{"chapter_no":"1","chapter_title":"A Young Man and his Dreams","book_id":"2","book_name":"The Story of James","subchapter_no":"0","page_no":"204","page_number":"1","verses_count":0,"total_pages":6,"page_content":"

 <\/p>

Chapter 1<\/p>

A Young Man and his Dreams<\/h1><\/p>

 <\/p>

A young James Hancock attends a national basketball camp in Los Angeles—He is angered as
players from larger schools dominate the events and he can only sit and watch—The Spirit fills him with
peace—Like a great symphony of music, several manifestations of the Spirit occur<\/i> <\/i>in and around<\/i> him <\/i>all<\/i>
at once<\/i>—With Ammon-like faith, he<\/i> is led by the Spirit on the basketball court<\/i>.<\/i><\/p>

 <\/p>

 <\/p>

 <\/p>

Basketball! <\/p>

 <\/p>

As a young man of sixteen, this was the entire world of James Hancock. It was his life,
his passion, and indeed, his future. A sophomore at his Ogden high school, he was already a
starter on the varsity team and had a reputation statewide as an up-and-coming star.<\/p>

 <\/p>

But James was much more than a basketball player. He was popular at school and had
many good friends. He studied hard to keep a high grade point average. He had many hobbies
that he enjoyed in his free time and he worked with his dad every summer in the family
landscaping business. Overall, he led a full and happy life.<\/p>

 <\/p>

James also had a deep love for, and a good working knowledge of the gospel. He
attended church regularly, was attentive to the lessons in seminary class, and received regular
gospel instruction from his parents at home. But essentially, these things were the entirety of his
testimony. Thus far in his life, he had yet to experience much of a spiritual nature, and certainly
nothing as exciting or dramatic as one might have hoped. He was aware of the importance of the
Spirit, having been instructed in its regard many times. He believed that it existed somehow and
somewhere. James's faith was like that of many young persons in the Church—he believed all
that he had been taught by his parents, his teachers, and the leaders of the Church, along with a
few other scraps of information he had picked up along the way on his own in personal prayer
and through reading scriptures. Beyond that, he took everything else on faith, looking forward to
the day when he might know for himself, and with great certainty, that the religion he belonged
to was the true one established by God. <\/p>

 <\/p>

In the meantime, he proceeded forth in life without much of a testimony of his own. He
followed the standard Latter-day Saint template of gospel living provided for the youth of the
Church—a wonderful and often overlooked aspect of the Latter-day Saint way of life, well-
proven over many generations. He continued preparing himself to receive the Melchizedek
Priesthood, to attend the temple for the first time, and to serve a mission.<\/p>

In the summer of 1977, before his junior year of high school, James was one of only two
high school players from Utah invited to attend a special week-long basketball camp in Los
Angeles, California. The camp, hosted annually on the campus of a major university, was
considered an important nationwide event for high school athletes. Invited to attend, he had
hoped to compete with some of the best players his age from around the nation, to show what he
could do, and to gain a reputation that might attract recruiter visits from the bigger-name schools.
Upon his arrival at the camp, however, he found it to be a major disappointment. The organizers
had preselected certain athletes from among the big-city high schools, and these would be the
starters for the scrimmage games and the prominent participants for all drills and other activities
at the camp. The other lesser-known invitees like James would have to be content just to watch.
If a starter got injured, fouled out, or became tired and needed a rest, then, of course, others
could still come in off the bench and play. But where this was an important event with many
college scouts in attendance, the starters were usually not inclined to come out of the games for a
rest, or for any other reason. There was too much at stake; they could rest all they wanted at
home after the camp was over.<\/p>

 <\/p>

James was disappointed from the very first day, and he quickly lost interest in the camp
activities. As the week progressed, however, his disappointment turned to anger, and within his
anger, feelings of jealousy and bitterness. The entire process seemed unfair to him. There was no
opportunity for him to do anything but just sit on the sidelines and watch others play. He had
spent many years training for an event like this, his hopes and dreams in life all pointing to this
day. But these wonderful aspirations of his youth were now being stolen away from him and
there was nothing he could do.<\/p>

