35 Years of Joy

I was 18 years old and dating a wonderful girl who was cute and fun to be around with. I had no thoughts of going on a mission and was thinking about the possibility of getting married as soon as she graduated from high school. I was fasting in preparation for a Patriarhtical Blessing. I have never really fast like this before. I went to the Patriarch very sincere in wanting to know the mind and will of the Lord. I was active in the church but I could not say that I understood the immensity of the Gospel in my life. While I was receiving the blessing I felt an overwhelming Spirit. It was an experience that I was not use too. When the Patriarch mention and talked about my future wife the Spirit became acute and peaked in impact at that time. The Patriarh told me after the blessing that he saw who I was going to marry in his mind and that if he saw her right now he would recognize her. He told me that this was a rare experience and he wanted to share this with me. I knew for sure that the girl he saw was not the girl I was dating at that time. Fast forwarding in time, I had a tough time finding a job and was miserable with life and it was in this situation that I recalled my Grandpa Rigby talking about a boy he knew who could hardly read and went on a mission and the difference that took place when he got home from his mission as he became very successful and happy with life. As I reflect what he said I decided to go on a mission and was instantly happy and my life never seem so clear and full of joy. I rode that ride right throughout my mission. While I was on my mission I went to a "Know Your Religion" lecture and the lecturer was John Lund. He gave one of the best talks I have ever heard and I went up to thank him. I was talking to someone and had my back to him. Suddenly, I heard a voice say,"Elder, I need to talk to you." I turned and saw that he was talking to me. He told me that he did not know why he was saying this but he wanted to counsel me to take time on my preparation day to write 3 things that I want from my wife. He told me that this is a good time to do this because I would be thinking about spiritual things. On my next preparation day I wrote these three things that I wanted from my wife. One, she had to have a strong testimony of the Gospel. Two, she had to be a person who would act and dress in a modest way. Third, she had to love children and want children. I was now in Pocatello, Idaho. That was the Celestial Kingdom on our mission. My mission president, President Wright went home and we had a new one came in. The new president was President Frost and he came in on July of 1973. In between the time that the Presidents changed over the Assistants to the President transferred me out of Pocatello and sent me to Lander, Wyoming. I was already a Zone Leader for over a year, but these Assistants put a personal friend in the Celestial area in our mission and sacrifice me. This is not sour grapes but the truth because those Assistants drove me to my area in Lander, Wyoming and they told me what they did. I was bitter but what was I going to do, cause a disturbance, it just didn't seem like the right thing to do. A little note, they were released as Asst. to the President 2 weeks later when President Frost changed the mission to having two assistants rather than 4. Well, they dropped me off in Lander and said there goodbyes and I was in the apartment wondering what to do. I knew that I could not serve properly with a bitter attitude so I got down on my knees and promised the Lord that I would work harder than I have ever worked before and asked the Lord to bless me in this area. I did work hard and I saw a lot of great things take place in Lander. I was baptizing and teaching a lot of lessons. While I was there President Frost sent me a companion that he stated was in his last area if he didn't change, because he had problems of a serious nature dealing with sex and a determined desire not to do the work. He told me that if he doesn't change with me he would have to send him home. I will not mention what his name is, but it was a struggle to work with him at first. The work though was still going well and the missionary seem to catch fire and started to work hard with me. After about a month of working with this Elder we went to a Sacrament meeting. It was the first Sunday in September and it was a Fast and Testimony meeting. While I was sitting there a girl walked in and my Spirit soared, it literally becamed electrafied. I knew with a clarity that this was the woman I was going to marry. I have never seen her before, but I knew I was going to marry her. As my Spirit was screaming with a pure joy, I sat there dumbfounded. She was dressed modestly and was taking care of her two nieces and she was so cute with them. I could tell she loved children. Are you getting the picture, remember my goals for what I wanted from my wife. Then, the testimonies started and I looked at her and the thought hit me that I wish she would get up and bear her testimony. She instantly got up and bore an absolutely beautiful testimony. There she was, my future wife and I have about 6 months left on my mission. She did not know me and I did not know her, but I knew, I knew for sure. The next night after I got home from the work we did, I was worried that maybe I was going crazy and it did not make sense that I would have this experience on my mission and especially with the companion that I had. I certainly couldn't tell him about the experience. So, while I was laying there pondering the possibility that I had seen my future wife, well, I decided to get a second confirmation because it bothered me that this happen on my mission and I wanted to know if what I experienced was true. I knelt down and prayed and asked Heavenly Father if the experience I had came from Him or was it my imagination. I felt myself pleading for confirmation and then through my prayers I found myself chastising myself severely for asking something like this on my mission. Then the Spirit told me to ask once more, I paused and wonder if that was real. Well, I asked once more and then my Spirit soared with emotion and I had a tremendous feeling of peace and electricity combined together in witness that could not be misunderstood. I now know that the experience was real and true. I instantly asked the Lord if I could be transferred and I was, two weeks later I was gone. I told my greenie, Elder Williams about the experience, yea you got it, he was transferred to Lander and well, he had a big mouth and told the girl name Venna about my experience. Now, you made be wondering if I ever talked to Venna about my experience in Lander and the answer is no, I didn't but I did introduce myself and we talked about general things like missionary work. Well, because of Elder Williams she now knows that there is a crazy missionary in Billings, Montana. I never wrote her nor did I ever talked to her after I was transferred. I promised again that I would work as hard as I could and then I would excercise faith that someway He would help me figure out how the rest of the story would take place. I loved it in Billings and the work was great. The day before I went home I had a interview with the Mission President. I told him about Venna and my experience in Lander. He told me that it was a true experience because he felt the confirmation through the Spirit as I told him the story. He then told me to call her up that night before I go home and tell her what happen and ask for permission to come up and see her. I told him that I could not do that because I was still on my mission. He said, "Elder, you have always been faithful and obedient your whole mission. I am asking you to be obedient now and do this for me." I told him that I would be obedient. I called Venna and she gave me permission to come and see her after I got home from my mission. When I got home I talked to my mom and dad and my mom told me to drive up there. So, after spending less than a week home I was off to Lander, Wyoming to meet this girl that I was told by the Spirit would be the one that I will marry. We were married some 4 months later on August 30th, 1974. Now, 8 children and 2o grandchildren later, I recognize that I am the happiest person on this earth and I am married to the most wonderful person that there could be. The Patriarch saw it, John Lund felt it, the Spirit confirmed it and I was thankfully obedient. On this 35th anniversary, I want Venna to know that I love her with all my heart.