Stories

While I was a Sophomore in High School I met my boyfriend's best friend who lived in Germany. Ben was his name; he was in town visiting family over his Christmas vacation. We had fun hanging out. I think the three of us went to a New Years Eve dance. Ben was fun, witty and complimented Brandon's crazy antics. Ben and Brandon; Brandon and Ben...so many high school memories involve these two friends of mine.

I loved Brandon. Ben loved me. Sometimes Brandon loved me, most of the time he didn't. We were a complex love triangle.

We had fun: movies, dinners, hanging out at the park, swinging on swings, playing guns, listening to music, driving to drive, jam sessions on guitars, jumping on trampolines, hanging out at the mall or at someone's house. So many memories, so many GOOD memories are wrapped up in my friendship with these boys. Looking back, I'm amazed we were that close because we all went to different High Schools. These were not friends that I saw every day, I just felt like I did.

After High School Ben joined the Army and Brandon soon followed. Brandon got married and quickly divorced and we eventually lost contact. Ben and I remained in contact. Letters, phone calls soon replaced hanging out in the basement of Ben's house. Occasionally Ben would come into town and the two of us would go to a movie and end up talking most of the night. During our long conversations we would always end up talking about religion.

Religion has always been important to me. Ben knew that I was planning on being married in the temple and that meant marrying a member of the church. I had a vision of what my life could be and Ben wasn't part of the long term vision because he wasn't a member. I loved him but he wasn't a member so it made my life a lot easier... besides Ben was shorter than me (so he really wasn't an option).

Before I left on my mission, I wrote my testimony in a Book of Mormon and gave it to Ben. I'm sure I was scared of giving him something that was so important to me. But I couldn't leave one of my best friends without him knowing why I was moving to Texas for 18 months. We wrote during my mission. After my mission we soon picked up with phone calls, letters and visits. Although we discussed religion we never really discussed the Book of Mormon I gave him.

I fell in love with Adam (oh Adam, I miss him) and was living in Utah. Ben was dating Virgina and living in El Paso We tried to see each other while Ben was in town but we eventually lost contact.

Flash Forward to 2010. I find a married Ben on Facebook. We reconnect. Occasional messages are exchanged. We comment on each others walls a few times a year; generally exchanging messages on birthdays and holidays.

This year in March I received the following message from Ben. I was thinking about him yesterday so I took the step and asked him if he had ever read that Book of Mormon I gave him.

Seriously... did I just read that right???

I gave him that book 20 years ago... I am dying to know his story.