Mormon Land How his LDS faith guides this U.S. diplomat | Episode 430
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Mar 11, 2026 John Dinkelman, a career U.S. diplomat and president of the American Foreign Service Association, shares vivid stories from posts in Yugoslavia, Turkey, Nogales, and Havana. He recalls serving a mission in Argentina, navigating warzones, and how his Latter-day Saint faith shapes his diplomatic approach. Conversations touch on church members in conflict, faith-informed peacemaking, and the Church’s measured role on global crises.
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Missionary Service During The Falklands War
- As a missionary in Argentina during the Falklands War, John experienced sudden hostility when local patriotism turned against Americans.
- He became a pariah in some wards but admired members who balanced national anger with kindness toward him personally.
Belgrade Posting Before Yugoslavia's Breakup
- John's first Foreign Service posting was Belgrade in 1989 after Serbo-Croatian training, arriving just before the Berlin Wall fell.
- He witnessed Yugoslavia's unraveling into ethnic conflict and aided missionaries and colleagues during evacuations.
Nogales Posting Transformed His Views On Mexico
- John's favorite post was as principal officer in Nogales, Mexico, where he confronted messy border realities firsthand from 2007 onward.
- The assignment overturned his earlier prejudices and led him to call Mexicans 'a noble people.'