Husband, Dad, Grandpa | Retired U.S. Navy Officer and Combat Veteran ⚓️🇺🇸 | #LDS | #GoUtes | #TusksUp | #DaBears | Utah by birth. Ute by the grace of God.
Farr West, UT
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For context as to why I’ve responded to so many BYU fans the way I have, I’m sharing my response to another post:
I spent 20 years of my life working as a CES employee in Seminaries and Institutes of Religion, where I taught more than 7,000 students. I was consistently one of the most requested teachers on every faculty where I served. I also spent 15 years in the military, both as an enlisted sailor and as an officer.
The amount of abuse and harassment I experienced from CES was both surprising and deeply disturbing.
After developing severe PTSD and panic disorder following my military deployments defending this country, my nonmember military friends have stood by me every step of the way.
From CES, however, I experienced mistreatment, abuse, unrighteous judgment, discrimination related to my status as a 100% disabled veteran, and, at times, what felt like pure contempt. And my story is not an anomaly. I watched more than 25 fellow teachers experience similar treatment until many felt they had no choice but to leave.
I saw far too much of D&C 121:39 in CES: people who, after receiving a little authority, began to exercise what they believed was “righteous dominion.”
So no, I will never pretend to have warm feelings toward BYU simply because it is affiliated with the Church.
And, as predicted, you and your buddies have continued to demonstrate the very judgmental, holier-than-thou attitude I’m talking about. Rather than listening to why someone might have legitimate reasons for feeling the way they do, you double down and prove the point.
BYU is an institution. CES is an institution. They are staffed by paid employees—fallible human beings who do not speak for God simply because of where they work.
That distinction matters.
You can love Jesus Christ. You can sustain the Church. You can honor your covenants. And you can still strongly criticize the behavior of people and institutions associated with the Church when you believe they have acted wrongly.
But as usual, when someone points out the hypocrisy, what happens?
As you yourself said—it falls on deaf ears.
GO UTES 🔴⚪️🙌🏼
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Love @sophaller!
Sophie Cunningham sent a bold, truthful message at the Mizzou vs Florida game with her hat
The side said “No Cis, just..”
The front: “Woman”
Now The Athletic/New York Times are calling for the Fever to get rid of her...
We need more bold, female athletes like Cunningham.
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A little follow-up to my previous post, because this distinction matters:
BYU is an institution owned by the Church. BYU is not the Church.
Former BYU President and General Authority Cecil O. Samuelson frequently reminded people:
“Attendance at BYU is not a saving ordinance.”
President Dallin H. Oaks has distinguished between the covenant relationship we have as members of the Church and the additional contractual relationship undertaken by those employed by BYU.
President Boyd K. Packer taught:
“It is not to a university that the world must turn for ultimate authority.”
That authority resides with the Lord’s appointed ecclesiastical leaders—not a university.
And current BYU President Shane Reese has explicitly taught that students can attend BYU “or go elsewhere” and still become faithful covenant keepers.
That distinction seems pretty straightforward:
Supporting BYU is not a gospel principle.
There is no temple recommend question asking which university you support. There is no Article of Faith requiring Cougar fandom. And there is no commandment requiring a Latter-day Saint to feel allegiance to a university simply because the Church owns it.
You can love the Savior, sustain the prophet, hold a temple recommend, faithfully serve in the Church—and still not like BYU.
Loyalty to Jesus Christ and His Church is a religious commitment. Loyalty to BYU is a personal preference.
Or, even simpler:
My temple recommend measures my standing in the Church. My college football allegiance does not.
GO UTES! 🔴⚪️
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A reminder for anyone who thinks being a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints means you’re somehow obligated to like or support BYU:
🔴 Joseph B. Wirthlin — Apostle, former Utah football player and lifelong passionate Ute. Church News described him as a “lifelong fan” who traveled with and cheered for the Utes. Just nine days before his death, the 91-year-old Apostle sat in the stadium and watched his Utes beat BYU 48–24.
🔴 David O. McKay — President of the Church and right guard on the University of Utah’s first football team.
🔴 Gordon B. Hinckley — President of the Church and University of Utah graduate.
🔴 Thomas S. Monson — President of the Church and University of Utah graduate.
🔴 Russell M. Nelson — President of the Church who attended the University of Utah and earned his M.D. there.
🔴 Brigham Young — President of the Church and the man whose name BYU bears, yet he also founded the University of Deseret—the institution that became the University of Utah.
There is no doctrinal requirement whatsoever that a Latter-day Saint like, support, cheer for, or feel any allegiance to BYU.
Church history itself makes that obvious.
Presidents of the Church have been University of Utah alumni. One was literally a Utah football player. An Apostle remained a devoted Ute throughout his life and cheered for Utah against BYU.
Loyalty to Jesus Christ and His Church is a religious commitment. Loyalty to BYU is a personal preference.
Those two things are not the same.
You can be a faithful Latter-day Saint and still proudly say:
GO UTES! 🔴⚪️
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BEAST!
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Absolutely! We’re all watching. @WNBA
Are you going to enforce the rules or are you going to turn a blind eye?
The fan was found innocent of any wrongdoing.
What a drama queen!
A’ja Wilson should be suspended immediately, along with every teammate who followed her into the stands.
She left the court, walked into the baseline seats, and confronted a fan.
@WNBA Rule 12A is clear: if a player deliberately enters the stands during a game, they are automatically ejected.
The Fever investigated the fan and determined he did NOT violate their Fan Code of Conduct.
Hey Aja,
You’re the face of the @WNBA.
Control your emotions or face the consequences.
Rules are rules.
Apply them. #WNBA
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