A Soul Turned Inside Out

Once upon a time, about 4 years ago, I was going through a very difficult time.

I lived in Alaska during this dark time and both literally and symbolically, I wondered if the sun would ever shine again in my life. I was experiencing a loss so great, I wondered if I would physically be able to survive the sadness.

At the time I briefly encountered a woman who was patient, kind, and happy. I was intrigued by her. In the midst of my darkness I asked her, casually, "Carolyn, what makes you happy?" Perhaps a reflection of what I was feeling, I expected her to say something about family and friends, and feeling unconditionally loved.

She answered "I think the thing that brings me the most happiness in life is being an instrument in the hands of God."

I felt jolted.

I was surprised. Mostly because that was the furthest thing from my mind. All I could feel was the pain and the loss. I felt like a soul turned entirely inside itself and shriveled.

The conversation quickly moved on. But her response, and example, would never leave my heart. I wondered if I would ever be able to be like that. I wanted my soul to one day be turned inside out, like hers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This week I went to the funeral of a dear friend, Wes Truman. I met Wes my freshman year of college, at Heritage Halls. 164 F Smith. Wes and Joe were our home teachers. That title may be a meaningless tag assigned to any number of people in life. But, in this instance, it was the other way around. Joe and Wes especially, gave meaning to what that title means. They felt a spiritual stewardship for us. They cared for us, watched over us, and became friends for life.

Like many other girls, I quickly became a bit infatuated with this humble and righteous disciple. Anne, my roommate, and I asked Wes and Joe to a girls' choice dance. Anne gave flowers and a note to Joe. I got a red wagon, filled it with hamburger buns, and wrote "Wes, I'd love to haul your buns to preference!" Very classy, I know. They responded with a song they wrote, and sang to us outside our dorm windows. That was over 10 years ago.

I remember driving my little Tic-Tac car down to Las Vegas for Wes' missionary farewell. He gave me the book, "Draw Near Unto God" by Henry B Eyring for my birthday. While I may have written a letter or two on his mission, my focus and life turned in other directions. But Wes and I remained good friends. Once you were a friend of Wes', you were a friend for life.

The next time I heard from Wes, he told me excitedly that he and Lori Packer were dating. She was also in our freshman ward, and was deemed to be the next general Relief Society President. They were a perfect match! It made perfect sense. His eyes sparkled when he spoke of her, and that they had even spoken of marriage. It was just a matter of time. The glory of our freshman days were immortalized with the marriage of Wes and Lori Truman, nine years ago.

About 3 years after their marriage I ran into Wes in the BYU Wilkinson Center. I knew he was preparing for medical school and he and Lori were RA's at DT- so fitting as that's where Wes and Joe lived our freshman year.

Although I noticed Wes was bald. The Wes I knew of freshman year, had a little wild streak in him (racing with friends between St. George and Las Vegas at speeds well into the triple digits). So I wasn't surprised that he had shaved his head, probably for a bet. I said jokingly, "Wes,you're bald! Do you have cancer or something?" He said yes. I've never wanted so badly to disappear into thin air.

I saw Wes occasionally on campus with his children, Lucy and Spencer, whom I read adoringly of in Lori's artful and articulately inspiring blog. He would update me on treatments. His cancer was in remission, and he was getting an MPA. He always invited me to dine with him and Lori and the kids. He had perks being married to an RA.

Last November I saw Wes in DI. Lori and the kids were with some friends looking at toys. I went up to talk to Wes, but noticed something was different. His speech was slower. He seemed to think slower. Looking back I realized how difficult it probably was to encounter friends who didn't know about the state of his cancer. His wife quickly rushed over and gracefully continued the conversation for him. I again felt bad for my lack of understanding of his situation, and wished I could do something. I remembering watching Wes from a distance after saying goodbye. He was playing with his children, entirely engrossed in their world, perhaps best able to relate to them than anyone else. I thought, "Wes is a good father. What a good man".

