 A few years ago, a young friend of mine, a return missionary, was on one of the college basketball teams in the state. He was a great young man and a very good ball player. But he wasn't playing as much as he hoped he would. His particular talents and skills simply weren't exactly what that team needed at that stage of their development or his. That happens in athletics. We deal with it all the time. So with the full support and best wishes of his coaches and his teammates, my young friend transferred to another school, where he hoped he might contribute a little more. As fate would have it, things clicked at the new school and my friend soon became a starter. And wouldn't you know it? The schedule determined years before these events transpired had this young man returning to play against his former team in Salt Lake City in the then named Delta Center. What happened in that game has bothered me to this day and I am seizing this unusual moment to get it off my chest. The vitriolic abuse that poured out of the stands on this young man's head that night, a Latter-day Saint, a return missionary, newlywed, who paid his tithing, served in the Elder's Quorum, gave charitable service to the youth in his community, and waited excitedly for a new baby coming to him and his wife. What was said and done and showered upon him that night on his wife and his parents should not have been experienced by any human being anywhere, any time, whatever his sport, whatever his university, or whatever his personal decisions had been about either of them. But here's the worst part. The coach of this visiting team, something of a legend actually in the profession, turned to him after a spectacular game and said, what is going on here? You're the hometown boy who's made good. These are your people. These are your friends, he said. But worst of all, he then said in Total The Wildermint, aren't most of these people members of your church? The day after that game, when there was some public reckoning and a call to repentance over the incident, one young man said in effect, listen, we're talking about basketball here, not Sunday school. If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. We pay good money to see these games. We can act the way we want. We check our religion at the door. We check our religion at the door. Lesson number one, for the establishment of Zion in the 21st century, you never check your religion at the door. Not ever. My young friends, that kind of discipleship cannot be. It is not discipleship at all. As the prophet Alma has taught the young women of the church to declare every week in their young women's theme, we are to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things and in all places that you may be in. Not just some of the time, in a few places or when our team has a big lead. Check your religion at the door. I was furious. But let's stay with this. Let's stay with this for a minute because there is a second lesson on its way. Lesson number two in tonight's quest for Zion is that in my righteous indignation, at least we always say it's righteous, I have to make sure that I don't end up doing exactly what I was accusing this young fan of doing. Being mad, acting stupid, losing my cool, ranting about it, wanting to get my hands on him preferably around his throat until, guess what, before I know it, I've checked my religion at the door. No, someone in life, someone in the 21st century, someone in all these situations has to live his religion or hers because otherwise all we get is a whole bunch of idiots acting like moral pygmies. Look, it's easy to be righteous when things are calm and life is good and everything is smooth. The test is when there is real trial or temptation, when there is pressure and fatigue, anger and fear or the possibility of real transgression, can we be faithful then? That is the question because Israel, Israel, God is calling. Such integrity is, of course, the majesty of Father forgive them, for they know not what they do. Right when forgiving and understanding and being generous about your crucifiers is the last thing that anyone less perfect than the savior of the world would want to do. But we have to try. We have to wish to be strong. Whatever the situation or the propagation or the problem, no true disciple of Christ can check his religion at the door.