In the fall of 2002, Annette and I began discussing our future in Oklahoma again. I enjoyed my job at the Price College of Business at the University of Oklahoma, where I had good colleagues, but we were far from home and family. Every fall since we left Florida, the same conversation returned: should we move?
That year, around Thanksgiving, the conversation became more serious. We decided that on the upcoming fast Sunday, we would fast and pray for guidance. On Saturday night, we knelt together in prayer. We talked with the Lord, explained our situation, and asked for revelation about whether we should stay in Norman or look for new opportunities elsewhere.
That fast Sunday was a busy day. I had a bishopric meeting before church, then attended the regular three-hour meetings, and finally counted donations after church.
But I also felt a deep spiritual connection that day and an unusual clarity. When we ended our fast that evening, Annette and I prayed together again and shared what we had each felt. Both of us had the same impression: it was time to look for a new opportunity.
On Monday morning, I registered with the placement service for the Association for Information Systems (AIS), my professional academic organization, and printed out a few positions that looked interesting. I updated my curriculum vitae and drafted a cover letter. That night, I brought the printed materials home, and Annette and I looked through them together. We picked out a couple of universities that seemed like good fits.
Tuesday night, around 9:30 p.m., the phone rang. It was Peter Gorsche, the stake executive secretary. He said the stake president wanted to meet with Annette and me on Wednesday evening.
Anyone who has ever served in the Church knows that if the stake executive secretary calls to schedule a meeting with the stake presidency, it is for one of a few specific reasons. I had an immediate inkling of what this meeting might be about. In fact, I did not touch my job search plans again after that call.
When we met with President Richard Wilson the next evening, he visited with us for a few minutes and then read a letter from President Gordon B. Hinckley, authorizing him to call me as bishop of the Norman 2nd Ward.
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| Letter from the First Presidency authorizing my call |
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| Page two of the First Presidency letter |
I felt a peaceful confirmation wash over me. The prophet and the First Presidency knew my name and had approved this calling. It was both humbling and affirming: a validation of my testimony and my service up to that point. Annette, though not surprised, felt a wave of emotion thinking about managing six children, including our one-month-old, Truman, with me at home less often.
We accepted, of course. That is what we had always done. We will go and do.
Our plans to look for a new job went on hold immediately.
I was not sustained until January 12, 2003, which was about five weeks later. During that time, our family traveled to Utah and Wyoming for Christmas. We shared the news with my dad, and we also told Aunt Madalyn and Uncle Robert when we stayed with them. It had only been four years since my mom passed away, and telling Aunt Madalyn was like telling Mom.
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| Sacrament meeting program from January 12, 2003 |
I spent those weeks between the calling and the sustaining thinking and praying about counselors and other leaders. I felt prompted to call an entirely new bishopric: Kevan Jenson as first counselor, Robert Harper as second counselor, John Wiley as executive secretary, and Ian Harding as ward clerk. The process was not flawless. Due to a mix-up, no one had actually met with John Wiley before his name was read in sacrament meeting, but it all worked out in the end.
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| my bishop’s certificate |
As I began serving, I felt a great outpouring of love and support from the ward. From the stand, I often gave the kids “the look,” signaling one of them to come up and sit on my lap. Once, I even came down from the stand mid-meeting to help Annette calm an unruly child. Those little moments reminded me that while I had new responsibilities, I was still just Dad.
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| Tithing envelope from the Norman 2nd Ward showing my name |
Looking back, I have often reflected on the revelation we received to look for a new opportunity. At the time, it seemed like a clear direction to leave. Now I see it differently. The Lord was teaching us about the process of revelation: the pattern of counsel, fasting, prayer, and faith. We did all of that, and our process was sound. The confirmation we received was not wrong; it simply affirmed that our spiritual process was right. Heavenly Father gave us peace that we were on the right path, and then He gave us new direction when the time was right.
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