Note: forwarded message attached.
From: "Truman Madsen"
To: dougweight44@yahoo.com
Subject: Kresimir Cosic
Date: Fri, 15 Jul 2005 12:58:17 -0600
Dear President:
Attached is an article written years ago by a typical journalist re:
Kresimir. It clarifies what is attractive and what is strange about Kresho
to his admirers in Croatia and elsewhere.
In outline here is what you may already know about him. Some of it might be
useful in counseling
your missionaries when their contacts show interest in Kresho and why he
became LDS.
We became interwined in his life because we invited him to our home (a block
from the Marriott)
to tell his conversion story. He started to come here after practices and
after games. We bonded.
Over the years we learned:
He was born in an atheist/communist family. But had private religious
thoughts.
Early he showed tremendous skill in athletics.
Stan Watts coach at BYU saw him play in South America and invited him to
Provo hoping to recruit him. Cosic hesitantly agreed to play for BYU and
keep the honor code. But he did not intend to let the code interfere with
his lifestyle.
Then he confronted the Gospel.
When he was about 14 he had an experience on the island near Zadar. The
impression was that he would someday come to America and perform in an
athletic way in the largest facility in the U.S. That influenced his
response to Watts.
He asked Watts if the fieldhouse was the largest basketball arena in the
U.S. No, he was told. So he wondered. But two years later the Marriott
Center was finished and was, in its time, the largest. Coach Watts often
said: "I built the Center, Marriott paid for it, and Kresho filled it."
No player before or since matched him. His medals are numerous. He still
holds many records.
BYU has a display case in his honor as one of the most distinguished players
ever.
He had a Croation-speaking friend in Provo, a tennis player who had married
a daughter of Hugh
Nibley. He often visited him at the Nibley home. Hugh soon picked up
some of the language
and befriended him. One day Kresho loomed in the doorway of Hugh's office
and said, "OK
what do you have that I don't have." Nibley replied, "Radost". Joy.
It went to his heart. He had everything: fame, skills for making millions,
all forms of indulgence
including women, and a commanding personality. But he knew he did not have
joy.
He read the Book of Mormon, prayed, and that was it. His conversion was not
cosmetic. It was total.
He could have earned millions playing for the Boston Celtics or the LA
Lakers. He chose instead
to return to his homeland, play for the local team, and build up the Church
from scratch.
He played for Yugoslavia in the Moscow Olympics against Russia. His team
won and he received the most valuable player award. (He gave his Olympic
gold medal to an assistant coach at BYU, Dave Witbeck). I have often said
he is more famous in Europe than Jordan is in America.
He had the Book of Mormon translated, and a hymnbook, and then the D&C. He
paid 20%
tithing and became the Church's ambassador in the Balkans, even when others
had
mission president and authority jurisdiction. Presidents Lee and Kimball
trusted him implicitly.
He held sacrament meetings with himself when all alone, then with the
scattered saints. Early after his return home he baptized Micho and Ancica
Osartcevic at night in the Adriatic. They later came to America and
translated the Temple ceremony into Croation. (They are now dividing their
time between Zadar and the U.S.).
He predicted and lived to witness terrible ethnic war, saying that when Tito
was gone there
would be violence worse than World War II.
He accepted ambassador status for Croatia and was in that role for about
three years when cancer struck him down.
He was encouraged to marry Ljerke by President Ed Morrell and I think also
Robert Hales. A blessing
was given her, though not a member, that she would one day join the Church.
She never has.
In confidence: she finally told Kresho that if he could recover from Cancer
(she heard blessings given than he would) she would be baptized. A date was
set because he was showing real improvement.
The day on which I was to perform the baptism in Washington was the day of
his funeral.
She continues to attend Catholic services in Zagreb, often with her children
Eva and Kresho (the son).
Meantime Ana, the oldest, has completed a degree at BYU and is planning to
stay here and be employed for at least another year. Our hope is that one
day she will meet the right returned missionary and/or lead the rest of the
family into the Church and the Temple. She is sympathetic but not converted.
Ancica is now and for several months ahead living in Zadar. She knows the
Kresho story from beginning to end and is, though with some tension, close
to Ljerke.
This is but a skeleton. Let me know if I can help in anyway to flesh it
out.
We pray for you daily,
TGM
***Attachment***
Dear Christian:
Here's the article. Let me know what you think.
The Good and Bad Ways of Kresimir Cosic
Article in Croation, 1973. Newspaper
Last summer the Yugoslavian Olympic Basketball Team spent some time in a summer camp in the town of Zadar. One night they visited a "night bar" at the Hotel Barbara in Borik where they were lodging. Among them was Kresimir Cosic, who just returned from the United States. The gentle giant as well as the others seemed to be very interested in the program, but as soon as a strip tease was announced, he ran quickly out of the bar. His teammates, however, were not at all surprised by this unusual act.
Kres is not permitted to watch the strip tease by his new Mormon religion, they explained. It is strange, but he is very strict in it. The religion also forbids him to enjoy himself. But we think it is only his problem.
