Jonathan Tavernari

Today marks 20 years of being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints I KNOW God is real. I KNOW Jesus lives. I have witnessed miracles and seen God’s hand in my life. I cannot and will not ever deny His existence. And I truly hope to never forsake.

Everyone who’s against hooping in the LDS gyms can’t hoop! Prove me wrong

Our stake bought a foosball, pool table and ping pong as well as board games. Two Saturdays a month during the school year it's opened to all youth to provide an alternative to party's, hooking up or sitting home alone because nothing was planned. It's awesome.

This was how we had multiple baptisms every Sunday when we lived in Guam. Our chapel was a community hangout place (the basketball court was outside). Every Friday night the church was unlocked, people would bring food and everyone in the community just hung out.

Church ball was awesome. So many memories. The co-founder of WeWork played ball with me a few times in Portland. My Texas team could really ball. Growing up, saw my dad almost punch a guy. Some of my kids are inactive now and I literally think Church ball would have helped, but…

Spent most of my teen years making sure we had access to the golden key. They built a new gym for us when I was 14. We hooped. And then we hooped. And then we hooped some more. So grateful for leaders who understood how much that time meant to us.

Did I marry up? Yes. Yes, I married way up!!

1000000% this!

Agreed. I always thought that as a youth and it would have kept my friends and I out of lots of trouble.

All cars should have the gas tank on the driver’s side.

I appreciate how churches in Brazil had an outdoor soccer area that was usually well lit and taken care of. Soccer definitely brought people to the church buildings.

My dad joined the church at 14 in the 60s because of church basketball in Palm Springs. He always viewed sports as the biggest missionary tool. Now, with my own teen kids, they've never had any church sports. It's a complete loss that the church removed these programs.

My dad started the Mormon Invitational Tournament, MIT, in Nashville in the late 90s where we had over 30 other churches participate in a yearly tournament. It brought in so many people that otherwise would never step in an LDS church. It was amazing.

This didn’t get posted by accident.

who did this??? 🤣

I could not agree more. The hours and hours we spent playing basketball as teenagers were some of the best times of my life.

Was lucky to have those keys so my kids could run around the gym during Covid lockdowns in NY

This right here 💯 It feels like having access to the church or having church keys is such a privilege, or a sign of status.

I was lucky enough to have a stake president that gave me a key to the Stake Center. My friends and I spent hours nearly every night playing basketball late into the night. Members and non-members alike.

Raiders Rookie Running back @AshtonJeanty2 always glorifies God with his talent and with that as his mentality, he can’t fail 💯

If you knew how much I already take about 20 kids to our chapel and let them hangout there and play and have fun, while being very respectful.. you’d say “Oh that’s good”. All the while @KTavernari prepares food at home and gets the house ready for them to have a meal.