Dallas Dialogue Institute Hosts Interfaith Thanksgiving Dinner

The Richardson Interfaith Alliance met on November 16, 2021, for their Annual Thanksgiving Celebration at the Dallas Dialogue Institute. The Dallas Dialogue Institute’s mission is to “promote mutual understanding, respect and cooperation among people of diverse faiths and cultures by creating opportunities for direct communication and meaningful shared experiences.”

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Richardson area have actively participated as part of the Richardson Interfaith Alliance in many events sponsored by both groups, sharing the goal of strengthening community ties and promoting understanding and tolerance of religious beliefs.

Neil Reid, a leader of the Richardson young single adult congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ, attended the Thanksgiving event and said he had “a wonderful evening. They have done an exceptional job in their community outreach. In attendance were prominent members from a Chinese Buddhist group, Sikhs, Christians, and of course our Muslim brothers and sisters. The table-level conversations were delightful, respectful, open, and informative about our religious practices.

“We’ve met for three or four years now and it’s my hope to continue this long into the future.”

Reid and others who have attended these events come away talking about the similarities they discovered between different religious groups rather than the differences and agree that all benefit from this association.