Latter-day Saint Life

The Counsel President Lee Gave Elder Ballard the Day He Was Married

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It wasn't easy for Elder M. Russell Ballard to marry the girl of his dreams. They met at a dance at the University of Utah shortly after the young Elder Ballard returned from his mission. 

"I danced with her thirty seconds before I was tagged out," Elder Ballard says on LDS.org.

In 2014 April general conference, he shared, "That was just not acceptable to me. Having learned the importance of follow-up on my mission, I got her telephone number and called her the very next day to ask her out, but she was busy with school and social commitments. Thankfully, my mission taught me to be persistent even in the face of discouragement, and I was eventually able to make a date. And that date led to others."

Those dates eventually led to a marriage 65 years in the making. Recently, on Facebook, Elder Ballard shared some timeless counsel he received from President Harold B. Lee on the day he married Barbara in the temple:

"Sister Ballard and I were taught by President Harold B. Lee 65 years ago when we got married that we should hold hands and say prayers at the end of each day. It’s a great blessing. Each evening, we hold hands and just thank our Father for the day.
"It’s so wonderful for me to hear Barbara’s voice thank the Lord for watching over and protecting me for one more day. And I hope she feels the same way when I pray for her."

Lead image from LDS.org.
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