Family Histories: Heywood, Richard Neal (1933- ) Mission

Following My Mission there is a "Journal" I kept for a few month following my mission. Richard N. Heywood)

My Mission
Richard Neal Heywood

Interviewed by Bishop Walter W. Merril, President Harold Wright, and Antone R. Ivans of the 1st Council of the Seventy.

Set apart Jan 13, 1954 by LeGrand Richards of the Council of Twelve Apostles.

Released Jan 1956

Mission Presidents:

James A. McMurrin

Douglas Driggs

Companions:	Place of Labor:
Elder Humphrey	Portland, Oregon
Reese Goodwin	Everett, Washington
Keith Dalton	Everett, Washington
Oral Lamar Evans	Everett, Washington
Elder Olson	Vancouver, Washington
Lynn W. Wood	Ketchikan, Alaska
Roland Oliphant	Cour d’Alene, Idaho
Desmond Dickey	Empire and Coos Bay, Oregon
Orian K. Westover	Empire and Coos Bay, Oregon

I spent the first two weeks of my mission in Portland, Oregon. That was the mission headquarters. President James A. McMurrin was mission president at that time. My companion was Elder Humphries. He was an older man. He talked so fast that he was hard to keep up with. I don't know how people could understand him. He had a real good sense of humor and I enjoyed his companionship. I loaned eight copies of the Book of Mormon in around two or three hours the first couple of times I went tracting. I was certainly encouraged. I soon learned that there is much more to being a good missionary than being able to loan books to people.

Elder Foote was the second counselor in the mission then. I went with him to a cottage meeting and was very impressed with his teaching. I told him how well I thought he did. He said I would be doing as well in six months. I don’t think I ever became as effective as he was.

From Portland I went to Everett, Washington to work with Elder Reese Goodwin. While working with him we did have some good experiences. Once a week we went to the Reformatory in Monroe. There we talked with some of the young inmates. This reformatory was more like a prison than a reformatory for the teen age delinquents. Once a month we had the chance to talk in the Branch in Monroe. Dr. Ogden was the Branch President, then. I look upon my associations in that Branch as some of the best of my Mission.

I looked forward to going to the Ogden home on most Wednesday afternoons. Sister Ogden liked to talk and we had some good conversations. The kids were Karen, Gwen, Donna and a boy whose name I can’t recall for sure (David, I believe?).

Elder Goodwin used to like to kid with the young people and they all liked him. He was not a dynamic teacher but he was plain. Anyone could understand him.

My next companion was Elder Dalton. He was a hard worker and we kept pretty busy most of the time. We got along well and enjoyed our work in Monroe and Everett. While working with him I started teaching some people I baptized. They were Sister Monroe and her children.

Elder Dalton and I also went to the Reformatory in Monroe. That was really quite an experience. I am sure I will never forget it. Once I thought one of the young fellows was going to hit me. Later we became good friends and I grew in confidence in working with him. When Elder Dalton was made District Supervision in Spokane and left me, I was given my first Junior Companion, Elder Evans. We had quite a lot of adjusting to do and we never did learn to work in harmony together.

Here are some things I wrote while in Everett:

Feb 3, 1954

This afternoon we went to the State Reformatory and had a talk with four young men who were inmates. Our conversations were at first strained, but as we continued talking we all relaxed and “shot the bull”. We told those who had not heard of the Book of Mormon about it -- who it is a history of and a little about the ancient civilization to try to get them interested.

This evening at 8:00 we visited the Vanderberg’s home. Mr. Vanderberg is part Indian and as Elder Goodwin taught him the gospel he showed interest and even enthusiasm.

It is wonderful to see people as they receive the gospel and recognize the truth and beauty in ti.

May 2, 1954

The opportunities for personal development in this church are wonderful. I don’t think that anything in this work encourages me more than the ideals we are trying to approach.

When I think of the potential accomplishments of this church--both spiritual and social--I want to do my part and encourage others to do theirs.

Sept 25, 1954 (written right after leaving Everett)

After working almost eight months in Everett, Washington of the Seattle District, I have been transferred to work in Vancouver, Washington of the Oregon District.

I have been assigned to be the Supervising Elder of the District Supervisor here.

I hope and it is my prayer that I will be able to humbly do this work to the Glory of God. I hope that I can be faithful in all callings and never be lifted up in pride or vanity.

Before I mention what happened after I was transferred to Vancouver I am going to mention some more of the people I knew in Everett. The Sallees became my special friends. Almost every Thursday we would take our laundry to her and she would wash it. I hope that they can become active and stable in the Church as time goes on. At the present time (Jan 2 1958), I understand that neither of them is active in the Church.

