Elder Christofferson Meets with Croatian Minister of Culture and Media

Elder D. Todd Christofferson, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, met with the Minister of Culture and Media of the Government of Croatia, Mrs. Nina Obuljen Koržinek, in Zagreb, Croatia, on Feb 29, 2024. The meeting is included in Elder Christofferson's ministry visit to several countries in Europe, where he is also meeting members and leaders of the Church and other government and religious representatives.

Minister Koržinek was joined by her chief of staff, Mrs. Ana Perišić Mijić and Mr. Šime Jerčić, who heads the the Committee for Relations with Religious Communities. A representative of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs was also in attendance. Elder Christofferson was accompanied by Elder Brent H. Nielson, of the Presidency of the Seventy, and Elder Jack N. Gerard, of the Seventy and who is second counselor in the Europe Central Area Presidency. Miljenko Babic, the legal representative of the Church in Croatia, completed the delegation.

Elder Christofferson expressed his appreciation for the efforts the government of Croatia made during the Covid-19 pandemic that allowed the missionaries of the Church to travel and reach their assigned destinations across Europe in a time that most borders were closed. In addition, he discussed with the government officials how the Church and its members can contribute to the betterment of the society. “We spoke about the goals and the interests of the (Croatian) government and found that there were a lot of different ways we felt we could collaborate in, especially those who are in great need”, he said.

Elder Christofferson also emphasized the Church's humanitarian service that has been provided since the Church was legally recognized in Croatia, back in 1985. Over the last 25 years alone, the Church has organized close to two hundred projects and initiatives in the country. During this time, roughly 2 million beneficiaries were reached.  20% of the projects helped internally displaced people (IDP) during the years following the end of the Balkans war. The help the Church has provided to those affected by the war in Ukraine was also a topic discussed in the meeting. There currently 23,000 Ukrainian refugees living in Croatia.

At the end of the meeting, Minister Koržinek thanked Elder Christofferson for his visit and his insights. She said that she was impressed by the Church's contributions to the country and how members of the Church were instrumental in the recognition of the country, after it regained its independence. At this stage, Krešimir Ćosić, one of the first members of the Church in Croatia, was mentioned. The role he played for that recognition was highlighted by all those attending the meeting.