On his own dime, Mark Paredes is headed to Europe to try and explain Jews and Judaism to Mormons and to reassure Jewish people that they have a friend in Mormonism.

Paredes, who currently is the president of the Los Angeles office of the Zionist Organization of America and a high councilor in the Santa Monica California LDS Stake, plans to speak in Holland, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Slovenia and Austria starting on Aug. 29.

Earlier this year, he did a similar tour in Norway and Sweden.

Paredes believes he is being spiritually urged to visit Europe and speak in support of Jews and Judaism.

"I believe that Jews in Europe need to know who their friends are now more than ever," he said. "I will be delivering talks in six languages on the history on Jewish-Mormon relations to predominantly (but not exclusively) Mormon audiences at the invitation of local Mormon leaders who wish to remind their members of the long history of LDS support for the Jewish people."

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