May 19, 2011

What was the most spiritual thing that happened to you on your mission?

There cannot be an answer to that question. The mission is made up of spiritual experiences that are hard to rate from least to most spiritual. I had plenty of times where I knew the Spirit of the Lord had directed me. The second week in the mission my comp assigned me to decide where we would go tracting. I remember praying about it and thinking that I had no idea if I was truly following the direction of the Spirit or not. However then when we knocked on a door and found someone truly interested in the gospel I suddenly discovered how the Lord does answer your questions and directs you. Then the night that the ex-mormon cornered us with his stacks of books and tried to use reason to break us down I remember thinking about my patriarchal blessing and that I had been told that my testimony would be a blessing to the righteous and a condemnation to the wicked and I finally could do nothing else but bear my testimony to him and then my companion do the same and we walked out. It was a very disturbing night but in the same light helped to actually build my testimony to be even stronger.

May 18, 2011

Who set you apart?

I was set apart by my Stake President David Sam. On Sept  29^th prior to going into Salt Lake on Sept 30^th. It was fun having him, as my Stake President when I had been taught several years earlier in Seminary by him as well.

What are some of the most interesting experiences from your mission?

I had numerous special experiences in my mission ranging from watching “The Ten Commandments” with a young Baptist neighbor couple to having scorpions run into the Bishop’s office in the church during a planning meeting. We also had a woman open her door after we knocked and she had on only a robe and it was open in the front. We immediately turned around and left which is probably why she did it. I experienced five tornados while there and hail storms with golf ball size stones. I met a great fellow working on his car who invited us back and later his whole family was baptized and then later in my mission went to meeting a great fellow who was out painting his porch who invited us back because he was an ex-mormon with an agenda to convert us to be Jehovah Witness converts. I was chased by a huge dog and stung by a scorpion in our apartment. (The only way I knew was I had a black and blue spot on my leg and later that night found the scorpion under my dirty clothes bag on the floor.) I also outran (in our car) a huge storm in the pan handle of Texas returning from a zone activity that took place in an area that was in miles closer to my home town than the mission home in Dallas. I went out on large sand dunes for a P Day and rode down the 2 inch strip of no ice another time on our way to a teaching appointment. I gassed up the car every other week at 19 cents a gallon verses the other week at 21 cents a gallon because the gas stations in town had a gas war going on and then left the mission when paying close to a dollar or more per gallon because of a government caused gas shortage that had employees of oil companies being laid off because the oil tanks around the refineries were all full and the government wouldn’t let them produce gasoline.

However one experience stands out that I will relate.

We were in the Seventies quorum meeting on Sunday morning and the President of the quorum came in and read what sounded like an official document from the church stating that the Negro would now be given the priesthood. It sounded a bit strange to me but I didn’t think to much about it since it had been a long time in coming. However I was really shocked to hear the comments of two of the Brethren as the lesson continued who said that they would leave the church if it is true. I couldn’t believe their attitudes and how bitter they were toward the negro’s. The president then said it was not a real letter but the whole point of the lesson was to learn to love our brothers and sisters no matter what their color. I knew that Texas was part of the deep south and knew the hatred that the south has for the negro race but never really realized it until that day. Well in 1978  when the church came out with the actual proclamation stating that all worthy male members could be given the priesthood I thought of those two brethren and if they had removed their names from the records of the church or learned Christ like love in the last 5 years since that meeting.

May 17, 2011

Where did you serve? Which areas did you serve in? How long did you serve in each area?

I was called to the Texas North Mission in Dallas Texas, and it was later named the Texas Dallas Mission after I had served about a year and the Texas San Antonio Mission was created from our mission and the Texas South Mission then renamed as the Texas Houston Mission.

I flew into the Love Field Airport going to my mission and two years later flew out of the new DFW International Airport to return home. I had also flown into and out of Love Field during my mission as I went from Midland to Dallas for a Zone Leaders conference.

I began my service in Arlington with two companions, Elder Fernelius (Missoula Montana) and Elder Astle for a week and then Elder Astle was transferred and I had one one senior companion for two weeks. Elder Fernelius was my trainer from Oct 5 thru Oct 29th.

