The Autobiography of Ruth Tagg Caley

In 1952 there was an opening in John’s work up at the plant for a transfer to Salt Lake.They wanted a man of long experience for the same kind of work John did. He told me he puthis name down on the list but I felt poor John had seen his best working days, even the crankyboss didn’t think he was able. John said, “Do you care if I go up to see the boss in Salt Lake.” Ithink the boss was angry going past him and over his head. Well John did go to Salt Lake andtold him all about his health and said he had been with the company twenty years and knew thework of a turbine operator. He had worked in that department all the time in Orem and said,“Can you keep a man down?” I think they were thinking like I did that John’s best working dayswere over. One day John came home from work and he said, “Well, the job has been filled.” Isaid, “Oh, do I know who got it?” He said, “Yes. I did.” I could hardly believe it and was sohappy and surprised. Now I could look forward to moving out of Orem, the place and neighbors.I was very happy to be able to move, believe me. Those neighbors were always bossing mearound.We had to come up to Salt Lake to look for a house and we looked and looked. I sawanother one I liked very much but it didn’t have any garage and this house did. The other homewas the same price as this one and it had two or three large bedrooms and a larger living room. Inever did like the house I’m living in but had to have a place to live. I couldn’t rent it after Johndied. The reason John chose this house was because it had a garage on it. Anyway after 24 yearsof living here, I have made the best of it.John passed away in the year of 1956. Now it is the year of 1976. In the past twentyyears I’ve done the best I could. I’ve been on a stake mission from 1959 to 1961. I’ll neverforget the time the Bishop came to tell me. I saw him coming and I thought Oh! Me and startedto make excuses that I didn’t know enough about the Gospel to teach others. Just then I saw mydead husband and he was real happy and had a smile on his face. For one whole week I felt thepower of the evil one try his best to discourage me and I couldn’t eat or sleep for worry. Thechildren noticed me and said, “What’s the matter, are you ill.”The time came when we had to go to the first meeting after we had been set apart. I wastold to be at the Welfare Square at a certain time. I didn’t even know where that was and had notransportation. As I was leaving the church I saw a man from our ward who also was called and Iasked him if I could go to that first meeting in his car. I explained to his wife that I had no wayof getting there. So when we were walking up the steps I said, “They won’t call on me to talkwill they?” and he said, “No.” I said, “I wouldn’t know what to say.” He said, “Do you want totake my Book of Mormon and Bible,” and I said, “I don’t know where to find anything anyway.”I went cold with fear. So I just prayed in my heart to know what to do. Well the missionpresident said, “Today we have seven new missionaries to join our group and we would like tohear from each one.” I was number six. The others only said they hoped to make a goodmissionary. When it came my turn I prayed within me for God to help me and quiet my nerves. Istood up there and the words came to me (Bear your testimony). So everything was dead still,you could hear a pin drop and I said, “I don't know too much of where to find the scriptures, but Ido know my Lord and Savior lives and I do know Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God.” Idid not tremble and spoke up clearly and spoke for about seven minutes. After I got through theRuth Tagg Caley pg 51