There were always invitations, and "we should get together sometime" and "so good to see you"s. But mostly I wanted to not cause Lori any further stress or the fanfare of those who had good intentions but were not part of the inner circle of their lives. I'm sure, for what time they had left with him, the entire family wanted the benefit of not having to talk about the cancer all the time.

So I searched the blog for news, updates, whisperings of diagnosis. And I was moved and changed by the great struggle for his life. In ways that neither of them know or see.

July 5th, 2011. I had been thinking about Wes a lot, and had written to the blog administrator of his blog and asked for access to post memories of Wes on the blog. She wrote back, "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Wes died yesterday." I cried.

I called a friend to see if he would come to the funeral with me. I knew I would appreciate any kindness and support that day. There were beautiful pictures. There were hundreds of family and friends. I cried from the moment I stepped into the building. Before the meeting began I stepped out to find some tissue, and came upon the procession of family and friends, moving from the viewing room to the chapel.

The scene, that I will always remember, was Lori coming around the corner holding Lucy. There were many wet eyes, including hers. But she was smiling. Her eyes were sparkly, like they always have been. And she was holding and comforting Lucy. Lucy's face was soaked with tears and her red eyes could not conceal her sadness. The idea of those sweet children missing their father broke my heart. Someone behind her was holding Spencer, perhaps still to young to understand what was happening, but still solemn.

The funeral was beautiful. Wes' father and mother spoke- revealing his love for the Book of Mormon and memorization. His brother spoke, revealing the true Christ-like pillar of a man that he was. His good friend spoke of reckless times and friendships that began in 3rd grade and lasted through life. They spoke of the power of his influence on all those around him. An entire ward of young men on missions compared to a neighboring ward with half of the results, because of the influence of Wes Truman. Wes changed people.

The last speaker of the funeral was Lori. Wives of recently deceased husbands' don't usually speak. But she did, gracefully. She smiled with that same sparkle she has always had, as a tear or two ran down her cheeks. She said, "Thank you dear friends and family, for being here with our family on this difficult day".

Everything she spoke was poetry. She spoke of their love, she and Wes, and humbly spoke of being any ordinary couple with their struggles. She spoke of his simple goodness and gentleness. Of his great love for his children. Of his ultimate concern and respect for her, which allowed their love to grow. In his last months, his greatest concern was Lori. And then she spoke of his love for the gospel. She spoke of him as a part of her, using "we" and "us" always to talk about life. And she ended by bearing his testimony, because he asked her to.

I don't think she ever used the word "I". In fact, I don't know if there was ever even a hint of herself or selfishness in all of the suffering she has endured in the past 5 years. As I looked at her at that pulpit, standing in a white dress, I thought "this is truly an angel. Here is a soul turned inside out".

And so Lori and Wes Truman continue to teach me, and hundreds of others, what it looks like to be completely lost in the service of others and the service of the Lord. I have rarely seen such a greatness of stature and soul as I observed in Wes and Lori Truman.


Thank you, Wes, for the man that you were and are. Your example and life will endure and continue to create a legacy of faith for all those who knew you. And Lori, thank you for being the embodiment of selflessness. For being a witness of what it is like to suffer gracefully, through the Grace of Christ.

"From an eternal perspective, the only death that is truly premature is the death of one who is not prepared to meet God" Russell M. Nelson

"Christians never say goodbye!" CS Lewis

-Nicole

Kindness

Wes's kindness left an impression. I had heard much about Wes before I met him, as my dearest friend was (secretly--she was not the only one) taken with him, but I was eager to know him myself with all the curiosity and wonder of a childhood best friend seeing her buddy truly smitten for the first time. Who had finally piqued the interest and moved the heart of the incomparable Lori Packer?

I moved to Provo during the summer he came home from his mission. It was a summer full of college living--the soaring and the floundering. I remembering sitting across a table from Wes in our shabby college apartment and observing his gentleness, his friendly eyes, and uncharacteristically, pouring out my current confusion to his willing, listening ear. He was my friend.

From then on, I knew he was the kind of man you could give your best friend to without feeling too bad that he was stealing her away. Cheerful, honorable, hard-working, and always, always kind. The summer was full of adventures--treasure maps and canoe rides and the walkie-talkies necessary to help him pull off his epic marriage proposal to Lori. And over the years, whether in afternoon chats in their V-Hall apartment, phone calls from California and brief holiday visits, or summer trips to Pajaro Dunes, he has become as dear to me as my dear friend Lori, his example of sincere Christianity as impactful as Lori's has always been, their marriage a model of how beautiful family life can be.

When I visited Lori and Wes at the end of March, I marveled at the continuity of his kindness. How he searched for words to make conversation with me, though he often couldn't find them. How he reached out to Spencer and Lucy. How he wanted Lori to enjoy herself with a visiting friend. It left an impression, like it always has.

We love you, Wes. We miss you.

Michelle (Hayes) Campbell

Friends & Examples

I first meet Lori my freshman year at BYU. I happened to move into the same apartment complex she lived in about half way through the school year. I was trying to come out of a rather rough period of my life, and Lori was my visiting teacher. She quickly became a much needed friend to me. As that winter semester drew to a close, I remember her happily telling me about how she was excited to introduce me to two recently returned missionaries who were friends of hers that were moving into the ward. And so, soon after that I met Wes Truman and Ryan Fitzgibbons.

Ryan & Amy with the Thunderstick & other friends after they got engaged.

It was fun to watch Lori and Wes interact, which I did frequently since Lori became my roommate at the start of the next fall semester after she and Wes were engaged. They were so perfect together.

My friendship with Lori and Wes only continued to grow after they were married. I visited their little apartment as often as I could, first in their basement apartment, then at DT, and later at Wyview. Besides such countless visits, there were plenty of meals shared together at the Cannon and Morris Centers or at wherever I was living at the time.  There were game nights, engagements, weddings, and so many other memories of good times together.

I remember the road trip we took to California in Wes and Lori's car so that we could be at our roommate Jeanine's wedding. We cracked the windows of the car since there was no air conditioning, and we listened to Harry Potter III on tape during the drive. We stopped and ate at the Truman family's place in Las Vegas on the way there and back. We enjoyed the Harry Potter III tapes so much that on another occasion we gathered at Wes and Lori's basement apartment to listen to more Harry Potter tapes together under a makeshift tent in their living room.

Lori and Wes always made me feel welcome and important. They were always kind and understanding, even when I was completely unsure of myself. They became my confidants and sounding boards as I tried to maneuver through dating relationships and college. I think Wes is one of the few guys I have ever felt comfortable enough around to express so many of personal feelings and problems to. Even now that I am married and have graduated, Lori and Wes continue to be an important part of my life. I have always looked up to their great examples of love, service, and friendship. Their friendship has blessed me in so many ways.

I will miss seeing Wes and hearing his familiar greeting of “Hey Guys” when he spots Nate (my husband) and me. But I look forward to seeing Wes again someday reunited with Lori and the rest of their family. I love you guys. Thanks for being such wonderful friends and examples.

-Rebecca (Peaden) Scott

He Worked It So Well...

"Wesley worked his Thunder,
He worked his Thunder so well,
Wesley worked his Thunder,
He told all those other guys to go to ...

Well, Wes and Lori started holding hands
And those of us who saw were all big fans
We were all so glad to see
Wesley work his Thunder."

First of all, you need to understand the concept of Thunder: put quite simply, Thunder is the progress one makes while courting another. So the process of friendship, dating, all that is called Working Your Thunder.

That's where I met Wes. He moved across the hall from me in the summer of 2002. I had no roommates at the time, so spent a lot of time across the hallway with him, Ryan, and their roommates. I knew Wes and Lori had been friends before his mission, so it didn't come as a total shock when within a week, someone asked me if he and Lori were hooking up (not everyone called it Thunder).

When I asked Wes, late one Sunday night, he expressed hope at the possibility. I told him that if he could do this he would have my undying respect and would be my hero forever. Ryan had a "rainstick" in their room - you know the kind, you turn it over and it sounds like rain falling. We gave it a shake to encourage and motivate Wes...these visits continued for the next 1-2 months and were the beginning of something called Sunday Thunder. In addition to discussing Wes's Thunder with Lori, we agreed to help each other out with our Thunder in whatever way possible. The rainstick became known as the Thunderstick and every meeting would end with a celebratory shake.

During one of these meetings I noticed a note on the ceiling above Wes's bed: "You will have my undying respect! You will be my hero forever!"

My words. I've never been the type to inspire others, so it meant a lot to me to see them there.

In the next year I graduated, moved to Boise and met a girl that commanded a lot of attention from a lot of single men - including myself. But how to win her over amidst all this competition? For me, telling a girl that you liked her and wanted to "hook up" was an awkward thing - but Wes had done it so gracefully with Lori. From what he told me, Wes had told Lori that he respected her agency and she could say no at any time, but he wanted to continue asking her out. Beautiful. Bold and to the point, but not an awkward "I like you; wanna be my girlfriend?" I'd like to say I borrowed a page from his book. I didn't. I borrowed his whole book.

And. It. Worked.

Marji and I got married that December. I don't know how much I helped Wes with his Thunder, but I know his example and counsel helped immensely with mine.

We didn't see Wes and Lori for a few years. The next time we did see each other was in 2008. It was a good reunion as our families talked about our recent happenings, future plans, and they treated us to lunch. As we parted, I remember Lori gave Marji a big hug, like they were long-time friends reunited. In reality, it was only the second or third time they had ever seen each other.

But that's what the Trumans have always done well. No matter how many friends they may have, they always make you feel like the most important.

On July 4, the day Wes left this life, it rained. Rare for the California desert, and yet fitting given the circumstances.

Rain.

And lightning.

And thunder.

Wes, you're still my hero and still have my respect. Put in a good word for us heathens down here.

-Ron Crummett

Wes, Lori, Lucy and Spencer,

Over the last several weeks I have repeatedly thought about what I might contribute to this blog that would honor Wes and benefit Lori, Lucy, and Spencer.  It has been more challenging than I expected and even now I struggle to find the words that can adequately express that the thoughts and feelings of my heart. 

Let me begin by introducing myself to Lucy and Spencer, who I have never had the privilege to meet in person, but have come to know through your family’s wonderful and inspiring blog.  I came to first know your parents while living next door to Wes, Ryan, and Travis in Southridge during the summer of 2002 (our first summer back in Provo after our missions).  There were a large number of recently returned missionaries in our ward and your father was the great pioneer in showing the rest of us how to find and then win the heart of our eternal sweet hearts.  Indeed, I give your father some credit for helping me to find my own eternal companion as it was his love for your mother that brought him to Southridge which in turn attracted Ryan, Travis, and me.  Because of Apartment 3’s friendship with Apartment 28, I was introduced to Jeanine (Fisher) Crane (your mom’s roommate) who later suggested I get to know her sister (now my wife) Amy.  Your parents are two of the most incredible people I have ever had the privilege of knowing and their courtship and marriage have provided me a priceless example of love and service which has and will continue to enrich the life of my family.

Wes, thank you for helping me to be a better friend, husband, father, and priesthood holder.  As I was thinking about how I could best describe you, my mind turned to a few scriptures I had recently shared with a class of perspective elders.  They are description of you and, I hope, will someday help your children to recognize the type of man you were before this life, during mortality and even now:

“And those priests were ordained after the order of his Son, in a manner that thereby the people might know in what manner to look forward to his Son for redemption.

 “And this is the manner after which they were ordained—being called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works; in the first place being left to choose good or evil; therefore they having chosen good, and exercising exceedingly great faith, are called with a holy calling, yea, with that holy calling which was prepared with, and according to, a preparatory redemption for such.

 “And thus they have been called to this holy calling on account of their faith, while others would reject the Spirit of God on account of the hardness of their hearts and blindness of their minds, while, if it had not been for this they might have had as great privilege as their brethren.

 “Or in fine, in the first place they were on the same standing with their brethren; thus this holy calling being prepared from the foundation of the world for such as would not harden their hearts, being in and through the atonement of the Only Begotten Son, who was prepared—

 “And thus being called by this holy calling, and ordained unto the high priesthood of the holy order of God, to teach his commandments unto the children of men, that they also might enter into his rest—

“Thus they become high priests forever, after the order of the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, who is without beginning of days or end of years, who is full of grace, equity, and truth. And thus it is. Amen.” (Alma 13: 2-6; 9)

Lori, our thought and prayers continue to be with you as you experience this momentary separation from your dearest love.  Your faith and service have inspired and blessed us for years and we hope these words will provide some measure of comfort and peace during these difficult days and the challenges that will certainly come. 

With Sincerest Love and Sympathy,

Jeff and Amy Pincock

Wes Tru(e)man

I met both Lori and Wes in my freshman ward at BYU. Lori lived in the other basement apartment in F Smith and Wes used to visit from DT. I remember having extensive discussions about American Heritage lectures with him. We even had a few study sessions for the exams. He and Joe (with their wild hair) would sit at our kitchen table and eat our (often inedible) leftovers. I remember the day that I walked in the building and saw Lori and Wes sitting side-by-side in the stairwell. It made perfect sense that they had gravitated toward each other. They are both such amazing people. Two years later, after completing his mission to Norway, I ran into Wes again in the Benson building. I can clearly recall the expression on his face when he told me that he was engaged to marry Lori Packer. He was so happy.

But the moment that stands out most in my memory is the day that Wes went to the temple for the first time. The light in his eyes was so strong; he was beaming. He bore such a strong testimony of the temple to me (maybe the strongest of my life) through his shining smile. He told me that I should study my scriptures - that it was all in there. I had always known that I wanted to go to the temple, but Wes shared a piece of the Spirit of the temple with me and then I could feel that I wanted to be there.

Thank you Wes and Lori for your shining examples.

You are loved by many.
Jenny Campbell

Snippets of Wes

 Wes mashing potatoes on the floor of our apartment in Southridge

The first time I heard the name "Wes Truman" was the day that I moved back to Fugal Hall and met Lori.  Lori was my new roommate (and RA).  I remember sitting in the kitchen and chatting--just getting to know each other.  When I mentioned the missionary that I had a crush on she told me about Wes.
During the year I discovered that he liked Calvin and Hobbes... one of his books sat on Lori's shelf the entire time I lived with her.  And I once borrowed his copy (that was also left with Lori) of The Great Divorce to read with a friend.  It's still one of my favorite books.  We even celebrated his missionary hump day in that little Fugal apartment.  The better I got to know Lori and heard little snippets about Wes the more I knew that he must be a pretty fantastic guy. 

 Lori and Wes happily engaged in Southridge

The first time I met Wes (and Ryan) I'm afraid I didn't make a very good impression on him.  They were in Provo for a visit and stopped by our apartment. I believe we were watching "Singing in the Rain." I had just started dating Rich and was cuddled up close to him... apparently a little too close for these two newly returned missionaries' comfort!  Sorry guys!  Rich was looking to sell his contract and Wes jumped on the chance to buy it (I'm sure as a way to be close to Lori through the summer!)
By the time I came back to Provo in the Fall Wes and Lori were engaged... and I had a chance to redeem myself :)  Wes never did anything but impress me... which is good, because I'd have nothing but the best for Lori.

Dying eggs at the Fitz's for Easter

Growing Up with Wes

Danny Earl

A Good Shepherd

Ah, I'm sure one semester was plenty to have to be shepherd to half of the girls of 164 F Smith. A fun-loving, stalwart young man made a great home teacher to us crazy girls (even though technically you weren't mine). If I remember correctly, half the girls in our ward had crushes on you (myself excluded...). Life was carefree and silly most of the time, but you were definitely a source of strength and a great example to those around you. (And still are!) Thank you.

