Unity Across Faiths: Sikhs and Saints Strengthen Bonds in California

The Roseville California Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently hosted a youth conference that transcended religious boundaries.

Bringing together 200 youth and 75 adults, the event on Saturday, August 3, 2024, took participants on an exhilarating journey to various venues. One remarkable moment occurred during a visit to the Sikh Temple Gurdwara in Yuba City, located just minutes from the Church’s own Feather River Temple.

The Sikh priest explained the values and practices Sikhism shares with the Church of Jesus Christ. For example, both faiths emphasize paying a 10% tithing, wearing sacred undergarments, abstaining from alcohol and tobacco and maintaining a strong focus on family. Additionally, both traditions practice baptism and uphold monotheistic principles.

Elder Mark A. Bragg, a General Authority Seventy and president of the Church’s North America West Area, also spoke. In a touching gesture, the Sikh priest bestowed an honorary sash on Elder Bragg to symbolize unity and mutual respect between the two faith communities.

“The most memorable moment for me came as we all sat in their beautiful temple waiting for Tejinder Singh, the temple secretary, to address us,” Elder Bragg said. “There was a lot of conversation, although not too loud, while we were waiting. Then a family entered and went to the front to bow down and worship. Immediately, the youth sensed the sacred nature of what was happening and the temple fell completely silent. The reverence for the sacred activity impressed the Sikh priests and many commented on it to me after the meeting. They were appreciative and grateful for the visit and for the reverence that was demonstrated by those wonderful youth.”

Afterward the Sikhs fed the youth, and the youth then cleaned tables and windows at the temple to help the Sikhs prepare for their important Nagar Kirtan festival in November (a celebration of scripture that draws thousands in the community; it includes a parade that starts at the Sikh Temple and concludes at the Church’s Feather River Temple).

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Yuba City is home to one of the largest Sikh populations outside of India. And the Church has a special connection to the Sikh community that stretches back five decades.

In the early 1970s, Mehar Tumber and his family (devout Sikhs) owned a piece of land and used it to grow peaches. Latter-day Saint leaders had struggled to find suitable property for a stake center, a building in which multiple congregations could meet. Tumber was not in the market to sell. But he changed his mind after Church representatives approached him about making a deal.

The relationship continues today. The Feather River Temple, which opened last year, sits in the same space as the old stake center. That building was razed in 2020 (and many of its valuable materials were donated to other faiths) to make way for a house of the Lord.

“We have been blessed in this area with a great and loving friendship with our Sikh neighbors,” Elder Bragg said. “They were incredibly supportive in our efforts to build a house of the Lord in Yuba City. They set a high standard for providing meals to those in need. It was great for our youth to see how those of different faiths can come together and bless one another and the community.”