President Ballard Meets with National Leaders, Diplomats, and Officials during His Second Day in NYC

Contributed By Scott Taylor, Church News managing editor

  • 20 November 2019

President M. Russell Ballard, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, takes in a view of New York City on Saturday, November 16, 2019. Photo by Ravell Call, Deseret News.

Article Highlights

  • Meetings illuminated the Church’s efforts to build relationships at the United Nations and increase the Church’s global influence.

“I think it’s a wonderful thing to see how the Church has been recognized, particularly in the past few years, as an organization that is worldwide, that is becoming very important.” —President M. Russell Ballard 

NEW YORK CITY

A parade of international diplomats, religious leaders, charity executives, and human rights officials met Saturday with President M. Russell Ballard to ask for the help of the Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and to sustain their relationship with the Church.

The requests and discussions centered on issues ranging from national security to poverty to charitable delivery systems, Deseret.com reported. The meetings illuminated specific efforts the Church has made to build relationships at the United Nations and what the 91-year-old leader said is increased global influence for the Church.

“I think it’s a wonderful thing to see how the Church has been recognized, particularly in the past few years, as an organization that is worldwide, that is becoming very important,” President Ballard said. “When people seek to get something done that they’re concerned about, it was interesting how today they seek us out, where I would say 20 years ago in my ministry, you would have to knock on their door to see whether or not you can get an opportunity to visit with them.”

On the second day of his interactions in New York City, President Ballard met with a number of diplomats, including the Mexico ambassador to the United States, the Niger ambassador to the United Nations, and the Economic Community of West African States representative to the United Nations. He also met with representatives from the NAACP, Newsroom reported.

Also Saturday night, President Ballard spoke in a devotional to single adults from the New York City metro area.

President M. Russell Ballard, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, second from right, and Elder Jack N. Gerard, a General Authority Seventy, right, greet Martha Bárcena, Mexico's ambassador to the United States, and Jorge Islas Lopez, consul general of Mexico in New York, in New York City on Saturday, November 16, 2019. Photo by Ravell Call, Deseret News.

President M. Russell Ballard, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, right, greets Koné Tanou, permanent observer to the United Nations from the Economic Community of West African States, in New York City on Saturday, November 16, 2019. At right back, Elder Jack N. Gerard, a General Authority Seventy, greets Abdou Abarry, ambassador to the United Nations from Niger. Photo by Ravell Call, Deseret News.

President M. Russell Ballard, left, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Elder Jack N. Gerard, a General Authority Seventy, right, talk with Theresa Dear, a member of the national board of directors for the NAACP, front left, and Karen Boykin-Towns, vice chairwoman of the NAACP, in New York City on Saturday, November 16, 2019. Photo by Ravell Call, Deseret News.

President M. Russell Ballard, right, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, shakes hands with some of those in attendance as he arrives for a devotional with single adults ages 18–45 and young married couples in New York City on Saturday, November 16, 2019. Photo by Ravell Call, Deseret News.

President M. Russell Ballard, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, speaks during a devotional for single adults ages 18–45 and young married couples in New York City on Saturday, November 16, 2019. Photo by Ravell Call, Deseret News.

President M. Russell Ballard, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, speaks during a devotional for single adults ages 18–45 and young married couples in New York City on Saturday, November 16, 2019. Photo by Ravell Call, Deseret News.

 

Giulia Rogue listens to President M. Russell Ballard, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, during a devotional for single adults ages 18–45 and young married couples in New York City on Saturday, November 16, 2019. Photo by Ravell Call, Deseret News.

President M. Russell Ballard, center, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, waves as he leaves a devotional for single adults ages 18–45 and young married couples in New York City on Saturday, November 16, 2019. Photo by Ravell Call, Deseret News.

 

  Listen