The Motts are an exceptional family. They were recent converts when I met them. After only slightly more than a year of church membership, Brother Mott was made a member of the Bishopric in the Everett Ward. He is surely a fine man. He had a 13 year old daughter named Phyllis. She was really a nice girl.

Sister Russos was the Sunday School Secretary for a long time. Now she is a missionary. (Stake Mission). She was very punctual and conscientious in her job. She magnifies her calling. Corwin West baptized her (as well as the other converts I have mentioned.) She thinks the world of him and treats all of us missionaries real well. Elder Evans and I got to know her real well and we were helped by her counsel once in a while.

Wesley K. Duce is the Bishop in Everett. He is an attorney and respected man.

Others I want to remember are: The Bakers, Bro Lerivold, Preston Hunt and his wife. The Beestons, Blankenburgs, Hislops, Parkses, Vanderbergs, Marls and Mrs. Sharp.

Shortly after Elder Evans joined me we went to Monroe on a Sunday evening to speak and I gave about the best talk I believe I have ever given. I prayed hard for help and was edified and so were those that heard it I am sure. The Lord helped me on that occasion very much. I will never forget the experience of having the thoughts flow into my mind as I remembered the scriptures. I recall the way I could tie the scriptures together in a way beyond my natural ability. I believe the Lord Surely enlightened my mind on that occasion.

I have already copied what I wrote shortly after leaving Everett. I had a great amount of emotional strain the last few weeks while in Everett. I was very surprised when, (at the last Seattle District Conference I went to), President McMurrin announced that I was to be the District Supervisor in the Oregon District. I can remember that I cried when he said that he needed a “good man” to take that job. I took that as a real compliment and felt that President McMurrin really did have confidence in me. Perhaps this was a partial fulfillment of the blessing I received when I was set apart by Elder Richards. Here is what I wrote after being set apart:

He gave me a wonderful blessing. He gave me blessings which I had desired and some I had not expected. He said my prayers would be answered in the near future, that I would feel the power of God in my life, and that everything I would do would be sanctified. He blessed me that I would become an effective teacher or words to that effect. He said that I would be respected by my fellow missionaries and that my mission president would love me and I think he said have confidence in me. He said I would look upon the two years of missionary work as two of the happiest years of my life. He said that the mission would only be a beginning of my service and I think he said that I would have responsible positions after my mission. He asked that I might be mighty in the Lord,

I left Everett a day or so after the conference. I expected to stay there for about 9 months. I was there 9 or 10 days. From there I was sent to preside over the Ketchikan Branch of the Church. My companion in Vancouver was Elder Eldon Olson; my new companion was to be Elder Lynn W. Wood. I worked with him for 10 and a half months.

I described Ketchikan in some of the letters to my folks. I won’t attempt that here.

Here are the names of some of the members. Could I forget them? I can almost name them off as if I were making an official list.

Brother and Sister Calvin Hoffman -- I believe these became our favorites.

Brother and Sister Lattimer -- They helped us all they could and in some ways were the foundation that kept the Branch running.

Sister Bugden -- She was in her early twenties (23-25); a recent convert, a good friend, and a big help to the Branch. She is now living in Salt Lake.

Barbara Hilbert -- a very nice young girl about thirteen or so. She had a speech defect that was not too bad. She was still willing to give two and 1/2 minute talks.

Carl Hoffman -- I married him as well as three other couples while in Ketchikan.

Kent Hoffman -- His wife Evelyn joined the church since I got home from my mission.

Fay Freeman -- Her husband, Oral, was a non-member. She has two boys, Chuck and Jim.

Brother and Sister Merlin Spencer

Cleve and Tina Wall -- Cleve is not a member but he’s a good man. Sister Wall I could never forget because of her great confidence in me and the friendship she gave me.

Sister Richardson -- I’m glad we called on her. I believe that she will become a better member as time goes on. She had not been very active when we met her. Now she is doing real well, I believe.

Joe Peterson and family -- He was a divorcee. I married him to Betty Graham. I hope they are getting along well. THe last I heard he is very active in the Church. I am deeply grateful for this.

Sister Tavis -- She is from Phoenix, had a couple of cute kids, and a non-member husband who is a swell fellow. Elder Wood and I administered to their youngest when he was very ill.

Dick Wade -- We met him when he was passing through. We administered to him when he got a concussion while working in the woods.

Brother and Sister Butler -- He was an appraiser. They were very interested in the gospel but did not actually live in Alaska. He was only there temporarily.

Brother and Sister Lee Olson -- I baptized Lee. We visited them often and they were close to us.

End of My Mission