 <\/p>

A key highlight of the camp was a championship game between the camp’s two best
teams, typically held in the main sports arena on the Friday afternoon of the final day. Highly
publicized, the game attracted a great deal of attention, and a large number of tickets had been
pre-sold to the general public. James had been fortunate to be a member of one of the two
qualifying teams, but neither he nor others among the “second-tier\" camp invitees on the team
had been able to play so far. <\/p>

 <\/p>

By 2:00, most of the crowd had already entered the arena and settled into their seats.
From the press box, the announcer called out the starting lineups. The crowd cheered, then grew
silent, as the referee threw the ball into the air for the opening tip-off.<\/p>

 <\/p>

From the onset, there was fierce competition on the floor; these were clearly the two best
teams of the camp, and many of the star players were present. Much was riding on the outcome
in terms of player reputation: athletic ability, skills on display, and one's competitiveness in
championship-level games—things that would certainly be noted by the scouts in attendance.
The game moved rapidly through the first quarter, the second, and then into the third, being a
hard-fought contest throughout. As the fourth quarter began, it was looking more and more to
everyone that the game might come down to the final seconds. <\/p>

 <\/p>

Watching all of this from his seat on the sidelines, James’s anger reached a fever pitch.
To be here and not play! How awful this was! His parents had flown down from Utah to pick
him up, and they now sat in the stands expecting to see him play. Having his parents come all <\/p>

this way just to see him frustrated, restlessly scuffing his shoes on the gym floor, and sitting idly
on the bench only served to make things worse for James. What an embarrassment! <\/p>

 <\/p>

Soon, more than half of the fourth quarter was gone, and only five minutes remained in
the game. Staring down at the floor, James murmured angrily to himself, his cheeks and forehead
flushed with redness. All of a sudden, there was a great roar from the audience—an impressive
shot or pass had just been made. James looked up quickly to see what had happened. The arena
was filled with excitement. Thousands of people in the stands were cheering, their eyes glued to
the goings-on on the court. More disgusted than ever, James looked down again at his feet,
grabbing wildly at his shoelaces to loosen them. Once freed from the laces, he lifted his left foot
out of the shoe, removed the sock, and then started unwrapping the athletic support tape from his
ankle. <\/p>

 <\/p>

Why did I even bother to tape my ankle<\/i> today<\/i>? Did I really expect to play? <\/i><\/p>

 <\/p>

What a joke this is! <\/i><\/p>

 <\/p>

So this is what I have b<\/i>een working for all these years...<\/i> <\/i>the five-dollar lawn...<\/i> <\/i>my big
dreams in life? Augh! What a waste<\/i> of time it all was<\/i>! <\/i><\/p>

 <\/p>

I<\/i> want<\/i> to get out of this place<\/i>...<\/i> <\/i>t<\/i>his nightmare. <\/i><\/p>

 <\/p>

At this moment of despair, one of great tempest to his soul, his thoughts and feelings
inside of him were interrupted by something, causing his mind to go blank. In the same instant,
he felt a sharp pain in his left foot that caused him to gasp and almost cry out. He grabbed his
foot.<\/p>

 <\/p>

Ouch! <\/i>What was that?<\/i><\/p>

 <\/p>

The space immediately around him grew silent. He heard nothing, save for the stillness of
the air. A sensation of warmth and peace had covered his body from head to toe. In the midst of
these new feelings, he heard a whisper––a still, small voice that said to him, “Prepare yourself!” <\/p>

 <\/p>

The voice was subtle, but he heard it very clearly in his mind. The words spoken were
clear and understandable, more than just his own thoughts. They were spoken so fast and without
warning that he had been caught by surprise.<\/p>

 <\/p>

Moments before, he had been drunk with anger, deep feelings of hatred that had been
burning through his soul over the preceding few days. Now, however, there was a burning once
more, but one of peace in his heart and fire in his bosom. A burst of energy had passed through
his body on the inside while feelings of love washed over him on the outside. Fire, energy, peace
and love—what a wonderful mixture! <\/span><\/p>

