As the majority of the students at BYU-Hawaii are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, they share a common bond with other members of the church worldwide. It seems as though they can spot one another by their smiles, the way they dress, or even by someone’s name.Yet how familiar are members with each other in a not-so-casual or obvious setting? Most members know Mitt Romney, but how about Grant Hill? No, not the former member of the Canadian Parliament for Macleod, but a another member nonetheless. Members claim the Osmond family as one of their own, but did you know Ryan Raddon, also known as Kaskade, the Grammy Award winning DJ is a member of the Church? When asked which “famous Mormons” first come to mind, Brooke Rohner, an exercise science major and junior from California, named a few of her favorite famous Mormons, “Mitt Romney, Steve Young, the Osmonds, and a younger Ryan Gosling.” Hannah Higginson, a sophomore from Huntington Beach, Calif., said, “Let’s just say I’m kind of in to ‘The Mitt.’” There are certain indicators that make famous members of the church stick out like a sore thumb. Athletes like Shawn Bradley and Mark Madsen put their athletic careers on hold to serve a two-year mission for the Church. Others, like Jimmer Fredette, Steve Young and Bryce Harper chose not to serve missions, deciding that representing the church in the media would be their “mission” for the church. “What I say is, ‘I try to be the best walking Book of Mormon as I can,’” said Bryce Harper. Bryce Harper was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 Major League Baseball draft and won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 2012 with the Washington Nationals. Although he isn’t one of the more advertised members of the church, he is still a practicing member.Whether it is sports, popular entertainment, or social media outlets, members of the church are in the spotlight and representing the church in new ways.
Writer: Ben Halverson ~ Multimedia Journalist
