I grew up in my father's house where it was written somewhere in canon, surely, an idea that BYU's football team winning is directly related to the success of missionary work. If only the BYU team could do their part to spread the gospel by winning games, missionaries would find doors open to them around the world.

I grew to abhor the idea. There seemed to be so much wrong with it. How could a football game be any kind of substitute for exemplary gospel living? And what about Jim McMahon, huh?

Over the years in personal conversations and in online debate I have staunchly repeated an opinion that there is football and there is missionary work and the only place the two meet is where missionaries are fans of football, or players getting their scholarships deferred.

I must say, however, that I am beginning to revise that opinion. Not because I have come to agree with my dear old dad (may God rest his soul), but because, whether I like it or not, Bronco is making it happen.

The winning of games is crucial for credibility, but it really isn't the winning of games that impresses people so much as a perception that Bronco simply has organizational skills to spare. But if you ask Bronco, about it, he's still quoting scripture--or at least scriptural ideals.

If we see articles on the national level as BYU gets national interest and that interest is expressed as a favorable impression, then there is only one valid conclusion: the missionary work has already occured.

I still don't think there is a connection between touchdowns and baptisms, but I think, like any aspect of life, a quality person doing a quality job and teaching others to do the same, inspires observers to improve the quality of their own lives.

Bronco is doing that and I for one am greatly appreciative of it. Hopefully others who appreciate it may feel inclined to hear what the missionaries have to say.

I can cheer for the cougars without worring that a loss will close doors, but it is rather fun to think that Brono just being Bronco might actually open doors, whether or not the BYU team wins.

Good insights. I think that it not only winning, but winning with the caliber of young men that BYU recruits and, like you said, winning with the type of coaching philosophy that Bronco espouses that is going to impress people, challenge the traditional notion of what it takes to succeed in college football, and realize that it is a private CHRISTIAN school that is doing it.

I grew up far away from the confines of Utah Valley, and didn't seriously consider BYU as a college option until my junior year in high school, so I didn't know much about its football tradition. During my senior year, I missed a week of school to fly out to Provo and visit the campus. I had to get notes signed by all my teachers giving me "permission" to miss class (not that I would have stayed home if they had said no).

Anyway, my computer science teacher was one of those coach-teachers, who teaches just to get a salary, but who was really at the school to coach football. When I gave him my slip, he asked where I was going to visit, and I said "BYU." I half expected him to say something derogatory about the Mormons. Instead, he replied, with a deep Southern drawl, "Aw man, BYU has a great football team! Why, back when I was playing for New Mexico in 1977, they were a really tough team. Their boys were always big and fast and...that school has a great football program!"

This guy didn't know much else about the school, except that he respected it because of its football program. So it does give some credence to the idea that football can open doors for the school and, eventually, for the gospel as well.

I think also, and this has been said by others, that especially after the whole El darado Texas and the FLDS group that it at least shows the general public (albeit, avid CF fans and media) that mormons aren't a small group of recluses living in a secluded town and marrying each other. It shows the general public that we are "normal" albeit "paculiar" people.
I teach college and I have asked other LDS professors if they devulge their religious affiliation and most of them say no. They have their choice and there is nothing wrong with it, but I make it very known in a humble way that I am LDS and I share stories with them about my faith (I teach a class on family dynamics and structures). For the most part students enjoy me and the classes I teach and I hope that one day they will look back and say, "yeah, I had a mormon professor once, difficult class but he was a great teacher and an all around good guy." I would hope people would see the church as normal and not some cultish fanatical group of weirdos. That is ONE thing I believe the success of BYU football does for the church, it brings us out of obscurity at least to sports fans.
I couldn't care less what those ignorant fans of opposing teams say about mormons at the games or on message boards because they will walk away from the game with their heads hanging low, wondering how could a group of polygamists beat us by 30 points?!!

I know outside of Thanksgiving dinner...I've really only seen my dad pray a couple times, Luke caught the pass from Doman for the win and last year when collie caught the pass.

of course he would quit the church then join agian several times throughout a game.

spidy wrote:

I know outside of Thanksgiving dinner...I've really only seen my dad pray a couple times, Luke caught the pass from Doman for the win and last year when collie caught the pass.

of course he would quit the church then join agian several times throughout a game. ;)

I joked about if the church was true we'd beat Notre Dame (back in the crokon days) and my recently returned missionary brother didn't think it was funny...he punched me...hard