President Johnson Engages With Faith and Government Leaders in Indonesia

The Relief Society General President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spent four days in Indonesia (May 23–27, 2025) building bridges with faith and government leaders and ministering to Church .

President Camille N. Johnson and her husband, Doug, visited Dr. H. Nasaruddin Umar, Minister for Religious Affairs and the Grand Imam of the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta (May 23); Anggia Ermarini of Indonesia’s House of Representatives (May 26); and Adhy Karyono, provincial secretary of East Java (May 27).

In her visit with Rep. Ermarini on Monday, President Johnson shared the work the Church is doing to bless the lives of women and children in Indonesia.

“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has embarked upon a global initiative to improve the well-being of women and children,” President Johnson said. “It includes maternal and newborn care, education, and immunizations. And then we’re working really heavily on nutrition — that’s an important focus for us here in Indonesia, to make sure that those children, especially those under the age of 5, receive appropriate nutrition so that they have healthy brain development.”

“In my faith, mother is the first educator in a family,” Rep. Ermarini said. “So it is important that we work with women for these children.”

President Johnson thanked Rep. Ermarini for her friendship and kindness and her work to strengthen families.

“I know your influence is broader than just here in Indonesia,” President Johnson said. “You’ve had such an important role to play.”

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The meeting at Dr. Umar’s home on May 23 was also constructive. They spoke things the faiths have in common.

“We know that love is at the heart of really all we do what we seek to do,” President Johnson said. “I told him a little bit about what motivates us — love of God, love of neighbor — and he shared that same sentiment, that love is what motivates his Muslim community as well.”

The imam spoke of the importance of religious pluralism and the divine origin of all people.

“We have to maintain our pluralism because with pluralism we can begin to operate our humanity,” Dr. Umar said. “For me, humanity is only one. Yes, you are from United States. I am from Indonesia. You are a woman, I am a man. But for me, the same, the same.”

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President Johnson also found common ground with East Java Provincial Secretary Adhy Karyono. They talked about the need to address child malnutrition.

“I showed him the guides [in the Gospel Library app] on things like recognizing the signs of malnutrition and what to do if your child is malnourished,” President Johnson said. “I was able to show him that all of those materials have been translated already into Indonesian. He was really happy to know that those resources were available to him, and I invited him to make use of them.”

Women’s Conference in Jakarta

On Saturday, May 24, President Johnson spoke at a women’s conference for Latter-day Saints in Jakarta, which was one of three such conferences held across Indonesia. The conference included a service project where attendees gathered hygiene materials and food and delivered them to a nearby location for distribution to fire and flood victims.

“I had a tender opportunity to look right in the eyes of each of the recipients of those bags of supplies that we were ing out that day and to deliver them,” President Johnson said. “They were so very grateful. One elderly woman who sat in a wheelchair just kept saying over and over to me with tears in her eyes, ‘God bless you, God bless you.’”

In the afternoon, President Johnson spoke in a devotional that was broadcast throughout Indonesia.

“You are beautiful examples of disciples of Jesus Christ,” President Johnson said. “I am blessed by your good influence on me. I see that you are smart women, you are courageous women. Many of you are ing The Church of Jesus Christ, of Latter-day Saints and leaving friends and family. And you are virtuous women and women of faith. You are women who are distinct and different in happy ways.”

President Johnson emphasized the profound influence and divine potential of women. She highlighted President Russell M. Nelson’s teaching that women have a “divine endowment that allows you literally to change lives” by helping others come closer to Jesus Christ. She stressed that this influence is “endless” and should never be underestimated.

She further elaborated on President Nelson’s invitations for women to access God’s power. These include making the scriptures a “personal liahona” for guidance, using the temple as a “place of refuge and recalibration,” and transforming personal prayers to better discern the Lord’s will. She said that by making and keeping covenants, women gain “capacity-enhancing strength,” and spiritual gifts are amplified to fulfill their responsibilities. The promised blessings for accepting these invitations include increased spiritual discernment, joy, wisdom, courage, and feeling the love of Heavenly Father and the Savior.

“[God] is aware of all of His children,” President Johnson concluded. “He is aware of those on the isles of the sea here in Indonesia. He will never forget you, and you will never exhaust his patience. I testify that He loved us so much He sent His Only Begotten Son, Our Savior, to fulfill the Atonement, which is infinite for everyone.”

President Johnson’s address resonated deeply with many. A few attendees shared how her words affirmed their divine identity and role within the Church and in their communities.

Natalia Sagita of the Jakarta Second Ward expressed appreciation for the breakout sessions of the conference, which covered practical life skills such as nutrition, self-defense, and mental wellness. She also enjoyed President Johnson’s remarks.

“We learned from President Johnson about the role of women in the Church to be the moral com in our daily life, to receive the gift of discernment and the gift of teaching, not only to our family , but also to people that we interact with in our daily life,” Sagita said.

Mona Dultom shared her joy and gratitude for President Johnson’s lessons, particularly the invitation to make scriptures “our personal liahona.” This teaching especially resonated with her as it echoed guidance she received during her mission in Idaho — President Johnson’s home state.

“I love her, and I love to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” Dultom said.

Natalia Sinturi also noted the significance of this inaugural women's conference, saying it helped her understand her “potential as a beloved daughter of Heavenly Father.”

“It’s important and essential for us to grow in the Church,” Sinturi said.

The significance of this inaugural women's conference, and the broader growth of the Church in Indonesia, is further underscored by the construction of a temple in Jakarta. President Nelson announced this house of the Lord during the Church’s general conference in April 2023. The Jakarta Indonesia Temple will be built on a 1.33-acre site located at Synthesis Square, Jalan Gatot, Subroto No. 177a, Tebet District, City of South Jakarta, Special Capital Region of Jakarta. Plans call for a four-story temple of approximately 40,350 square feet.

President Johnson invited those sisters who have not yet been through the temple to prepare for the blessings of worship in the house of the Lord.

“Don't wait until the temple is dedicated in Jakarta,” she said. “Prepare and go now so that you can learn and experience what it means to be blessed with priesthood power.”

President Johnson’s ministry continues in Thailand (May 29–June 1) and Nepal (June 2–3).