Basketball and the BYU Honor Code

What does BYU basketball have to do with Lodi Public Affairs?

We are always looking for an opportunity to share our beliefs and values. When the BYU/Brandon Davies story exploded in the news worldwide last week, I saw it as an opportunity to teach our community about honor, accountability, repentance and forgiveness. This wasn't just a story about one young man, but about all the values that we as a church embrace.

After being impressed to do so, I called our contact at the News-Sentinel and suggested a story about the situation, featuring comments and reactions from Lodi Stake members. He said he was very busy and couldn't commit to anything. I asked what I could do to help and offered to send him a list of LDS people who are strong BYU fans and would be willing to give him a quote. I told him that one of them (former stake president Jim Cook) had even attended the last game in Provo and had seen the students' reaction to Brandon Davies as he sat with the team.

A couple of hours later I received an email from our contact saying that he had talked to the editor of the paper, Rich Hanner, and Rich thought it was a great idea to run an article and suggested that Jim Cook write a guest column for the opinion page. I called Jim immediately and presented the idea. He agreed to do it.

Jim feels inadequate about his writing and asked if I could help him if he made some notes. Of course I would, but I know from previous experience with him that he is an excellent writer and always expresses some astounding thoughts. Early the next morning he sent me not just notes, but a finished piece. All I had to do was edit it and send it to the newspaper.

Jim's column ended up on the Religion Page, with a teaser on the front page. You can read it here.