The problem wasn't that there was no one to tell me what to do, when to do it, or even how to do it. I was getting pretty good at taking care of myself and whatever troubles came my way. The problem wasn't being lonely and having no one to talk to. I'd gotten over being lonely years earlier, and now even looked forward to the times when the kids went to their dad's and I got to do whatever I wanted. Making ends meet wasn't as hard these days, now that we had moved into the double house with mom and dad. There was no mortgage, so I paid rent which in turn paid the utilities, and we all had fewer expenses and a little more money for discretionary spending. No, the real trouble was I knew I was supposed to be married, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I should be doing something about it. I just didn't know what.
One Sunday we had a lesson about commandments and blessings. “There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—
And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.” (Doctrine and Covenants 130: 20,21) Basically, when we keep the commandments we get the blessings. It's just that the blessing I wanted was to find the husband Heavenly Father had promised me, so I wanted to know what commandment I should be keeping so I would be worthy of that blessing.
When mom and dad left on their mission it was hard, but I couldn't help hoping that perhaps one of the blessings our family would get from letting them go would be finding my husband. That thought played on my mind, and I wanted to be sure I was doing everything I was supposed to be doing so I would be ready when the Lord was ready to provide the blessing. On that note I went to visit my bishop one late fall Sunday afternoon.
“Bishop,” I began after shaking his hand and sitting down across the desk from him. “I feel like there's something I'm supposed to be doing, but I just don't know what it is.”
He looked at me for a couple of seconds, then grinned the biggest grin and visibly relaxed in his chair. “Thank goodness,” he sighed in relief.
I looked at him questioningly, but he quickly continued. “I'm just so relieved,” he explained. “You've been on my mind all week, and I was afraid I'd done something or said something to make you feel bad.”
I couldn't imagine anything the bishop could say that would offend me, he was the nicest guy. He had called me to be the Young Women's President ten months earlier, and I'd had the opportunity to get to know him quite well. I thought he was a sweetheart.
“It's got nothing to do with you, Bishop,” I assured him quickly. “I've just been worrying and wondering what I am supposed to be doing that I haven't been doing. I've been single for over five years, now, and I really think I'm supposed to get married again, and even have more children. Lately I've had a feeling I'm supposed to be doing something, but I can't figure out what.”
The Bishop sat and looked at me for a few moments, then a new smile spread across his face. “I know what you're supposed to be doing, Gale,” he told me. “I'm supposed to release you from your calling in Young Women's, and send you to work at the Temple.”
I looked at the Bishop in surprise, this was certainly not what I had expected, but he continued.
“Now, Gale, I know that most of the time we go to the Temple because we are trying to serve other people, but that's not what you are going there for this time. I want you to make sure that every time you go you're wearing your prettiest dress, you're looking your best, and you smile and talk to every person you meet, because I'm sending you down to the Temple to meet your new husband.”
Now I was really staring at the bishop. “You want me to work at the Temple so I can meet my future husband?” I repeated in awe.
“That's right,” he assured happily, “so you make sure you look your best every time you go. We want to make sure those nice single brothers down there at the Temple sit up and take notice of you!”
I walked out of the Bishop's office that afternoon with my heart soaring. I was going to get married again! Really. I wasn't supposed to just keep hanging on, just keep being patient, just keep hoping that some day I would find the right person. I was supposed to go work at the temple and find my husband! Talk about getting your prayers answered! This was the most exciting thing that had ever happened to me, and I couldn't wait to see how everything worked out.
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