Shirleen's Spiritual Goal Is Fulfilled

     It did not take long for me to see that Dale's goals were the same as mine.

Dale

We didn't have to talk about them, I could feel them. We never discussed temple marriage but I could see and feel that he planned to marry no other way. Before we arrived at a solid understanding though I had to learn to trust once again. The picture at the end of Dale's coming home chapter taken on our first date speaks volumes. It shows I was cautious and I'm sure he was. I wasn't ready to leap into another snake pit. It had felt good to be free. I continued to date DeLyle, and I was looking forward to a date with a new acquaintance, Court Anderson. In my mind I had no idea if I was headed for another let down or disappointment and I believed I had begun to wonder if my heart was telling me the truth. Did I doubt the promise that had been apparent for more than five years? Was my faith wavering? Dale didn't give up on me though, until... 
     He had told me after a date that he'd call me and we'd do something the following weekend. The week past and I didn't receive a phone call from him. The weekend past and he still hadn't called. I was disappointed. As I lay in bed one morning early the following week, I pondered my feelings, I came to realize I liked him more than I had thought. I missed him a lot! I decided to go to Standard Station to find out why he hadn't called. I was nervous fearing that rejection might be the answer. He told me that he had made a rule with himself that if a girl made three mistakes (in other words, stepped out on him) that he was through. He informed me I'd had more than three black marks! He was straight to the point! I could sense his truthfulness. His eyes were focused on a goal (the knoll in my dream indicated that). He said he'd look at his work schedule and call me. I didn't dare tell him I had a date, and this one I had been encouraging. I went straight home and called Court. I told him I'd made the decision to go steady with Dale Van Leuven. Court was really nice! He asked for a rain check if things didn't work out with Dale. I told him if they didn't I'd let him know. I told Jeanne (my sister) to tell Johnnie J. to let DeLyle know. I felt he had earned getting it second hand. The dating battlefield lay strewn with soldiers. There is a nice quote by an unknown author, "When God's warriors go down on their knees, the battle is NOT over. It has just begun." It was a task, I believe, for God to get ME temple ready! Mother told me once, "Shirleen, a lot of suicides and murders are committed by people with broken hearts." I told her I was not trying to break anyone's heart. My own heart had its share of battle scars. I was just trying to find the right one that would marry me in the temple, honor his priesthood, be a good husband and father. Isn't that what the gospel teaches us? Isn't it what my parents taught? Isn't that what went deep into my soul when I listened to Sister Bryson's advise in her talk? I knew without a doubt that what I experienced was from above. I could not deny what I had experienced.
     The Holy Ghost, angels, loved ones on the other side, the Savior, God or whom ever watches over us knew in advance and had revealed it to me before it all came about. Why? Because even though at times it seemed fruitless I continued to pray.

     I marvel yet. I feel the tears build as I ponder it even this day. How can anyone deny there is not a Savior that answers our troubled hearts. I love Him! I love the one He led me too! I've always been so happy that I didn't give up. Dale's eyes are still focused on the knoll ahead. For that, I am grateful!

by Simon  Dewey
Lead, Kindly Light
See John 8:12

     

      I love this picture of our Savior, because His light can seem very dim, yet we can find his light in the dark. We just need to believe that he will do what He has promised if we put our trust in Him. He will lead the way in our darkest of times. He LIVES! I pray that my loved ones will come to realize and feel the great love He has for us all. 

     Life was not over, the seas did not calm. We were not perfect. We had just begun. We had a lifetime of adjustments, trials, and blind turns ahead. I had unanswered questions and I would put them aside for many years. It appeared my desire had come true, so my need was not the same but unaware the Savior was not finished, with me. He is not finished, with any of us. It is His calling, purpose, and desire that we follow Him and become perfected, purified, and sanctified. I had a lot to learn and still do. Dale and I are not finished we are still on our earthly journey this day the 29th of April, 2016. 

