The One

I met Mike two days after my nineteenth birthday. It was the fifth day of my second semester at BYU. It was a Friday.

Our meeting came about because I was starting a new job. Many weeks before, my religion professor had called me on the phone and asked if I would like to work as one of his TAs. I was surprised and flattered because I really liked this teacher and couldn't imagine a better job than working for him.

But I was also deep in the throes of homesickness. I felt like I was drowning and didn't know how I could possibly add one more thing to what already seemed like an overwhelming schedule. (Looking back, I probably did take too many credits for my first semester even if I didn't take into account all the time I spent feeling miserable and sorry for myself.)

Brother Williams (at BYU, we call all our religion professors by "Brother" or "Sister") needed the new TA to start right then (I think it was mid-October). Sadly, I told him it wouldn't work for me until the beginning of the new year.

December 2003 - With Brother Williams

Gradually the homesickness wore off, and I really began to regret my decision to turn down an amazing job offer. I told Brother Williams if he ever had another opening, I would love to take it.

Amazingly, at the end of the semester, he told me he was hiring another TA. (How amazing this was, (that he had not one but two openings within a couple months of each other), I didn't realize until I'd worked for him for some time and saw that those positions did not open up easily. I think it was meant to be.)

I went to his office during the first week of classes. Brother Williams showed me some things but kept saying, "Come in on Friday. Mike will be here then, and I'll have him show you how to set up the grade books."

So it was on Friday, January 9th, that I met the other TA, Mike, for the first time. He was friendly and nice. He was patient as he explained the program and guided me through the basics. We worked for a few hours together and got everything set up for all of Brother Williams' classes.

And then, just as we were about to turn off everything and go home, Mike accidentally deleted everything we had worked on all afternoon. 'I don't know what he did, but I was so glad it wasn't me!

When I got home, I called my mom and told her I had met Brother Williams' other TA. My mom anxiously asked, "Is he the one?" (You can tell she was still getting used to the fact that I had left the nest.) "I hope not," I firmly answered.*

But, it turns out, Mike was the one.

And nine years ago today, on a beautiful spring morning that later turned cold and snowy, I married him.

Brother Williams took full credit for our marriage (he had told Mike to date me) and attended our sealing in the Mount Timanogos temple.

 April 28, 2005 - Brother Williams and his wife are in the front row on the far left

 I'm even happier with that decision now than I was then.



 *My adamant reply that Mike was not the one had absolutely nothing to do with how much I liked him (I must say I was rather smitten right from the start) but rather had to do with the fact that I was, as already mentioned, just barely nineteen.