Hey,
how it’s going there my loved ones? I hope that this finds you all kicking well
and enjoying the cool weather and all! I am doing well, all is good! Just
enjoying life more and more here. I really can say that I will be sad when I have
to leave here. I was thinking I am pretty much medio catracho now! I am
loving the culture more and more and grasping the language more and more, which
makes me want to stay and make it more part of my life! All is going great,
working my buns off and having a blast doing it. So another week abajo and time
is fling. I really don’t know what I can say... but lets get down to it shall
we.
So
this week we worked like crazy men... We threw a talent how and a competition
night at the church... it was a HUGE success and we killed it. We did
everything on our own and got help from Hermana Cynthia (a woman in our ward that’s’
the BOMB) so it was good we had her help with all the food! We had over or
about 150 people there... in which only about 50 were members, it was great. I
will attach a photo so you can see some of the people that were there! We had
good skits and all... the Latin’s can dance.... if only missionaries could
dance to learn a thing or two... but it’s one of the best parts of the culture,
they are so happy and just dance their lives away. We had a good time with it,
in the end we did like a weeks worth of work in a few days but it was worth it,
paid off in the end.
Also the hermanas had a baptism and his name was E. We helped the hermanas a
lot in order for him to make the decision to be baptized and join the church.
So it was so fun to be a part of his conversion and help another child of god
make such a sacred covenant with our loving Heavenly Father, so that was kinda
a big deal :) So happy for him.
I want to share a talk with you that I
read this week that I LOVE. Sports related, but what a great message, something
that we can all learn from. The things that make this world so great is that
each and every one of us is different and brings something different to the
table. We all have talents and we need to help others see the bright side of
things. We need to look at the positive and help others no matter who or what
they think, we must serve and be the person that we want people to think of us
as. The EXAMPLE is the key in life. We must be an example and let our light
shine. I really enjoyed this message and hope that each and every one of you
can learn from a former NFL player and stud!
Chad W. Lewis was
associate athletic director at BYU when this devotional address was given on 25
March 2014.
Shortly
after accepting my job at BYU, I called Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s office to
ask if he would do the voice-over for an athletics commercial during the height
of Jimmermania. Because of my football career I had gotten to know Elder
Holland, and I thought he would be the perfect person, with his distinctive
voice, for the job.
Then
I had a meeting with Tom Holmoe, BYU’s athletic director, and I let him know
how excited I was about the possibility of including Elder Holland in our
project. I naïvely assumed that Tom would be thrilled about my phone call and
invitation.
I
was wrong. It was a major faux pas. He let me know that any invitation to one
of the leaders of the Church needed to go through the president of the school.
I quickly wrote an apology to President Samuelson, and this was his inspiring
reply:
Chad,
No
need to worry. We sometimes forget to inform those coming into BYU employment
of the unique way things are done at BYU, particularly when it relates to
contacts and requests of the senior Brethren. You are like those guaranteed a
place in the celestial kingdom because no one ever taught them the gospel. We
probably should not take this one up the line, but feel free to raise any good ideas
you have. Sorry we didn’t loop you in earlier. I know Elder Holland’s only
concern would be disappointing you. Know that you are loved and appreciated.
All the best.
Cec
I
love that letter. It is a shining example of my topic today: “The World Needs
to See and Feel Your Light.” What does President Samuelson’s letter, with his
good-natured correction for me, have to do with this theme? Everything! How do
you think it made me feel as a new BYU employee to receive that letter? It
inspired me. He didn’t crush me with his authority; it was just the opposite. I
could feel his light and the love he had for me.
As
I share my thoughts with you today, I hope to better prepare you for tomorrow.
Many of you will run your own companies. You may hold positions of leadership.
You would be wise to follow President Samuelson’s great example of how to
correct and inspire others.
President
Samuelson has tried to respond to every email from every student. Think of the
encouragement and faith that he has shared with you and other students over the
last eleven years. He has certainly followed the counsel of the Savior to let
his light shine. He and Sister Samuelson are awesome, and I will miss my
association with them. President Kevin Worthen and his wife, Peggy, will likewise
win your hearts and earn your respect as they serve you. I know President
Worthen and have complete confidence in him.
Our
Savior Jesus Christ said, “Therefore let your light so shine before this
people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in
heaven” (3 Nephi 12:16). That is my favorite scripture. Let your light
shine.
