Reader comments
MormonTimes.com: NFL update: 35 pro Mormons

thanks | 7:44 a.m. Oct. 12, 2008

good link, desnews. Keep doing this periodically throughout the season.

michael | 1:53 p.m. Oct. 12, 2008

Oh ya...glorifying the breaking of the Sabbath...that's excellent. So I guess its good too that we stay home from Church so that we can watch our Mormons play football, yes?

Oh michael... | 3:07 p.m. Oct. 12, 2008

...do you know how much good a mormon in the NFL can do for the church. They have so many opportunities to expose the church in a positive way and spread the Gospel. But, for your sake...lets play out a scenario that makes you happy. Lets say all mormons choose not to play on Sunday. What an example they would be to their own people right? Many young men would grow up with such great examples to follow. Millions of dollars at their finger tips, but they choose to become a math teacher instead. A perfect world it would seem (to you). But, then the rest of the world might have a different view of us. We might become even bigger freaks, and thus turning more people off to the church. What do you think people call Jehovah's Witnesses when they find out they don't celebrate birthdays or Christmas? (FREAKS).

I am not saying that we need to conform to the world's standards to become acceptable. But, we need to be able to expose the world to the church, and by giving them strong LDS members into professional sports, I think that is just great. Good for them.

Comments continue below

Davis | 4:41 p.m. Oct. 12, 2008

If the athletes pay tithing and the Mormon Church can milk publicity from them they can do anything they want on Sunday.

Who was the BYU player who stayed true to 'keep the sabbath holy' and did not play in the NFL? Anyone heard of him lately?

Nope, not even the Church leaders.

RE: Oh michael ... | 5:04 p.m. Oct. 12, 2008

Well, that's one way to excuse sabbath breaking.

Remember it's just a game.

But hey, they are being good examples.

Karen | 5:57 p.m. Oct. 12, 2008

10% of millions of dollars allows one to break the sabbath. This is no secret but disturbing much the less.

Skippy | 6:15 p.m. Oct. 12, 2008

LDS NFL players rock!

Catholic | 6:34 p.m. Oct. 12, 2008

I am Catholic. I want to know how many Catholics are in the NFL. I can't find the information in any Caholic periodicals. Oh wait. I know why. Who cares?!!

Hey Davis | 7:05 p.m. Oct. 12, 2008

Nobody has any idea if even one of these guys pays tithing, and I wouldn't call a short rundown like this "publicity" as much as a brief roll call.

There are plenty of other folks who have jobs that involve Sunday work who make a whole lot less and the Church is in no position to tell them what to do. You care more about it than they do.

I have an NFL player in my LDS ward and he is at church every Sunday he is not required to be with the team. He and his wife are tremendous assets to the ward in the normal, unglamorous callings they hold and magnify.

Eli Herring was the player that gave up the NFL due to not wanting to play on Sunday. There was plenty of news about it back in the day and follow ups since. How much do you expect? Herring himself held no malice or judgement of the guys who decided to pursue NFL careers. If he has no problem or cynicism about it, why should it bother you?

Can your bitterness be any more transparent?

No starting QBs | 9:57 p.m. Oct. 12, 2008

Sorry Cougars, your pipeline is BROKEN

NFL Baptism | 10:27 p.m. Oct. 12, 2008

I want everyone here to know that I joined the church because of the great examples of the Mormon athletes playing in the NFL.

michael | 10:34 p.m. Oct. 12, 2008

So is that a yes or a no. Can I stay home and watch football or not?

Catholic | 10:58 p.m. Oct. 12, 2008

for Michael@10:34
It is a yes. Only thing is you gotta become Catholic.THen go to Vigil Mass on Saturday evening to cover Sunday obligation. See there. Life is so simple. Enjoy the game !

waaaaahhh | 12:11 a.m. Oct. 13, 2008

Plenty of other Mormons work on Sundays to make a living. Somehow posters in here zero in on the ones mentioned in this article. Pro Football has a very short career span and the money available to those who pursue it will never see that type of money again. That Larsen kid has been a great example for the LDS Church.

Larry | 6:53 a.m. Oct. 13, 2008

It is ok to watch football on Sunday and only if it is a team that has a LDS player on it if not then you can't....

Who's Glory is it? | 10:44 a.m. Oct. 13, 2008

To waaaaahhh:

People "zero in on the ones mentioned in the article" because the average person who needs to work on Sunday:
1. Is not being glorified for working on Sunday by having an article written about them.
2. Is not playing a GAME to earn a living.

I am not saying that LDS people who are in the NFL aren't good people, I just think that using them as religious examples BECAUSE they are in the NFL is inconsistant. This is not a cost/benefit analysis where if the benefit of relaxing a standard is good enough then there should be an exception.
Doesn't religion teach that the right choice should be made whatever the cost, whether or not people consider you a FREAK? I do not condemn these players because I'm sure they are doing what they feel is right, but I also will not glorify them simply because they are Mormons in the NFL. If they are to be recognized it should be for something else.

Anne | 1:08 p.m. Oct. 14, 2008

I think it is great!!! It is a way to get our name out there in a positive way. I have a teenage son and he loves to hear about mormon athletes. I am thankful for their examples and not being ashamed of their religion. There used to not be very many - there are getting to be more all the time. The church is growing - - - and yeah they aren't afraid to use their talents and heaven knows they aren't FANATICS!!! . . . unlike some of you

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