 <\/p>

The Spirit had manifested to him in power and great glory that God exists. James, now
paying attention, took notice<\/span>. <\/p>

Looking around the arena, he was full of astonishment, but he also smiled. This was
surely the greatest moment of his life thus far. He had never felt anything like this before, and he
had never been happier.<\/p>

 <\/p>

At the onset, there had been a sharp, crushing-pain sensation to his foot––that had gotten
his attention. Then there had been a few moments of silence—a reverence that enveloped him.
Next, his body had been filled with peace, coupled with a strong, burning sensation in his bosom.
This was followed by the voice of the Spirit addressing him directly, yet in a gentle manner.<\/p>

 <\/p>

Five different things had happened, almost simultaneously. Five distinct manifestations
of the Spirit. The Spirit had multitasked, doing all of these amazing things at once, like a
conductor managing different parts of an orchestra.<\/p>

 <\/p>

The sharp pain to his foot was like a big introduction of percussion and brass. This was
followed by moments of silence—the rests found within a composition of music, a nothingness
to draw attention to the events that precede and follow. The feeling of peace was like notes from
a flute played by the woodwinds section. The burning, the passion, and the fire he felt came from
the violins and cellos of the strings section, building energy and desire within his soul. But all of
these things were preparatory. For then, finally, came the voice of the Spirit—the entrance of a
great vocalist, a renowned tenor. The voice shook him, sending waves of electricity throughout
his body, causing his soul to vibrate.<\/p>

 <\/p>

Of these five manifestations of the Spirit, two of them, the feelings of peace, and the
burning sensation in his heart, lingered on with him for a while... as further confirmation of the
truthfulness and goodly nature of everything he had just experienced. Like the Nephites of old,
who had been desirous, even to tears, that Jesus would tarry with them a little longer, such was
the love manifested through the Spirit now, deciding to tarry a little longer with James, testifying
to him, raising him up, and increasing his self-confidence.<\/p>

 <\/p>

Surely, all of this was real! There was no longer any doubt or mystery about it now. He
was experiencing truth––distinct feelings that were discernible and obvious. If his science
teacher, his highly skeptical, disbelieving science teacher, had been there sitting next to him, he
might have felt inclined to reach out with his finger to shock him, like Nephi had done in
touching Laman and Lemuel when filled with the power of God. <\/p>

 <\/p>

Caught up temporarily in his own sphere, it was as though James was alone in the arena.
The earth’s rotation had stopped for a brief moment in time, yet nobody else noticed, only he. On
this day, at this moment, in this place, he had experienced a great miracle––the miracle of
revelation from God.<\/p>

 <\/p>

He had been made aware of the existence of the Spirit and of the existence of God—these
were two different things. <\/span><\/p>

 <\/p>

The Spirit coming upon him, testifying to him with a message of truth––that was one
thing. God the Father, sitting on a glorious throne in the heavens, and Jesus Christ there at His
right hand, both having glorified bodies of flesh and bones––that was another. The Father <\/span><\/p>

distinct, the Son distinct, the Holy Ghost distinct<\/span>. The lessons from Sunday School class about
the true nature of God now made perfect sense. He had felt it through a marvelous array of
spiritual manifestations, and he was still feeling it now. In the future, he would be better prepared
to watch for these things, to appreciate and enjoy them more fully when they happened again. <\/p>

 <\/p>

James was quite sure now he would enter the game after all, and that he would play well,
for that was the impression clearly left upon his mind by the Spirit. But that didn’t seem to
matter anymore. The sport of basketball, the other players, the energized crowd, and the world
around him––all of these things had diminished in importance. What he was experiencing now,
right at this moment, was what truly mattered. The power of God and the love of God! Given a
choice between the world of basketball and the things of God, he would choose the latter. The
choice was easy.<\/p>

 <\/p>

Lacing up his left shoe again, he prepared himself to enter the game. He looked out onto
the basketball court and then checked the scoreboard—his team led by just two points, and there
were only a few minutes left. Suddenly, one of the starters on his team fouled out. Upset with the
call, the disgruntled player walked over to the bench and paced the sideline, not wanting to sit
down. <\/p>

