Disgraced BYU Wide Receiver Parker Kingston Creates Religious Debate With His Return To Mormon Temple

Parker Kingston is no longer a member of the college football program at BYU. The leading receiver from 2025 was either removed from the university or left the school on his own accord after he was arrested in February.

Although he maintains his innocence in court, the 21-year-old admitted to violations of both the CES Honor Code and the principles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

As a result, his appearance at the Lindon Utah Temple has created something of a religious controversy. The former college football pass-catcher has not yet gone through the process to repent.

Parker Kingston violated the BYU Honor Code.

Faculty, administration, staff and students personally commit to observe the Church Educational System Honor Code when they agree to employment or enroll at Brigham Young University. It reads as follows:

• Maintain an Ecclesiastical Endorsement, including striving to deepen faith and maintain gospel standards.
• Be honest.
• Live a chaste and virtuous life, including abstaining from sexual relations outside marriage between a man and a woman. Living a chaste and virtuous life also includes abstaining from same-sex romantic behavior.
• Abstain from alcoholic beverages, tobacco, tea, coffee, vaping, marijuana, and other substance abuse.
• Participate regularly in Church services.
• Respect others, including the avoidance of profane and vulgar language.
• Obey the law and follow campus policies, including the CES Dress and Grooming standards.
• Encourage others in their commitment to comply with the Honor Code and Dress and Grooming standards.

We are focused only on the third bullet point. To live a chaste and virtuous life means to abstain from sexual relations outside of marriage between a man and a woman.

Parker Kingston, who was charged with felony rape in February, told St. George Police that “all sexual activity” with the woman who accused him of the crime was “consensual.” The woman claims she made it clear to Kingston that she did not want to have sex with him before he came to her house and told him to stop several times when he initiated sex.

Regardless of whether he is found guilty in court or not, Kingston admitted to a violation of the Honor Code by engaging in intercourse prior to marriage. He engaged in sexual activity before marriage.

Those who violate the Honor Code can face suspension or expulsion and/or the loss of ecclesiastical endorsement. There is a path to return to full fellowship through the process of repentance.

Should he be at the Mormon Temple?

The ongoing lawsuit against Parker Kingston creates a moral conflict in regard to his return. There is not a fixed timeline for the Latter-day Saint repentance process. It requires a deeply personal, spiritual change of heart rather than a set penalty. Minor issues may take a few days. More serious transgressions can require months or even years of righteous behavior to demonstrate true repentance.

I would imagine Kingston’s current situation falls closer to the latter than the former.

Thus, it was interesting to see him attend the Lindon Utah Temple open house earlier this week.

He was there with former teammates Faletau Satuala and Treyson Bourguet and a group of girls that included Lily Lee. Kingston got engaged to Lee just a few days before his arrest. She did not appear to be wearing her ring in the photo at the Temple.