GROWING UP IN THE CHURCH

My earliest recollection of church was while we lived in Boise, Idaho. I think it must have been for Junior Sunday School, because it seems to have been on Sunday. That’s where I met the first friend I remember. His name was Roy. Since that was the same first name as one of my favorite heroes, Roy Rogers, I remember him. I had several nursery rhymes and stories that I had memorized by hearing them over and over. And I recited some of them in Sunday School.

After we moved to Salt Lake, and settled on Wyoming Street, we attended the Beacon 2nd Ward. The building was across the street from Dilworth Elementary School. I’d usually go across the street for Primary, but sometimes I’d skip Primary. Mom and I frequently went to Sunday School.

Once, while partaking of the Sacrament in Sunday School, I received a personal lesson from one of the church leaders (I think it was Bishop Garff) on how to take the Sacrament. It seems that I’d been taking it with my left hand. The gentleman came down from the stand and sat beside me and had me practice taking it with my right hand.

I also met the Prophet, David O. McKay at Sunday School once. My friend, David Ashton was in that ward, and President McKay was his grandfather. President McKay came to our ward for meetings because his daughter attended that ward.

About five months after I turned 8, I was called into the Bishop’s office to be interviewed for baptism. By this time Bishop Garff had been released, and Bishop McMullin was the one I interviewed with. I was asked if I kept the Word of Wisdom. I didn’t know what that was, as I had not been attending regularly. But I figured that it had something to do with being wise, and I was trying to do that, so I answered in the affirmative. Years later, after I had learned what the Word of Wisdom really is, I realized that I had not been keeping the Word of Wisdom. I had been sneaking sips of my dad’s beer on occasion. But I never did after I found out the truth.

I was baptized in the font at the Salt Lake Tabernacle on March 17, 1953. A young Priest named Richard Hardy baptized me. I was confirmed by my grandfather, Elmer W. Gale, in the LeGrand Ward on March 29, 1953.

I especially enjoyed singing the hymns and Primary songs. I know it helped me learn to read as well, since reading along with the hymns was easy. They went fairly slowly, a lot of the phrases ended in words that rhymed, and I could hear what other people were singing, so I got the words right from the start.

When I was about 9 years old, they built a new ward building on Foothill Boulevard. It must have been about the same time that Beacon Heights Elementary was being built. We had to walk further from the school to the church building than previously. I started to enjoy Primary so I attended more regularly.

I liked the activities that went along with the boys’ Primary curriculum. I went to a neighbor’s house a few times for boy type skill practice. I do not remember what we did, but I do remember enjoying it. The 9, 10, and 11 year old boys were the Blazers, Trekkers, and Guides. We had green bandaloes with plastic achievement awards that we attached to them as we learned the Articles of Faith and performed different services.

Not long before Christmas, the Primary chorister came along listening to each class sing. I liked to sing, so I sang as loud and as well as I could for her. Later, she pulled me and two other boys out to take parts in the Christmas Primary Program, a little play called The Littlest Christmas Tree. Since I was the smallest of the three boys, I got the lead part. In the story, a dove is looking for a place to roost to be out of a storm. Both of the other, bigger trees turned her away. But the littlest Christmas tree allowed her to rest in his branches. The dove was played by a cute little blond girl, and I held her in my arms to protect her from the storm.

I also wanted to be involved with Cub Scouts. At the time, the Church did not sponsor Cubs. The people in the neighborhood who were involved with Cubs were anti-Mormon. After I got started, they changed all the meetings to be at the same time as Primary. They wanted to preclude the Mormon boys from participating. So I had to make a choice. I chose Primary, because the Primary teachers were so much nicer than the Cub Scout leaders.

The year we were living at 1070 Lincoln Street, we were in the LeGrand Ward. I became more involved with church that year. I attended both Primary and Sunday School regularly, and even an occasional Sacrament Meeting. Sister Hales was our Sunday School teacher. She had 10 and 11 year old boys in the class. Her son Jimmy was a year younger than I, but he was bigger. He was also a little wilder. When he would get out of hand, she’d speak to him in German and he’d straighten right up. I found out that he was afraid of his German grandmother who lived with them. By this age he was bigger than she was, but was scared to death of her.