When
President Thomas S. Monson spoke at BYU in 2011, he titled his remarks “Be a
Light to the World.” I love President Monson and know that he is the living
prophet today. I support him and sustain him. He is a prophet like Abraham and
Moses, like Joseph Smith and Gordon B. Hinckley. In that BYU devotional he
shared his testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ:
He
is our Savior and our Redeemer, our Advocate with the Father. He is our
Exemplar and our strength. He is the light that shineth in darkness. That each
of us here today may pledge to follow Him and to be His lights among men and
women is my prayer. [BYU devotional address, 1 November
2011]
Let
Your Light Shine
The
week of my BYU graduation I signed a contract to play football for the
Philadelphia Eagles. I wanted to head to the East Coast and let my light shine,
make the team, and score a bunch of touchdowns. My emotions swirled together in
a mix of total excitement and nervousness.
I
arrived at the Eagles facility and was the first player in the tight-end
meeting room waiting for my coach to arrive. A tall man walked by the doorway
and saw me out of the corner of his eye. After passing a few steps, he popped
back and stood in the doorway, looking at me with a big grin on his face. He
had a wad of chewing tobacco in his lower lip. With a twinkle in his eye he
said, “Hey, Utah!”
“Yeah?”
I responded.
“Are
you a Mormon?”
“Yeah,
I’m a Mormon.”
“Are
you a good Mormon?”
“I
don’t know; I try to be.”
“Do
you drink?”
“Do
you drink?”
“No.”
“Do
you smoke?”
“No.”
“Yeah,
you’re a good Mormon!”
After
that he walked off down the hall. I had no idea who he was then, but I later
learned that he was Emmitt Thomas, the Eagles’ defensive coordinator and
legendary defensive back for the Kansas City Chiefs. He knew other Mormons, and
he knew the difference between someone who was committed and someone who
wasn’t. He was loved by every player he ever coached, and I enjoyed his
friendly banter. As you can probably imagine, the locker rooms and the
atmosphere of the NFL are not quite like that of a missionary zone conference.
And yet in that environment Emmitt Thomas was influenced by some great
Latter-day Saints—like Ty Detmer, who was an Eagles quarterback.
There
were times that year when negative statements were made about the Church and
times when Emmitt thought I might be the target of ridicule for that reason.
During my rookie season, whenever Emmitt saw some of that, he would say
something like, “Leave him alone. He’s a good guy.” I loved him for that.
The
ups and downs of my career sent me to the St. Louis Rams and then back to the
Eagles a few years later, when Andy Reid was made the head coach. Emmitt also changed
jobs and went to the Minnesota Vikings.
After
my fourth season I was selected to play in the Pro Bowl, the NFL all-star game
played each year in Hawaii. Emmitt Thomas was on the coaching staff for my
team. The first thing I did when I got to the practice field was visit with him
personally. I put my hand on his shoulder and told him how much I loved him. He
smiled and humorously said, “I love you too, Chad.”
I
asked him if he knew what I was talking about, and with that same twinkle in
his eye he said, “Yeah, I know what you’re talking about.” His impact on me
left a lasting impression.
In
2008 Emmitt was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I cried when I
heard his acceptance speech because it brought back a flood of memories of how
he let his light shine on me. These are the final lines of his speech:
As
I go to my seat I’d like to leave you with these final thoughts. Our talent is
God’s gift to us. How we use that talent is our gift to him. My sincere hope
and prayer is that God finds my gift back to him a worthy one. May God bless
you, keep you and continue the good fight of faith. [Emmitt
Thomas’ enshrinement speech, Pro Football Hall of Fame Field at Fawcett
Stadium, 2 August 2008, profootballhof.com/hof/member.aspx?PlayerId=270&tab=Speech]
President
Monson has counseled us to go to the rescue of those in need. He said:
Amidst
the storms of life, danger lurks; and men, like boats, find themselves stranded
and facing destruction. Who will man the lifeboats, leaving behind the comforts
of home and family, and go to the rescue? [“To the
Rescue,” Ensign, May 2001, 48]
Surely
we try our best to do that as missionaries and in our service one to another.
When I was on the practice field I was grateful that Emmitt Thomas spoke up on
my behalf and, in his own way, shared his gift and came to my rescue. He could
have easily remained silent. I will always love him for that act of Christian
kindness.
