I Haven't Asked Her Yet

In the fall of 1989, Annette and I were both students at BYU. In late September, we drove to Temple Square in Salt Lake City one day. We wandered through the visitor's centers, the Tabernacle, etc. I think we even walked through the mall. 

By this point in our dating, I knew I was in love with Annette and had thoughts about marriage. But, I had never voiced that to her. I knew she liked me and hoped she would be interested in marrying me but our relationship was not to the point that we actually talked about getting married. 

After it was dark, we returned to the temple grounds to walk around and hold hands. We walked to the southeast corner of the temple where the wrought iron fence separates the temple square grounds from the temple lawn. We were looking at the temple and talking. 

A security guard approached us. He said, "The grounds are closing, if she hasn't said yes, you will have to come back on another day." To which I replied, "I haven't asked her yet." The guard chuckled. Annette and I left the grounds to drive back to Provo. 

I thought that I was the most genius person in the whole world by thinking up that little line. Not only was it a great response to the security guard, but I was also able to give a MAJOR hint to Annette that I really, really, really liked her and was thinking about marriage. 

We asked our photographer to take this picture on the bench on our wedding day to remember the night I told the security guard that I had not asked her yet. In the story above, Annette and I were standing just on the other side of the fence behind Annette in the picture, when the security guard told us to go home. 

May 4, 1990 wedding day