STUDIES
This unusual happening was the reason that we wanted to talk to Kresimir Cosic about the matter openly. Other things, for example, his studies at BYU in Provo, his membership in the Mormon religious sect, and the possibility of his playing pro basketball in the United States, are not very clear to our public. On this basis, always good-tempered Kresimir Cosic, whose vital motto is "it is not a tragedy of a man makes a mistake, but it is a tragedy if he doesn't want to correct it," agreed to answer any provocative questions about these taboo themes.
--About your studies in Provo, we have heard only good news. Many people, especially in Zadar, are not willing to believe that because you were not much of a student before you went to Provo, that you have reached far in that University.--Yes, I am almost finished. The only thing I have to do is graduate. I have completed all required credit hours and can graduate whenever I want to if I go to Provo a couple of times to take the rest of my exams, and that is what I will do for sure. It is true that I was not fond of studying before I left, but it was not as bad as some people think.
--But you will, still, register for some classes at the University of Zadar?
--That is correct. I'll register for some English and other foreign language classes. During the four years I was in Provo, I became rather fluent in English. Now I want to become more familiar with grammar and usage.
--It is strange that you have returned from Provo as a Mormon. You even try topreach the gospel of that almost unknown religious sect. What actually happened to youin Provo?
SECT
--Nothing, especially. I became a Mormon and that is all. I found that this religion answers every vital question, and I have accepted it as mine.
--Today even children know what questions religion can answer, and the only correct view of the Universe is the scientific point of view. But still, tell us what the questions are that the Mormon religion answers.
--It explains the three most important questions: Where do we come from, why are we here, and where are we going? There are thirteen articles or principles. The most important ones are: faith, repentance, baptism for the remission of sins, believing incomplete human resurrection, and believing that at the moment of baptism one receives the Holy Ghost. I believe in these articles and in the religion whose main rule is: the more honest you live, the better your are. One has to have a clear conscience in order to be able to feel pure to himself, one has to know that...
2
how do you accept the fact that this religion of yours forbids you to have a good time with girls? My religion does not permit sexual relationships before marriage, but it does permit it in marriage. According to it, women have a lot of privileges, but they cannot be priests.
--They say that one has to pay for their membership in that sect and that the preachers are very well paid.
--That is a lie. The preachers are not paid in our Church. There are no superiors. All the men are elders and priests and all the members are equal...
FANATACISM --It seems that in a certain situation (probably lost and lonely in that distant foreign world) you did not know what to do with that extra energy you had and took to Mormonism. Couldn't you direct that energy towards more valuable things like something in the field of science or in a social organization whose programs are far more concrete, human, and progressive?--Before I went to the U.S.A. I had "lived my life" being too young to be seriously involved in anything. Communism is okay, but now I believe... --We were told that back in Zadar you had been an atheist. How come you become a convert?
--That is correct. I was an atheist. Even during the first three years of my stay in the United States I did not go to church. But according to our religion, everybody is given freedom to choose the way he wants to go. As you can see, I have chosen...(As it comes out of the conversation with Kresimir Cosic and his "leading to God," we have come to this conclusion: in some of our athletic organizations we failed to introduce the educational system and especially the one concerning ideological and political education. The fact is, unfortunately, that with athletic capabilities, we did not have time to teach these young people about more important social values. In the race for better scores and good athletes, we forgot about the human and educational values of the young people. Kerseymere Cosic being without that background went to the Untied States and as one of his teammates said, "he was probably left on his own in a distant world and took to fanaticism." Although we can see that Kresimir Cosic has been seriously involved in that "fanaticism," our society, together with sports, can surely do something to help him not to think the way he is thinking now and make him return back to real human values.)
RETURN
Kresimir's stay in the U.S.A. has made him a religion fanatic. We at least hope that on the other hand, it helped him in the field of basketball. The U.S.A. is the mother of basketball. --Yes, I have changed my way of playing; especially I have improved my defense. Unfortunately, I had some serious injuries, which prevented me to develop even more.What you see now is not my maximum. If I was in better physical shape, I could play better.
--Have you definitely decided to stay in Zadar?
--Yes. I have obtained the duty of head coach of the team (pay $200) and, of course, I will be playing with the team and paid the same as every other player. I will also go to Provo a couple of times to complete my education.--Does that mean that you have completely decided not to play pro basketball? -Yes, that is right. You see, I could have earned a lot of money in the United States or Italy, but I have decided to come back to Zadar. I like it here, and don't you think it is nice of me to help my hometown team? I have been invited by many teams where I could also get money, but I refused. The reason is that when in Yugoslavia I only have to play in Zadar. In Italy I was offered $200,000 to play for three years. In the U.S.A. I did not talk to anyone concerning my playing pro basketball, and I do not know what the price would be. I can go back there whenever I want to, and it is enough for me to get a ticket and get on that plane. But I am not interested in money. I am happy here. I love Zadar.
No comments:
Post a Comment