Art & Dot

I recently had the chance to review my grandparents' "how we met" stories and I was struck by the courage and faith both of my grandmothers showed in making that very important marriage decision. These stories highlight to me an aspect of their "conversion" stories as well. They were committed to choosing the right, keeping the commandments, following the prophet, and being faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. In this grandmother's story, I was particularly impressed that even though she didn't really have a testimony of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith, she felt enough of the truth to be baptized and keep going to church, to be active and involved. In time, deeper testimony and conversion came. It's okay to question, just keep praying, pondering and persevering. I'm so grateful for their examples!

 Art and I met under romantic conditions. We each had arranged to go to Catalina Island for a weekend – I with my girlfriend and he on a free pass given to him by his boss in a little electric appliance store. The boat to Catalina those days was quite festive and had a dance orchestra playing the entire trip. I saw Arthur from across the floor - he was very handsome – and then he saw me and came and asked me to dance. So, we became a little acquainted. We left the boat together but separated quickly with no plan to meet again. But we did. The fates decreed. 

There was a community sing on the plaza and when I heard this great voice behind me, I turned around! There he was. From then on we visited the island together and went to the dance pavilion together. Someone else came and asked me to dance before he did. But he was there for the next dance and all the evening and all next day we were together. 

When we arrived back in Los Angeles there still was no plan to see each other. I’d already decided he was my future husband, so this was quite a concern. And I didn’t sleep or eat well until he called two or three days later. Within two weeks we were engaged. 

Having talked about his being a Mormon and me not had been an obstacle, but not enough to shatter the romance. I had always told myself that I would live in a spiritual home and whoever was the most active in their church would probably decide the religion we would follow. At that point he was, as I had found it difficult to attend church as I worked Sundays. I knew nothing of the Mormon Church, though I had a Mormon nurse for a roommate. Isn’t that ridiculous! She was a very good person. Let me make this point that Arthur’s impression on me of being a good person along with this roommate was a testimony to me of their lives and beliefs. I found it difficult to study the Book of Mormon and so we studied “Rational Theology” by John A. Widtsoe and I found I had always believed the basic truths of the church. I would have progressed faster if I’d had missionary lessons. As it was I was very active immediately and progressed slowly. 

We had planned to be married the following January – we’d met in July – but Arthur joined the Marine Corps Reserves after a good talk by a recruiting officer and 30 days later was called to active duty. So, we decided to be married before he left in two weeks. I also wanted to be baptized before he left, and I was. I was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Monday, October 28, 1940, confirmed in fast and testimony meeting the next Sunday in the morning, and we were married that evening, November 3rd, by my pastor at the Garvanza Church. Eight months later we were given a recommend and were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple.