“There was a statue of Jesus, similar to the one we saw in the temple tonight,” Scheidigger said in the news release. “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.”
After visiting the temple, the leaders traveled to the Littleton Colorado Stake Center, where the tour continued. The group moved through various rooms in the meetinghouse to learn what takes place during Sunday worship services and weekday activities.
“I learned a lot tonight about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” said the Rev. Amanda Henderson, director of the Institute for Religion, Politics & Culture at the Iliff School of Theology. “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.”
President Matthews and Sister Brown explained the purposes of different rooms in the building. They discussed the Primary room, where children receive religious instruction, and the Relief Society room, where women gather for lessons and service coordination, before leading the group into the chapel.
In the chapel, Sister Matthews and Sister Brown addressed the cohort. According to the news release, Sister Matthews spoke about the service provided by women of the Church to those in need within their communities. Sister Brown discussed the Book of Mormon and its central role, alongside the Bible, in establishing the foundational beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Elder Brown concluded by sharing his testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Each interfaith leader received a copy of the Book of Mormon.
The evening ended with dinner and a discussion among participants about what they had learned during the visit.
“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,” said Thomas Mayes, senior pastor at Living Water Christian Center and president of the Aurora chapter of the NAACP. “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.”
— Corey Christiansen, news media specialist for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Denver Metro area, contributed to this report.
