The Love of my life

Kayleen Ann DeCoursey vs. Gerald John Bishop

     I got home from my mission in June 1975.  From that time forward, until August of 1978, I prayed that Father would help me find my eternal companion.  I dated a little, but somehow, none of the women had the "wow" factor I was looking for.  I did get serious with two women, who were worthy and would have been good wives, but the sizzel just was not there.

   In June of 1978, I had a small spat with my mother.  I was living at home, but needed some freedom.  Mom made some comment about living off my parents, so I moved out.  I moved into Marshall Arms apartments, just north of the Football Stadium. The next day, I was in the apartment alone, and an angel came in through the living room window, to invite my roomates to Sunday lunch. 

   So on Sunday, we gathered at Kayleen's apartment.  I asked who cooked the roast, and Kayleen said she did.  I told her, "That's not the way my mother cooks it."  She didn't know that what I had said was a complement.  We began a friendship. We would walk and talk. Sometimes we would walk for two hours of more.  I took her to a Johnson Tire summer party.  She met my parents for the first time.  In August, I was praying, and received an answer to my prayer, that Kayleen was the one for me to marry.  The problem was, she didn't know that yet. 

   On our first date, we went to the Utah State fair.  We spent a lot of time with the sheep, goats, pigs and cows.  At one point during the evening, we touched hands.  BAM !!!  the sizzell was alive. 
We continued to walk and talk, and to date.  One night we went into the canyon for a campfire dinner with another couple.  Two fawn came right up to the fire to be with us.  That was the first night I kissed Kayleen. 

 She was not convinced that I was the one, and at some point, she tried to pull back.  So I dropped back to being friends.  After that, she had no chance.  By November, we were talking of marriage.  We talked about getting engaged at Christmas, and getting married in the summer.  However, one evening, the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, we were having a slight disagreement, and I blurted out, "But will you marry me?"  She wouldn't answer, but did give me some clues.  The next day, I asked her dad if I could have his permission to marry Kayleen.  That is apparently one of the very few times he had ever been at a loss for words. 
   We were married February 23, 1979 in the Idaho Falls Temple for time and for eternity.  Br. Stoleworthy was the sealer.  We had never met him before, but he held the sacred sealing authority, and he pronounced the blessings upon us and our posterity.  The blessings from that time forward have been amazing.