He was a star high school football/baseball player in Clovis California, near Fresno. In fact, he was so good that all 28 major-league baseball teams recruited him right out of high school.
The story goes that he was going to be one of the first players picked in the draft. But there was one minor problem, he hadn’t served his mission yet. Now, let me back up a little bit. McKay suffered a knee injury, ACL tear, in high school and had to miss his junior year of football. And maybe baseball too I don’t remember.
One night, he knelt in prayer and made a covenant with Heavenly Father that if he would heal him to 100% that he would serve a mission.
Well, his knee did eventually heal and he had an outstanding senior year. Major league baseball people recruited him heavily. He told them he wanted to serve a mission before starting his baseball career. They were quite baffled by this. He was told that he was one of the top recruits to be drafted that year. They offered him a $1 million signing bonus if he would skip his mission. They told him two years was a long time to put his career on hold and he would never have this opportunity again.
As strong as McKay was, he began doubting his covenant. He began to rationalize that he could do missionary work by being a good example as a major-league baseball player. It seems like a lot of talented athletes have the same modus operandi. I won’t mention any names but I’m sure you can think of a few. But I don’t know anywhere in the commandment that every young man should serve a mission that it says except if you are a star/talented athlete then you are exempt.
No, every worthy young man is commanded to serve a mission. In fact, it’s a privilege to serve. And not everyone is worthy or able to serve a mission. There was a quote in the show from Pres. Hinckley. I was going to paraphrase it but I looked it up. This is the longer version.
“Think of all the great and marvelous things you have—your very life, your health, your parents, your home, the girl you love. Are they not all gifts from a generous Heavenly Father? Did you really earn them alone, independent of His blessing? No, the lives of all of us are in His hands. All of the precious things that are ours come from Him who is the giver of every good gift.McKay, and countless others, may have felt that his serving a mission was a huge sacrifice, and I’m sure most people thought it was a big mistake. Who in their right mind would throw away a major league baseball career, and millions of dollars, to serve a two-year mission for their church?
I am not suggesting that He will withdraw His blessings and leave you bereft if you do not go on a mission. But I am saying that out of a spirit of appreciation and gratitude, and a sense of duty, you ought to make whatever adjustment is necessary to give a little of your time consecrating your strength, your means, your talents to the work of sharing with others the gospel, which is the source of so much of the good that you have.
I promise that if you will do so, you will come to know that what appears today to be a sacrifice will prove instead to be the greatest investment that you will ever make. …Of course your time is precious, and you may feel you cannot afford two years. But I promise you that the time you spend in the mission field, if those years are spent in dedicated service, will yield a greater return on investment than any other two years of your lives.
…What a tremendous foundation all of this will become for you in your later educational efforts and your life’s work. Two years will not be time lost. It will be skills gained.”
--October 2002 Ensign, Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley, Words of the Prophet: Forget Yourself and Go
One ball club even tried to persuade him to go to Australia where he wouldn’t be under media scrutiny as much, and they would allow him to preach to the players in the dugout, as his mission. They even asked his father to talk to church headquarters about that. His father laughed at them and told them that would not fly.
Well, McKay decided to honor his covenant, and keep the commandment given to all young men, to serve a mission. He told the Major League baseball people that he would be serving a two-year mission and his mind was made up. He sent a letter to all 28 teams.
Even after that, he got a call from a team asking him if he would reconsider for a $1 million signing bonus. He told them that his mission was not for sale. He told them they could draft him but he wouldn’t be able to play for them until after his mission.
If my memory serves me correctly he was drafted number six by the California Angels. Which was unprecedented. As part of his agreement he had to sign a certain number of baseball cards every week during his mission. Which, he served in Tokyo Japan.
Before his mission was over he was traded to the Chicago White Sox. I think he ended up playing a few years with several different teams before deciding that baseball wasn’t the lifestyle he wanted. Now he works as a real estate developer.
To many, McKay Christensen is a failure. He “threw away” a career in Major League baseball, millions of dollars, and fame.
But, in reality, McKay Christensen is very successful. He kept his covenant with the Lord. He served an honorable two-year mission. He married and has three children. He made the choice to raise a righteous family and obey the Commandments. As Pres. Hinckley said, serving mission is not a sacrifice because you gain much more out of it than you are giving up. In the eternal perspective of things, McKay Christensen is successful.
It doesn’t really matter what you do for a living. As long as you make an honest living and support your family. Granted, McKay is not making the millions of dollars he would have made in baseball. Nor does he have the fame of being a major-league baseball star. But money and fame are not what makes you successful. Contrary to what the world teaches.
True success is measured by how you live your life. By how well you follow the commandments and live the teachings of Jesus Christ. That is true success.
That’s my two cents.
Well said, Tam.
ReplyDeleteI say he is definitely a success. I like that he said his mission is not for sale.