Many in attendance at a recent Los Angeles fireside featuring former Mr. Universe Paul Devine were anxiously awaiting fitness and health tips from this professional body-builder, who is also a personal trainer with a master's degree in fitness and nutrition.But they'd have to wait a bit for that.
Brother Devine was more interested in expounding on the scriptures and the truthfulness of the gospel contained in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He carefully and deliberately spent most of his time going through scripture after scripture helping to demonstrate to those of our faith and others how he came to know that the LDS Church was the Lord's kingdom here on earth, and how he receives his true strength through the word of the Lord contained in all of the scriptures.
Once he had borne fervent testimony of his conversion, he then began to give sprinklings of his career and insight on fitness.
Brother Paul Devine was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1966. Since then, he has served as a branch president, stake missionary, teacher in Sunday School and Primary, and assistant Scout leader, among other callings. He was also a teacher for thirty-two years in the Los Angeles Unified School District until he retired in 2006.
For decades, Brother Devine has competed in numerous body-building competitions; among his titles are Mr. California (three times), Mr. Universe, Mr. World, Mr. United States, and runner-up to Mr. Olympia. In addition to continuing to compete, he coaches and mentors others.
The question-and-answer session proved just as intriguing as Brother Devine's presentation, with questions that addressed fitness, weight loss, how to achieve maximum results without performance enhancers. He was also asked how he dealt with joining the Church at a time when he could not hold the priesthood, and why Blacks in the United States are generally not coming to the Church as are other cultures. Both questions generated a healthy discussion.
Brother Devine was one of the original members of Genesis when it formed in the early 1970s.