I
went to Philly with a deep desire to let my light shine, and what I found is
that the bright sunshine of others is brilliant! I knew that as members of the
Lord’s Church we hadn’t cornered the market on goodness, and what I found was
that goodness in others was exactly the light I needed. I knew the NFL would
have some rough characters, because I followed the game and I watched the news,
but I was filled with hope when I got to know how many great people there are.
The
people you work with and associate with out in the world will be drawn to you
because of your desire to be like the Savior. Let your love for Him shine from
your eyes. Let there be no doubt that He is who you follow. You have an
understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ that the world needs to see and
feel. The Book of Mormon is what teaches and clarifies the Atonement in a way
that changes our hearts so that we can be born again.
Concerning
the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith said:
I
told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on
earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by
abiding by its precepts, than by any other book. [Book
of Mormon introduction; also HC 4:461]
Surround
Yourself with Greatness
Another
person whose light greatly influenced my life was Jeff Thomason, my teammate
and fellow tight end with the Eagles. The whole team loved Jeff because he
earned their respect through hard work. He had a magnetic personality that made
all of us want to be around him.
Jeff
took his job seriously and was a professional in every way. He could handle
mistakes on the field and keep his chin up better than anyone else I knew. A
great example of this happened during a play at training camp. Jeff ran “22
Texas Y Out,” which required a ten-yard vertical sprint with a sharp cut to the
outside. He ran a nice route, and Donovan McNabb threw a sweet pass. When Jeff
reached for the ball, it jammed his left pinky finger, which caused him to drop
the ball and also resulted in a boutonniere deformity. That’s when the pinky
remains bent down; it’s fairly common among football players.
Andy
Reid blew up. He yelled that Jeff had just run the worst route he had ever
seen. It was not typical of Andy to do that. Jeff smiled through the pain and
even laughed behind his face mask as he held his finger. He knew Andy really
liked him, and he didn’t lose confidence over Andy’s outburst.
Jeff’s
reaction caused me and the other tight end, Mike Bartrum, to crack up. Even
though Andy was on fire, it was a humorous scene. We were exhausted from
training camp, and anything funny was made funnier by the sheer physical and
mental exhaustion we were experiencing. Jeff’s ability to smile and laugh in
times of trial and even pain lifted the spirits of those around him.
His
attitude reminds me of Ammon taking on the Lamanites who scattered the flocks
at the waters of Sebus. When the other servants with Ammon wept and murmured
because of their dire situation, Ammon let his confident and faithful light
shine:
Now
when Ammon saw this his heart was swollen within him with joy; for, said he, I
will show forth my power unto these my fellow-servants, or the power which is
in me, in restoring these flocks unto the king, that I may win the hearts of
these my fellow-servants, that I may lead them to believe in my words. [Alma
17:29]
My
weakness as a player was in blocking. Jeff not only helped me improve my
physical technique by showing me how to do it but also always encouraged me to
get better. Even in the highly competitive culture of the NFL he took the time
and made the effort to help his teammates.
When
Michele and I would go out to dinner with Jeff and his wife, Blake, Jeff would
ask me to share stories of my mission in Taiwan. He said he loved hearing those
stories. We gave them a copy of The Other Side of Heaven, the movie
about Elder John H. Groberg’s mission in Tonga, and he loved it. After watching
it he said, “I wish I could have played at BYU and gone on a mission to Tonga!”
We
gave the Thomasons a leather-bound copy of the Book of Mormon with our
testimonies written to them inside the cover. Since we loved them, we wanted to
share what meant most to us and what brought us peace and joy.
People
will love to hear your stories. Don’t be afraid to reach out and share them.
Your stories did not just happen for you; they are meant to be shared. Sharing
them is a great way for you to let your light shine for others.
Jeff
finished his career and went to work for a national construction company. Two
years later, when the Eagles played the Atlanta Falcons in the National
Football Conference Championship Game, I broke my foot at the very end of the
game, which made it impossible for me to play in the Super Bowl.
Andy
called Jeff and signed him out of retirement to play in the world’s biggest
football game! The next two weeks were a media circus for Jeff. His story of
going from construction worker to the Super Bowl was a big hit. He was on The
Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS’s The Early Show, and a 60
Minutes special. He handled it all with class and humility.
The
Eagles did not win Super Bowl XXXIX against the New England Patriots, but Jeff
played a great game. It marked the end of our football careers together. The
game is over, but we will be friends forever.
The
light of friendship I felt from Jeff in challenging situations was
illuminating—like a car driving at night with the headlights on high beam! I
saw how important it was to be around someone who could maintain a positive
outlook no matter the situation of the game, if there was a setback, or
anything else. I learned it was vital to surround myself with greatness, and I
invite you to do the same.
As
you study here at BYU and then as you go out into the world, find people who
will build you up and help you live your high standards. Surround yourself with
people who will support your faith and not belittle you for seeking protection
through your covenants with Heavenly Father.
The
Power of Light, Love, and Friendship
It
was a true gift to play in the NFL for a coach who shared my faith. Andy Reid
came to BYU as a junior college transfer offensive lineman. He was part of the
team that won the 1980 “Miracle Bowl” in which Jim McMahon threw the
last-second, forty-one-yard bomb that was caught by Clay Brown to beat SMU.
Andy was planning to go into the medical field and become a doctor like his
mom, but LaVell Edwards saw something in Andy and told him that he would make a
great head coach.
When
he came to Provo, Andy was not a member of the Church. At BYU he met a girl
named Tammy who changed his life. As they started to fall in love, she let him
know that she wanted to be married in the temple. Andy wondered what the temple
was all about. He loved Tammy enough to find out. Because she was willing to
share her faith with him, he studied the gospel, embraced the teachings of the
Restoration, and joined the Church. They were married in the temple, and they
raised their five kids in the light of the gospel.
Andy’s
whole career has been defined by hard work, dedication, and treating others
with the utmost respect. Like LaVell, Andy made no distinction between the
quarterback, the janitor, the tight end, or the secretaries. He lifted the
entire organization. He made sure the workplace was professional and clean,
with no evidence of pornography. I thought I was the luckiest football player
on earth to have been coached by LaVell in college and Andy in the pros.
For
example, Andy did not allow bad movies to be played on the plane or the bus
when we traveled. That was different from how many other teams operated. I even
took some gentle ribbing from my teammates, who would ask, “What are we going
to watch this week? Bambi? ”
I
told them, “If you’re lucky!”
After
9/11 Andy spoke to our team about grief and love. It was powerful. The next day
he pulled me aside and mentioned how much he enjoyed watching me and my
teammates quote Bruce R. McConkie on the news when we didn’t even know it. I
asked him what he was talking about. He said, “Yeah, grief and love—I found an
old conference report and plagiarized the whole thing!” It was no accident that
when he left Philadelphia to become the Kansas City Chiefs’ head coach that he
hired Emmitt Thomas as his defensive back coach. Birds of a feather flock
together.
When
Michele and I finally left Philadelphia to move back to Utah, we were sad to
say good-bye to friends who had made an eternal impact on our lives. Our bishop
was Vai Sikahema, who had played football at BYU and also for the Philadelphia
Eagles. He worked for NBC 10 News in Philly as the sports anchor.
When
Michele and I had arrived in Philly, Vai and his wife, Keala, had immediately
welcomed us into their family and their home. Through the years I think we ate
as many meals at their house as we did at our own. Those meals often included
missionaries and people who were investigating the Church. The Sikahemas
demonstrated how to create a home in which the light of the Savior could be
seen and felt through their love and friendship with others.
Since
Vai was in the media and chose which interviews would make the news, he
unwittingly let me share my testimony with my Chinese brothers and sisters. One
day I started my interview by saying, “Syandzai, Kana, Yijyan chimyau de
shrgung, Jyou yau chusyan yu ren jr ernyu de jungjyan!” I proceeded to quote
the fourth section of the Doctrine and Covenants in Chinese. My mission
president, Kent Watson, had all of the missionaries memorize and recite that
section at each zone conference.
Michele
called me as I drove home from work and asked what I had been saying in
Chinese, because it had just aired on the news. I laughed and thought it was
pretty cool for the Chinese people who lived in Philly to hear in their own
language that “a marvelous work [was] about to come forth among the children of
men” (D&C 4:1).
On
our last day in Philly we sat in Vai’s home while his son LJ played the guitar
and sang to our family my favorite Hawaiian song, “Kanaka Vai Vai.” I was
overcome as I thought about the light and the love that the Sikahemas had let
shine on our family for so many years. I learned from my good bishop that the
Lord’s servants are color-blind, that they love all of God’s children. Vai made
me feel like his Tongan brother.
