First Love, First Kiss

(Debbie, age 15)

This story is both sweet and sad, but ends very well.  I was a very obedient child.  I had a deep testimony of the gospel and did my very best to live like I should.  Among those standards that I had set for myself was not to date until I was 16, and ultimately marry a returned missionary in the temple.

When I was 15 years old and a Sophomore in high school, a boy named Wesley Harris had caught my eye.  He was the best trumpet player and one of the best singers in our school.  I set my heart on being his girlfriend and soon I was.  He was a year older than me, very popular, and was our student body Vice-President.  He played football and basketball and was very nice.

I was fairly popular with the guys in our school, but most of the girls didn’t care for me at all so our relationship caused quite a stir.  He made high school at Ririe bearable for me.  We sang together and were invited to perform occasionally.  I loved his companionship and attention.  He was my first kiss.

(Debbie and Wes at the Harvest Ball)

My parents didn’t want me to have a serious relationship in high school.  I understood this and obeyed their rule that I had to date two other boys before I could have another date with Wes.  That was no problem.  I would flirt a bit, get the other two dates and then we could go out again.  My parents could see that their desire to govern my heart wasn’t working.

I had no intention of becoming horribly serious.  I would never have kept him from serving a mission.  Wes confessed to me one night that he wasn’t sure if he wanted to go on a mission.  I let him know that I would never marry anyone who hadn’t served a mission.

My parents decided that they were going to split us up.  They tried telling me to not even talk to him at school.  That was impossible.  I wouldn’t be mean to him.  Their final attempt worked.  They made me transfer from Ririe High to Rigby High (a high school about 10 miles away), in the middle of my Junior year.  As previously stated I was a very obedient daughter and I humbly submitted to the transfer, even though my heart was breaking.  The mean girls spread vicious lying rumors around Ririe that I was pregnant.  It was really over.

Wes left and went to Ricks College and served a mission.  He came back and married a very sweet girl named Ida.  The horribly awkward thing was that they moved into my ward.  When I returned home for the summers between college semesters my heart would often break.  He would be sitting with his wife and their beautiful new baby girl.  No one ever knew how hard it was to watch.

This story has a much sadder ending to it.  He was arrested for an offense I will not mention here.  It tore his little family apart and he and Ida divorced.  He became a TV anchorman and tried his hand at acting.  He has led a rather troubling life.

Little did I know that being obedient to my parents, even though I saw no danger, saved me from Ida’s fate.

Little did I know that transferring to Rigby would bring so many opportunities that I literally blossomed.

Little did I know that the lonely tears I shed many, many nights would be turned to the sweetest blessing of my life when Steve Wassom entered the scene.

There is safety in obedience.