BYU's Casey Clinger Leaving For Mission After This Season

St George wrote:

Jo jo b wrote:

“No training allowed”. The often repeated lie.

Either it's a lie or the LDS are dumber than they already seem. How hard is it to have the other guy ride one of their omnipresent bikes while the runner gets in a tempo run?

Pretty hard when you consider that missionaries are allowed 30 minutes a day (630-7am) to workout and are working 70 hours a week. Seriously get a better knowledge of what Mormon missionaries actually do during the two years before making any statements.

BYU has a new NXN Champ under its tutelage. Can’t wait to see what Ed Eyestone does with Troutner.

What's the point in BYU recruiting the TOP High School male students like Casey Clinger, and Aidan Trouter only to have them announce they are dong a TWO year mission and they don't return to running? How many dozens of times has this happened in the last 30 years! These guys will be old, out-of-shape and probably married by the time to resume BYU. Brainwashed Mormons. What's the point of a Mission? You walk around and try to persuade Catholics, Christians, and Atheists to convert to Mormonism? Does ANYONE actually convert while they are on "tour?" I would think that Scientologists have a higher success rate than Mormons. Sorry- any religion that claims you are going to hell for drinking caffeine is stupid.

lilli wrote:

What's the point in BYU recruiting the TOP High School male students like Casey Clinger, and Aidan Trouter only to have them announce they are dong a TWO year mission and they don't return to running? How many dozens of times has this happened in the last 30 years! These guys will be old, out-of-shape and probably married by the time to resume BYU. Brainwashed Mormons. What's the point of a Mission? You walk around and try to persuade Catholics, Christians, and Atheists to convert to Mormonism? Does ANYONE actually convert while they are on "tour?" I would think that Scientologists have a higher success rate than Mormons. Sorry- any religion that claims you are going to hell for drinking caffeine is stupid.

Why do you care what these kids decide to do with their lives? Missions are clearly fulfilling and rewarding for these kids.

We might not agree with their beliefs, but why does everyone have to believe the same thing? Religion has been preserved in all cultures since the dawn of civilization. It clearly continues to play an enormous role in human civilization collectively and in human psychology individually.

Yeah all religions have super weird beliefs. Mormons are no exception. But religion has been preserved through natural selection because a ton of people benefit from it. If you don't need or want religion, that's fine. But people are always going to believe weird things that help them cope and be happy.

And by the way, the mormons publish their convert baptisms every year. Last year there were more than 230K conversions. So a lot of people buy into what they are selling on these missions.

I put the relevant section of your quote into bold. You hit the nail on the head. Everybody should be free to believe what religious beliefs they want, free from others trying to bully them to change their mind. That is exactly why people object to a massive recruiting operation focused on the 3rd world by one of the richest religions in the US. It is offensive.

Classic bigotry of low expectations. You seem to think"3rd world"people are too stupid to know any better.

lilli wrote:

What's the point in BYU recruiting the TOP High School male students like Casey Clinger, and Aidan Trouter only to have them announce they are dong a TWO year mission and they don't return to running? How many dozens of times has this happened in the last 30 years! These guys will be old, out-of-shape and probably married by the time to resume BYU. Brainwashed Mormons. What's the point of a Mission? You walk around and try to persuade Catholics, Christians, and Atheists to convert to Mormonism? Does ANYONE actually convert while they are on "tour?" I would think that Scientologists have a higher success rate than Mormons. Sorry- any religion that claims you are going to hell for drinking caffeine is stupid.

Clinger will be fine upon return. He'll have at least 9 months to start getting back in shape before xc season even begins. Will RS outdoors prior to that.

John Utah wrote:

John hoo wrote:

How long do these mission trips usually last?

Always 2 years, unless you quit, which is not super common.

No training allowed.

minimal training allowed. They have to do missionary stuff, but its not like someone is watching them 24/7. Do some mormon athletes do no training for 2 years? Sure. But I bet most go for runs for fun when they get a bit of time.

lilli wrote:

What's the point in BYU recruiting the TOP High School male students like Casey Clinger, and Aidan Trouter only to have them announce they are dong a TWO year mission and they don't return to running? How many dozens of times has this happened in the last 30 years! These guys will be old, out-of-shape and probably married by the time to resume BYU. Brainwashed Mormons. What's the point of a Mission? You walk around and try to persuade Catholics, Christians, and Atheists to convert to Mormonism? Does ANYONE actually convert while they are on "tour?" I would think that Scientologists have a higher success rate than Mormons. Sorry- any religion that claims you are going to hell for drinking caffeine is stupid.

Mormon missionaries are largely unsuccessful in converting others. Their religion is a crazy fairy tale, but they do good stuff while away on mission, helping out in local communities as well I think.

30 minutes a day was enough for Bannister to break 4. They could surely run from 6 to 7 or 5:30 to 7 if they wanted, and more on weekends. You can't knock on anyone's doors at 7 a.m. anyway. Plus, they are very active all day, walking or riding bikes the entire day. What they benefit from most, though, is maturity. An extra two years that takes you through physical maturity to your athletic peak is of great value, and that's one of their two advantages, the other being altitude training/mountains in Utah.

Mormons also have a very large number of people who leave each year, and either request to have their names removed from the rolls or simply stop attending services. However, the Mormon church isn't forthcoming with those numbers. I live in Utah and know many people who still say they are Mormon becuase they grew up in a Mormon house, but haven't attended services are been active in decades. I know way more people who completely left "the cult" - their words. I've seen the numbers as around 3.5 conversions per missionary, if that is accurate then that is a pretty small number for 2 years.

momomo wrote:

There is no rule saying you can't train. The rule that often prevents training is that you are required to be with your companion at all times. Time can be an issue too as you are working 12 hours a day. I lucked out and got a companion that was a killer biker. He would bike large loops around me while I ran, always staying within site. It was pretty funny watching him huff it out on a beach cruiser. It worked though and I even got to do long runs on prep day.

Although there is no actual rule, you are NOT allowed to train during your mission. You are expected to be selfless, focus on service and your mission work. Focusing on anything else is considered selfish, it is looked down upon and is something you would likely be counseled about. You are allowed to exercise daily, usually for about 30 minutes; however, if you went on an intense 30-minute run each day, that would not look good.

lilli wrote:

What's the point in BYU recruiting the TOP High School male students like Casey Clinger, and Aidan Trouter only to have them announce they are dong a TWO year mission and they don't return to running? How many dozens of times has this happened in the last 30 years! These guys will be old, out-of-shape and probably married by the time to resume BYU. Brainwashed Mormons. What's the point of a Mission? You walk around and try to persuade Catholics, Christians, and Atheists to convert to Mormonism? Does ANYONE actually convert while they are on "tour?" I would think that Scientologists have a higher success rate than Mormons. Sorry- any religion that claims you are going to hell for drinking caffeine is stupid.

We don't believe anyone is going to hell for drinking caffeine. There's a looot of ignorance on here. Also for those complaining about missionaries knocking on your door, just say no. Missionaries aren't taught to break in and baptize you in their church against your will. Only those who are receptive and want to listen end up joining anyway. And much of the reason for going on the 2 year mission is not for "increasing number of converts," but for the personal growth the missionaries experience (for those arguing it is a fruitless use of their time).

If you're interested in reading an interesting book about the history of the Mormon religion, One Nation Under Gods by Richard Abanes is an excellent, well-documented read. I think there are a lot of well-meaning people in the Mormon church who don't really understand their heritage. An honest study of the life of Joseph Smith should give any thinking person pause.

https://www.amazon.com/One-Nation-Under-Gods-History/dp/1568582196/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Here's an excerpt from a response to one of the reviews that points to some of the key issues with church doctrine and practice.

