In his first visit to Vietnam and only the second by an LDS Church president, Russell M. Nelson met Sunday with members in a Hanoi hotel ballroom in an assembly made possible by the Communist government’s official recognition of the Utah-based faith in 2016 and a more recent declaration ensuring the church’s continued ability to conduct religious activities in the Southeast Asian nation.
“I express to the leaders of the government and to all the leaders of Vietnam our heartfelt gratitude for the opportunity for our members of the church to worship here in dignity,” the 95-year-old leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said in a news release.