In February, top Latter-day Saint recruit Walker Lyons made headlines when he paused his college football career to serve a full-time mission in Norway.

He’s not the first and will not be the last to make such a sacrifice.

Each year many young Latter-day Saint men and women willingly step away from athletic, educational and other promising opportunities to serve missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In the coming months, Jase Adams, a skillful volleyball player from Gilbert, Arizona, and London Timothy, a talented soccer player from Newbury, Massachusetts, will leave their respective sports to join the Lord’s team in the mission field.

Missionary service prepared President M. Russell Ballard to be a better husband, father and businessman, the Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said in his April 2022 general conference address.

“It also prepared me for a lifetime of service to the Lord in His Church,” President Ballard said. “I pray that you young men and young women and your parents will see and know how missionary service will forever bless your life.”

Jase Adams

Adams remembers first taking an interest in volleyball in eighth grade when he saw some friends playing and decided to join in. Football was his favorite sport at the time, but the more he played volleyball with his friends, the more he liked it, and football faded from his life.

Adams discovered he had a talent for the sport and became a top outside hitter for the Highland Hawks boys volleyball team.

During the summer of 2021, Adams helped lead his club volleyball team to victory at the USA Volleyball Boys Junior National Championship. They didn’t lose a set, going 28-0 over five days. He was named the tournament MVP.

Jase Adams and his family celebrate following his team’s victory at the USA Volleyball Boys Junior National Tournament in Kansas City, Missouri, in 2021. Adams was named the tournament MVP.

Paige Adams

Adams’ performance at the tournament earned him first team all-American honors and the chance to compete for a spot on the U.S. Boys U19 volleyball team ahead of the 2023 Pan American Cup.

After an intense tryout, Adams said he was invited to be on the team — but he declined. Because of the timing, he felt he was needed elsewhere.

Adams had always planned on serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, just like many of his family members. He had prayed to know if he should serve after high school graduation or if he should wait. He received a direct impression telling him to go. He said the coaches who wanted him on the U19 team were respectful of his decision.

“I felt super blessed and excited to even go to the tryout and be part of the team,” he said. “I was excited that I made the team but understood that I had a bigger purpose.”

Adams received his mission call in February. In June he’s going to the Germany Berlin Mission.

“Honestly, [opening my mission call] was by far one of the coolest experiences of my life up to this point,” he said.

Jase Adams takes a photo with his family after opening his mission call to Berlin, Germany, on Feb. 21, 2023.

Paige Adams

Adams doesn’t feel like turning down a chance to play with the U.S. in the Pan America Cup was a big sacrifice. He believes those opportunities will still be there when he returns.

“Making the decision to serve a mission has brought me so much joy — more than sports or a scholarship,” he said.

Adams spoke in stake conference about preparing to serve a mission, said Joshua Hatch, who serves in Adams’ Highland Ward bishopric and has associated with him since he was a deacon in the Young Men program.

“Jase is an outstanding young man and an athlete in every sense of the word,” Hatch said. “His story and example are an inspiration to many.”

Jase Adams holds the German flag outside the Gilbert Arizona Temple in April 2023. Adams is preparing to serve a mission in Berlin, Germany, starting in June.

Paige Adams

Before he steps away from volleyball, Adams hopes to help lead his high school team to a state championship. His Highland Hawks are undefeated, ranked No. 1 in the state and are among the top high school teams in the country as they head into the playoffs in early May. They have the added motivation of having lost the state championship last year.

“We are hoping to just go in there and get the job done,” he said.

London Timothy

Across the country in Newbury, Massachusetts, a 40-minute drive north of Boston, London Timothy is having a similar experience with a different sport.

Timothy began playing organized soccer when he was 6 years old; he says he scored seven goals in his first game. He loves soccer for its competitiveness, the brotherly bond of teammates and the thrill of scoring a goal.

As Timothy got older, he played in the elite player development leagues of the New England Revolution, the Real Salt Lake Academy and Seacoast United. He aspired to play professional soccer.

London Timothy dribbles the ball during a soccer match.

Provided by London Timothy

But the closer he came to his goal, his heart began to change. He still loved the sport, but it wasn’t as fun as it had once been. He also had an increased desire to serve a mission.

One of his biggest positive influences for serving the Lord has been his older brother, Ian Timothy, who is currently serving a mission in Riverside, California. London saw the difference a mission was making in his brother’s life and he wanted to have the same experience.

“Seeing my brother go on a mission has helped a lot,” London Timothy said. “In the past year I have really started preparing for a mission. By doing that, I have found so much joy, fulfillment and purpose in life that I wouldn’t have found otherwise.”

London Timothy holds the flag of Denmark as he stands in front of the Boston Massachusetts Temple. Timothy has received his call to serve in the Denmark Copenhage Mission and begins in August 2023.

Provided by London Timothy

Elder Ian Timothy was able to listen in by phone as his younger brother opened his mission call. Soon-to-be Elder London Timothy will leave in August for the Denmark Copenhagen Mission.

Some schools on the east coast have expressed interest in having London Timothy play soccer but have been respectful of his decision to serve a mission. He trusts the Lord will provide an opportunity to play college soccer when he returns.

“If I put God first, everything else will work out,” he said.

Timothy believes the dedication and discipline he developed as a soccer player will help him to be a better missionary. He has also prepared by serving as an ordinance worker in the Boston Massachusetts Temple and accompanying the full-time missionaries on teaching appointments. One time he had a powerful spiritual experience when he bore his testimony to one man who was later baptized.

“The more I have prepared for a mission, the more I have grown closer to Christ and been able to let go of worldly things,” he said. “It’s been great.”