On Thursday, May 28, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed spoke to BYU-Idaho's Interfaith Leadership Society.

Each seat in room 105 in the John Taylor Building was full. Two folding chairs were brought out, making the total number of attendees 52. Students and faculty filed into the room, taking their seats before Zed walked in at 3:15 p.m.

He sat down and welcomed the Interfaith Leadership Society.

Zed opened the meeting by sharing with the students what he had learned about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the faith its members practice.

"You should be proud Mormons," Zed told the students. "But you should also learn about other religions."

Zed shared briefly about Hinduism, its beliefs and its practices before opening up the meeting for questions. Students and members of the society asked Zed various questions about Hinduism and his interfaith work for the rest of the meeting.

The Hindu statesman has spent significant time in Idaho, although being from Nevada. He has delivered Hindu prayers in multiple Idaho city council meetings. Overall, Zed has opened more than 360 legislative bodies with a Hindu prayer.

As Zed answered questions about the ideas of karma and reincarnation, he cracked several jokes.

At 4:15 p.m., the meeting adjourned. Members of the Interfaith Leadership Society gathered for a photo, with some lingering to speak with Zed personally.

"I thought it was informative," Johnathan Lambson, a sophomore studying mechanical engineering, said.

He continued on to say he would like to learn more about Hinduism, especially because his girlfriend is Hindu.

"It was a great experience and I learned a lot," Zed reflected afterwards. "Everybody was very receptive and they asked good questions. Nobody was hostile. Although we belong to seriously different religions, I was impressed by their understanding."

Zed encouraged those who want to learn more about his religion to read “Hinduism: A Very Short Introduction” by Kim Knott, published by Oxford University Press. The book can be found at the David O. McKay Library in both print and eBook form.

"It makes you think about your own faith in different ways," Ryan Gardner, a faculty advisor for the Interfaith Leadership Society and organizer of the event, said. "Ever since I started learning about different religions, I have become a better disciple of Jesus Christ.” He hopes BYUI students who attended will experience the same thing.

This event comes right after President Meredith presented to the Interfaith Leadership Society about being "bridge builders."