MormonTimes.com: Mourning a special 'ambassador'

Some folks might say that mortality shortchanged Jeffery Barrett Newton.

He was born Jan. 25, 1973, in Salt Lake City, the third child of Charles S. and DeNae Newton, and diagnosed in his first few hours as a Down syndrome baby. The genetic condition threatened his life time and again in his infancy and childhood, set limits on his abilities as a child and young man, and contributed to his death on Oct. 21, 2008, at age 35.

Despite the challenges that dogged his life, Jeffery, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, performed more than 8,000 proxy baptisms — up to 170 in a single session — and 2,100 confirmations for the dead, traveling to the Salt Lake Temple with his father three or four times a week. He faithfully fulfilled Mormon priesthood obligations and often went the second mile to serve others. On the Sunday morning that a fatal stroke hit, he had pedaled his bicycle to the church early to be prepared to pass out sacrament meeting programs. He died on the following Tuesday.

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