Brigham Young University will host the 24th Annual Conference of the LDS International Society, " The Church and International Diplomacy," Monday, April 8, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Gordon B. Hinckley Alumni and Visitors Center.
The conference is free and open to the public. Reservations are required for the luncheon at $20 per person, and space is limited. Please RSVP to the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies at (801) 422-3377.
Organized in 1989, the LDS International Society is an association of professionals with international interests who are members or friends of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
A PDF of the conference proceedings will be available on the International Society’s website at www.ldsinternationalsociety.org later in the year for members of the society. For information on becoming a member, visit the website.
The program is as follows:
8:30 a.m. — Welcome, President Cecil O. Samuelson
8:45 a.m. — State of the Society/Conference Theme, Ted Lyon, executive director, LDS International Society
9 a.m. — "The International Society — The Vision," William F. Atkin, founder
9:10 a.m. — "By Persuasion, Long-suffering, Meekness, and Love," Cory W. Leonard, assistant director, David M. Kennedy Center.
10:20 a.m. — Keynote Address: Elder Robert S. Wood, emeritus General Authority of the Church.
noon — Luncheon, Hinckley Alumni and Visitors Center.
1:30 p.m. — "LDS Perspectives on Diplomacy," moderated by Ralph W. Hardy, Jr., chair, International Public Affairs Committee, Washington, D.C. and featuring Ryan Atkin, Foreign Service officer, U.S. Embassy, Karachi, Pakistan; John Dinkelman, deputy chief of mission, U.S. Embassy, Nassau, the Bahamas; and Mandi Tuttle, regional manager, East Africa, Department of Defense.
3:15 p.m. — "From this School: Toward an LDS Paradigm of Peacebuilding," Chad Ford, director, David O. McKay Center for Intercultural Understanding, BYU-Hawaii.
4 p.m. — Conference adjourns.
The society is supported by BYU's David M. Kennedy Center, Marriott School of Management, J. Reuben Clark Law School and Alumni Association for the purpose of encouraging collegiality among professionals involved in international business, law, education, humanitarian service, or other activities; promoting shared professional and social interest and concerns of society members; and providing support for international programs of BYU and the Church, where possible.
For more information, contact Lee Simons, (801) 422-2652.
Writer: Lee Simons