While
you are here at BYU please get to know your bishops. Help them remember your
names by attending your meetings. Wherever you go after BYU, make sure you stay
active and remain true to your testimony. Your bishop will help you feel the
love of the Savior and better understand His Atonement.
A
month after we left Philly, my best friend growing up, Bryan, moved into Vai’s
ward. He was not active in the Church and had quite a few challenges. He called
me in distress, looking for help. When I called Vai to ask for his help, he
responded by saying that I had called the right person. He said he would do
everything in his power to help Bryan. He promised to be relentless and to go
all the way to the end in lending a hand. He committed to use all of his
connections, resources, and friendships to help; he committed to pull out all
the stops.
A
wave of gratitude washed over me. I knew Bryan was in the exact hands the Lord
wanted him to be in. I thought of the Savior’s parable of the good Samaritan:
But
a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him,
he had compassion on him,
And
went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on
his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
And
on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the
host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more,
when I come again, I will repay thee. [Luke 10:33–35]
Vai
did exactly that. He bound up Bryan’s wounds and took him into his home the
same way he had done for my family. He helped Bryan regain his footing in life
and find his testimony in the Savior again. Over the next few years my friend
met a girl named Temecia, and he helped her study the gospel with the
missionaries. She got baptized and they got married. I was there and so was Vai
when they were sealed in the Manhattan New York Temple. It was a miracle!
Help
Others See and Feel the Light of the Savior
Presently
my job and my passion is to develop the BYU Athletic Department. I get to work
with some of the finest people I know. What a joy it is to work with the
student athletes! Tom Holmoe calls them “the secret sauce,” and he inspires us
to do whatever we can to serve them and to help them. Who would eat a J Dawg
without the secret sauce? And who would work here without trying as hard as
possible to help the students succeed?
Taysom
Hill is one of the 630 student athletes at BYU. He strives to let his light
shine as he performs with energy and class. Jeff Simmons, Taysom’s mission
president, just told me that Taysom was one of the best missionaries Australia
has ever seen. He couldn’t stop describing the many ways Taysom let his light
shine as a missionary. One telling comment he made was that he noticed Taysom’s
light long before he witnessed his athletic ability.
If
I had time I would share many more examples of student athletes and generous
supporters of BYU who give of their resources because they love you and want
the best for you.
I
am very grateful that I was fortunate enough to attend BYU. I love the
professors and coaches who shared their lives and their light with me. As you
apply the lessons and principles you learn here at BYU, I hope that you will
find success. Be willing to share that success with others. Be willing to give
back and to let your light shine so that the people around you will see and
feel the light of the Savior.
I
want you to know that I love my family with all of my heart. My parents and
Michele’s parents are the best people I know. Michele has been my constant
support and my best friend. Marrying her is the best decision I ever made. She
is the absolute love of my life. My children are my sweetest gifts. I love each
one of them. I want them to know that they need to look to Christ for peace,
joy, and a remission of their sins.
At
age nineteen I was called as a missionary to the Chinese people in Taiwan. They
are pioneers who have more courage than I could comprehend. I saw in their
faces the divine kindness of the Savior. I promised them, and I promise you,
that when you read the scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon, and pray to
your Father in Heaven, you will feel His love for you. I know that teaching
about and being cleansed by the Atonement is the greatest motivator in life.
Jesus Christ suffered and died for you and for me. I know when I demonstrate my
faith and repent of my sins that I feel close to Him. I know He is my Redeemer
because I have felt His light and His love. He is who I believe in with my
whole heart. I know that His arms of mercy are opened wide and that He is the way
to have peace and joy with my family forever.
Let
us do our best to help people see and feel His light. In the name of Jesus
Christ, amen.
I
hope that you can take something from this and apply it to your life. I love
you guys, I hope that all is well and that all is going great with each of you.
I miss and love you all. Keep up the good work and I can’t wait to see ya’ll .
Love you Gi, keep up the good work stud, your the big man on campus! Keep
working hard, work your fingers to the bone in the classroom and at Redline. Show
them what the Long’s are all about. Love you stud.
Aim high in all that you and put your
best foot forward in all that you do!
Con mucho amor,
Elder Long!
