MR says: As a professional football player, Claron Bailey embraced the Church. But his conversion wasn't an easy one as he quickly came up against opposition from his family.
Claron Everett "Monk" Bailey's journey to become a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints took a few years. But once he decided to be baptized, there was no hesitation or looking back.
"Dad loved the church," said Everett Bailey, Monk Bailey's son. "He loved missionary work ... and he loved serving. It was a big part of who he was."
Monk Bailey, who played football for the University of Utah, the NFL's St. Louis Cardinals and the CFL's Toronto Argonauts, died at his home in Queen Creek, Arizona, on June 18. The 77-year-old Moab native had battled pancreatic cancer.
What many may not know about Bailey is how he joined the LDS Church in 1966, served in various callings and was passionate about sharing his faith.