About

Mark Paredes is a former Mormon bishop currently living in Los Angeles. He has worked for the ZOA, the American Jewish Congress, and the Consulate General of Israel in Los Angeles. He has also served as a U.S. diplomat in Israel and Mexico. A native of Michigan, Mark worked as a journalist in Milan and lived in Moscow before graduating from Brigham Young University with a degree in Italian and joining the Foreign Service. Following his diplomatic service in Mexico and Israel, Mark studied law, clerking at leading international law firms in Dallas, Texas and Rome, Italy. He speaks seven languages fluently and has lived in five countries. Mark has appeared as a Middle East analyst on several television newscasts, is a member of several speakers bureaus in the Jewish community, and has lectured on Middle East issues at many universities. In addition, Mark makes presentations worldwide on the history of Jewish-Mormon relations, most recently during two speaking tours of 13 European countries. In his spare time, he closely follows international soccer and collects translations of the novel Don Quixote. His greatest joy is spending time with his lovely wife and spoiling their adorable daughters. All of the opinions expressed in his essays are his, and do not necessarily represent those of the LDS Church.