The mission experiences of Latter-day Saint professional athletes Sam Merrill and Jackson Cluff recently garnered national attention on an NBA podcast and in the New York Post.

Both Merrill and Cluff addressed questions and misconceptions about serving missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Here’s what they said about their missions.

What Sam Merrill told his teammates about his mission

Merrill, a former Utah State star, appeared on “The Young Man and the Three” podcast with Cleveland Cavalier teammates Jarrett Allen and Larry Nance Jr. and was asked about his mission.

“I think that story’s incredible, how he just goes there for two years on the mission, comes back fluent in Spanish,” Allen said.

Merrill left for his mission in Nicaragua a week and a half after his high school graduation, he said. Host Tommy Alter asked Merrill if he played basketball at all during his mission in Nicaragua.

Merrill said the majority of his basketball playing, which wasn’t much, came during his six weeks at the Mexico City Missionary Training Center, where he learned Spanish and, in his words, “how to become a missionary.”

“Played a little down there (at the MTC). But once I got to Nicaragua, I touched a ball maybe three times, and it was all outdoor, no net,” Merrill said.

Alter then asked Merrill what missionaries do on their missions.

“So for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it’s all day every day just walking around, talking to people, inviting them to come to church, listen to our message. Basically 24/7, that’s all we’re doing,” Merrill said.

He then shared a story from his mission that left his smile forever changed.

Three months into his mission, Merrill was transferred to a new area, where he was tasked with training another missionary.

One of the first nights there, Merrill and his companion were walking down a dark street when a group of men came up to them and demanded they hand over their phones.

They listened, and Merrill handed over their only phone. While his companion tried to explain he didn’t have a phone to give, the man that had taken Merrill’s phone returned and threw a rock “right at my face, hits me right in the mouth,” Merrill said.

“What?” Nance said, interrupting his teammate’s story.

Merrill explained he didn’t see the man returning and didn’t realize what he had been hit with at first.

“I thought I had gotten shot or like someone threw a firecracker at me, and immediately, blood was going everywhere. There’s people around. They start yelling. So me and my companion just run. I got blood going everywhere. We call our leaders. They come get us. They take me to the hospital,” he said.

The incident resulted in six months of dental work in Nicaragua and two fake teeth.

“Unbelievable. Attacked in Nicaragua. Sam Merrill,” Nance said.

Alter asked a follow-up question, but Nance and Allen were still shocked by the story.

“That’s a big deal. That’s a relatively big deal,” Nance said.

Merrill said NBA teams often asked about his mission and what he learned during that experience.

“You have to learn how to work down there, like really work. And you have to be resilient and learn how to be tough and all that stuff. So I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything.”

Why Jackson Cluff chose a mission over baseball

Cluff, a former BYU baseball player, spoke with the New York Post about his mission while he competes for a spot on the New York Mets’ roster.

After his freshman season at BYU in 2016, Cluff put his baseball career on hold to serve a mission. He returned to the team in 2019.

“I decided it was something I wanted to do and put my career on pause for two years,” he told the New York Post. “Everyone was very supportive, saying, ‘You need to do what you want to do.’”

Cluff was called to serve in Atlanta, Georgia, for the Church of Jesus Christ for two years.

“You should have seen the look on my face when I found out where I was going,” he said. “My dad went to Norway and learned Norwegian. My father-in-law went to Japan. I had teammates go to Mexico and Brazil. But I went to Atlanta, and it was awesome.”

In 2019, the Washington Nationals drafted Cluff in the sixth round with the 183rd overall pick. He would go on to play for the Nationals’ Triple-A affiliate for six seasons.

In November, he was signed to a minor league deal with the Mets, according to SNY.

While his decision to pause his baseball career may raise eyebrows, Cluff expressed his gratitude for his mission and the impact it has had on his life.

“The only time my religion comes up in the clubhouse is when people ask if I really took two years off,” he said. “I don’t have any regrets. How the mission impacted me personally and helped my faith and perspective on life is much more important than baseball. It’s given me so much direction.”