Los Angeles Internship

So I've been interning at the LDS Public Affairs Office in Los Angeles for a few months and it has been SO awesome I thought I should write about it. Yes, it is very random, seeing that my major at school is Middle East Studies & Arabic. BUT, when I heard about this opportunity I felt like I could learn a lot, make some great connections, and better figure out what I want to do with my life. And I was right. 

So I work under the direction of Matt Ball,  Public Affairs Director for the North America West Area. He is amazing. He used to work for DreamWorks and Disney before the Church hired him. He juggles a million different things and remembers people better than anyone I've ever met. We also have some senior missionaries in the office. They are so willing to serve and do lots of important behind-the-scenes work. 

Matt Ball, me, Elder & Sister Stevens, Sister Hemming

People ask what exactly Public Affairs does, and that's hard to say... We reach out to ethnic, religious, and political figures and help Priesthood leaders establish and deepen relationships with these key opinion leaders. Many missionary visas for the Church are authorized through Los Angeles Consulates so we work a lot with Consuls General to help ensure that those missionary visas are signed. 

Since being here, I've been able to be part of some AMAZING things:

1. Women's Interfaith Tour: Every year the LA Women's Interfaith Group organizes a tour of a church/mosque/synagogue or other sacred space. This year the LDS Church hosted the event with nearly 100 women representing many faiths: Jewish, Baha'i, Sikh, Buddhist, Muslim, Baptist, Catholic, LDS, and other Christian groups. Sister missionaries took these women on a tour of the Visitors' Center, Family History Library, and temple grounds. It was amazing to see women of all different faiths learning about the beliefs of Latter-day Saints. There was a definite feeling of respect, love, and shared values, and it was such a blessing to be part of. 

2. Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) Media Awards: This was the coolest. Seriously. Every year MPAC honors various projects that portray Muslims in a positive light. One of the awards went to Marvel Comics because they recently created a Muslim woman super-hero. Another award was given to a CNN show called "Parts Unknow" because they explore restaurants and food throughout Israel and promote greater understanding of the Arab/Israeli conflict. 

Creator of the Marvel Comic "Kamala Khan"

Somehow I got invited to this event to represent LDS Public Affairs and it was an amazing night. Many of the people at the event were producers or other Hollywood executives. The man I sat by during dinner is the Senior Producer for NBC News. He did his undergrad in Arabic so we connected immediately and talked quite a bit about the "joys" of language learning. I met so many wonderful people and left feeling very inspired. There are so many good things going on in our world to promote positive values of peace and understanding. I loved it. 

Mike Mosher from NBC on the left with other table friends. 

3. Dead Sea Scrolls Event: Dr. Donald Parry is a BYU Professor and leading expert/translator on the Dead Sea Scrolls. The LDS Church and the American Jewish Committee (AJC) co-sponsored a lecture with Dr. Parry as the keynote speaker. I worked a lot on this event sending out invitations, tracking RSVPs, making travel arrangements, and managing lots of other details. This was a HUGE interfaith outreach effort and quite a success. Those in attendance: Elder Jerry Garns, LDS Area Seventy, Rabbi Mark Diamond, Regional AJC Director, Dillon Hosier, assistant to the Israeli Consul General, and many Stake Presidents, AJC members, and Public Affairs officers. 

I really like what Elder Garns said at the beginning of the meeting: "...All of us are sons and daughters of the same God in heaven... Faith and religion are being pushed out of our public conversation. We need each other to help make religion and faith more relevant in our communities and nation." The whole event was a huge stride forward in interfaith relations with the Jewish community, and I loved being part of it. 

Elder Jerry Garns & Rabbi Mark Diamond

Do I love this internship? YES. Do I want to stay here forever? YES. Life is so good right now and I am learning so much. Heavenly Father has been so good to me, and I am so grateful.