My career has provided me with unique and enjoyable opportunities to experience good and witness the face of evil. I have been chief financial officer of NYSE and AMEX-traded companies, managed over $300 million of corporate cash, practiced as a certified public accountant for the world's two largest public accounting firms. My service in the Church and at the University, although challenging, has engendered within me love for the human race and hope in the rising generation.
But the joy felt from these, cannot approach the joy I have experienced because of my family. They are the reward of life and a hope of the life to come. They—and, particularly, I speak of my wife—are the principal reasons that life has been wholly worthwhile. Lori is a woman in whom even virtue is more lovely because it is found in her.
Only one joy excels the happiness of family life—it is knowing and loving my Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Of them, I cannot say the smallest part that I feel. I have, in a most genuine sense, enjoyed the words of eternal life in this world and hope to become a partaker thereof in the worlds to come.
Although my childhood was predominantly filled with entertaining activities, there were also painful times that brought needed introspection. My conscience behaves all too well to let me forget those mistakes I made while broaching the ages of accountability. Mom has always told me that I was an obedient boy. I'm not sure that I was; I was probably just a crackerjack at not getting caught. But I will admit that my childhood pictures portray quite a remarkable look of innocence in my face.
No one but Christ has been perfect in mortality. Thus, everyone should live to regret a few of the things that they do; it is called learning and growing in wisdom. But I’m also persuaded that the vices that one lives to regret should not consist of capital offenses; followers of Christ should learn the deep sorrows of sin from reflecting on the lives of others. The wisest pupil is the one who learns life’s difficult lessons about sins without experiencing them. Jesus was a Man of sorrows who suffered temptations of every kind, yet He knew no sin because He gave them no heed. So, I got caught a few times in transgression and, thus, experienced bitterness… and I learned and I grew. And I continue to learn and grow, sometimes from my own mistakes and sometimes from the mistakes of others.
I will always know my mother as a close friend. I spent most of my early childhood years with her in a small room in the basement that dad had arranged for canning fruit. I helped wash bottles and did my best at preparing the fruit of the season. Growing up with mother was a pleasure. I particularly welcomed the occasions we went shopping together. These times almost always resulted in procuring some candy, however little it may have been. Although I had money of my own, I could usually make it out of the store with a treat and all but a few cents of my own.
During all my childhood shopping experience, there wasn’t a store that we frequented more than Davis Foods, a conventional “mom-and-pop” grocery store located in downtown Meridian, Idaho and owned and operated by Mr. George Davis. Mr. Davis was a kind, caring individual that paid particular attention to mom and her then… eight children. Even now, I can still see Mr. Davis’ long rectangular face and military-style crew cut. He was never without the white smock that traditionally characterizes the grocer of years past.
Similar to other stores, a tempting array of candy bars, gum and knick-knacks were displayed at the checkout stand. On one occasion, Mom finished checking out and proceeded to the car. I opened the car door, climbed into the brown-metallic station wagon and, without much thought, I reached into my pocket and began opening a piece of bubble gum that I somehow procured during the time I was in the store. "Where did you get the gum," asked mom? Well now, it seemed pretty obvious to her, I would suppose, and so trying to keep the consequences down to a minimum, I told the truth: "I took it from the store," I replied.
To this day I don't remember actually taking the gum; I only remember getting caught. Well . . . as any self-respecting parent would do, mom marched me back into the store and advised Mr. Davis of my crime. And to make matters worse, she had a brief discussion with him before turning me over for interrogation. Mustering all the severity he had in him, Mr. Davis gently, and almost apologetically, suggested that stealing was a profession of which I shouldn't become too fond. The lesson has stayed with me to this day.
I really don't recall being punished, but I do remember standing, with a tear-stricken face, before Mr. Davis and paying for the gum that I had already chewed. Most of all, I remember the sorrow I felt at the time for having disappointed my mother. It was my desire to receive the receive the mutual approbation of my loving parents that guided me through my impressionable years. Although I learned an invaluable lesson at this tender age of 5, I still took the opportunity to steal candy on two other occasions, both before the inexperienced age of 9. To my knowledge, I haven’t stolen a red cent.
To this day, I believe these childhood experiences developed within me a profound desire to be honest throughout my life; honest with my family, associates, friends, the world around me. And, most importantly, to be honest with the Lord.
