Apostle Tosses First Pitch at Mormon Night at Dodger Stadium
Contributed By By Gary E. Condie, Church News contributor
From left, Sister Patricia Holland, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, and Elder Kevin S. Hamilton at Dodger Stadium.
Article Highlights
- More than 5,800 members of the Church and their friends gathered in Los Angeles for the annual Mormon Night at Dodger Stadium.
- Elder Holland threw out the first pitch of the game.
- Elder Kevin S. Hamilton of the Seventy caught Elder Holland’s pitch, a curve ball that broke perfectly over home plate.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
More than 5,800 members of the Church and their friends gathered Friday evening, June 28, in Los Angeles for the annual Mormon Night at Dodger Stadium. Members had gathered with high expectations and were not disappointed. Even though the Dodgers suffered one of their worst losses in years against the Philadelphia Phillies (16-1), people had a great time as they mixed and mingled with other members and friends. They were also treated to a fireworks show after the game.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Joining him on the field and walking with him to the mound was his wife, Sister Patricia Holland.
Also in attendance was Elder Kevin S. Hamilton of the Seventy, who caught Elder Holland’s pitch, a curve ball that broke perfectly over home plate.
The King Girls, a Southern California musical group, performed “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
The Dodgers also invited a number of Primary-age children and some adults to join them on the field prior to the game. The children were then invited to “take the field” with the Dodger players as they took their positions at the beginning of the game. Each child was given a baseball the player signed for them.
Mormon Night at Dodger Stadium was featured on Facebook. The result was that several hundred people from different states learned of the event and made their way to California to attend.
Mormon Night at Dodger Stadium is the longest-running community event held by the Dodger organization and has gone for more than 30 years. It is also the largest special event they hold. The Dodgers have frequently expressed their appreciation for the long-standing relationship.
Elder Holland expressed his pleasure with the event, noting that the members of the Church had a good time. He also noted that the name of the Church had been mentioned several times throughout the evening, both over the public address systems as well as on the Jumbotron.
