SHANE TOPONC
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints often receives more time in the media’s eye than the church would even expect. Many church members are celebrities in their own right. Latter-day Saint celebrities represent the church in the media in the songs they sing and in the passes they make on the football field.
Steve Young, quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, recently took part in a 60 Minutes interview discussing the church and his beliefs. Mike Wallace spoke with Young about his being single. Young quoted his great- great-great grandfather Brigham Young as saying men over the age of 27 who are not married are a menace to society. Young said he was “actively looking” for a wife.
This “eligible bachelor” Young keeps himself very busy. During 1993 he organized the Forever Young Foundation.
“The Forever Young Foundation is a non-profit public charity that provides annual funding for charitable organizations which encourage the development, security, strength, and education of children and families,” according to Tom Young, brother of Steve Young, and Executive Director of the Forever Young Foundation.
Camp Liahona for Deaf Children, United Way, Parents of Children with Disabilities, Ronald McDonald House, and Make-A-Wish Foundation are only a few of the many organizations which have been benefited by the Forever Young Foundation.
Wanda Lindstrom is a Latter-day Saint musician interested in promoting high morals and good values.
“I believe that music has such far reaching effects and touches so many lives, that it is a great way to lift people up and promote good values,” Lindstrom said.
Lindstrom does many firesides and devotionals, and tries to leave spiritual messages with many people. “I recently had an experience with a woman at one of the firesides I did. I was singing many of the songs from my new album, ‘Legacy of Love.’ This album deals a lot with family values. This woman came up after the fireside and told me that she felt the same as I did. She told me that she was Catholic. I thought it was really neat that, because of the message of my music, any difference in religion was gone,” Lindstrom said.
“I really enjoy what I do. It is experiences like this one that keep me going,” Lindstrom said.
