From Golden Gloves to Mission President

President Rogers has won Golden Glove championships, climbed Kilimanjaro, built a successful wealth management firm, visited all seven continents, and raised five children who all served missions. But ask him what the most important fight of his life is, and the answer has nothing to do with the ring.

It has everything to do with Jesus Christ.

In this episode of Choosing Jesus Christ, Elder Avalos sits down with President Rogers, a mission leader serving in the Idaho Falls Idaho Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to hear how decades of discipline, adventure, and devotion shaped a man who now leads young missionaries to find the Savior.

Showing Up Is Half the Fight

President Rogers started boxing in 10th grade after years of standing up for kids being bullied on the school yard. He was not just a natural talent. He was a prepared one. His approach was simple: he could not control whether an opponent was more gifted, but he could control whether he was in better shape. That commitment took him to two Golden Glove championships and a world title at age 40.

One early lesson stuck with him for life. He won a tournament as a teenager, not by out-punching his opponent, but because his opponent never showed up. His takeaway was direct: showing up is half the fight. Whatever you are trying to do, being present and prepared gets you further than talent alone.

He carried that same mindset into his faith. President Rogers sees three kinds of church members, just like he saw three kinds of boxers. Some show up but coast at home. Some are excited at church but do nothing after. And then there is the one who shows up prepared, reads scriptures, attends the temple, and invites the Spirit daily. That person, he says, is the champion.

What the World Taught Him About God

After boxing, President Rogers built a successful career in wealth management, eventually bringing his sons into the business so he could pursue his real passion: adventure travel. Over the decades, he reached all seven continents. Kilimanjaro. The Amazon. Antarctica. The Arctic. Mongolia. Siberia. Iceland. Chile.

Every destination gave him the same testimony.

Standing on top of Kilimanjaro, looking down over the clouds and across the Serengeti, he knew someone had to be in charge of all this. Antarctica confirmed it. The precision of the natural world, the way everything works together without falling apart, pointed to a Creator.

The Book of Mormon teaches that everything denotes there is a God. For President Rogers, that was not just a scripture. It was something he saw with his own eyes on every mountain and every ocean.

That conviction led him to a clear conclusion: if there is a God who made all of this, He has a plan. And that plan is Jesus Christ. Faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost. That is the doctrine of Christ. That is the path.

The Small and Simple Things That Build a Testimony

About two years after returning from his first mission to England, President Rogers looked back and realized he had barely opened the scriptures that year. He did not like what he saw.

So in 1989, he made a commitment: 20 minutes of scripture study every day, no exceptions. One year turned into two. Two turned into five. Five turned into ten. Today, 37 years later, he has not missed a single day.

He does not say that to impress anyone. He says it because he believes that one decision is the reason he is a mission leader today. He approaches his gospel study exactly the way he approached boxing: consistent daily effort, no shortcuts, prepare like a champion, or do not be surprised when you lose.

His last boxing fight taught him what happens when you stray from what works. He faced a bigger, stronger opponent and decided to trade punches instead of fighting his usual defensive style. It cost him a concussion. He had stopped doing the things that made him effective.

Paul wrote that we fight not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers of darkness. President Rogers takes that seriously. Every day is preparation for that fight. The small and simple things are not optional. They are the training.

A Family Built on Faith

President Rogers noticed Tammy Crump across the hallway in sixth grade and thought she was the most beautiful girl in his class. She was in the popular crowd. He once showed up to school smelling like a skunk after a trapping mishap. Their worlds did not overlap much.

Senior year, Tammy went on a blind date with a returned missionary who shared the gospel with her. She came home knowing she needed to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She walked through the chapel doors, and President Rogers' world changed. A few months later, he left on his mission to England. They wrote letters. When he came home, she was still there.

They have been married ever since. Five children. All served missions. President Rogers is clear: that was not because of him. It was because of Tammy. She grew up outside the Church and made sure her children never missed what she had missed. Family home evening. Family councils. The priesthood in the home. She built the foundation.

He chooses Jesus Christ because of what that foundation makes possible. The happiness he feels with his family is real. But without Christ, he says, it ends at death. With Christ, it does not have to.

That is why he gets up in the morning. That is why he reads the scriptures. That is why he serves.

Key Takeaways

1. Showing up prepared is half the fight. In boxing and in faith, consistent daily effort matters more than raw talent.

2. The natural world is a testimony of God. Every continent President Rogers visited confirmed that someone created and governs this earth.

3. The doctrine of Christ is the path: faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost. Nothing else puts you on that path.

4. Daily scripture study is not a suggestion. For President Rogers, 37 years without missing a day is the foundation of everything else he has built.

5. The reason you stay in your faith matters more than the reason you started. It has to be rooted in the Savior.

Ready to hear President Rogers' full story? Listen to this episode of the Choosing Jesus Christ Podcast and share it with someone who needs it. If you have questions or want to learn more, visit ChoosingJesusChrist.org. Our missionaries are ready to talk.