The fall crops would have been harvested by the end of October and we were used to working long days and long hours to finish the corn harvest. Therefor from mid-October to January 4, when I was to enter the MTC I had time to make further preparations for my mission. I often reviewed the hundred and 30 scriptures I had learned in my missionary approach class that I felt would be extremely helpful when I began to teach investigators.
We also needed to work on my mission farewell, including speakers and musical numbers and when it would be. Traditionally they were on a weeknight and we as a family needed to put an article in the newspaper and send out invitations to friends and family. Things are totally different now days, and it was not a part of a sacrament meeting.
I continued also reading the Scriptures and striving to build my relationship with my Father in Heaven so that I would be spiritually prepared to represent him in the Norwegian mission.
I should mention here that all my interviews for my mission call were completed by William Davis. Dad was a counselor to him also. By the time My Mission Farewell Took Pl., Bishop Davis had been released and Bishop Jemmett was my Bishop, and thus he spoke that my farewell. Marsing was a small ward and we were best of friends with all the active members.
At the farewell there was donations made by different members of the ward and a record of that was compiled and given to me, reflecting those who contributed the night of my farewell. This procedure is not followed today obviously, is donations are made online and nobody knows, necessary who contributes. This was not the case when I had my farewell. This was on two sheets and totaled over $200. My mission only costs $85 a month. These donations were significant and much appreciated. My mission call letter was dated November 3, 1959. It follows: [Insert mission call scans here]
Today, August 2, 2020 we finally found some of the mission call papers I had received on November 3, 1959.
We also did some studying to find out a little more about the country of Norway. We found that it was a long narrow country, the upper half of which was above the Arctic Circle. I did not understand what that meant until after I was in Norway for a period of time. We also learned from the list of clothing that I had to take into the mission home, that it was a cold, a long-wintered country.
Sometime after receiving my mission call, I received a booklet entitled “Teach Yourself Norwegian”. This was not an online course where I could listen to the sound of Norwegian words like you can today. This was merely comparing it to the English language what certain sounds would be like. I found it very difficult to make much progress, but I nonetheless gave my best effort. I remember sounds like the letter “O” in Norwegian was like “o” in the word, boat, it was a hard O.
At this time, were still milking quite a few cows usually between 30 and 40 cows and it took us about 1 ½ hours each milking, each morning and each night. We also needed to feed the cattle which included some beef cattle and our milk cows. This took time also, but dad and we boys were able to accomplish these chores and still leave time to have fun, play games, and spend the time in the evenings practicing the piano, singing together, and striving to improve our talents.
You will note that in the papers, written in handwriting, I would enter the mission home in Salt Lake City at 31 N. State St. on Monday, January 4, 1960 at 7:00 AM..
I was to bring with me among other things to good warm suits (preferably not flannel) two pair of heavyweight garments long sleeves and long legs they should be a mixture of wool and cotton for pair of medium white garments for drip diced dry shirts two pairs of shoes one hath and a light overcoat. Oh (heavy workloads can be purchased in Norway). All of this was to be put in a lightweight to suit her suitcase weighing less than 44 pounds.
We received a list of instructions that classroom work will begin at 8 AM each morning, afternoon and evening. We were to come prepared to take notes. There was no free time anytime during the week. We had to bring $100 to purchase insurance at the airport. They also said that we should arrive in the mission field with at least $100 in the form of travelers checks.
I have attached copies of the first presidency and the quorum of the 12 at the time I received my mission call, I recognized all of because we had attended conference in Salt Lake on a number of occasions prior to this mission call. After this mission home I was scheduled to fly on American airlines to Chicago and then New York. At New York we boarded a Scandinavian airline plane which I explained was a DC 8.
As we as a family attended Gen. conference we listen to all of the messages of these members of the quorum of the 12 and other general authorities who spoke. Thus I was familiar with all of them. The first prophet I remember was George Albert Smith, who proceeded present David O McKay. As I explained above that the BYU requires saying during Gen. conference and so we were able to attend and listen to these church leaders speak to us at that time.The first presidency at the time I received my mission call were David O McKay, J Rueben Clark and Henry D. Moyle. I have also added the Quorum of 12 Apostles: [Insert Quorum photo here]
I had registered with the draft board and did that on the 20th day of October 1957 so that I could attend school. During this same time. I had to get my passport and the associated papers that go with it so that I could serve my mission in Norway. I don’t remember any problems in in getting this documentation in satisfactory order.
A copy of the “ A Missionary Farewell Program Was Prepared and Published in the Paper Probably in Marsing and the Nampa Cultural Area. You will be interested to note that it was held on a Tuesday evening at the Marsing Ward Chapel, on December 29, 1959 at 8:00 PM
I also had set out two favorite scriptures as my model, “oh that I were an angel”: 1 my second favorite Scripture, which I have always had as my motto and tried to live by is the quote by Nephi to his father “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandment unto the children of men save he shall prepare away for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commanded”. One further note of interest is the invite at the end of the program was “dancing in the recreation hall”.
You will note that the main speaker was Elder Joel Durrant, he was on a mission with Wendell in mission Hong Kong. He had returned from the mission and agreed to speak at my farewell at my request. There was also a musical number by four young men from the Nampa stake who were involved in the state dances and whom we became well acquainted with, and even dated some of their sisters.
The other main speaker was my former stake president, and currently the patriarch of the Nampa stake Leon Swenson, who gave me my patriarchal blessing, after he served as stake president for many years. He was a great man and I appreciated his strength. I was obviously the final speaker but I have no memory of what I spoke about. While I have no actual memory, I think I would’ve told a little bit about the Norwegian mission, that it was a long narrow country, half of which was above the Arctic Circle and had cold long winters. In the summer it was just the opposite, with long days and virtually no night.
This farewell was held on December 29, so we probably left, as a family the next day or two, as the family went with me when I entered the mission home in Salt Lake city on January 4, 1960. [Insert farewell program here]
Times were totally different then, than now. We did not go through the temple until the first day in the mission home. I still remember that Mom was with me in that session and pointed out some of the historic markings that still exist in the Salt Lake Temple.The Salt Lake tempe endowment session is now what is called a live endowment session. To briefly explain, the ordinance, workers actually speak and carry out, and perform all the ordinances involved in the endowment. Today, the endowment sessions are performed by video doing all the speaking and explaining each ordinance. Before it was closed just this year, 2020, for major renovation and seismic upgrades necessary to protect the premises from earthquakes, and because the Salt Lake Temple was where I received my initial endowments,my wife and I returned to the Salt Lake Temple this last fall so that we could go through it one more time and witness, and bring to my recollection the live endowment. again witness some of the unique aspects of the Salt Lake Temple. It was a wonderful spiritual experience for Marianne and me
I specifically still remember that my mother, Beth Walker was with me in this first live endowment session with me. She pointed out to me some of the sacred and unique features in the Salt Lake Temple and those features are still there.
