A missionary’s call home on Christmas is often special, but this year, Elder Spencer Cox was in for a surprise that left him wide-eyed and speechless.
Elder Cox has been serving in the New York New York City Mission for the past 18 months. He and his family in Fruit Heights, Utah, are dedicated University of Utah football fans who were excited to see their favorite team make it to the Rose Bowl and even took the ten-hour drive to watch the game. And while Elder Cox couldn’t sit and cheer in the stands with his family, they found a way help him feel included: a personal message from wide receiver and Latter-day Saint Britain Covey.
The message was recorded via Cameo, an online service that lets people hire celebrities to create personalized videos.
“Elder Cox, what is up, my man?” Covey says. “I am just here in the facility watching some film on Ohio State because, as you know, we are playing them in the Rose Bowl. And while I’m sure you wish you could be there, just know that I am proud of you for where you are right now. . . . For everything I’ve done on the field what I did on my mission was far more valuable to me. . . . I just really appreciate your service, man.”
And while Covey’s message was sweet, Elder Cox’s reaction might be even better. With jaw-dropped and his head in his hands, he exclaims, “What just happened?” as his family laughs.
So while Elder Cox may have missed the Rose Bowl, he seems pretty happy to have cheered on the Utes from the other side of the country.
Britain Covey returned from his mission to Chile in 2018, and recently shared his faith and recent experiences with the University of Utah football team on the All In podcast, which you can listen to in the player below.
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