President Russell M. Nelson condemned both racism and violent protests in a Facebook post on June 1, which he subsequently shared on Instagram and Twitter.
'We join with many throughout this nation and around the world who are deeply saddened at recent evidences of racism and a blatant disregard for human life,' Nelson said in the post. 'We are also saddened when these assaults on human dignity lead to escalating violence and unrest.'
President Nelson, of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, called upon those guilty of racist attitudes and actions to repent and reminded the people of how the Savior personally ministered to the marginalized.
'As His followers, can we do anything less? The answer is no! We believe in freedom, kindness and fairness for all of God’s children!' the post reads.
This post from President Nelson was one of few statements from general Church leaders to come out since the death of George Floyd ignited protests against racism and police brutality across the nation.
'Illegal acts such as looting, defacing, or destroying public or private property cannot be tolerated,' he wrote in reference to those protests which have turned violent. 'Never has one wrong been corrected by a second wrong.'
He concluded his post with a call to action, encouraging Latter-day Saints to work toward peace, love and respect.
'We need to foster a fundamental respect for the human dignity of every human soul, regardless of their color, creed or cause,' Nelson wrote. 'And we need to work tirelessly to build bridges of understanding rather than creating walls of segregation.'