Through much of February, the world’s attention will be focused on the athletes and competition of the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy. The latest Games in the biennial rotation will bring storylines of hope, determination, dedication and triumph.
And plenty of references to gold, silver and bronze — the three levels of medals awarded to top finishers in each individual and team event.
I’ve both witnessed and reported on some of those storylines while attending five past Olympics as a Deseret News sportswriter or editor — the 1996 Atlanta, 1998 Nagano, 2000 Sydney, 2002 Salt Lake and 2008 Beijing Games.
Many attendees and viewers likely envision themselves competing in front of capacity crowds — including family and friends — and perhaps earning a medal.
But did you know every athlete at each Olympics receives a medal? Participant medals have existed since the 1896 revival of the modern Games; they’re also given to event officials and sometimes to volunteers and media members.
The latter is how I received a couple of participant medals, later supplemented by online purchases of medals for the other Games I attended. (And, no, I’m not claiming to be a five-time Olympic medalist or even participant — yet.)
When imagining being in the Olympics and maybe even medaling, I soon put those thoughts in perspective and instead reflect on times in life where I have experienced true joy — past moments and events as well as those yet to come, not only later in life but thereafter.
With those moments centering on faith, family and friends, I sometimes look at life and the Father’s plan of salvation through an Olympic-like lens. It’s not a perfect, no-holes analogy, but there are some elements to consider.
In premortality, prior to the “event of life,” we received initial instruction, guidance and training from Heavenly Father, including knowledge of the plan of salvation and the need for a Savior. We developed traits, talents, capacities and spiritual abilities in premortal life that carried into mortality. We were given agency to choose and to act. We were promised the Light of Christ, with earthly ordinances and covenants to bring the companionship of the Holy Ghost, the authority of God’s power, the binding in mortality to the Father and the Son, and the opportunity to return to Them after our finish.
We “qualified” for this event through our premortal choices and keeping our first estate, and by coming to earth we received what I would call our “participation medal” — a physical body. While this medal may have imperfections or might suffer dings or damages in life, every participant will conclude with a glorified “medal” because of Christ’s Resurrection and the resulting blessing of a perfected body promised to each of us.
Now, we best participate in this event of life by making correct choices in line with the event’s guidelines and rules — the doctrine of Christ, the principles of His restored gospel and the blessings of covenants — and by using the event’s available apparatuses and equipment properly, such as prayer, study, the gift of the Holy Ghost, priesthood authority and eternal ordinances.
We continue striving to heed instruction, guidance and training from the Father and the Son and Their “assistants” — prophets and apostles. We are more than just Their recruits or trainees — rather, we are children of a loving Father becoming disciples of Christ, following the course They have set.
And this event of life is not a competition — we “win” not by beating or surpassing others but by both participating correctly and helping others finish the event, walking alongside, encouraging, assisting and even carrying them at times. Others are doing the same for us. There should be no “competitors.”
The others we help and receive help from are not only our past, present and future family members but also our friends — those we now know and others we’ll yet know — as well as anyone we meet and even strangers in need.
The event of life has different levels of rewards, with the promised celestial, terrestrial and telestial glories having been likened to the sun, moon and stars. It’s much like gold, silver and bronze. However, unlike an Olympic event, where medals are given to the top three finishers from all participants, nearly everyone from mortality will receive one of the Father’s eternal rewards.
Each and every participant in the event of life has the opportunity and ability to receive the highest reward and greatest joy of all — exaltation and eternal life, returning to the presence of the Father and the Son.
Maybe a time or two as you watch events and see athletes receive their medals during the upcoming Games, you might also reflect on the far greater, eternal “rewards” available to all who follow the Father’s plan as we participate in the event of life.
— Scott Taylor is managing editor of the Church News.
