The full value of AJ Dybantsa's NIL deal to BYU - and the Church - was seen at the Lindon Temple with an Apostle

Consider this my open letter to AJ Dybantsa. I'm going to speak for myself in the first person aboute the full impact I think he has had after his first, and likely only, season at BYU. These are my personal thoughts, opinions, and observations primarily about the off-the-court impact AJ has had on me, BYU fans, and many members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

AJ, I don't think I can adequately express what it has meant to me as a BYU graduate and a joyful, active, lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to see how you have handled yourself at BYU. Given the celebrity you brought with you to Provo and likely one-and-done season as the presumed No. 1 pick in this year's NBA Draft, none of us would have faulted you if your time with us was transactional.

But it wasn't.

You have been "all-in" at BYU, and I can't thank you enough for truly immersing yourself in your new community of Cougar fans and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I was thrilled when watching you play Oklahoma State on FS1 and the announcers mentioned that your favorite class at BYU is The Book of Mormon. Most mainstream mentions of The Book of Mormon are promoting the Broadway play that mocks this sacred book of scripture that we revere as the word of God. It was simply awesome for me to hear that you as a Catholic were interested in this part of our faith, and that you discussed it in an authentic way.

While I was born and raised in West Valley City, Utah, I have lived in North Carolina for over 20 years. I know how little the average person outside of Utah knows about The Book of Mormon, and for them to hear you mention it in a very normal, natural way was so refreshing.

Then this week you posted on X about your experience at the Lindon Utah Temple open house with Elder Ronald Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Those four simple words -- "Thank you Elder Rasband" -- brought a smile to my face.

You may not fully appreciate this, AJ, but the sewers of the social media landscape we are forced to navigate as joyful Latter-day Saints is a toxic mix of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and talking heads who criticize how the Church uses its assets, including the building of temples.

So to see you inside one of our temples and being there with an Apostle was a shining ray of light in my X feed. Thank you for making the time to have this experience, publicly sharing it, and expressing your gratitude. You would be more than justified not making the time to do things like this, and the fact that you did means so much to your LDS friends. You're famous. You're busy. You're preparing to be the No. 1 pick in the draft. Nobody would criticize you saying, "Thanks, but no thanks."

And yet you still made the time to visit one of our temples.

Amazing.

And it's not lost on me that your father, Ace, was in attendance with you. As an outsider looking in, you are very blessed to be raised by exceptional parents.

And lastly, AJ, thank you for representing the school I love and the church that's at the center of my life so well. There hasn't been a single whiff of scandal, questionable behavior, or embarrassment. It has been quite the opposite, in fact. The more I see of you and hear from you, the better you continue to represent BYU and it's sponsoring church. Thank you for being mature beyond your years in the way that you have represented the mission and values of BYU.

The positive light you have shined on BYU off the court will, in my mind, pay bigger dividends in decades to come than what you did on the court during your incredible All-American freshman season. Those who aren't fans of BYU like claim that your well-earned NIL package wasn't worth it after a first round loss in the NCAA Tournament.

They don't get it.

But thankfully, AJ, you do.

You get it. You understand what BYU means to those of us who love this unique institution. You understand how your affiliation with BYU reflects upon a church of which you are not a member, and you have been an exemplary representative of what we strive for.

Over this past year it has brought me joy to see you be all-in at BYU and reflect everything it stands for.

What brings me even greater joy is what your example as a product of BYU will mean in the decades to come.