The Priesthood Blessing I Didn't Want to Hear

Our Family after Ed retired from the military in 1988,
Bryan being held by his older brother; Ed is
behind us; I am on the right.

Sometimes I wonder if I “Shop Around” for people to give me priesthood blessings, depending on the answer I want to hear. I don’t know if it is conscious, but I know it happened one time 25 years ago. My husband Ed had retired from the military after over 20 years of military service, and more than 32 years of full-time employment. We had five children, with three over 18 years old and on their own; one daughter, 14 years at home, our youngest son Bryan, four years old.

Ed had continued to work after retirement, and although I had worked for a while after he retired, I wasn’t working when I got a very good job offer out of the blue. I had been blessed to be a stay-at-home mother for all of our children’s lives, and I really didn’t want to work. Ed and I talked about it at length and it would be good in many ways because Ed wasn’t earning much and was very unhappy in his job. He joked, “I worked the first 28 years of our marriage; why don’t you work the next 25 years.”

I was torn and conflicted. I think I felt assurance from the Lord that this was something I should do, and I was fighting with all my heart against it because I really preferred to stay home. We fasted and prayed on Sunday, and I knew I needed a priesthood blessing to come to a decision.

I considered asking Ed for a priesthood blessing but I felt I knew what he’d say—he would bless me that I should take the job. Even if he was inspired to say that I was supposed to go back to work, I would never believe that was the Lord’s will because Ed wanted me to work and knew I didn’t want to go to work.

So I thought of a way to get around it! My father lived close by and was a

My Father

faithful priesthood holder who I could ask for a priesthood blessing! Besides which he did not believe in women working outside the home if they had small children, and I had a four-year-old. My father was of an earlier generation that had earlier in his life felt women did not even need an education—only men needed one to provide for the family. (That attitude did not prevent two of his daughters—my sister and I--from gaining bachelor’s degrees and my sister from getting her master’s degree, and another sister to have almost have completed her bachelor’s degree.) If he could bless me to go to work, I would know it was from the Lord. My daughter Diana, Bryan and I went to my father’s home for a blessing after our fast.

Here is my journal entry explaining the experience:

         “He began to give me the blessing, and after a bit said, ‘I feel . . .’ then paused for a long time. When he started again, he blessed me in vague ways that didn't mean much. A little later in the blessing, he said again, ‘I feel . . .’ and paused longer. Finally he said, ‘I feel . . .’ again and blessed me in a way that made it seemed like I should go to work. Diana reminded me afterwards that he never once said, ‘go to work’ but we all felt so strongly that that's what he meant. That's when I really began to cry and shake my head because I knew then what I was supposed to do—take that job.

        “Dad blessed me with health and strength to overcome the challenges that would come my way. I recall he also blessed my family through me and that they would be blessed if I went to work.

      “There was no doubt that the blessing was a confirmation that I needed to work at this time. After the blessing was over, Dad was shaking and we had all really felt the spirit! Dad said that every time he started to say that he felt that I should stay home, or continue my schooling, it was like a stupor came over him and he couldn't continue! He had to stop until he said the other--‘that for now I'd have to face the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities that came my way.’”

While Ed was lab manager at the elementary
school, he grew a beard; at Christmas
he dyed it green and red. He allowed
the students who typed the fasted to cut
it off during an assembly.

So I accepted the job, and worked full-time for the next 20 years. I enjoyed several job, including being on the editorial staff of the Liahona for several years, a dream of mine. I didn’t quite make it to the 25 years working Ed had suggested—I reached 65 years of age before then.

When I accepted the job, Ed quit working and became Bryan’s primary care-taker; when Bryan was in Kindergarten, Ed volunteered to be a volunteer when Bryan’s class went to the computer lab. Later that year the computer teacher quit and the school asked Ed to take her place He worked for 15 hours a week as computer teacher in Bryan’s Elementary School while Bryan went to school there. 

After all the time Ed missed being away from the older kids while they were growing up because he was away on assignments or flying (he was a pilot) or working long, demanding hours, he was able to be Bryan’s primary care-taker and work in Bryan’s school with him. 

My father’s priesthood blessing really came true!!!!! My working in this case was a blessing and an opportunity for our whole family.

Junior High-aged Bryan and Ed, buddies forever.