Stefani (Clark) Mons

BYU: The Lab

I don't have any specific exciting memory of our time working together in Dr. Woodbury's lab at BYU, but what I do remember is your attitude about working in the lab. So many students came and went while I worked there. Many were just putting in time to get research cred to get into med school or something. But a few actually cared about what was going on and really worked hard at it. You were one of those. I remember it wasn't easy and was frustrating at times. There were times I was so frustrated by all the problems we were encountering, but working side-by-side with you and Jeremy made it much easier to deal with. You had a good attitude and put a lot of effort into making things work. You were also a good friend. I value the time we spent working together. I wish you the best and hope for a recovery. My heart goes out to you and your family.

Brady Atwood

P.S. I also thought it was crazy when I met my cousin's new husband (Eddie) at their wedding and it turned out you were old friends. Small world.

Awkward, Irregular Chest Hair

Wes,

You were one of my first friends freshman year at DT. I think the first thing I did with you was go down to the basement, to the vending machines, and buy those delicious crumb doughnettes. Remember those? Because of you, I ate those doughnuts EVERY single morning of that year. I seriously think that between you, me, Ben, Joe, and other guys on our floor, we literally bought the owner of that vending machine a new house.

I remember one day, for some reason, we were walking around without our shirts on. That was the day you told me you had irregular, awkward chest hair. HA!! I mean, yea, you've got some extra patches of hair in some weird places, but I wouldn't consider that awkwa...well, yea I guess it was pretty awkward, and definitely irregular.

I think you taught me how to juggle AND figure out a Rubik's cube. I didn't really feel like a true asian until I conquered the Rubik's cube so thank you.

Wes, I love you bro. You are one of my favorite people. There isn't a person I respect, or look up to more. I will always remember our good times in Deseret Towers. Those were the days!!

Jason Kim

BYU

Dear Wes,

I remember several good times we enjoyed in 2008. One was playing dodgeball. We were sore for days after playing with the young men in the Oak Hills Second Ward. You were a great sport and a lot of fun to play with. I enjoyed your sense of humor and energy that you brought into sports. I also saw the good example you set for every young man in the ward.

I also remember with fondness the kindness you and your wife, Lori, displayed when my wife was applying for a hall advisor job. You took us to dinner at the Cannon Center (always a good time!) and gave her advice on the interview process. We enjoyed talking with your family and getting to know you better. You have always thought of others and have selflessly helped many people. Thank you!

Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Thank you for your example in our lives.

With love,

Daniel Woodruff

Welcome to the Family

It was November 2002. Ryan and I had just decided to get married. Nothing was official yet, and I actually woke up thinking "did I just imagine we are planning a wedding?". I went to class as usual. It was in the same building that Wes had a class the next hour. I often saw him on my way out. Mostly we just nodded or said a brief hello. But this time I walked up to him with a purpose. I wanted to find out if he knew. But I just couldn't get the words out. I stood there awkwardly until he just grinned and said, "Welcome to the family." I was immediately comforted and was relieved to know Ryan actually really did want to marry me. And getting the best friend's approval was huge. But at the time I had no idea what being a part of that family would really mean. Knowing Wes and Lori has been one of the greatest blessings of my life.

Other random memories:

1. I have to put this one in writing because Wes denies he said this. We ended up outside of Southridge waiting for some sort of activity to start. We weren't talking, but all of a sudden he just blurted out, "hey, don't let Ryan get fat." I could only laugh. Because I think we both knew that if Ryan was going to get fat, there wasn't anything either of us could do about it. And we were right :)

2. I had only known Wes for about a week and didn't know anything about him. I ran into him in the hall of our apartment complex. We made awkward small talk for a few minutes and then he confessed he was actually in a hurry. I asked where he was going. I was NOT prepared for the answer--Ryan and I have to go buy tap shoes for our class. What?! What guys decide to come to BYU and take tap dancing? Guys who want to impress a certain Sis. Packer and drag their best friends along is the answer. Toy Story's "You've Got a Friend in Me" took on a new meaning when those boys tapped rhythmically to it all semester. I think Lori would have been impressed with him anyway--but it sure was a lot more entertaining this way.


