LDS Teen Turned Down 1 Million to Serve a Mission

McKay Christensen was a popular college athlete in the 90s and had professional prospects in both baseball and football. But something unprecedented happened when he told scouts, “My mission is not for sale.”

Fresh out of high school, teenage athlete McKay Christensen was highly sought after by both baseball and football teams. As a running back, he held the California state record for touchdowns scored. In baseball, his batting average was .500 and he was named to the all-American team.

Everybody wanted him for either sport, but Christensen wanted to go on a mission. He was even offered a $1 million signing bonus to stay home and play Major League Baseball for the California Angels. A million dollars! Christensen’s answer was classic—“My mission is not for sale.”