He told me about his time being in the military. He joined back when he turned 18 like most of the young men did during that time. They were eager to join the cause of defending their country. He joined the army in particular and after a few months in the army he was given the opportunity to take $ 10,000 to join a special training program in the military. Of course he did what young man wouldn’t pass on a lump sum of money like that. He then entered the training and learned to interrogate and retrieve information from captives. After his training was complete he was sent to Korea. The soldiers that he was going to be joining in Korea was a marine division and apparently marines do not get along with army boys too well. So he was issued a marine uniform and sent to interrogate those captured by the marines and get all the information from them that was needed. He mentioned that they usually only had 24 hours to interrogate before handing the captives over to the Southern Koreans. Who would not use interrogation techniques that are quite as gentle as the Americans. Like shoving bamboo slivers under your finger nails. After two years with the military he decided that enough was enough. He had seen all that he needed to see and wanted to start a family and move on in his life. He said how he saw all these army people who tried having families and constantly moving or being away didn't really seem like much of a marriage, especially with some of the good ol' American boys having a family back home and a family in Korea.
He left the military when his time was up. He was asked how his experience was and he said that it was a "good and rich experience" and when asked if he wanted to continue serving in the military he declined saying that he was going to move on and have an even more rich and better experiences than the army could offer. He got into a university and worked towards his doctorate. While in school he met his wife on a blind date. Love at first sight as he put it. They fell in love and were married. A little extra note, she got pregnant on their wedding night. He made sure I knew that, and that threw a little twist in their life having a child so quick. He worked hard in schooling and did eventually get his doctorate. He was a counselor in schools. After he achieved his doctorate though, he taught on the university level in Chicago. After settling down in his new career teaching at the university he had established a family and felt successful in life.
Mormons. Those Mormons always get you somehow, someway. He had his door knocked one day by a pair of young men in white shirt and ties. They weren't selling vacuums, or insurance. They were knocking doors "saving souls" teaching from a little book that was difficult to read. They said that it was about Jesus Christ visiting the ancient American civilizations after his death, and apparently that story would have some interest in our lives today. They just had to knock on this man's door. Of all the homes in his neighborhood, out of all the times they could have knocked and he would not be there, they had to come. He let them in and he thought to himself what can two young men wandering the streets without parental supervision possibly have to teach a doctor teaching in a university. He listened to their memorized first discussion about their religious beliefs. It sounded nice and all but not anything too special. They left him a blue Book of Mormon. He read the first seven chapters and quit.
Two weeks later the Mormons came back and gave another memorized discussion/presentation and asked how his reading had been with the little blue book. He told them that he quit reading because the book was boring to read. It was boring because everything kept coming to pass and wouldn't just pass. The missionaries laughed at that comment and told him that he was reading the book wrong. How dare they! How dare these two nomadic, nicely dressed young men tell a university professor with a doctorate that he was reading a book incorrectly! That's just absurd and in his mind disrespectful! Well needless to say, he began reading the book again with new vigor to have this book studied so that he could show these know-it-all ruffians a thing or two about their book coming to pass. As he read, the truthfulness of the book sunk into his heart. It came to pass that he began to understand the message these two young men were trying to convey. His interrogating mind and heart was opened and filled with understanding and love and he wasn’t sure why, it made him uncomfortably comfortable and at peace. He was reading this book to argue different points with these two young men and show them the fault in their teaching, but instead he felt calm and serene. He was touched as he read about Jesus, the savior of the world, healing the people that He visited on the American continent after His death. Chapter 17 in 3rd Nephi touched his soul as he read of how Jesus took the people and children one by one healing their infirmities, afflictions, and pain. How Jesus took the time to bless each individual person so lovingly one by one. This touched his heart because he had an infirmity, he had afflictions, and he had experienced pain in his life. If Jesus could come to America after he died and risen again to bless those people then Jesus could heal him too. That was the message. He knew what these Mormon boys were trying to teach. Not about a church, not about a blue book about some guy named Mormon, but about Jesus reaching out to all people and healing that can be had in our life today through Him. The missionaries came back a while later and checked up on the man. They went through the lessons with him and asked if he wanted to be baptized. He wasn't sure. He knew the lessons in the Book of Mormon and knew of it's truthfulness. His wife, who was a Lutheran/Baptist, had a Catholic priest come and visit the family to talk to him about these Mormons. After talking about his experience with these Mormons, the priest simply replied "Well if you know it's true then you don't have much of a choice do you?" It was true. He was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It took those young Mormon boys two years waiting for him to make the decision to be baptized into the church, and a few years after that for his wife and children to join. He told me of how blessed he has been in his life and that someone must be looking out for him because of how he came across those Mormon boys and where he has ended up in life.
A couple of years ago, his dear wife had passed away. As this man talked about his wife his eyes would water and swell. During his story, I thought that he just really loved his wife, which he does. But now I knew why the tears. He gently tapped his heart and a few tears rolled down his old wrinkled face. "Hurts." It was all that he said as he looked me in the eyes it was all he needed to say. I understood and I have to admit that I could feel my eyes water as well. I had listened so intently to this man's story and I had been so touched that I felt as if I were in his shoes. I felt as though I were him and I could feel a portion of the longing that he had for his sweet wife. He really loved his wife who he had met and fell in love with on a first date. The wonderful woman who got pregnant on their wedding night and never let him live that one down. The woman who tried to keep him from those crazy Mormon boys. The woman who learned what he had learned and joined the church, and they were sealed together with each other and with their children for time and all eternity in the temple. They were married for 51 years. They are still married, not together now but they will be when he joins her. This man truly, truly loves his wife and he misses her dearly. One of the things that carry him through the day is his sarcastic sense of humor, which he used on me constantly.
You know, you see love all the time. This man really loved his wife and you can easily see and feel the love he has towards her when you talk to him. It is touching and amazing. You feel a rush through your whole frame when he talks of her. You have a reverence about you when you see him miss her touch, her smile, her voice, her love.
I hope that this story can be a constant reminder to me to remember how blessed I am. To hold dear to what really matters in life. I hope that this story can touch your heart as it has mine. I am lucky to have met this man and hear his story. It won't be much longer that he will meet his wife on the other side and spend the rest of his time honoring her.
Every one has a story. This was a great one. Thanks for sharing.
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