Strong Interviewing Skills
Situation: Senior Project Life Lessons Learned at BYU Idaho and a BYU-Idaho Senior Showcase.
Task: Create, refine, market, and present a podcast interviewing three carefully selected interviewees.
Actions: Create a well-throughout, intriguing Podcast, interview the interviewees at the radio station, refine and prepare the audio files, market them through social media, and present the project at the Senior Showcase.
Results: Able to:
Task: Create, refine, market, and present a podcast interviewing three carefully selected interviewees.
Actions: Create a well-throughout, intriguing Podcast, interview the interviewees at the radio station, refine and prepare the audio files, market them through social media, and present the project at the Senior Showcase.
Results: Able to:
- Make contact with and ask for interviewees to be interviewed
- Use editing software, Adobe Audition
- Listen empathetically and think analytically
- Decisively state the function behind a communication project
Senior Project - Life Lessons Learned
This project contains several elements (a poster, binder, audio files, and invitations for others to be interviewed). However, the function is simple. Life lessons learned is a podcast giving people a chance to tell their story and for their lessons to be heard. It is an in-depth podcast analyzing three carefully selected interviewees. It was presented at the BYU-Idaho April 2016 Senior Showcase in front of professors, students, and community members.
Ryan's Life Lessons Learned Write Up as a Word Document
life_lessons_learned.docx | |
File Size: | 2064 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Ryan's Life Lessons Learned Write Up as a PDF Document
life_lessons_learned.pdf | |
File Size: | 956 kb |
File Type: |
Life Lessons Learned
A podcast giving people a chance to tell their story and for their lessons to be heard.
Table of Contents
**This writing piece is an interviewed based project called Life Lessons Learned. It’s an in-depth podcast analyzing three interviewees, who share their lessons through storytelling.
Introduction
What are Life Lessons Learned? How did it come to pass? Why make a podcast about people telling their stories? – Introductory Statement
Body
Step by step process of pre-production, production, and post-production. Overview of all three interviewees so far.
Conclusion
What did I learn? – Conclusion Statement
"Overall, I hope that this podcast influences people to make good choices. After all, isn't that what success is—making good choices and improving the quality of our lives?"
Introductory Statement
Everyone has a story to tell. In the words of a BYU-Idaho professor, Eric Embree, Communication 273 — Professional Presentations: "One of the most important lessons I've learned in life is that everyone has a voice…Everyone has a useful message that can benefit others." Embree learned this lesson after he made a life-changing choice to join his high school debate team. People telling stories and communicating life lessons, just like the example above, is the basis of my podcast.
What are Life Lessons Learned? It is a podcast designed for persons to tell their stories and for their lessons to be heard. All interviewees chosen served LDS missions and are members of the LDS church, which made it comfortable to speak openly about religious beliefs. Listening to the interviewees' talk about important societal subjects should inspire the listeners to contemplate their life choices. Life Lesson Learned is a good podcast because it highlights what matters in life—missionary work, college education, career endeavors, and family relationships.
How did it come to pass? The first person I interviewed, Matthew Treter, helped me come up with the idea. The idea came from a desire to fulfill an assignment but quickly turned into an opportunity to talk with others on a real level. It took some time to refine it. However, the result is powerful yet simple. Although naming the podcast took time, I thought the name and the idea were great. Perhaps Donald J. Trump, currently running for president of the United States, says it best—"Belief in product value strongly influences its success." I feel confident that the podcast will be beneficial.
Why make a podcast about people telling their stories? The lessons shared herein will benefit people in numerous ways. They can help people avoid unnecessary suffering. Healthier relationships, learning and applying valuable information, and being a more productive member of society are just a few ideas this podcast promotes. In short, these stories and lessons will strengthen the listener’s morality.
As stated in the table of contents, this document will go through some of the necessary steps of making the podcast, interviewing the interviewees, and a conclusion statement that describes what I learned from the experience. Overall, I hope that this podcast influences people to make good choices. After all, isn't that what success is—making good choices and improving the quality of our lives?
Pre-Production—Preparation
Establish contact with the individual(s) and set up a time:
I found, talked, and asked all three interviewees to interview with me. They agreed to set places and established times. I interview two out of the three interviews at the BYU-Idaho radio station.
Any Extended Research Required?
Because I knew all interviewees, I knew their necessary information. I knew where they were from, their hobbies, and where they served their LDS missions. I also knew Myles and Lauran were both married. However, I still felt the need to ask them more questions in preparation for the interviews.
Prepare Questions:
By definition, questions are carefully worded statements designed to acquire information. I felt like I asked the right questions. Good interviews have a series of well-thought-out questions that carefully extract new and vital information so that the listener can be informed and possibly entertained. Asking the right questions to build off each other leads towards a meaningful conversation, as well. The beginning questions were simple, while the latter questions were more complex and dynamic.
**Halfway through the podcast, I asked the central question: what is the story you want to share so others can benefit from your life lesson learned?
Gather Materials:
Most of the materials needed for the interview were already at the radio station. I brought notebook paper, writing utensils, and printed paper with the questions I needed to ask. Matthew was kind enough to lend me his audio recorder for his interview.
**This writing piece is an interviewed based project called Life Lessons Learned. It’s an in-depth podcast analyzing three interviewees, who share their lessons through storytelling.
Introduction
What are Life Lessons Learned? How did it come to pass? Why make a podcast about people telling their stories? – Introductory Statement
Body
Step by step process of pre-production, production, and post-production. Overview of all three interviewees so far.
Conclusion
What did I learn? – Conclusion Statement
"Overall, I hope that this podcast influences people to make good choices. After all, isn't that what success is—making good choices and improving the quality of our lives?"
Introductory Statement
Everyone has a story to tell. In the words of a BYU-Idaho professor, Eric Embree, Communication 273 — Professional Presentations: "One of the most important lessons I've learned in life is that everyone has a voice…Everyone has a useful message that can benefit others." Embree learned this lesson after he made a life-changing choice to join his high school debate team. People telling stories and communicating life lessons, just like the example above, is the basis of my podcast.
What are Life Lessons Learned? It is a podcast designed for persons to tell their stories and for their lessons to be heard. All interviewees chosen served LDS missions and are members of the LDS church, which made it comfortable to speak openly about religious beliefs. Listening to the interviewees' talk about important societal subjects should inspire the listeners to contemplate their life choices. Life Lesson Learned is a good podcast because it highlights what matters in life—missionary work, college education, career endeavors, and family relationships.
How did it come to pass? The first person I interviewed, Matthew Treter, helped me come up with the idea. The idea came from a desire to fulfill an assignment but quickly turned into an opportunity to talk with others on a real level. It took some time to refine it. However, the result is powerful yet simple. Although naming the podcast took time, I thought the name and the idea were great. Perhaps Donald J. Trump, currently running for president of the United States, says it best—"Belief in product value strongly influences its success." I feel confident that the podcast will be beneficial.
Why make a podcast about people telling their stories? The lessons shared herein will benefit people in numerous ways. They can help people avoid unnecessary suffering. Healthier relationships, learning and applying valuable information, and being a more productive member of society are just a few ideas this podcast promotes. In short, these stories and lessons will strengthen the listener’s morality.
As stated in the table of contents, this document will go through some of the necessary steps of making the podcast, interviewing the interviewees, and a conclusion statement that describes what I learned from the experience. Overall, I hope that this podcast influences people to make good choices. After all, isn't that what success is—making good choices and improving the quality of our lives?
Pre-Production—Preparation
Establish contact with the individual(s) and set up a time:
I found, talked, and asked all three interviewees to interview with me. They agreed to set places and established times. I interview two out of the three interviews at the BYU-Idaho radio station.
Any Extended Research Required?
Because I knew all interviewees, I knew their necessary information. I knew where they were from, their hobbies, and where they served their LDS missions. I also knew Myles and Lauran were both married. However, I still felt the need to ask them more questions in preparation for the interviews.
Prepare Questions:
By definition, questions are carefully worded statements designed to acquire information. I felt like I asked the right questions. Good interviews have a series of well-thought-out questions that carefully extract new and vital information so that the listener can be informed and possibly entertained. Asking the right questions to build off each other leads towards a meaningful conversation, as well. The beginning questions were simple, while the latter questions were more complex and dynamic.
**Halfway through the podcast, I asked the central question: what is the story you want to share so others can benefit from your life lesson learned?
Gather Materials:
Most of the materials needed for the interview were already at the radio station. I brought notebook paper, writing utensils, and printed paper with the questions I needed to ask. Matthew was kind enough to lend me his audio recorder for his interview.
Production—The Interview Itself
The actual interview is the most crucial part of this process. Here are several methods I implemented to give the interview balance and validity:
Start Casual:
The best meetings begin with a casual conversation. I asked the interviewee basic questions like where you are from and where did you serve your mission. I felt like this reduced nervous pressure and made it easier for both the interviewer and interviewee.
Take Notes:
While I took notes, I tried to keep eye contact with the interviewees. Maintaining eye contact was easy because I knew all three interviewees well. As such, I didn't have to take too many notes. Besides, if the interviewer knows the interviewee well things are less awkward, and the interview runs more smoothly.
Be Observant:
Much of interviewing is using our senses to observe the person speaking. In the case of being the interviewer, it's the words, especially the individual words that need to be understood. Good interviewers observe well, but they also can take important words and ask the interviewee to expound on them, which brings added understanding. I thought I did this well during crucial points in the interview.
Stay in Control of the Situation:
The purpose of the podcast is to provide background information, telling a story or two and the lessons the interviewee has learned. While there are many other elements to the podcast, keeping the conversation on track is essential. Fortunately, all my interviewees understood this and lived up to the expectations.
Digest the Information:
I listened to the raw audio clips and tried to understand the presented information. Although there are advantages to video over audio, professionals generally believe that sound is more important than video. Research studies show that audio causes people to focus on spoken words rather than focusing on the visuals. The neat thing about digesting the presented information after it, the fact is that it becomes easier to understand as the podcast progresses.
The actual interview is the most crucial part of this process. Here are several methods I implemented to give the interview balance and validity:
Start Casual:
The best meetings begin with a casual conversation. I asked the interviewee basic questions like where you are from and where did you serve your mission. I felt like this reduced nervous pressure and made it easier for both the interviewer and interviewee.
Take Notes:
While I took notes, I tried to keep eye contact with the interviewees. Maintaining eye contact was easy because I knew all three interviewees well. As such, I didn't have to take too many notes. Besides, if the interviewer knows the interviewee well things are less awkward, and the interview runs more smoothly.
Be Observant:
Much of interviewing is using our senses to observe the person speaking. In the case of being the interviewer, it's the words, especially the individual words that need to be understood. Good interviewers observe well, but they also can take important words and ask the interviewee to expound on them, which brings added understanding. I thought I did this well during crucial points in the interview.
Stay in Control of the Situation:
The purpose of the podcast is to provide background information, telling a story or two and the lessons the interviewee has learned. While there are many other elements to the podcast, keeping the conversation on track is essential. Fortunately, all my interviewees understood this and lived up to the expectations.
Digest the Information:
I listened to the raw audio clips and tried to understand the presented information. Although there are advantages to video over audio, professionals generally believe that sound is more important than video. Research studies show that audio causes people to focus on spoken words rather than focusing on the visuals. The neat thing about digesting the presented information after it, the fact is that it becomes easier to understand as the podcast progresses.
Post-Production—The Process of Refinement
What you are looking at is the first step in the post-production process. It is inserting the raw audio recorded clip into the Adobe Audition program. At this point, it would be essential to listen to the entire interview, so you know what to keep and what to edit.
STEP # 1
What you are looking at is the first step in the post-production process. It is inserting the raw audio recorded clip into the Adobe Audition program. At this point, it would be essential to listen to the entire interview, so you know what to keep and what to edit.
STEP # 1
The second screenshot is depicting cutting out the unnecessary parts of the interview and putting the original audio in the top row while the bottom row clips may be deleted or saved for a rainy day. Believe it or not, this is the most time-consuming part of the process.
STEP # 2
STEP # 2
The second screenshot is depicting cutting out the unnecessary parts of the interview and putting the original audio in the top row while the bottom row clips may be deleted or saved for a rainy day. Believe it or not, this is the most time-consuming part of the process.
STEP # 3
STEP # 3
The next step is applying background music. Using background music is designed to enhance rather than distract from the message of the podcast. If you look carefully, you will see a highlighted yellow line within the second row in the multitrack. The yellow line represents the volume of the track. You can control the volume by clicking points along the route dragging it up or down.
STEP # 4
STEP # 4
After you are satisfied with the interview and background music, the next step is exporting the podcast. Remember you save the project and then export the File. Select all audio clips, click on File, scroll down to export, follow the path to the words "entire session." Once you export it turn it into an MP3 audio file.
STEP # 5
STEP # 5
The final step in the process is taking the MP3 file and uploading it to a social media website. The MP3 file on the left is the final product and on the left-hand side is the Facebook website that you can upload your podcast too so your friends, family and the public can listen to it.
**While these five steps may seem simple, there are several smaller steps made to achieve the desired result.
Overview of Matthew Treter
My first interviewee was Matthew Treter. Matthew was born and raised in Wisconsin. He initially studied phycology but changed his major because he knew he would have to deal with a lot of abusive situations. Matthew's current major is Communication, with an emphasis in video production. Eventually, Matthew wants to work for the LDS church producing videos.
**While these five steps may seem simple, there are several smaller steps made to achieve the desired result.
Overview of Matthew Treter
My first interviewee was Matthew Treter. Matthew was born and raised in Wisconsin. He initially studied phycology but changed his major because he knew he would have to deal with a lot of abusive situations. Matthew's current major is Communication, with an emphasis in video production. Eventually, Matthew wants to work for the LDS church producing videos.
“The spirit of the law is the purpose of the rules—once a missionary understands this, then they can love people more effectively.”
Matthew served his mission in the Utah Provo Mission speaking the English language. According to Matthew, Utah has close to 60% LDS members. He says a common misconception is Utah missions aren’t high baptizing. Despite this belief, part-member families provide high percentages of baptisms, which makes Utah missions some of the highest baptizing in the country. His favorite aspect of missionary service was teaching young children the Ten Commandments.
Matthew struggled with understanding strict obedience to mission rules. By living the mission rules to literally, it limited how well he and others could do missionary work. Because being a missionary requires strict adherence to this code of behavior, it's easy to become overly literal. He quickly realized that he was not getting along with his missionary companions because he was too strict, and teaching people about Christ became difficult.
Patiently, Matthew discovered that there are exceptions to the rules--an idea commonly referred to as the spirit of the law. Matthew says the two overarching purposes of the gospel is to love God and love others. The lesson learned—rules can be too literal, and it can get in the way of genuinely loving people.
Overview of Myles Primm
My second interviewee was Myles Prim. Myles says he is from Dallas, Texas, even though he was born in California. He recently got married to a nice girl named Richelle. He was attracted to her because she was kind and well known by many people. Myles respects his wife, and the best part of being married is realizing the potential to do great things.
Matthew served his mission in the Utah Provo Mission speaking the English language. According to Matthew, Utah has close to 60% LDS members. He says a common misconception is Utah missions aren’t high baptizing. Despite this belief, part-member families provide high percentages of baptisms, which makes Utah missions some of the highest baptizing in the country. His favorite aspect of missionary service was teaching young children the Ten Commandments.
Matthew struggled with understanding strict obedience to mission rules. By living the mission rules to literally, it limited how well he and others could do missionary work. Because being a missionary requires strict adherence to this code of behavior, it's easy to become overly literal. He quickly realized that he was not getting along with his missionary companions because he was too strict, and teaching people about Christ became difficult.
Patiently, Matthew discovered that there are exceptions to the rules--an idea commonly referred to as the spirit of the law. Matthew says the two overarching purposes of the gospel is to love God and love others. The lesson learned—rules can be too literal, and it can get in the way of genuinely loving people.
Overview of Myles Primm
My second interviewee was Myles Prim. Myles says he is from Dallas, Texas, even though he was born in California. He recently got married to a nice girl named Richelle. He was attracted to her because she was kind and well known by many people. Myles respects his wife, and the best part of being married is realizing the potential to do great things.
“Take life as it comes…do not let your circumstances define you.”
Myles served his mission in the Oregon Salem Mission and spoke the Spanish language. One of his favorite words in Spanish is carjo, which means dang you did that. His mission president and trainer helped him learn and grow as a person. Myles loves God and is thankful for Jesus Christ.
While serving his mission, he learned three lessons. People should not take life too seriously because everybody dies; all people struggle, and taking life one day at a time provides for an adventures life.
The main story, Myles told deals primarily with infidelity. His biological father cheated on his mom when he was only nine years old. It took time for him to understand what happened between his mom and dad. Over time, he learned that changing is not being bitter but choosing to do the right thing. Myles learned to take life as it comes and do not let your circumstances define you.
Overview of Lauren Miller
My third interviewee was with Lauren Miller. Lauren was born and raised in Boise, Idaho. He said his parents spoiled him as a child, but he turned out fine. He is majoring in Communication with an emphasis in public relations. Spencer W. Kimball and Elder Henry B. Eyring are his favorite general authorities. He is happily married to a nice girl who was born in Iowa. Lauren likes spicy food. While serving his mission, he participated in a jalapeno pepper eating contest.
Myles served his mission in the Oregon Salem Mission and spoke the Spanish language. One of his favorite words in Spanish is carjo, which means dang you did that. His mission president and trainer helped him learn and grow as a person. Myles loves God and is thankful for Jesus Christ.
While serving his mission, he learned three lessons. People should not take life too seriously because everybody dies; all people struggle, and taking life one day at a time provides for an adventures life.
The main story, Myles told deals primarily with infidelity. His biological father cheated on his mom when he was only nine years old. It took time for him to understand what happened between his mom and dad. Over time, he learned that changing is not being bitter but choosing to do the right thing. Myles learned to take life as it comes and do not let your circumstances define you.
Overview of Lauren Miller
My third interviewee was with Lauren Miller. Lauren was born and raised in Boise, Idaho. He said his parents spoiled him as a child, but he turned out fine. He is majoring in Communication with an emphasis in public relations. Spencer W. Kimball and Elder Henry B. Eyring are his favorite general authorities. He is happily married to a nice girl who was born in Iowa. Lauren likes spicy food. While serving his mission, he participated in a jalapeno pepper eating contest.
“From this experience, I learned that God is real.”
Lauren served his mission in the Texas Huston Mission speaking the English language. He believes Texas should be its own country. Remembering all the lessons that missionaries taught him, Lauren decided to serve a mission. He also thinks missionary work is like being a ministering home or visiting teacher.
Lauren believes that being married to his wife is pure happiness. He also believes that building a healthy relationship, despite the difficulties, is pure happiness.
Lauren believes in God. He learned that God is real during an experience camping in northern Idaho with his family. As an eight-year-old kid, he was playing next to a fire, tripped, and fell face-first into the giant campfire. His mother, eight months pregnant, quickly ran to the campfire and saved him from being severely burned. Consequently, Lauren learned that God is real and loving.
Conclusion Statement
What did I learn from doing this project? I learned many things from my efforts in completing this project. I learned that people are excited to talk about their life experiences and the lessons they have learned--people enjoy talking about themselves. Persons working in the media exploit this fact to raise awareness of critical societal issues and improve the quality of day to day living.
One of the great takeaways from this project is to be observant. The best piece of advice to those who are looking to improve their interviewing skill is to be attentive. BYU-Idaho professor, Emily Whitlock, Communication 340 – Advanced Media Writing, describes it this way:
-"Four qualities needed to observe well. A good ear for a revealing quote. A sharp eye for descriptive detail. A genuine concern for other people. The ability to listen carefully."
I applied these four characteristics into my interview experience, and it’s resulting in a quality podcast.
After I completed this project, I learned how to use more effectively the Adobe Audition program. The Adobe Audition program is a digital audio workstation from Adobe Systems. According to Google, it features a multitrack, non-destructive mix/edit environment and a destructive-approach waveform editing view. I noticed that during my academic and professional communication-based endeavors, every expert in the industry uses this program. So, it was good that I learned how to use it better.
Also, the podcast is full of spiritual conversation. As such, I am at liberty to expound upon my own religious beliefs. I believe that the greatest wealth found on earth is not physical objects but people. Interviewing people is neat and beneficial because it gives me a greater appreciation for them. It was a pleasant experience to get to know these interviewees on a deeper level. Everyone has a story to tell, and it is our job to listen and learn.
In conclusion, why make a podcast about people telling their stories? The answer is simple; everyone has a story to tell. Listening to the interviewees speak about important societal subjects should inspire the listeners to contemplate their life choices. Furthermore, Life Lesson Learned is a good podcast because it highlights what matters in life—missionary work, college education, career endeavors, and family relationships.
Consequently, I hope that this podcast influences people to make good choices. After all, isn't that what success is—making good choices and improving the quality of our lives?
Lauren served his mission in the Texas Huston Mission speaking the English language. He believes Texas should be its own country. Remembering all the lessons that missionaries taught him, Lauren decided to serve a mission. He also thinks missionary work is like being a ministering home or visiting teacher.
Lauren believes that being married to his wife is pure happiness. He also believes that building a healthy relationship, despite the difficulties, is pure happiness.
Lauren believes in God. He learned that God is real during an experience camping in northern Idaho with his family. As an eight-year-old kid, he was playing next to a fire, tripped, and fell face-first into the giant campfire. His mother, eight months pregnant, quickly ran to the campfire and saved him from being severely burned. Consequently, Lauren learned that God is real and loving.
Conclusion Statement
What did I learn from doing this project? I learned many things from my efforts in completing this project. I learned that people are excited to talk about their life experiences and the lessons they have learned--people enjoy talking about themselves. Persons working in the media exploit this fact to raise awareness of critical societal issues and improve the quality of day to day living.
One of the great takeaways from this project is to be observant. The best piece of advice to those who are looking to improve their interviewing skill is to be attentive. BYU-Idaho professor, Emily Whitlock, Communication 340 – Advanced Media Writing, describes it this way:
-"Four qualities needed to observe well. A good ear for a revealing quote. A sharp eye for descriptive detail. A genuine concern for other people. The ability to listen carefully."
I applied these four characteristics into my interview experience, and it’s resulting in a quality podcast.
After I completed this project, I learned how to use more effectively the Adobe Audition program. The Adobe Audition program is a digital audio workstation from Adobe Systems. According to Google, it features a multitrack, non-destructive mix/edit environment and a destructive-approach waveform editing view. I noticed that during my academic and professional communication-based endeavors, every expert in the industry uses this program. So, it was good that I learned how to use it better.
Also, the podcast is full of spiritual conversation. As such, I am at liberty to expound upon my own religious beliefs. I believe that the greatest wealth found on earth is not physical objects but people. Interviewing people is neat and beneficial because it gives me a greater appreciation for them. It was a pleasant experience to get to know these interviewees on a deeper level. Everyone has a story to tell, and it is our job to listen and learn.
In conclusion, why make a podcast about people telling their stories? The answer is simple; everyone has a story to tell. Listening to the interviewees speak about important societal subjects should inspire the listeners to contemplate their life choices. Furthermore, Life Lesson Learned is a good podcast because it highlights what matters in life—missionary work, college education, career endeavors, and family relationships.
Consequently, I hope that this podcast influences people to make good choices. After all, isn't that what success is—making good choices and improving the quality of our lives?
Life Lessons Learned: Matthew Treter
LIFE LESSONS LEARNED: Matthew Treter
Total Interview Running Time: 17 Minutes & 55 Seconds
Background Music: Free Music Website.
Host: Hello and welcome to a podcast called life lessons learned. I am Ryan Brennan and I’ll be your host. Tonight we have a special treat. Matthew Treter has agreed to do an interview with me. Matthew is actually a good friend of mine. He is a student here at BYU-Idaho. He is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is good to have you on, Matthew.
Matthew: It’s good to be here.
Host: Matthew actually helped me come up with the podcast idea, life lessons learned. I really wanted to help people to tell their stories and the lessons that they learned. I feel it is really important. So, tell me a little bit about yourself, Matthew. Where are you from?
Matthew: I am from Wisconsin.
Host: What is it like to live in Wisconsin?
Matthew: umm… I’d say it is cool, but it is cool here too.
Laughter by both host and interviewee.
Matthew: It is very similar weather. Umm… A very small percentage of members of the church. Umm… so, I was probably the only person of my faith in the entire school for a little while or close.
Host: wow. So, tell me, what are you studying here at BYU-Idaho?
Matthew: I am studying Communication and my emphasis is in Video Production.
Host: Why are you studying Communications with an emphasis in Video Production?
Matthew: So, it is an interesting story. Umm…I was a phycology major for a little while, but I just had a bad vibe about it. I didn’t feel good about it.
Host: Yea.
Matthew: And as I looked more into it, I realized that I’d probably would be dealing with a lot of abusive people and I might not do so well with that. And as I pondered about it and prayed about it, worked hard to figure it out, I just had this…umm…a lot of experiences that lead me to the conviction that I needed to go into video and that I needed to work for the church someday. That was something that was really exciting to me and I felt really… very good about and I felt like I had gotten an answer to my prayers.
Host: So, I think it is really interesting that you are studying Communications with an emphasis in Video Production here at BYU-Idaho. I think that is great and you want to work for the church. I also think that is great. Now, you severed a mission… uh… for the LDS church. Where did you serve?
Matthew: I served in Provo, Utah actually.
Host: Tell me a little bit about it.
Matthew: Yea, that was really different because of Utah, of course. Utah has a lot of LDS people in it. Umm…It is about 60% members of the church and especially where I was serving in Provo and Orem area, around the Utah valley, it was very very high percentage, like 99%. So, most people were members of the church and the way that we found people that were not members of the church was through referrals. So, people in that area would find someone or know someone as a friend that was not baptized in the church and that was curious about it and they would refer them to us and then we would go talk to them about it. It was actually very successful, it was a very high baptizing mission.
Host: Yea.
Matthew: A lot of what we did was kinda fun. We would teach these families or some of the parents were members but the children were not members…these part member families and we would teach like nine to 11 year old kids that had grown up kinda going to church but never got baptized. It was so much fun because you know…they were kids and it was so fun teaching them because we would have special techniques. We would use hand signals to teach the Ten Commandments or different things like that.
Host: O yea.
Matthew: It was just… just so much fun.
Host: You know, when I served my mission, I had a great time in teaching and teaching kids was a lot of fun. Tell me, Matthew, what is the most valuable lesson that you learned from serving a mission?
Matthew: The most valuable lesson? Well, umm…for me, personally, I feel like…uh…my…I feel like the lesson that is most important to me was a little bit unique.
Laughter by both interviewee and host.
Host: Yea.
Matthew: Like…uh…I think a lot of missionaries when they go out on their missions, maybe they do not have a strong conviction about their feelings about the church or about God and uh…they are not necessary very committed, converted in their hearts. But I…I was. I was…I was very stanch about the church. Maybe even a little bit too much. I was just…
Host: Mmm…
Matthew: I was just very uh…what would you say? I was very passionate about the church and I really wanted to be obedient and do as much as I could for other people and it was really a challenge for me because a lot of the missionaries that I interacted with that I had as a companionships…umm…that we were assigned to...uh…just had really different views and feelings about things or they…uh…didn’t have that same level of passion, commitment that I did. And so it was difficult for me to get along or to…like…like…I feel like they were kinda slowing me down (nervous laughter) or like that they were…uh…umm...a little difficult to deal with. I would try to encourage them to keep the rules and they did not want to hear it. And…
Host: Yea.
Matthew: I…I realized that I was kinda being harsh (nervous laughter). I was…uh…I was so...so…intent on keeping all the rules that they laid for the missionaries which there were a lot of mission rules. It was a whole book on it. (nervous laughter). Well, it was a little book. It was only like 80 pages or something but…
Host: The white handbook, as I understand it.
Matthew: Yes, the white handbook or as sometimes nicknamed the white bible.
Laughter by both interviewee and host.
Matthew: Umm…Yea that I…I…I…pretty much memorized it (nervous laughter) accidentally.
Laughter by both interviewee and host.
Matthew: From overly reviewing it. And…and…it started troubling me…like…I just felt like it was so hard to get along…I…I felt like I was being to hard on other people but I...I felt like it was…like…I felt responsible to call them out when they were disobeying the rules but it happens all the time.
Host: Yea.
Matthew: It happened all the time but usually little things. Like and the rules, sometimes kinda strict. Like you must always be really close to your companion…like…you have to…like…be still where you can still hear or see them.
Host: Sight and sound.
Matthew: Sight and sound rule. Umm…That was something not a lot of too many missionaries were excited about but you know it is used to keep them, each other safe and umm…But I was very literal (nervous laughter) about everything and it started getting to the point where my companions and I couldn’t, we couldn’t have the kinda unity that is really required for a uh…for a companionship to be successful because when people you are teaching notice you are not getting along and that you have really different perspective on things, it just kinda interferes with the whole teamwork process. You lose their trust. You…it causes confusion. You have to find a way to be unified.
Host: Yea.
Matthew: In fact, funny enough, that was one of the rules—to try to be unified with your companion and I…I started thinking, you know, I think it is more important for me to try to get along or try to work with my missionary companions then it is too follow all the rules. And so many people were just…uh…when we were being trained as missionaries it was like…it was very intense…uh…encouragement to keep all the rules and they called it exact obedience.
Laughter by both interviewee and host.
Matthew: And at that time, I was all stanch about it but looking back at it, I don’t think it was really for me. I think that was for the other missionaries that just were not to keen on following the rules that I…I…I…just don’t have a rebellious bone in my body…it’s just not my personality (nervous laughter).
Host: Well, you know.
Matthew: I just…I mean its just who I am. I don’t know. Umm…its just…yea…its just how I am built. I don’t know. Umm…but…uh…I really…uh…I really started to feel like my priorities were out of whack. Like, the main priorities, of course, were to help people come unto Christ, to help people to pray and to feel the love of God in their lives, to change, become better, overcome their sins, their bad habits.
Host: Yea.
Matthew: