Lorena and I [had] decided that we should make plans for our marriage. We had selected and purchased our home at 1990 South Main Street, Salt Lake City, Utah.

It was the later part of November, 1925, when I attended my Priesthood meeting one Monday morning in the Poplar Grove Ward. Harold B. Lee was my Elders’ President. He presided and taught the quorum meeting. After a fine session, we returned to the chapel to be dismissed, when I was approached by Bishop Paul C. Child to go on a mission.

I was greatly upset over the news, for I had longed and wished to bring my children home for the care of a new mother. To delay this anticipated joy seemed wrong and a great shock; however, I asked for two days before I gave an answer.

I immediately returned home and talked to Lorena over the telephone about the matter. I was surprised to learn her attitude. I was thinking about my crippled boy, also how badly I wanted to be married and bring my family together. Also, the fear of measuring up to what would be expected of me. Lorena was thrilled, saying everything to encourage me, for that was what she wanted me to do. I felt I must know [for myself], and it must come through the same source the call came.

After much fasting and prayer, one morning at the break of day in my small apartment, I found myself lying on my back wide awake listening to a voice calling me by name. “The children will be all right. Go on this mission; don’t you remember how we longed for this when I was with you?” Then I was left alone. Oh, what joy filled my soul, for now I had my answer and a short visit with my dear wife, the mother of my children, who assured me she was interested in my welfare.

Three days later, being the Sabbath day, Lorena insisted that we take a ride to American Fork to pay a visit to Patriarch Warren B. Smith and wife. While there we asked him to bless me for this journey. I remember I was told that this call to a mission had come through the uniting of those in authority over me and those of my loved ones who had passed this life. He told me that I would go and return in safety and the Lord would watch over me and my children. This was enough evidence, and I left with a greater testimony and assurance that again my life and destiny [were] being guided.

I made arrangements to go see my children. The following day I drove to Oak City in my new Ford Coupe and presented my case to my sister Delilah and her good husband Eddie. They immediately accepted the call with me and graciously offered to go on in the care of my children. I then spoke, and afterwards it frightened me, as I remember feeling a power I had not witnessed before. I said, “Delilah, I am grateful for your attitude. If you will make this call possible for me to accept, I will promise you health that you have not had. You will prosper financially. And I will come home to find Myron [his crippled son] healed because of my obedience to this call of the Lord.”

I blessed my crippled boy and bade farewell to my dear children and my folks. I returned to Salt Lake City built up to make a report to the Bishop that I would go. I felt enthused but very humble about the responsibility before me.

Journal Excepts

On February 2, 1926, I was set apart for my mission by Steven L. Richards. I bid my friends farewell and boarded the train; my trip to Denver was very lonesome.

Sunday, February 7th went to class at 8:00 a.m. and got acquainted with all the Elders and Sisters laboring in the Denver Conference, and in this class I was called to [bear] my testimony and also give [a] short talk. This day was well spent, and [I] enjoyed it greatly.

After breakfast we called on the Hobson family and made arrangements to live with them for $10 for our room and 30¢ for breakfast and supper each, making $23 per month. So we moved today, taking two trips with our car. It was a bitter cold day. The groceries we had on hand we gave to the people where we stayed…

Between Pearl and Spruce Streets we went on our way making our last calls, having some good success and many refusals. I had remembered from calling before a lady who appeared to be insane, and she gave me the same idea today, but to my surprise, her neighbors told me she was deaf, so the joke was all on me because I was not heard. At noon I found Elder Noyes in talking to a Catholic [salesman] who had just returned from Salt Lake and thinks considerable of the Mormons. He took our number and invited us later to his home for dinner.

We met with a peculiar case later in the day. An old man told us he was cut off from his church for just using tobacco which, he said, God put on earth for man to use, as after everything was complete, God said everything was good…

After breakfast we went to the home of Mrs. Boyock to administer to her brother before their leaving on their journey west. Spent the forenoon talking to them and rejoicing over our various testimonies of the Gospel.

[Just before Christmas] I called Lorena Wood, my sweetheart, after 9:00 p.m. to get the night rates. I talked seven minutes which cost us $3.20— $ 1.60 each. [The next day] we arose, ate breakfast, and walked downtown to see the telephone company regarding the mistaken extra charge the lady gave us at the booth of the hotel last [night].

 A hard day was spent calling on the people of Boulder and receiving very little encouragement for our efforts. We went from door to door; some of the people took our literature but had no time to listen to our message, while others refused our tracts. But we did not become discouraged, as those off days come occasionally to a person who is serving the Master as a missionary…

We spent the forenoon tracting and the afternoon we held a meeting at the Boulder County Hospital and poor house. We had an audience of 25, mostly old men. They expressed themselves that it was a feast to them, and invited us back to hold more meetings. We also invited some of the sick who were bedfast and gave them the Gospel, and at night we went out to see Brother Pane and explained the seriousness of delaying his baptism inasmuch as he had asked for that ordinance.

[In Lafayette] we found a Brother Mason and family who has been furnishing the saints a home for their Sunday School held in the past, but learned that they had been discontinued for about a year. The family kept us overnight. We visited all the saints in this town, five families in all. These people were all overcome with joy and all treated us with courtesy, and some others who think they will be baptized, and we promised them we would come back on Sunday and hold a meeting with them and attend to these ordinances.

[The next day] we arose early, took breakfast with the Mason family where we had slept, and walked over the city Lafayette and visited several homes of saints. About noon we started west, then bore off north. Every home we entered asking them for food as the last meal we early in the morning; finally, after becoming very weak, we were taken in a home; the people treated us very kindly and gave us a wonderful supper and afterward served us candy. We left a blessing in this home and went on, asking for a bed, going about five miles on north visiting every house as we went, giving them the Gospel and leaving our tracts, meeting good people, but no one had a place for us. Finally we got permission to sleep in a vacated home with a large barn with some hay in it, so we decided to sleep in the barn on hay, but about the middle of the night we became cold and went into the house and spent the remainder of the night on the bare floor. This is our first day among strangers without money, and one of the happier days of my life. [End of journal excerpts.]

I enjoyed the twenty-eight months spent in this calling, for it was a good experience for me, and I trust that many were blessed and made better from my humble efforts. I had a pleasant trip home, accompanying my co-laborers whom I learned to love. It was hard to leave the mission field and the people I loved, but when home it was good to be with my loved ones. I called to see Lorena who had been faithful in waiting for this mission to end, after our plans [had been] made, our home purchased, thirty months previous. During this time I received two letters each week—much devoted writing and time spent, gifts and parcels were received from her.

I could not wait until I saw my children, so after a few hours’ visit, I took the next train to Oak City, stayed overnight, and returned with my crippled boy, Myron, to find the Lord had fulfilled my prophecy to my sister Delilah when asking her to mother my children so I could answer my mission call, that I would come home to find the boy healed.

I called on Doctor Baldwin. He said after taking Myron’s cast off, which he had worn almost six years, “You can leave your crutches here for another little boy to use; you will not need them anymore.”

His proud father with him walked out of the doctor’s office, happy and grateful for the blessings earned from obedience in serving the Lord, in answer to a call of a mission.