I am pleased to introduce Emily Utt as the newest JI guest blogger. Emily double majored in religion and history, with a minor in sociology, at Case Western Reserve University. Now she works in the Church’s Historic Sites Department, where she focuses on the “interpretive side of history.” Some of her projects include work with the Gadfield Elm Chapel, the Church’s first international historic site; a new historical interpretation for sites in Southern Utah; and a current project involving the Beehive House.

In addition to her full-time work with the Church (where she has been employed for five years), she is pursuing a master’s degree in historic preservation through Goucher College, in Baltimore, Maryland. She has chaired sessions at MHA. She is also a renowned collector of Mormon kitsch, of which a plastic Liahona is one of her favorites. Several JI contributors–Stan, Ben, and Jared T.–and one former contributor, Heidi, have worked with Emily in historic site internships. Please join me in giving her a rousing welcome!