Church offers support, solidarity to Jewish community

SALT LAKE CITY — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a statement Monday condemning the shooting that killed 11 people inside a synagogue in Pittsburgh, and expressing support for the Jewish community worldwide.

The statement reads:

We express our deepest grief and solidarity with our Jewish friends around the world after the heinous violence perpetrated against congregants of the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. It is our constant prayer that God will heal and protect those affected by such tragic events. When the security and religious freedom of our Jewish brothers and sisters is violated, we all suffer. Houses of worship should be safe, inviolate places for people of all faiths to join in sacred fellowship and seek communion with God.We condemn the environment of hate-filled rhetoric that has become so prevalent. Anti-Semitism has no place in our society. It is the responsibility of good people everywhere to speak out and stand up for each other’s rights to worship and live peacefully.