REXBURG— In the course of his service in the United States Army Reserve, Kevin Cooper found himself amidst a war not only of political stature, but a war of religious diversity.
Kevin Cooper is a faculty member in the Nutrition Department at BYU-Idaho and is also a current member of the Army Reserve. His military service has taken him to many corners of the world, including the Middle East, allowing him to experience different cultures and backgrounds.
In an interview with BYU-Idaho Radio, Cooper was questioned about how he managed to uphold the standards of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while deployed in foreign countries for military service.
“It is really challenging. But I will say that when it comes to the Church and religion, I’m a firm believer that you just got to make your standards and expectations known right off the bat,” Cooper said. “Let people know who you are. You’re a member of the Church. Don’t hide it or try to be shy from that.”
While deployed in the Middle East, Cooper was among many Muslim people and didn’t see many other Latter-day Saints. He says he took a message from Church President Russell M. Nelson to heart.
"And one thing that I think President Nelson and many of the prophets have tried to help us understand as Latter-day Saints is you never treat anyone differently … you treat them the same with kindness and love and respect for their religious beliefs. And then they usually do for ours as well,” Cooper said.
Cooper’s confidence as a disciple of Christ led to unlikely friendships and mutual respect with members of other religious denominations. It didn’t come about by happenstance, but by faithful action.
“As long as you have those key things, daily personal prayer, stay close to the Lord, you’ll be able to keep your testimony strong,” he said. “Even if times are tough and maybe you make some mistakes or even fall short on obedience, as long as you are doing those key things, your testimony can stay strong.”