BYU as a great missionary

[kingbmm]

Some family, lets say in the middle of Arknsas is watching some Jimmer highlights from the Gonzaga game on ESPN. The 16 year old boy asks his dad, "What does BYU stand for?" The dad responds, "I think it stands for a guy named Brigham Young?". The mom comments, "I'm not sure who he was...let me google it really quick!" From there she lands on the main BYU website with a link to "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints". She says, "Oh, I think this is that Mormon school in Utah, because here it's talking about "The Book of Mormon"....... From there they discover that we claim that families can be together forever, and they are intrigued to the point where they request a free Book of Mormon and are vistied by the missionaries.

There is no denying the fact that many people are intrigued RIGHT NOW about this sensational Mormon basketball player named "Jimmer" and many are being brought to know more about the gospel because of the success of the basketball team. Even in with the whole Brandon Davies controversy, many people have been impresseed by the school's unwavering stance on the honor code.

We know that the gospel will be preached through the world....what are your thoughts?

Could the national media exposure the Church is receiving right now from their university be one of the main tools used to spread the gospel and reach the masses? I

[Col. Flagg]

Some family, lets say in the middle of Arknsas is watching some Jimmer highlights from the Gonzaga game on ESPN. The 16 year old boy asks his dad, "What does BYU stand for?" The dad responds, "I think it stands for a guy named Brigham Young?". The mom comments, "I'm not sure who he was...let me google it really quick!" From there she lands on the main BYU website with a link to "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints". She says, "Oh, I think this is that Mormon school in Utah, because here it's talking about "The Book of Mormon"....... From there they discover that we claim that families can be together forever, and they are intrigued to the point where they request a free Book of Mormon and are vistied by the missionaries.

There is no denying the fact that many people are intrigued RIGHT NOW about this sensational Mormon basketball player named "Jimmer" and many are being brought to know more about the gospel because of the success of the basketball team. Even in with the whole Brandon Davies controversy, many people have been impresseed by the school's unwavering stance on the honor code.

We know that the gospel will be preached through the world....what are your thoughts?

Could the national media exposure the Church is receiving right now from their university be one of the main tools used to spread the gospel and reach the masses? I

Excellent post - I tend to agree. By the way, I live in Lehi too.

[kingbmm]

Excellent...Where about? I'm by Thanksgiving point....

[HeirofNumenor]

Could the national media exposure the Church is receiving right now from their university be one of the main tools used to spread the gospel and reach the masses?

For a long time that was the primary benefit of the football team's success at least under Lavell Edwards.

At one time I was a missionary assigned to BYU, and I met several students (non-athletes) who came here solely because the team had initially intrigued them.
Ty Detmer was a Texas HS all-star who could have gone anywhere, but his parents researched BYU and liked the values. He joined the church our senior year (1991-1992). He has been a great example for the church on the various NFL teams he played for, as was Steve Young.
Jason Chaffetz was another. A democrat - nephew on Michael Dukkais - eventually he was baptized, later switched parties, and in now Utah's most Constitution -friendly major elected politician.
Tom Holmoe was a non-member when he played with and was room mates with Steve Young in the early 80's. I was at Tom's baptism in 1988. Now he is the athletic director, who works with the coaches to ensure that the prospective athletes know what is truly expected of them, and how they must behave themselves - or don't bother signing and showing up. This is a result of the sex-party/rape scandals at BYU in 2003-04 led to a major house cleaning.
Now the BYU football coach and players give very spiritual firesides every week. While these may not result in new converts, they certainly would affect kids who were / are going inactive. Kids who might never come to a church, but like football are touched by the Spirit. Also those on the edge of succumbing to the world (particularly Word of Wisdom, chastity issues), as well as encouraging the boys to prepare for and serve missions.

Related to this:
Possibly also the reason: the story goes (no, I do NOT have a source) the prophet (Spencer W. Kimball at the time) promised the team would have success - for the sole purpose of missionary work. The corollary to this is that if they were living unworthily, of boasted in their own strength, they would be humiliated. This happened at the start of the 1985 season, when someone prayed a school function to "preserve the #1 ranking." They lost the next day. At the end of the season they lost to Ohio State 47-17. Turns out that over 2 dozen players were out drinking the night before. Note that rarely has the team reached the highest levels of bowl games/championships. In my opinion, to be frequently part of the BCS big four bowls would have led to many star athletes signing who would have no part in living by the gospel standards, and the honor code - Jim McMahon was bad enough. Gary Crowton took shortcuts in recruiting, without carefully vetting the recruits. He He and the AD lost their jobs in 2004 after 2-3 football players' sex parties and a rape trial. hence Bronco Mendenhall / Tom Holmoe and the back to spiritual preparation and worthiness.

[HeirofNumenor]

The brand new Media building/TV facilities which allows BYU TV to reach millions around the world, including many of my clients who love it - but are not LDS and live in other states - those same facilities will allow all BYU home games in all sports (particularly football and basketball) to be broadcast nation-wide and world-wide. this is a great missionary tool on many levels. BYU leaving the MWC and going independent for football will increase the benefits (more opponents from around the nation), and by joining the WCC for basketball, has already encouraged those schools to drop Sunday games from their schedules and tournaments.

[kingbmm]

If that story is true, it should completely change the way people look at BYU athletics. It completely makes sense, the more they win, the more people hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and are eventually lead to the waters of baptism...plain and simple. What a great way to start a nation wide independent season in football....having their basketball program go this far! Thanks for the info!

[John Locke]

Teach me how to Jimmer...teach me, teach me how to Jimmer

sorry couldn't help it
(if you don't know what i'm talking about http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqX_b_Bu4hI" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; )

[HeirofNumenor]

If that story is true, it should completely change the way people look at BYU athletics. It completely makes sense, the more they win, the more people hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and are eventually lead to the waters of baptism...plain and simple. What a great way to start a nation wide independent season in football....having their basketball program go this far! Thanks for the info!

You are welcome....

[Col. Flagg]

Excellent...Where about? I'm by Thanksgiving point....

I'm just south of the car wash on Main St.

[Col. Flagg]

Teach me how to Jimmer...teach me, teach me how to Jimmer

sorry couldn't help it
(if you don't know what i'm talking about http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqX_b_Bu4hI" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; )

I can Jimmer, but I'm only a pure spot up shooter - in game situations, I am not very good, but I really think I could hang with Jimmer in a 3 point shooting contest - my range is pretty close to his.

[sbsion]

yeah, but, you forget, the #1 belief of the "outside world" about BY.......it's POLYGAMY...."great tool"?............hmmmmmmm

[kingbmm]

Then would a great time to teach the masses of our true beliefs right?

[John Locke]

yeah, but, you forget, the #1 belief of the "outside world" about BY.......it's POLYGAMY...."great tool"?............hmmmmmmm

Yes great tool, since it has been said that any publicity is good publicity

[iamse7en]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/6024 ... -the-world" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Plus this is interesting:

"The school encourages but does not require students to complete two-year missions. Fredette says he prayed about it before deciding not to do one.

He believes he can represent the church through basketball.

"I've had numerous situations where people have told me they've checked out the religion because they knew who I was and they heard about my religion," he says."

This is great: