A statue of Joseph Smith Jr. was unveiled in the World Peace Dome in Pune, India, on November 22, 2022, joining the bronze statues of 54 other religious leaders, scientists, and philosophers—including Jesus Christ, Gandhi, Aristotle, and Max Planck.
The World Peace Dome’s website calls Joseph Smith and the 54 other figures “Messiahs of Peace,” who are honored because of their significant “contribution[s] to the thought of peace, science, and prosperity.” The site says they are “jewels of humanity who have helped create civilization and forward thought as we know it.”
The 15-foot-tall statue of Joseph Smith is patterned after the one on display at the Joseph Smith Birthplace memorial in Vermont. The World Peace Dome was dedicated in 2018 with 54 statues in place, meaning that Joseph Smith’s statue is the first to be added to the original collection.
According to its website, the World Peace Dome “is dedicated to the public to be a center of wisdom, knowledge dissemination, and social transformation. The Saint Shri Dnyaneshwara World Peace Prayer Hall and World Peace Library aspires to … help in establishing a harmonious and peace-loving society.”
Elder D. Todd Christofferson attended the unveiling of the statue, which was part of the university’s World Interfaith Harmony Conference.
Addressing an audience of 3,000 gathered at the event, Elder Christofferson said, “I am gratified that you would honor us as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as you honor the Prophet Joseph Smith with his statue in this majestic hall built to promote world peace. I honor each of you and express gratitude for your generosity and kindness.”
Elder Christofferson posted about the event on social media:
Read more background on the statue and how it came to be installed in India on Church News.
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