 <\/p>

The departure of this player from the game had created a sudden problem. The
unexpected had happened––a disruption to the regular order of things of the camp. There had
been no coaches assigned to any of the teams, so there was a pause now––nobody knew what to
do. James’s teammates sitting alongside him on the bench became nervous. None of them had
been able to play yet, to get a feel of actually competing with the more elite players in any of the
games. And this was the championship game, a much more public event than any of the prior
ones, with a large number of people watching, including college scouts. It would be easy to be
embarrassed in a situation like this. One's opportunities for a college scholarship might be
harmed. <\/p>

 <\/p>

In some respects, the assumption was that the smaller-town players like James, the non-
starters, were not at the level of these chosen premier players and, therefore, couldn’t keep up
with them. But now there was no choice. One of them would have to come in cold and
unprepared at this critical point of the game. The players sitting on the bench were in shock. All
had butterflies in their stomachs. Wha<\/i>t was to be done here? Who would go in?<\/i><\/p>

 <\/p>

James looked to his left and to his right. Not one of his peers on the bench was stirring.
No one was ready to stand up to enter the game. So, James stood up. <\/p>

 <\/p>

In this setting, seated in the middle of the bench, he was just one of a largely anonymous
group of ten teenage boys. All of them were of equal standing before the camp organizers; all
were persons of no particular reputation or stature at the national level. But it was James now
who was in motion. Reaching the scorers' table, he looked back once more at the other players to
judge their reaction. Nobody objected; all seemed comfortable with him being the one to enter
the game. Among the starters on the floor, and among the crowd watching, there was uncertainty
about the new player entering the game. But James felt peace inside. The decision had been
made. He had chosen himself. He had chosen to lead. With Ammon-like faith, he stood ready to <\/p>

gather the king’s sheep on the basketball court. He raised his sword to contend with the opposing
team’s players. His peers sitting on the bench were like the worried servants of King Lamoni,
sitting in fear of their basketball futures. They would soon be watching him play, hoping he
would represent them well before the scouts and the assembled crowd. <\/p>

 <\/p>

James made the most of the opportunity. Getting into the flow quickly, he drove the ball
up the court and made a successful assist to a teammate for an easy basket. Years of training on
his driveway basketball court at home now came into play. The next time down, he himself was
set up for a play by a teammate; there, he made his first shot, a long jumper. Things were looking
good! The game clock wound down until only a few seconds remained. On defense, James
closely watched the passing lanes of the other team. In an instant, he saw an opportunity and
made a play on a pass inside, stealing the ball. Taking the ball the length of the floor, he made a
layup, got fouled, and fell backward over a second player. It was very impressive, even stylish!
Somewhat disoriented from the fall, he missed the ensuing foul shot. But it mattered little as he
had already ensured the win for his team. The final seconds of the clock ran out, and the game
was over—they had won! James was overcome with joy. In the course of only a few minutes, he
had managed to become the hero of the whole camp. <\/p>

 <\/p>

Later that evening as he prepared to leave for home, James, with his suitcase in hand,
returned to the arena for a last look. Atop the stands, he looked out at the basketball court below,
the scene where the marvelous events had played out just hours before. It was a large college
sports complex, a place in which he had always dreamed of playing. Never before had James felt
happier and more fulfilled as a human being. It was a day he would always remember.<\/p>

 <\/p>

After this day, however, basketball would no longer be his main focus in life. This
wonderful camp experience would be both the pinnacle and the end of his aspirations in the
sporting world. Looking around the arena and pondering all that had happened to him, he came
to a decision––he would retire from competitive basketball at the age of sixteen. His vision of the
five-dollar lawn, the continuous improvement work ethic taught to him by his father, had been
useful for basketball, but it was meant for something much greater—the gospel of Jesus Christ.
He knew that now. At the most trying moment of his life thus far, he had received a special
testimony from God. That was what he remembered and treasured most, not the excitement and
joy of being the hero of the game.<\/p>

 <\/p>"}