Kirby had been through a series of employers over the preceding years, and had recently closed a joint business venture that had died a sad death. He had been teaching and running a satellite school for Universal Accounting Center, which was based in Salt Lake City. That experience had been really emotionally and financially difficult for us, but especially for Kirby. We had had such high hopes for the school's success, and he had worked so hard, but it had not been successful for reasons unique to LasVegas and their policies on schools of that type.
Prior to our move to Las Vegas, Kirby had gone through several other jobs, partly due to a bad economy, partly due to stresses which triggered Kirby;s bipolar mood disorder. Kirby's bi-polar was rapid cycling by this time and he was really struggling with depression and anxiety. This was regularly manifest in angry outbursts and impulsive behavior. He had distanced himself from the church, and was distancing himself from me and others. He was struggling with suicidal thoughts and impulses.
My bishop had suggested that I go to the temple once a week to help me cope with my situation better. I am afraid that though I tried on several occasions, I only remember going once. It was very difficult for me to attend the temple at this time, because, since we had become a couple, even from before we were married, Kirby and I had always gone together to the temple. We had often been invited to be the witness couple while there, so much so early on in our relationship that it happened almost every time we went. This day when I went to the temple in the afternoon, the session was almost empty, and I was asked to participate as a witness with another brother who was there. This was really hard for me to do under the circumstances. After the ceremony, I went into the celestial room and prayed.
I was concerned that Kirby was so bitter and angry about life and circumstances as to be unwilling to live up to the covenants that we had made together in the Lord's house, and I was not sure when we would be able to come to the temple again as a couple, if ever. In the holy house of the Lord, I prayed for comfort and strength, and for the direction I should go. I prayed for Kirby. At that time, I was given an assurance, that if I was patient, at a later time, that Kirby would be there in the temple with me again.
That promise took some years to be fulfilled. In October of 2010, Kirby and I went to the Logan temple together. It was the first time we had entered the temple together in about 10 years.
In an interesting twist, in February of 2011, Kirby and I made plans to go through the temple with his parents, and we had intended to go to the Saint George temple, but since it was closed for cleaning, we went instead to the Las Vegas temple. When I entered the celestial room that day, Kirby was sitting there waiting for me on the same couch upon which I had prayed years before. It was the first time we had ever gone to the LasVegas temple together, even though we had lived only a couple of miles from it for about 6 years.
I was able to tell Kirby about my experience praying for him there while we were sitting in the same celestial room and in the same place where I had received my answer, "be patient, and he will be with you here in the celestial room again". I have felt that I needed to record this experience, as it was a great witness to me of the importance of patience, and the eventual exact answering of prayers. So as imperfect a record as this is, here it stands, as a witness to the answering of my prayer.
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