The stories of how I met my wife could be made into a TV series. I might tell a few of them elsewhere. Somehow, someway, we got together and decided to get married.
There are no checklists by for that decision, no flashing lights that tell you that you have made the right choice, no letter from the President of the Church to tell you hat you have been called to spend the rest of your life and all of eternity with that certain person.
Indeed, the uncertainty of whether the choice was the right one or not can plague a relationship. My being is analytical and able to consider so many alternatives certainly let me to various considerations. We got engaged in steps. We had a pre-engagement engagement when we were in Yellowstone. I declared by love – or rather that I thought I could lover her – to Julie. That led to a period where I tested my own faithfulness and intent. And for that period, my thoughts and heart were loyal to Julie. So I asked her to marry me, for her hand in marriage, on her birthday at her parents’ house in Kaysville.
That led to a brief but effective engagement period. August 9th to November 19th of 1982 is three months and ten days. And I kept tack of each day and each hour. During that time, we had the choice to talk with 5 bishops. Her parents finished a room in the basement, and we found a house, a home to live in. All those are worthy of stories themselves, as well.
I wan t to focus on the marriage, the wedding, the sealing, itself. It came up quickly. I was still in school and working. Julie was teaching. The arrangements were made. We would go to the Jordan River Temple for Julie’s endowment or Thursday the 18th. , On the 19th Ivy and Bruce Gilchrist would host a wedding breakfast, followed by the sealing ceremony at the Jordan River Temple at 11:00 AM. An open house was to scheduled to follow at Julie’ parent’s house that night. The following week was Thanksgiving which we were to take off.
The first indication of something special was happening took place at the veil for the endowment ceremony. I was pretty confident of my ability to handle all of the parts of the temple ceremony. However, at the veil, as part of the ceremony, it was revealed to me clearly as a voice whispering in my ear that my Julie and I were to be together, husband and wife.
The time to savor the moment was brief. I had to run back down to Provo to participate in a flag football tournament game. Members of our singles ward played together on that cold frosty evening.
Another of life’s little miracles happened that evening. We had not ordered the wedding rings until after we had been engaged. Even though the design was simple, it was unique in white gold and we despaired of having the ring before the wedding. I called that day and learned that the set was ready. But I could not get to the store before it closed. The owner, very graciously, a Ron Wilson, I recall, offered to have me come by his house to pick up the rings. So in conjunction with the football game, I was able to pick up the rings.
It made for an interesting wedding breakfast. I showed it to my Mom and Julie’s sisters to gain their help in giving it to Julie. I don’t recall the stratagem that was used to give it to her. I do remember her delight and surprise and how she was so astonished to get it. She was truly grateful and happy. We put them back into the ring cases for after the sealing ceremony.
At the temple, I asked to speak with a member of the temple presidency. I asked him if what happened at the veil the day before was planned or expected. He was able to tell me, as I know now, that there was no special veil procedure for couples who are getting married.
With that puzzling me, we went to the sealing room. Julie Appeared, lovely in her temple-worthy bridal gown and temple clothes. We sat together on a bench, facing the sealer. As he began to talk, two things of significance happened. Fist, he repeated key advice that had been given to us by every bishop – and we had talked with five of them during our engagement. This advice focused on communication and listening. And he didn’t touch on it briefly, but expounded on it. I hope I have heard and heeded the message.
The second thing that happened, impacted me eternally. In the sealing rooms of the temples are mirrors facing each other, creating reflections that go on beyond what can be seen and counted. As the sealer spoke, my mind was opened and a vision was given me where I saw the future and the past, my ancestors and my descendents. I saw how I was a pat of a great chain, a linkage, a network. I saw how we are all connected and mostly importantly, I saw that we were all part of a plan, and that the Lord had a plan for me, Julie and our family. We had been prepared for that moments, and our family and children were part of his eternal plan.
The vision was brief. It lasted an eternity and my mind did not comprehend it all. I did not see it all. Yet it seemed to open and close in just a few moments.
The rest of the ceremony was beautiful and wonderful. I listened to the words as I knelt across the alter from my soon-to-be wife and understood the words much better than ever before. We stood and exchanged rings, which is not part of the ordinance, but allowed me to stand close to this wonderful woman who had agreed now and forever, past and future to be my wife, to help me, for me to help her. The rings were exchanged, as was a sweet kiss.
We got through the rest of the day without getting hurt. I say this because there was such a calm , a sweet joy that filled us that I, at least, was not extremely focused. We got into Julie’s little, red, under-powered Mustang, got our luggage, checked into the hotel in Salt Lake City, then traveled up to Kaysville, where the open house was being held at Julie’s parents’ home. We were surrounded by friends, my best man, Bill Waite, our families, brothers, sisters, cousins, uncles, and aunts. We enjoyed an evening of visits. We sorted and recorded the gifts. Finally, when it was very late, we made our way back to the hotel and our life together.
The sealing ceremony was a miracle- repeated in temples were to clarify to me the miracles was gain how things worked together, from ring to breakfast, to ceremony to reception and all things flowed together.
The greater miracle and one for which I am grateful beyond words was the revelations to my ears, my mind, my heart and my spirit that a right choice had been made, that Julie and I were a team and had been so prepared from before the world was and that God cared enough to let this even analytical, questioning person know.
No comments:
Post a Comment