Sam Merrill, a shooting guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers, is vocal about how his Latter-day Saint beliefs shape his life on and off the court.
In fact, the Utah native says that serving a mission in Nicaragua acted as a sort of playbook to prepare him for the NBA. Recently on the All In podcast, hosted by Morgan Jones Pearson, Sam shared:
“Battling through the ups and downs of the mission and learning how to persevere and be resilient has really translated to my college career and my professional career. …
“I had to grind through some injuries and [get] cut by multiple teams in the NBA to kind of find my spot. … I don’t know if I would’ve been able to show that [resilience] if not for having served a mission.”
Although Sam says he always knew he wanted to serve a mission, he needed to dig deeper to determine his true motivation. And for him, the answer had everything to do with the Book of Mormon.
A Simple Realization
During his junior year of high school, Sam committed to studying the Book of Mormon for himself. He began to read it every morning.
Although he said he didn’t have a dramatic spiritual experience, Sam noticed a subtle shift that changed how he felt in his daily life. “It just made me happier,” he said. “I didn't feel like I needed the ‘burning in the bosom’ at the end, because I had realized how it had made me happier.”
And Sam realized he wanted to share this feeling. Although most of his friends at the time were members of the Church, he found himself wanting to talk about the Book of Mormon and invite others to read with him.
“That’s when I really felt like, OK, a mission was something that I actually wanted to do.”
This foundation allowed Sam to serve with diligence and develop a deep love for the people he met in Nicaragua. His mission president, Bryan G. Russell, told the Church News:
“Elder Merrill came to the mission field very focused. He was not a young man [who] was still trying to find himself or trying to find his relationship with Jesus Christ. He came prepared with a strong testimony. … He hit the ground running.”
Today, Sam continues to speak openly about his faith. The Cleveland Ohio Temple—dedicated last month—is near the Cavaliers’ current practice facility, so Sam says its construction led to many conversations about his beliefs. He even filmed a social media video for the Kirtland Ohio Stake inviting people to tour the temple during its open house.
Ultimately, Sam believes that living the gospel is less about perfection than it is about commitment and humility:
“Similar to basketball, you’re going to make mistakes. …
“But I think when you look at a team that’s all in, it’s every guy is doing the best that they can do to help the team win, whatever that looks like. And there’s a level of humility that that takes. You can have no pride, no egos, and everyone is focused on what really matters. And I think from a gospel perspective it’s very similar.
“It’s not all in on being perfect, but having a constant desire to get better and to strive to be the best that you can be.”
Listen to Sam’s full episode on the All In podcast.
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