http://www.kirtlandtemple.org

Kirtland Temple

Historical Interpreter

May - August 2019 • Kirtland, OH

What I liked

I loved being able to share a part of history that means as much to me as the history that took place here.

What I wish was different

I wish it could have been a permanent job and not just a summer internship.

Advice

It was the best summer I spent and I learned more than I ever thought I would
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Historical Interpreter Intern

May - August 2019 • Kirtland, OH

What I liked

It's a paid internship and you can earn college credit! It goes from late-May to Mid-August so you stay the whole summer. The Kirtland Temple, the first temple built by the Latter Day Saint movement in the 1830's, is a beautiful, interesting building to guide in. The visitors, mainly LDS but also Community of Christ and others, have a connection to this sacred space and most people were happy to be there (not customer service in the usual sense). There is on-site housing and while Kirtland is a small town, Cleveland is less than an hours drive away. We had a mix of people from different backgrounds interning which led to some fun conversations. It rains a little, but the weather is usually beautiful. I flew and didn't bring a car, but other volunteers took me to the grocery store.

What I wish was different

For the first month there is a summer night class on Latter Day Saint history. Sometimes it hard to balance everything (closing at 5pm then having a class from 6:30-9:30 PM 3 to 4 times a week each night for that first month).

Advice

If you're interested in Latter Day Saint history or learning to do history work in general then this a great resource. Read a little before you come and prepared to talk to lots of different people!
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