Missionary puts service a step ahead of connection to TV show

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By McKay Allen, Guest Contributor
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October 12, 2009 — If you've seen "Dancing with the Stars" you might know who Chelsie Hightower is. She is one of the professional dancers on the show. Last season she had the daunting task of teaching professional bull rider Ty Murray how to tango and waltz. This year she is teaching snowboarder Louie Vito how to salsa and two-step.

If you're a fan of the show you probably knew all that.

What you may not know is that her brother is a missionary serving in the Washington Spokane Mission.

Elder Jordan Hightower has been serving in the Washington Spokane Mission for 22 months. His sister, Chelsie Hightower, has been featured on the television program, "Dancing with the Stars." Contributed Photo.

Elder Jordan Hightower has been out for about 22 months and he has served in half-a-dozen different areas so far. By all accounts, he's a very good missionary. He's been a zone leader and a district leader. He e-mails his sister every preparation day, and, according to mission rules, he makes it a point to avoid television, even when it happens to be a popular program featuring his well-known sibling.

The standard applies even if the TV is on at the door of a home he is visiting with his companion. Elder Hightower also doesn't make it a habit to go around telling people that his sister is a famous dancer - but other missionaries do.

Elder Hightower says that two missionaries in the area knocked on a door and happened to notice that the people inside were watching "Dancing with the Stars." They also noticed that Chelsie Hightower was dancing. Immediately their door approach changed from the standard ''We have a beautiful message to share...'' to, "Guess what? Another missionary serving in the Spokane area is Chelsie Hightower's brother." The ad-libbed, impromptu and not-so-standard door approach worked. The elders got in the house and got a return appointment.

"Whatever works," Hightower says laughing.

The people who most marvel that this supportive and proud brother has never seen "Dancing with the Stars," are, of course, those outside the LDS church. Elder Hightower says people are often shocked that he has never watched the program - and it has started more than one gospel discussion, and opened up more than one door to missionary work.

But Elder Hightower admits, there are times when he misses, not only his family, but seeing his sister on TV.

"Sure I miss it, sure I do."

But he says his parents are DVRing Dancing with the Stars episodes and in just a few weeks he'll be able to watch them.

"I'll probably watch a couple," he says.

But for now, for the next few weeks until his plane touches the ground in Salt Lake City, this seasoned missionary will continue doing what he knows is far more important and pressing: The work of the Lord.

"To see the change that the Gospel of Jesus Christ brings into peoples' lives, it's amazing. I wouldn't trade anything for that."

McKay Allen is a reporter for KXLY 4 HD News. He's a graduate of Brigham Young University. He and his wife are members of the Franklin Park Ward in the Spokane North Stake.

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