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Here is a heartwarming story of success for a Ghanaian boy, Ezekiel "Ziggy" Ansah, who studied hard and played sports at Golden Sunbeam School in Accra, played football at BYU, and is now the #5 draft pick of the National Football League. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765634823/Steve-Young-Ziggy-Ansah-connected-through-charity-work-in-Ghana.html?pg=all#cxrecs_s .

Africa is where the greatest growth in the LDS Church is now taking place. Yet much of the relief work done by the Church in Africa is little known and not directed at Church members or at proselyting. Thirty years ago, for example, LDS humanitarian efforts were directed at famine relief in the south Sudan, and money spent was handled for the Church through Catholic Relief. BYU has had a wide array of clever ways to bring water and power to out of the way places in Africa. Private efforts by organizations like Steve Young's Forever Young Foundation have also made major contributions to local needs. These are things you won't hear about from the guys at "South Park," nor in their Broadway production of "The Book of Mormon."

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Always a great story. But these always raise the Sabbath Day issue with me. The story of Eli Herring is a counter example.

Is he breaking the Sabbath by playing on Sunday? If so, then should the Church get mileage out of famous NFL or other Sunday players? Do they even try to get such mileage as obviously they can't give such mileage back when it comes anyway? What about star BYU players who decide not to serve missions? Are they exempt from the injunction that every young man should serve a mission? Do they have special status and are considered as serving missions because of their fame or potential fame?

I've actually made my peace with these questions, but I do find them interesting and worthy of discussion.

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Always a great story. But these always raise the Sabbath Day issue with me. The story of Eli Herring is a counter example.

Is he breaking the Sabbath by playing on Sunday? If so, then should the Church get mileage out of famous NFL or other Sunday players? Do they even try to get such mileage as obviously they can't give such mileage back when it comes anyway? What about star BYU players who decide not to serve missions? Are they exempt from the injunction that every young man should serve a mission? Do they have special status and are considered as serving missions because of their fame or potential fame?

I've actually made my peace with these questions, but I do find them interesting and worthy of discussion.

An important issue, and not all of us can choose (as did Eric Liddell of "Chariots of Fire" fame). Until I got some seniorty, I had a government job requiring that I work Sundays, and the same applies to many others (including LDS Church security personnel). Orthodox Jews solve the problem by using automated systems or by hiring Sabbath Gentiles (Shabbes Goys) to do the necessary work.

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There is a faithful member of our ward who is a fireman. He can only attend Church on alternate Sundays because he is on duty the other times. He works on Sunday, as do LDS policement, LDS Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen. There are many other occupations that require some Sunday labor. So, if all of these can work on Sunday and those commenting here don't complain about it, then why not an NFL player? It's a job, just like any other job. Perhaps one of these days the NFL will no longer have games on Sunday. Fat chance, but...

But this is not an excuse to attend a game as a spectator, though. :D

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As some of you may have read on my other post as soon as I can pass a worthiness interview I am able to get my TR back, one of the concerns I had was my church attendance due to my job. Because I work nights and most weekends I am only able to attend church 16-20 times a year and I was worried how this would effect me getting my TR back. I'm not a medic, or fireman nor is my job in anyway fundamental for the smooth running of society, in fact the exact opposite, I work in a casino, and my bishop has told me that it is no problem, I have to work & that's my job.

Now while I admit this isn't a great situation to be in & am prayerfully seeking a way to resolve the issue, also if I had remained active it's probably not a career choice I would've made, today it is what it is and what we have to work with.

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