King receives award in D.C.

Former Utah Congressman David S. King was presented with the InterFaith Bridge Builders Award this week in Washington, D.C.

"David King is a gem of a human being," said the Rev. Clark Lobenstine, executive director of InterFaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington. " He has found so many ways to build bridges among people of different faiths, races and cultures."

King was recognized at a reception Wednesday for his long record of service with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as a young missionary in Great Britain, a member of the MIA General Board, a bishop in the Washington, D.C., area, Washington Temple president for three years and as patriarch of the Washington Stake, only recently receiving emeritus status as he approaches his 90th birthday this month. King, who speaks fluent French, also served as an LDS mission president in Haiti for three years.

King served three terms as a Utah Democratic House member, from 1959-63 and 1965-67. He is the only living ex-member of Congress to win back his seat when he ran again in 1964. From 1967-69, King served as U.S. ambassador to the African Islands of Malagasy Republic and Mauritius. Later, President Jimmy Carter appointed King as alternate executive director of the World Bank, which is responsible for loaning money to developing nations.

King was asked to represent the LDS Church on the board of the InterFaith Conference and spent more than 10 years in that position. "IFC brings about harmony and understanding among different faiths," he said.

For the past four years King made it a point to look at the stories on the front page of the Washington Post. June 6, 2007, was the first day there wasn't a front page story about the war in Iraq.

"What can we do?" asked King. "We're never going to bring about world peace if there's antagonism between different faiths."

Peace has been the driving force of King's involvement with IFC. He said he has always conducted himself by the motto, "There's nothing worth bad feelings."

"I'm just thrilled for him," said King's wife, Rosalie. "David worked so hard, giving all he had to give."

The two other recipients of this year's awards were Suheil Bushrui, who holds the Baha'i Chair for World Peace and is director of the Kahlil Gibran Research and Studies Project at the University of Maryland, and Msgr. Ray East, director of the Office of Black Catholics for the Archdiocese of Washington and vicar for evangelization.

Looking back over his nearly 90 years, King said, "It's been an interesting and wonderful life."

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