3. It was the summer of 2003 and we were officially the Trumans and the Fitzgibbons. And we decided to go camping in Goblin Valley. Ryan and I are NOT campers, so it must have been Wes' idea. And we spent a grueling night. We were selfish and lent the Trumans our "old, found it in the back of a closet tent", while we used our "brand new wedding registry out of the box" tent. Then it rained. Let me rephrase. Then we had the biggest thunderstorm I have ever witnessed (and I've witnessed a lot) directly over our heads. It's the only time I remember being legitimately afraid for my life. And it just so happens that our new tent was not so waterproof. It was too loud to talk to the Trumans to find out if they were okay, and we weren't about to brave the storm to find out. We drifted off into a restless sleep. We woke up at dawn to not a cloud in the sky and a bright summer sun. I listened as Wes or Lori unzipped their tent and crawled out. I expected to hear them say, "good morning. are you okay? are you awake? we had a miserable night. how about you? are you dry?" or any combination of the above. Instead I heard the most indignant voice that Wes could muster say, "Are you kidding me?" Because he was actually disappointed that the storm had passed. He was counting on a cool, rainy day in which to hike. Instead we had to suffer through blazing sun and heat. But while he was mad about it, I was thrilled. Because I never want to see rain like that again. And that's probably the only time I have ever disagreed with Wesley Truman.

My life changed forever the day I met Spencer Wesley Truman. And I will be grateful for the rest of my life. Love you guys!

Amy Fitzgibbons

Wes' Fist + Mirror = Art

Wes, I went back through all my albums and found so many pictures! This first picture was one of my favorites because it is so random and brings back such good memories. I think you're the one who came up with this brilliant idea that you are expertly carrying out in the photo...

I had decided to make random designs out of broken pieces of a mirror, and here you are, in action, punching your fist through a square foot of glass wrapped up in newspaper. Your creation became the centerpiece of our design. To this day those mirrors have remained on my wall (now mounted on plexiglass instead of glued to the wall!) wherever I go. They came with me to Boston, to Columbus, and now they are back home. Every time I see them I think of you and I remember how much fun it was to have you all over and help me on my project. Wes, you are an amazing friend and I am so blessed to have you in my life! More pictures will be coming... I'm better at posting pictures than writing :-)

Amy Goodwin

Freshmen

One of my responsibilities as an academic advisor is to organize our college presentation for New Student Orientation for all the new BYU students who have high hopes of being admitted into the very competitive arts programs (and some, unwittingly, with hopes of making a living as an artist . . . I say that, just slightly sarcastically, as I was one of those students). It's not my favorite thing to plan because, really, with everything else going on how much are they really listening to our presentation about how to apply, what classes to take, etc.

When I think back to my New Student Orientation, the most lasting thing was not the piles of information shoved my way, but the friendships we made. Amazing how 2 short days could create some very lasting friendships. As I recall, that was where we first met Wes and Joe, who subsequently became some of our best friends our freshman year. We would have met them eventually as they were in our ward, but I think it was fate that they were assigned to our group (I think we all feel how much a hand our Heavenly Father had in getting Wes and Lori together).

I have fond memories of hanging out with Wes and Joe that year: ice-blocking down the hill at Rock Canyon park; long chats in our kitchen, with Joe rolling back and forth on his skateboard, occasionally practicing his jumps (remember how our kitchen was also a living room? very strange); throwing fruit and vegetables into the air and cutting through them with the chop-knife they thought was so awesome; the first time it snowed that winter; going to the temple early in the morning to do baptisms (I usually drove, and I always drove into DT in the "one-way" lane--I never thought it was a big deal, but I think Wes and Joe always chastised me for breaking the law). A lot of my memories are pretty blurred now (can't believe that was almost 12 years ago!) but the ones that remain are all good memories.

Heather (Rust) Severson