What's not to like about a coach who gets it that sports of any kind are only an avenue to display God given talents! The challenge is how we choose to use the visibility that BYU has to further the real mission of the university and church, which cannot be separated. If only the other coaches of sports at BYU could catch that vision, they too might find more success. Faith is a very real quotient that plays into success! Somehow BYU should instill that in all their sports programs.

It is wonderful to see that BYU sports has recognized that faith in Jesus Christ is now, and always will be the prime motivatorfor us all.

I like Mendenhall and his positive attitude. There is a real issue by associating "winning in football" with vindication from God for the "mission of BYU/the LDS Church". I am a member who is "NOM" (go look that up) and really respect many aspects of the church--like the moral standards BYU upholds. But God loves all his children, obviously, otherwise BYU would have won more than one national championship. Its a bit complicated, but what I am saying is that what he is doing is fine, but associating God with BYU winning is not a comfortable place to be and it will cause some people to get upset...just my opinion. Now I know he doesn't say it that way, but people can read between the lines and see things differently. If it were up to me I would have no cause to complain, I like him, I like what he is doing, but I know some people are uncomfortable with the religion on his sleeve stuff...it is just football afterall.

I gonna throw up!

I have personally attended one of these firesides in Albuquerque, NM. It was an amazing experience. The spirit was overwhelming In fact, my spouse and I both agree, it was much more memorable than the victory we had against New Mexico the next day.

It was incredibly uplifting to see these football players all there participating in talks and musical presentations. They were wonderful, outstanding young men.

I had been used to seeing Bronco on TV, sort of looking down and mumbling his way through his football show on Sunday nights. At this fireside, Bronco was a different person. He was POWERFUL in his testimony and his committment to his mission to use his position as an opportunity to represent the gospel and to help these young men to become the greatest people they could be.

If any of you out there get an opportunity to attend one of these firesides, don't pass it by. It is still one of my best memories of a friday evening in my life.

BYUTV needs to televise these firesides. I would watch every week.

Jed. It is obvious from your response that you don't understand. Bronco is the coach of a team that he is trying to help to be better athletes and better men. If this makes you sick, I belive you should check your values. By the way, the proper phrase should be "I'm going to throw up." I have a hard time understanding the mind of people who take something good and try to make it look bad,childish, or stupid. I learned an old saying when I was young. It simply says, "stupid is as stupid does. Please keep your ignorance to yourself.

Maybe Jed got really sick just as he was going to give us his comments. Jed! Jed! Are you o. k.?

Its interesting to see people's reaction to anything that has a spiritual tone to it. Anyone who read the article would understand what Coach Mendenhall had to say. If not, they need to read the article again. He said "faith" came first, then academics, friends and last of all football. He did not associate firesides or faith with winning. What did was put first things first! And, that had to do with understanding the mission of BYU. Sports will assume a much lesser role in later years, but faith will always be part of a person's integrity. I know, I was a BYU athlete, and those memories fade with time, while principles of faith and testimony endure.

It is enormously encouraging to see a coach who has his priorities right, on the development of his players and on the principles which BYU stands for. Winning is, and should be, secondary. After revelations of widespread corruption in college athletics and the abominable behavior of many athletes, even a few who were previously at BYU, it is a long-overdue change of pace to reconnect athletics with the values of society and of the University. My best wishes to Coach Mendenhall and the team. They may win or lose on the field, but if they stand for what they believe in they will have succeeded.

Many of the LDS community and BYU Football fans see it as Football over faith during football season. It's a joke! what's the first thing they discuss in elders quorom? "Hey did you see the game last night"? Or is muttered in almost every church hallway. It's really weird like it's some high school hallway or something.

Why don't you do an article about Coach Whittingham and some of the Utah returned missionary players who do firesides? They do them you know. This about the sixth article I have read from the DesNews about Coach Mendenhall and his firesides. While commendable, your coverage on this subject is overdone.

I agree that it's a good think for Bronco to have these firesides, and for the emphasis on faith. That's why I can't see him going off to be a head coach somewhere else. Every offseason we hear about some school that is rumored to want to hire Bronco, and Bronco himself has said that he doesn't see himself in a long term position at BYU like LaVell was. But where else could Bronco go? Could he still have the same effectiveness at a non-religious school?

I know many Bronco fans, of which I am one, will disagree but I find it a little distasteful that BYU uses there football program as an advertisement for our Faith. No other football program that is part of a religious insttution does this by half. Sure there are individual examples with other institutions but Bronco is way overboard.
I have zero problem with him doing the firesides. These firesides are a much more intimate setting of people sharing there spirituality which is differant than talking about the Churches / Football teams mission every night on the news
Football is Football and religion is religion

"I gonna throw up!"

Wow. Deep.

"Teach them gospel principles and let them govern themselves."

One follow-up question, if Nixon declines to speak at the fireside, does he not start the next game? It sounds like abuse of power/position.

I agree, this is distasteful and an embarrassment. "To everything there is a season." A time for church or firesides, and a time for football.

