SALT LAKE CITY — The top leadership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints publicly congratulated Donald Trump on his election win. The First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles issued a statement Wednesday night and thanked Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden.
The church leaders also encouraged people to be peacekeepers in their families and neighborhoods.
The statement read, “We congratulate President-elect Donald Trump on his election as the 47th President of the United States of America. We invite all to pray for him, other elected officers, and leaders of nations around the world. Praying for those in public office is a long tradition in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”
It went onto state’, “Given the difficult challenges of our day, it is vital that we look to God for guidance and blessing and seek to be peacemakers in our homes and communities.”
The church leaders said, “We commend Vice President Kamala Harris for her candidacy and thank her and President Joe Biden for their public service at the nation’s highest levels. We wish them both well for the years ahead.”
The statement was released the same day former President Trump claimed victory in the race, and Harris conceded the election.
Church leaders concluded, saying, “May all our local, national, and world leaders be blessed with wisdom and judgment as they fulfill the great public trust afforded to them.”
Wednesday’s statement came a month after a top church leader urged members to “avoid what is harsh and hateful” in the heat of election season. Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, said during the Church’s General Conference, “As we pursue our preferred policies in public actions, let us qualify for [God’s] blessings by using the language and methods of peacemakers.”