.......There have been so many imperfections in your church's history. That's why there are so many revisions in the Book of Mormon, changes in temple ceremonies, and "clarifications" written by church leaders and scholars. Like Blacks can't hold the priesthood. Here's an example of mormon church imperfection documented in an interview with Gordon Hinckley (former 15th president of the church and, therefore, able to change church doctrine according to Mormon teaching):

Interview of GBH by David Ransom. Aired: November 09, 1997

*********Begin quote**********

RB: Now up until 1978 I understand Blacks were not allowed to be priests in your Church?

GBH: That is correct. Although we have Black members of the Church. They felt that they would gain more in this Church than any other with which they were acquainted and they were members of the Church. In 1978 we (the president of the Church) received a revelation under which all worthy men would receive all the blessings of the Church available to them as well as to any others. So across the world now we are teaching the Gospel to Blacks, Whites, everyone else who will listen.

RB: So in retrospect WAS THE CHURCH WRONG IN THAT?

GBH: NO I DON'T THINK IT WAS WRONG. If things, various things happened in different periods. there's a reason for them.

RB: WHAT WAS THE REASON FOR THAT?

GBH: I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE REASON WAS. But I know that we've rectified whatever may have appeared to be wrong at that time.

**********End quote************

Why are you trying to persuade people one way or another on this board with regard to the church? No one on here is preaching its teachings that I can see, just defending it's practices with how it relates to NCAA XC. So as well-intentioned as you may be, why are we taking this conversation in that direction? Let's get back to running.

St George wrote:

Jo jo b wrote:

“No training allowed”. The often repeated lie.

Either it's a lie or the LDS are dumber than they already seem. How hard is it to have the other guy ride one of their omnipresent bikes while the runner gets in a tempo run?

I have been a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints all my life. I have served a mission and have lived and attended church in 6 countries. My dad was even a mission president for the church. I literally know hundreds of return missionaries. I can tell you with 100% certainty that those boys and girls serving missions don't have enough time to put in any sort of serious athletic training. If they do then they are not following mission rules and usually get in trouble.

You can hate the religion (which, if you are an American hating any religion seems to go against everything you should hold dear, but whatever) but to think that kids going on missions in the middle of their college experience is an advantage for the team is completely ludicrous. Any way you look at it it's a disadvantage.

Serving a mission for your church or serving in the Peace Core or any sort of volunteer work is admirable and incredibly valuable as a life experience for the boys and girls that choose to serve. Rather than hating on missionaries you should invite some of them for dinner. Even if you don't give two cents about their message they would really appreciate it and that God some of you don't believe in may give you a blessing just for being nice.

@#$ wrote:

Djnfczdhxdh wrote:

What are the chances that Clinger comes back and is one of the top runners in the NCAA by his senior year? Is it mandatory for all students to go on a mission? Clinger is such a talent. It would be a shame for him to never reach his full potential.

He will probably do well but there is no guarantees. There is not requirement for BYU student to go on missions. There are non-Mormon students at BYU. The LDS church does encourage all able/worthy young men to serve a mission but it is totally voluntary.

1) It is true that it is not a requirement for BYU students to go on a mission, BUT it is very highly recommended that the males serve a mission. There is a lot of pressure by the entire church to persuade every young man to serve a mission.

2) There are non-Mormons at BYU but the percentage is extremely low. Back in the 70's and 80's it was around 4% but I think now it is about 2%.

runnER/DR wrote:And by the way, the mormons publish their convert baptisms every year. Last year there were more than 230K conversions. So a lot of people buy into what they are selling on these missions.

Yes, but how many stop attending the LDS Church after the first year? Their retention rate is pretty poor. Although there might be 15 million members worldwide I would be surprised if they have 5 million that actually participate on a regular basis.

It seems rather convenient that the lifting of the ban on blacks holding the Priesthood was in June 1978 and the dedication of the São Paulo Brazil Temple was on 30 October 1978. Brazil isa country that has a large African population and also many mixed race people. If those with African heritage were denied access to the temple they would certainly not be happy about it. It makes sense that the LDS Church would find a way to appease them by suddenly having a "revelation" to make everything smoother.