Putting the Lord First

By Linda Van Orden

Imagine a crowd of 55,500 screaming fans all chanting your name. Adrenaline is pumping as you evade a defender and kick the ball into the net. “GOAL!” the crowd shouts in unison. You turn to them and raise your arms in victory!

David Brown, age 18, of the Leigh Ward, Liverpool England Stake, doesn’t have to imagine these events; he experiences them.

At age 17, David was hailed as Britain’s most talented young football player, and he received a great deal of publicity. He now plays center forward for Manchester United, Britain’s number one youth team. As a reserve for the club, David experiences the high of playing for a world-famous football team.

The thrill of training daily with the main team shows in David’s face as he describes what to many is a dream come true. “The training is physically grueling to make sure we are in top form. I train four days a week with the club, attending college in between. It can be exhausting, but I love it.

“Part of my training includes cleaning the first team’s boots,” smiles David. “We also help tidy the training ground, and I set the balls to the right pressure. This is an apprentice tradition—it’s also a privilege.” Cleaning the shoes of football stars reminds David of the footsteps he will follow. He hopes his talent and hard work will bring him the success that players like David Becham and Ryan Griggs have enjoyed.

As one of the best center forwards his age, this young man is said to have the ability to score from anywhere. Surprisingly, football didn’t interest David when he was young. “My older brothers had to push me into playing with them to make up the numbers,” he remembers.

But by age 11, David’s talent for the sport was obvious. Selected as the best player in his school, David was chosen to play for his hometown of Bolton. As one of the best players for Bolton, he was picked by scouts to play for Oldham Athletic. When his four-year contract with Oldham ended, Manchester United couldn’t wait to have him.

As the only Latter-day Saint on the team, he has the opportunity to raise his standards high. “The other players respect me for my beliefs. They don’t tease me about my social life when I don’t follow them to the pubs. They know I don’t drink, and they respect that decision.”

In order to keep his testimony strong, David actively attends Sunday meetings and weekday activities. “I’ve recently been set apart as a stake missionary, and I serve as a home teacher,” he says. His work as a stake missionary should have a positive effect on those in the Manchester area—many of whom follow Manchester United and may recognize David.

“The Church plays an important role in my life,” David says. “Participating in seminary helped build my testimony growing up.” Arising at 6:00 A.M. daily, David attended early-morning seminary for four years. His mother, who has taught seminary for 13 years, taught his older brothers with him.

“My brothers set good examples and uplift me,” says David. The Brown brothers wrestle and tease each other, as brothers do, but their teamwork is apparent. They care for each other and desire to see one another succeed. One by one, his three older brothers have left to serve missions: Bryce to Oklahoma, USA; Gary to London, England; and Paul to Leeds, England. As each brother graduated from seminary and left to serve a mission, the class became smaller. By his final year of seminary, David was the only student in his mother’s class. However, he didn’t mind. He continued to strengthen his testimony by studying the scriptures.

As his teacher and mother, Sister Brown has seen David’s testimony develop. “He’s got courage to live the gospel no matter what anyone else says,” she declares.

A favorite scripture that keeps David strong in the face of adversity is Doctrine and Covenants 82:10: “I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.” David says, “I know that when I apply this principle in my life, everything else will fall into place.”

An area in which he has put the Lord first is in Sunday matches. Though football tournaments are often scheduled on Sunday, David decided at age 11 that he wouldn’t play on the Sabbath. His coach and manager respected him for this decision and worked around it with him. David relates how the Lord blessed him for his obedience: “In England, matches are often postponed because of bad weather. At the end of one season, all the Sunday matches that had been deferred were played midweek instead. I was able to play in all six games—and I scored 32 goals.” As a result, David earned the title of top scorer for the season and a reputation as “the boy who never plays on a Sunday.”

David enjoys spending the little free time he has relaxing at home with his parents and brothers. He says, “My best friends are my brothers.” They are all close in age: Bryce is 25, Gary is 22, Paul is 21, David is 18, and Stephen is 15. With no other priesthood holders between the ages of 15 and 20 in their ward, they encourage each other to be active in the gospel.

A key to David’s success is hard work. His mum recalls how independent David wished to be as a boy. “He has always been a worker,” she says. “Whether it was homework or seminary booklets, he would just get on with it without being nagged. David coined the phrase in our house, ‘I’ll do it on me own,’ for which we always tease him. David has the ability to work hard at whatever he does.”

For others who are striving for success in any endeavor, David offers the following advice: “Try hard in anything you want to do, and always put the Lord first.” His determination to be a star football player has set him on a course for greatness. But greatness won’t come solely from developing the athletic talents he’s been given. By following the examples set by his brothers, parents, and team members, David will do what he does best—work hard, put the Lord first, and keep his eye on the goal.

Photography courtesy of Manchester United Football Club and by Mathew Van Orden

The Lord Jesus Christ, by Del Parson

David finds great spiritual support in the time he spends with his family studying the gospel. Below: He shows some of his trophies.