When we moved to East Mill Creek, Jeff Anderson and Charlie Nielson came by our home and invited me to go to church with them. I was happy to have new friends. Jeff was a little younger than I, so both of us were still in Primary for a month or so. Sister Barney was our Primary teacher. She loved her “Guide Patrol” boys. Jeff and I graduated from Primary together.

The first Sunday Mom took David and Tawny and me to church, the building was closed. We didn’t know it, but they were having Stake Conference, and were dividing the Canyon Rim Stake from the East Mill Creek Stake. Gordon B. Hinckley was called as the new Stake President.

I was ordained a Deacon on November 11, 1956 by LeRoy M. Strand. He was the Bishop of the East Mill Creek Ward. As a Deacon, I learned about the Individual Award Program. To receive an award, you needed to attend 75% of your Priesthood and Sacrament Meetings, 75% of Stake Conference meetings, complete a certain number of service assignments and pay a full tithe. I had few awards while growing up, and I decided I wanted to be awarded. So I started going to my meetings. It was hard at first, as I was not in the habit of going to Sacrament Meeting. I missed quite a few the first couple of months. But then I settled in and had made all my meetings by the end of the year. I had forgotten about tithing, however, so I didn’t get an award the first year.

I don’t remember much about my first talk in Sacrament Meeting. That was one of the requirements for the Individual Award. I do remember being called “Preacher Jim” by a couple of adults afterward. I must have delivered a sermon, rather than a talk.

I did enjoy gathering Fast Offerings each month, and I enjoyed passing the Sacrament. I especially liked the service projects at the Stake Farm. Hard work beside other boys and good men was very satisfying. We cleaned irrigation ditches, hauled hay, cleaned the milking barn, fed the cows, and cleaned wind breaks. I did get sick on one hay haul, as I worked too hard in the hot sun and got heat stroke. A good drink of cool water and a few minutes rest and I was fine.

Another activity that was new to me was attending Stake Conference. At first the East Mill Creek Stake did not have their own Stake Center. We met at the old Grant Stake Tabernacle in Sugar House. That was the first time I remember feeling the Spirit of the Holy Ghost. I was sitting in the balcony of the chapel and the Stake President was speaking. The feeling was wonderful, and I decided I liked coming to Stake Conference. Further experiences with that feeling as I was growing through my teen age years helped me to develop a testimony. I really enjoyed inspired speakers. Still do.

When I turned 14, I was ordained a Teacher by Bishop Strand. I then was assigned to be a Ward Teaching companion to Brother Larry Morgan. We were assigned to visit families who had recently moved into a some new houses in the ward, at the east end of 3400 South, where I lived at the west end. One of the first was the family of Robert Farr Smith, which included his wife Rae Ellen, daughter Georgia, and sons Stephen and Stuart. They also had 2 chihuahua dogs named Tia and Poky. Georgia was not happy to have moved, so she immediately did not like me.

I loved participating in Scouts. More about that later.

I continued in that ward. It was divided in about 1960 and we were now in the East Mill Creek 11th Ward. Ralph Pitts was called as the new Bishop. I began dating Cheryl Cutler, and as she was best friends with Georgia Smith, we often double dated, me with Cheryl, and Georgia with the Bishop’s son, Paul Pitts.

I had several callings in the Aaronic Priesthood, Deacons Quorum Secretary, Teachers Quorum Secretary, counselor in various presidencies. In 1961 Cheryl and I, and Paul and Georgia were called as dance directors for the ward. We participated in a couple of church dance programs. Later Paul and Cheryl dropped out of the program, and Georgia and I were the only ones involved.

I took Seminary classes in high school. Old Testament from Brother Max Moffett, New Testament from Brother Olsen, and Doctrine & Covenants from Brother Groberg. I graduated from Seminary at the same time as I graduated from high school. They only offered 3 years at the time.