A Girls Decison to Only Marry a Returned Missionary
I grew up in a home where my father was not a member of the Church and my mother was less active. That all changed later, and they spent much of their life as temple workers. With that background I didn't know much about the Church, even though I thought I did.
When I was about to graduate from the university, the Lord dropped an atomic bomb in my life. Her name was Jeanene Watkins. She was a beautiful girl. It took me a long time to date her because so many others recognized her wonderful qualities.
As we began to date, I discovered that she was all I had ever dreamed of finding. I fell completely in love with her. I could tell she had deep feelings for me also.
One night, when we were talking about the future, she carefully wove into the conversation an important comment.
She said, "When I marry, it will be to a returned missionary in the temple."
I don't remember anything else she said. I hadn't thought much about a mission and didn't understand much about temple marriage. I went home and couldn't think of anything else. I was awake all night. I couldn't do anything at the university the next day.
Soon I was at the bishop's office, having prayed about the importance of a mission. We both went on missions, and when we returned were sealed in the temple.
Much later I came to realize that she would have left me had I not made the right choices.
Jeanene's courage in standing up for her dream of a temple marriage to a returned missionary, regardless of her love for me, has made all of the difference in our lives together. I will never be able to thank her adequately for not compromising her righteous dreams.
Personal Experience shared by Richard G. Scott at a BYU Devotional on March 3, 1996