WHAT BUILDING IS THAT?


It was in August of 1967. I had just finished J-57 jet engine training school at Clovis AFB in New Mexico. My fellow Airman Second Class companion and I were on our way to Vietnam.
He had attended the same school as I and the U.S. Air Force was paying for our tickets on a five day bus ride to McChord AFB in Washington State, about 40 miles south of Seattle.

The bus stopped at every little town that had a bus station, along the way. There was no place to shower or change our clothes and under military instructions, we were obligated to wear our uniforms for the entire trip. It was a long, boring ride and we slept in our bus seats when we got tired.

When we got into southern Utah, coming up thru Blanding, most of the country side looked bleak and dry. I had grown up all over the world, but spent much of my youth in southern California. The scenery was starkly disimilar. I vowed that I would never live in Utah. Little did I know of what future awaited me.

By the time we got to the outskirts of Salt Lake City, the traffic and people had increased significantly. When we pulled up to the Trailways Bus Station, we had to change buses and had about an hour layover. My companion and I looked across the street and said, almost in unison, "What building is that?" My Roman Catholic background told me that since there was no cross on the top of the structure, it had nothing to do with religion, but instead must be some sort of museum. We had the extra time, so we decided to walk across the street, to what I know now is Temple Square, and look around.

I had heard of Brigham Young and the pioneers, I had heard that he was a Mormon leader and had many wives, but more than that, I did not know. We gazed at the statues, we eyed the paintings, we wondered at the architecture, but we had no idea of what we were looking at. To me, it was kind of religious and yet I did not see one crucifix or statue of the Virgin Mary. It was not until we saw the Christus, that we realized that this was a Christian Church.

As we exited down the steps from there, we spied two young men in suits with name tags. One of them asked us, "So what did you think of the display upstairs?" We both commented that it was very beautiful and unlike anything we had ever seen before. My companion confessed no religious preference, whatever, in his background. "Would you like to sign our guest book so that if you have any questions later, we can answer them for you?" one of the missionaries said.
"No thanks, it's signing things that got us into the military on our way to Vietnam."

Our bus, by then, was about to leave, so we returned to the bus station, finally arrived at McChord AFB and departed for Vietnam a couple days later. I would probably never even remembered the episode had it not been for what happened later in summer of 1970. By then, I had survived Vietnam and was stationed at McChord. My brother had been discharged from the Marines and we were living in the Gateway Apartments, just outside McChord's main gate. We had met many females and my brother was dating seriously. We also lived next door to several single gals and they would drop by from time to time.

On one evening, my brother's girlfriend, Sharon, said she knew of a girl that would be just right for me and asked if I would like to meet her. I said that I would and after awhile this new girl, Jean, said she was a Mormon. I was surprised. "Just what do Mormons believe?" I said. She took out a little 13 Articles of Faith bookmark and guess what picture was on the opposite side of the wording? That's right. That special building that I had seen on my way thru Utah. The Salt Lake Temple.

Jean became my wife. I was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in October of 1973 and we were sealed in the Logan Temple in 1974. In 1986 we moved to Utah and have lived here ever since. We have five children and lots of grandchildren and the Church and my God and my family are all rolled into one. I am extremely grateful for my membership in the Church. I do not believe that it was by accident that I saw Temple Square in 1967 or met my future wife afterwards, for those events have changed my life.