I then transferred to Terrell Texas with my companion Elder Monte Rex Tyler (Ririe, Idaho) from Oct 30^th thru November 30^th. We had a large area and I really enjoyed it. It was there where I dedicated my first grave. I still recall instructions given prior to that use of the Priesthood to make sure I didn’t dedicate it as a FINAL resting place for the deceased member.

I was then transferred back closer to the mission home and assigned as a trainer. I served with Elder Legrand Ellison (Provo, UT) in Garland from Nov 30^th to Jan 26, 1973. Elder Mark Humphries (Summit, Ut) was then assigned to me to be trained from Jan 26^th thru March 1 and finally in Garland Elder James Wakley (Malad. Idaho) served with me as a new missionary from March 1^st thru May 15^th. We had a huge turnover in the mission with almost 130 Elders coming into the mission within four months. That required a lot of the missionaries to be trainers shortly after arriving themselves.

I was a trainer for four months and then transferred to  Stephenville and assigned as a District Leader. I served there with Elders John Ferguson (Whittier, CA) and Elder John Segesman (Rio Del, CA). We were only a trio for one week before Elder Segesman was transferred.  Elder Ferguson was with me from May 15^th to June 5 and then Elder Steven Beckstead was with me from June 5^th thru Sept 25^th.

I was then transferred to Cleburn  with Elder John Vernon Billings (Orem, Utah) for one week (Sept 25 to Oct 2) while waiting to go to Midland in west Texas.

I was called as a co-zone leader with Elder Richard Haire (Winnepeg, Canada) and we served together from Oct 2 thru Feb 25^th. He sneezed three times without fail every morning, never two or four always three.

 I was then assigned to Pampa in the Texas panhandle as a District Leader with Elder Kevin Kimball (LeGrande, Oregon) from Feb 26^th to April 24^th. Elder Leon Bright ((Lewiston, Utah) then served with me from April 25 thru June 5^th .

My final assignment was to Grand Prairie as a trainer. Elder Roger Wilson (Denver, Colorado) served with me from June 6 to July 25^th and Elder David Maughan (Tooele, Utah from July 25^th thru Oct 1, 1974.

May 16, 2011

When were you called on a mission?

After I had completed my first year of college and working for the summer following that semester I started my papers just before my 19^th birthday. We had the papers all ready and submitted to the Bishop so that all I had left was to have my Stake Presidents interview. Well before that happened there was a Bishopric change and a new Bishop called and somehow papers were lost. I started to process again and got the papers all ready but it was now after my 19^th birthday by three weeks. Apparently though the Stake President pushed things through quickly because I had my interview and two weeks later received my call on the same day as Ann Behrmann (Bagley) received hers. I them left two weeks later for the mission home. I received my call on a Saturday, went to Provo the following Saturday to get my clothing as outlined in the call and the following Saturday entered the mission home in Salt Lake City across from the Salt Lake Temple.

I went through the temple for the first time on Oct 2 while in the mission home. We were there for less than a week from Sept 30 to Oct 4 with Elder John Peterson (Logan, UT) as my companion and then flew to Dallas to start the mission.

May 15, 2011 Playhouse

Here is Grandma's new playhouse sitting where it had been for apparently several years.

Back side

Front side

This is where it landed after being pulled across wet grass to it's pre-determined destination. (almost, we couldn't get it where we really wanted it, a couple feet further east, because of the wet grass.)

We were able to pump up the tires in order to move it, except for one that was off the rim. This is what it looked like after we got it here. The playhouse had to be emptied before we brought it due to a whole bunch of clothes that had been thrown into it.

A few more views.

This is the inside looking south toward what will be my storage part of the structure

This is the inside looking north.

The back side where we want to add a deck and then use it for photography. It has a full size door for adults.

Thanks to Scott and Jeff we now have a great start on the deck. 

Looking north from the storage area.

Looking south from what will be the loft.

Looking south from under the loft.

We are hoping that our grandchildren will be able to have a lot of fun in it.

May 14, 2011

Mission Experiences

Describe the decision process you went through before you chose to go on a mission. What motivated you to go? Was your family supportive of your decision to serve?

The process for me was so gradual that I don’t recall any specific time when I decided that I would go on a mission, it was just a given. I did love Marie but that too was not a part of changing the decision since she knew I wanted to go and would not stand in the way at all. So the process was probably growing up with the expectation to serve and the example of three older brothers and a host of their friends and mine leaving for missions before it was my time. All of my classmates that went left before I did since I was the youngest of the group.

I also was young enough that I had a full year at Snow College and thus plenty of friends there who had served missions and plenty getting ready to go and leaving after the first semester that their examples were also strong for me.

My family, of course were all supportive of it and had proven it during the years of my brothers missions. Stan went to Argentina, Clair and Lynn had both been to California.

Stan and Lynn both spoke Spanish and Clair and I were English speaking.

May 13, 2011

Military Service

There is a section on Military Service but I was never  in the military due to a draft number of about 348 or something like that which kept me safe from being drafted into the Viet Nam war. Later draft numbers in the lottery style drafting system would not have been so good but the first number was the one that counted ,

May 12, 2011

What lessons about life have you learned from your career?

To be flexible and to always do your best regardless of the job function asked to perform. Then probably most important due to the number of twists that I have had in the road down my career has been to have faith in the Lord and to be willing to let myself be led by Him. I have had enough jobs in my career to almost be counted as a jack of all trades and a master of none but I have known the Lord’s goodness in keeping me financially above water and during times of no insurance He has blessed us with good health and resources for healing children as they have had need.  The Lord is the one who I accredit for leading me down life’s path and keeping me stable. The jobs that I have had have also been ones where I could serve Him in church callings and be able to do His work as well.

May 11, 2011

How did you decide on the career path your life has taken?

A class in high school caught my attention to electronics and a scholarship to Snow for the Electronics program solidified it. I spent two years learning electronics during a time of major advances in the industry and decided to become a technician rather than an engineer since it would put me into the workforce earlier and marriage was coming right after graduation. The rest of the careers have been due to the Lord opening doors and being willing to work at whatever I was asked. Most of the photography has been self -taught because of a great interest in it.

May 10, 2011

What kinds of jobs have you had?

Of course my first job was farming and mainly feeding and milking cows, feeding the other animals, irrigating the farm, weeding the garden, cutting, raking, baling, hauling and stacking the hay and whatever else there needed to be done.

The next job I had and official one where I was paid for the work was at the Texaco station pumping gas from 10 PM to 6 AM every day for the entire summer before I went to college. I then worked for the school district for short periods of time when home from school delivering groceries to the school and during the summer mowing football field and other various things. I also worked for Jack Skewes building  fence around a mobile home park at the mouth of Indian Canyon in Duchesne. I went on my mission and then came back directly into college where I worked for the Electronics lab. I again worked for the school district when home for winter break. After graduation and marriage I worked for a TV repair company called American Television Service. I worked there for three years before leaving due to broken promises by the boss for a raise and was unemployed for about three months before applying and being hired by Signetics Corp of Utah as a maintenance tech. Signetics shut down in Dec and had announced the closure back in April so for a time I worked two jobs, graveyard at Signetics and dayshift at Kara Chocolates where I ran a truffle molding plant. I quit there again due to promises from the bosses that were not met. They had asked me to work a graveyard shift and promised to have enough chocolate to keep me busy all night. Well I had enough to keep me busy one half hour, I had worked graveyard for them several times with the same conditions and knew it was time to find new employment. I was unemployed for several months as I studied insurance sales and received my Insurance and Securities licenses. However I was not a salesman and started trying to make a living from my photography at that point but had a reputation of inexpensive prices since I had not had to depend on it for a living so I continued to go deeper into debt. I also worked for several months building safes for Fort Knox Safes. It is a locally owned gun safe company owned by the TJ James . I installed pins in the doors and put in the shelves and carpet. I quit when my photography had me missing too many days to be fair to TJ. During those years I also rewrote the Timberline (Junior Leader Training) manual for the Utah National Parks Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

I then worked for Anderson Cabinet and Mantel as a cabinet finisher. I had actually taken Hayden there following his mission to get a job for him but Brett needed someone full time and so I started working for him instead. That lasted three years until Brett bought a house and spent more time there than getting jobs and I began working only a few hours a week so I took Loren to Provo Craft since there was an ad for work in the paper that Marie had seen and he had just graduated from school and needed a job until his mission. I ended up working for Provo Craft rather than Loren because they needed someone for full time and more than just a few weeks or months. I had worked there for seven years and two months and 10 days before a restructuring of the company made me a part of a reduction in force. Back to photography until I find my next job.