The unexpected phone call came as Latter-day Saint Denise Sottili was at the store buying shoes with her children in Pisa, Italy.
It was her stake president. He explained to the 30-year-old wife and mother of three that he had been praying and seeking inspiration for three days to know who he could recommend as “an emcee” to speak Italian and represent their country for the first time at RootsTech, a three-day family history event in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her name had popped into his mind.
Sottili thought about her three young children and told her stake president, “Thank you, but this is not going to happen.”
The Church leader was not phased. “I knew you would say that, but can you just think about it, talk to your husband, and let me know,” he said.
She did, and a few months later Sottili found herself standing in front of a camera recording messages about RootsTech for anyone watching in Italian.
“I am so happy,” she said in English with an Italian accent. “This is the first time someone from Italy has come to RootsTech [as an emcee] to represent the country, so it’s really wonderful.”
Sottili was one of 10 global emcees at RootsTech 2024, individuals who speak a foreign language and provide a more customized experience for people following the family history conference in different areas of the world, much like a sideline reporter at a sporting event.
RootsTech 2024 global emcees
The 2024 global emcees are all members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:
- Nicole Luz, of Brazil, speaks Portuguese.
- Sottili, of Italy, speaks Italian.
- Jan Hadzik, of Germany, speaks German.
- Nagyeom Jung, of Korea, speaks Korean.
- Hiromi Ogata, of Japan, speaks Japanese.
- Arielle Pletain, born in the United States but grew up in France, speaks French.
- Matthew Kho, born in China, raised in Hong Kong and lives in Utah, speaks Cantonese.
- Chloe Zheng Thomas, who lives in Colorado, speaks Mandarin.
- Irene Caso, a native of Spain who lives in Utah, speaks Spanish.
- Kirby Heyborne, of Utah, speaks English.
First Italian emcee
Sottili was raised in Florence, Italy, by parents who joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
At age 19, she served a mission in Washington D.C., where she learned English.
After getting married in 2016, Sottili and her husband moved to Salt Lake City, where she worked for FamilySearch International for four years and focused on Italian and Portuguese records.
The family returned to Italy in 2021 and now live in Pisa.
After the phone call from the stake president, it was Sottili’s husband who encouraged her to consider being an emcee at RootsTech. She prayed and felt good about it.
With limited media experience, Sottili was a little nervous to stand in front of a camera at RootsTech, but she felt welcomed and supported by the other emcees. She knows it is making a difference for people in her home country.
While at RootsTech, an Italian woman approached and asked to take a photo with her.
“She said I have been here [at RootsTech] many times, but this is the first time I’m seeing someone from Italy doing this,” the woman said. “I want to take a picture with you to remember Italians at RootsTech 2024.”
‘Out of my comfort zone’
Kho’s family moved to Hong Kong when he was 4 years old, then moved to the United States when he was 21 years old.
He graduated from Brigham Young University and has served as a Cantonese interpreter for the Church since 1994. For the last 12 years, the 55-year-old husband and father of four has operated a company that sells maternity products.
He and his wife are the parents of four children and live in Pleasant Grove, Utah. He was one of the original global emcees at RootsTech 2023.
“It’s actually out of my comfort zone,” he said. “But somehow I like it because I feel honored that I am able to be the one to introduce someone far away to FamilySearch and lead them to this open gate.”
Kho said every time he has made an effort to do family history something miraculous has happened.
‘We all deserve to be remembered’
Luz, of Brasilia, Brazil, gained national attention after starting in the Brazilian version of American Idol at age 9. Five years later, she appeared on the television show “The Voice Kids,” which showcases the musical talents of children and teenagers. She drew attention for wearing her Young Women medallion during her performance.
In the years that followed, Luz continued to perform on stage, gain prominence and share her Latter-day Saint faith. She appeared on a Churchwide Face to Face broadcast in 2017 and met Church President Russell M. Nelson and his wife, Sister Wendy Nelson, when they visited Brazil in 2019 as part of a South American tour.
She currently performs for Disney and is followed by thousands on various social media platforms.
A natural behind the camera, Luz takes her role as emcee very seriously. She believes it’s more than just translating a language, it’s about people feeling included and having their country represented.
“This is important because it shares the message that every person in every nation deserves to be remembered,” she said, referencing the RootsTech 2024 theme, “Remember.” “We all deserve to be remembered.”
Speaking of temple and family history work, Luz added: “Being here has strengthened my testimony that the work is happening, and I’m so glad I get to be part of it.”
