Elder Bednar Meets with President of Chile

Elder David A. Bednar, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, held an official meeting with the President of the Republic of Chile, José Antonio Kast, at La Moneda Presidential Palace. The meeting focused on topics such as strengthening families, supporting youth, promoting religious freedom and serving communities.

The meeting took place on Monday, May 18, 2026, and included the participation of Cristian Jara, director of Chile’s National Office of Religious Affairs.

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Representing the Church alongside Elder Bednar were Elder Eduardo Gavarret, a member of the South America South Area Presidency; Elder Gabriel Campos, an Area Seventy; and Helgi Hukdhs Zerega, the Church’s Public Affairs manager in Chile.

One of the central topics of the conversation was the strengthening of families and supporting youth. In that context, Elder Bednar presented several initiatives promoted by the Church to support rising generations, including the For the Strength of Youth program, youth service and leadership experiences, and educational programs such as BYU–Pathway Worldwide, which provides affordable university education and personal development opportunities.

Elder Bednar explained that these initiatives are designed to help young people develop faith, purpose and practical tools for their future, while promoting values such as service, responsibility and commitment to the community.

Following the meeting, Elder Bednar highlighted the spirit of collaboration and dialogue experienced during the visit.

“It is a great honor to be able to visit with President Kast. We talked about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — who we are, what we are about — and we sought to identify needs in Chile where we, as a Church, may be able to assist the Chilean government,” said Elder Bednar.

He also reaffirmed the Church’s commitment to service and to improving people’s lives.

“Our desire is always to serve, and if we can lift the hands of those who hang down and bless the lives of people through the resources of the Church, we want to be able to do that in appropriate ways.”

The conversation also addressed the importance of religious freedom and cooperation between governments and faith communities.

Elder Bednar emphasized the value of direct interaction between religious and government leaders. “It is important for Church leaders to meet with government leaders so that we can tell our story of who we are.”

He continued, “Sometimes people do not understand who we are or why we do what we do. We like to be able to visit with them face to face and explain our purpose, what we do, and how we do it, so that they can be supportive of our efforts, just like we try to support the work that they do.”

The Apostle also noted that these meetings are part of the Church’s ongoing efforts to collaborate with governments and communities around the world.

“I have many opportunities in my ministry to meet with government leaders all around the world, and it is a remarkable experience to learn from them, to offer our assistance as a Church, and to see the Lord’s hand at work in establishing His kingdom all around the world.”

He concluded, “I count it a great blessing to have these kinds of opportunities and to see the Lord hastening His work in His way, in His time.”

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been present in Chile since 1956 and currently has more than 600,000 members throughout the country, supporting ongoing humanitarian, educational, welfare and community-strengthening initiatives.