    Today we live in a world of sloppy people (excuse the expression) but lady teachers were expected to dress like women and men teachers were expected to wear dress pants and shirts to work. I had been asked (a long with a few other girls) by Marella's Dress Shop in Vernal to model some of their dresses for the Lady Elks at the Vernal Golf Club. I enjoyed the fashion world so I enjoyed doing it. For my birthday in August Dale purchased the dresses that I'd modeled. 
   I was expecting an engagement ring for Christmas and was surprised I didn't find it hidden in the two large packages he gave me, instead tucked inside one of the gifts was a beautiful Bulova watch. In one large gift was a electric blanket and the other a beautiful gold dress with a dinner coat that matched. When I opened the gift with the gold dress, I was taken back to the dream that Homer had. "Homer had promised it and Dale bought it", I thought to myself. Did the dress have a special meaning?

. Here a little and there a little," the gold dress did have great meaning for me. I've kept it all these years because of its special significance to me. It is not only a tangible gift from Dale, but of my walk with Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Ghost during a difficult time for me. It was another lesson the Holy Ghost wanted me to learn. Often He uses others to carry the information to us, when they are not aware they are doing so. Indeed it has taken a lifetime for me to understand a portion of its meaning and have more to learn. Christmas morning in 1963, when I opened the gift and saw it was a gold dress, I felt another soft spiritual awakening. In order to communicate with our Heavenly Father, our eyes, ears, heart, soul must be open to spiritual things, so we might receive Him and His word. What a beautiful Plan of Salvation. The Atonement is a special gift. The gold dress was a mortal (physical) gift that I was pledging to love and obey my future companion and marry him in the temple. We all must strive daily to earn the SPIRITUAL golden attire by seeking Jesus Christ and His word, being obedient and following His example. So that we can return back to Him golden. Gold is tempered at a high temperature. "When He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold"

Job 23:10. Life was not meant to be easy! The process of chastening, refining and sanctification can be found in D&C 101, D&C 122:7-9. Elder Dallin H. Oaks has said, "Our Savior is able to comfort, heal, and strengthen all men and women everywhere, but I believe He does so only for those who seek Him and ask for His help." President Thomas S. Monson teaches, "God our Father has ears with which to hear our prayers. He has eyes with which to see our actions. He has a mouth with which to speak to us. He has a heart with which to feel compassion and love. He is real. He is living. We are his children made in his image. We look like him and he looks like us." 
     Amulek testified, "This life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men (women) to perform their labors." He added: "Do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness where there can be no labor performed." See Alma 34: 32-34.

Dale's Spiritual Goal Is Apparent

     I met Shirleen Perry after we followed the girls to some apartments on

Shirleen

 1st South. After introductions and making the girls at ease in our company, we asked them to go for a ride. A couple of them needed to go elsewhere, but Shirleen and her younger sister, Lanette, agreed to go with us. Shirleen said she had plans for that evening so she couldn't be gone too long. Before we returned them back to their apartment, I asked her for a date for the following weekend. I continued to ask her for a date as often as possible. I got to know her family. I found them to be fun and easy to know. I took her home to meet Kent and Mother.

     Before I came home from France, I had started to look ahead and think about what I was going to do with my life. I wanted a family, extended family, to be near my own family, and the church. I had even thought of making the Air Force my career, then I realized I'd be continually around the rough environment that the military is known for. Such as swearing, dirty language, immorality, etc. I really didn't want that. The smallest of offenses, such as not making a bed correctly, cleaning a room, dust on shoes, a bad sunburn etc. could be grounds to being court marshaled, which would result in a dishonorable discharge. Receiving a honorable discharge was very important. Applications for jobs, loans, and schooling would include military information. "Did you serve in the military? Do you have an honorable discharge?" Not only for the mentioned reasons it would be a stressful career for a family! I continued to ponder my options after I returned home. 
     I'd taken some classes as a freshman at the University of Utah before leaving the States, so I considered going back to school and get a degree. I could go into traffic control but likely that meant a life of living in a city and controlling the sky traffic and runways which is a high stress career. Staying with Standard Stations was never an option for a life-long career. It was a hobby and a job to help get started in life. I was feeling it was time to settle down and get my life headed in another direction. Ray was married and having his family and was successfully supporting them. It can be mentally taxing as a young man prepares to start a family.  
     I found a '47 Chev 1/2 ton truck that I could afford so I could do some hauling. The engine had a lot of dirt on it. After I cleaned and sprayed the engine, it shone like a silver dollar. It cleaned up very nice. It had a straight six engine and I kept it until I moved to Salt Lake City and then I traded the '47 truck for a '57 Chev 1/2 ton.
     I decided to try the University of Utah again so I transferred to a Standard Station on 13th South and 13th East. I found an apartment in back of a house on 13th South and about 3rd East. The nightly traffic going by would vibrate my bed. I should have known going to the University of Utah wouldn't work out. After one quarter, I knew I would need a smaller college with smaller classes and quieter sleep hours. I begin to think of another college or university, and had even driven to Rexburg, Idaho to check out the possibility of attending Ricks College. Once I got there and looked around I didn't feel that was the answer. Shirleen had received her degree at the College of Southern Utah in Cedar City, Utah and had told me that she'd liked it. The professors at the U of U would hire a graduate student for each class to take notes. The graduate would then write the test, grade them and pass the results back to the professor. With a large class of fifty to sixty students, a person wouldn't be able to get any help from the professor.
     The Standard Station on 13th East and 13th South was new, but it was built on a small hill. During the first good rain storm, the water came in the front door, through the lube bay and out the other side and down the road. The engineers had not actually thought things through wisely.

     On my way to and from work, I would pass a dress shop. It had a small window right by the road and they had a gold dress on display. I thought, "that looks good." I would notice it more at night. The lights in the shop would illuminate it. With Christmas coming, I thought it would make a nice gift for Shirleen.

     Kati Marie Van Leuven Johnstun, our beautiful oldest granddaughter, is modeling the dress in the pictures below. The dress had a dinner coat that could be worn over the dress. 

     On New Year's Eve 1963, we went to the LDS New Year's Eve dance in Vernal. Leaving a little before midnight we rode to the lookout point on Highway 40, just coming into Vernal from Roosevelt. This is the same place we had driven to on the day we had met. I reached across to the jockey box and pulled out the engagement ring. I told her we were starting a new year and and this year can be a new life for us if she'd say yes to my request. I asked her to marry me. Of course, she didn't say no because here we are after fifty some odd years.

Our wedding bands match.

   One Sunday, Shirleen and I were attending Sacrament meeting in Vernal. Before the meeting started, the bishop came over to speak to us. He said that he had thought to ask me if I wanted to serve a LDS mission but he noticed the engagement ring on Shirleen's finger and could see that I was going to start a mission of my own.

    We started to make wedding plans. Shirleen finished teaching that school year. We had set a date of July 10, 1964 to be married in the Salt Lake Temple.
    We drove to Cedar City, to check the possibilities of me finishing school at the College of Southern. It looked very favorable and we felt good about it. I enrolled to start school at CSU (today it is Southern Utah University). Shirleen tried to find a teaching position but they did not have any openings. It was very hard to find a position in a college town. Once hired, the teachers would hang on to their positions, because they knew if they left Iron School District it would be difficult or next to impossible to get hired again. She applied and we hoped but, it looked very doubtful. The school district had many other job applications ahead of hers. The other school district was in St. George. It was another college town and was quite a drive from Cedar City so we didn't even consider that as an option. I got a job at a Standard Station in Cedar City and we found an older home with three apartments. The apartments had their own main entrance. We were lucky to get the front apartment. Another couple (Corry's) lived in the apartment behind us. Then there was a basement apartment a single student seemed to live there, though we seldom saw him. It was on a quiet street, near work, near the campus and had quiet neighbors.