Each member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can stand as a witness of God “at all times and in all things, and in all places” — including on Major League Baseball’s biggest stage, said Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
While in Managua, Nicaragua, to dedicate the Managua Nicaragua Temple on Oct. 18, Elder Rasband praised Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Cooper Pratt for staying true to his testimony and Latter-day Saint beliefs amid Milwaukee’s postseason run to the World Series.
Reflecting on Alma’s Book of Mormon teachings at the Waters of Mormon, Elder Rasband referenced the invitation in Mosiah 18:9 to “stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places.”
“I think of Cooper Pratt,” Elder Rasband said. “He’s being a witness of the Lord Jesus Christ even playing shortstop for the Milwaukee Brewers, and that makes me very proud of him.”
For Elder Rasband, that example also reflects a connection with the Pratt family that began decades before Cooper’s baseball career.
Pratt’s father, Russell Pratt, served as a missionary under Elder Rasband’s leadership when he presided over the New York New York North Mission from 1996 to 1999.
Elder Rasband remembered Elder Russell Pratt as a leader beloved by his fellow missionaries and Church members.
“He’s soft-spoken, but he is powerful,” Elder Rasband said. “And what I remember about him — and always will — is that he was a dedicated disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Russell Pratt, who now serves as bishop of the Oxford Mississippi Ward in the Tupelo Mississippi Stake, said his mission and service with Elder Rasband continue to influence his life.
“To this day, I can still hear his voice in the back of my mind — his counsel, his encouragement, his wisdom and, perhaps more than anything, his sincere love for people,” Russell Pratt said. “He taught me lessons about leadership, faith, service and loving others that I still draw on today.”
Elder Rasband said he recognized that influence while reading a Church News article featuring Cooper Pratt.
“I read that, and I was so proud of him,” he said. “I could see the influence that his father and mother had on him.”
For Elder Rasband, Pratt’s example illustrates an invitation that extends to every member of the Church — wherever life takes them.
“It’s a message that every member could and should understand — we are all witnesses of the Lord in whatever endeavor we are involved in.”