Bronco may believe Faith comes before football on six days of the week, but on game day it's obvious it comes second. No one who is truely faithful would use "Qwest for perfection" as his theme. If he understands the gospel like he says he does, he knows that only one person is really perfect.

Anybody who doesn't understand that Faith comes before everything else is missing the point of the Gospel. We are put on this Earth to do the will of our Father in Heaven. Not do it when it's convenient. Living our Faith should be a year-round sport with other things mixed in, not the other way around. Sometimes we lose focus of this with all the extra-curricular activities and entertainment with which we bombard ourselves.

Bronco lives his religion and is lucky enough to have a job where he can put his Faith at the front of everything he does.

With that being said, if he doesn't win football games he will be let go. That is 95% of his job. The other 5% is academics, honor code and firesides.

Maybe it's just me, but I think it's strange to even debate this question. Sharing faith and building character are core parts of what BYU is all about. Fine, some of you will question how WELL it works--and that's reasonable, though a different issue. But if these goals are part of BYU's mission, and the firesides help accomplish that mission, then they're what ANY BYU COACH ought to have been doing all along.

The firesides are a natural fit not only for BYU, but for LDS players. Many Mormon athletes not at BYU hold firesides, too. It's just a part of being LDS and holding to the ideals. No abuse of power, no confusing of football with faith. Just being genuine.

WE are the ones who read WAY too much into BYU's fireside success. WE value wins; GOD values hearts. I'm guessing when the heart's right, success is more likely--never guaranteed! But I'd hope BYU would continue doing these firesides even if they finished 0-12. It's just what people from BYU do.

It really is, as Bronco says, about more than football. There's more to life.

Anyone know if (and where/when) there will be a fireside this week in the Seattle area?

God loves all his children. The LDS faith is not the only faith that God is involved in. What makes BYU football think that they are the only one that God loves. If this were true why isn't BM and his warriors winning every game. BM better keep winning. Faith has nothing to do with it.

This is the problem with the LDS church. They think they are chosen of God and God does not care for anyone else. NOT

I have so much respect for Bronco. I don't think it would be easy to do what he does considering the type of field he's in.

I know that there is going to be a fireside on Friday in Washington, but I don't know where. My aunt and uncle live in Covington, and it's going to be in their stake center. Unfortunately, I have no idea where that is. Sorry!

I'm afraid I have to disagree with many of the negative comments posted here. Mormons have always taught that the physical, secular life needs to be permeated with the spiritual.

I believe that human beings do this naturally. Have you ever seen a football player drop to his knees or point heavenward after making a touchdown?

Having a coach, particularly at BYU, encourage his players' participation in a spiritual meeting conveys the very essence of Mormonism and directly reflects the mission of BYU.

Coach Whittingham, while LDS and an outstanding coach, cannot connect his institution with a religious observance. It would be inappropriate for him to be as involved as a BYU coach in such activity.

For all those attacking BYU for holding firesides:

I am not a BYU fan. Quite the contrary. But the article does not say that the firesides are held to get GOD to help them win. They are not held to prove that GOD only loves LDS people. If you don't like BYU, then you should be glad they are doing this, it takes their focus off of the game and preparation time. The quest for perfection is not about people being perfect, it is about being perfect as a team.

Go watch Remember the Titans and listen to the speech that is made by one of the players at halftime during the championship game. That is what it about.

Now I think the quest for perfection will end either this week or the next and I don't think there is repentance when it comes to college football losses (that is a joke) so the quest will end before being attained.

I don't remember in any of the comments where anyone said God was interested in blessing only LDS
people or that he dosen't care for anyone else. He helps those people who have faith in Him and prays for help to do there best in anything they do, be they any religion. And He help us in any phase or aspect of our lives. We are all His children. I think it's sad you have read between the lines and make up things others have not said

Every so often a blog is one of the best ever. Michael at 12:36 is one of those. Football is football and religion is religion. Lavelle always had it right. So does Kyle. I tune in to watch BYU football- at conf. time I tune in to watch general conf. I hate it when sports combine the two.

This week's BYU fireside is in the Kent, Washington Stake Center.

A "Quest for Perfection" never ends, and if there are failings, the quest must be redoubled in order to get closer to attaining it.

Many people criticize the members of the LDS Church for believing in their uniqueness and how everyone must believe as they do in order to attain "heaven" or whatever you want to call it. If you are a Christian, just consider what it says in Acts 4:12 "12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
So, if you believe the above, how do you think non-Christians feel like? Does this mean that Moslems, Jewish, Taoists, etc cannot be saved? As Mormons we know that there are A LOT of GREAT people out in the whole world, and that is the reason we go out to find them as missionaries and as good members of His Church. The bottom line is: Who will be saved? Well, that is really up to Our Heavenly Father and no matter what our religion may be, the only thing we can do is to be true to it, and continue our individual quest for perfection.

re: football fan at 3:10
I'm sure he realizes that none of us are perfect or ever will be in this life. We can strive to be perfect though.

*Yawn*