. I . . ! . 4 iZ - ; l - - - - - . . ,: :. , e.:.,.. .., , - - - - ., I ' ' ' ' ' . - ' . . , ' ' ('5.:::..;'.....'.4.: sA . ' - : ' '. P' .'''''''..-'4'll'I- ' :' ' ' '31: I , - zif' ' lit, , 3.,,,,.....,,,,,::'.-0":''''.,-,:::.4;, .':. , 1 ''''' ' ... ' ArA- 1... ,.,,.... ,:.... , F, s,,,,12' '''-'- '4'''''''''''''''-'''- ' ' ' .L...,It ' ' ' : ''' ' f.11.4 41r .34; :' - - '" 0-,-,-. :', - - 14'40.-..,.-,;-.,1.,., - :: g,;., ... , , , , , 1:: , r ', - ,' ' ..0 ' tio,,,,,,..!,,,,:,,, .1 -, - .7- :,. :...s.,- ; - . ' ....,., , , , ........... , ....... ... ,.. , .. , 'r kie44 , '. ) k "',ii..:,;:. l'-- r-- 4 ' .,'-- ,. illy 0 ' ' ,...y, ".,' ,, . , -r- m.- . !, 4,,,..'11., ' ,- , ,4 ,,,4' I 't -i- .,- il :.,.;. ,' ,,,,x.: , ,...,' :.;:;..,i,:',,., ,:. .;'. .; "... ,. .,.,,, ; ;....,''.....; ?; 4 :?,:::;; ::. ,:. :: .1., , 7: ..s.4..,' ..;:' .... .. --- ,,,,,,,:.... - Sidsel and Espen ,:zr:: L ! ,' 't.,'. ..'... : ,' V-- s. :l.''''.: ' ''' ''''''' ,- ' ,',, '24. , '1.s.'':'!' ; : ' ::'2': ?:.; "I':,:l ' , :..::i ':,' ,i,.' z :;,,:-- ,: 1,..'V",; .,:.. ,,,,,,,,, Amundsen believe the Church shows them the best way to fulfill the needs of Z,,.,,;2'f,'':'',':"''''';','i''''',.''''',':',:::4:-o,,:iii,44t,,.,;,!!''v,',Zr.2, ' '': .,,,,,;,,i,,,:,-- - ,,,,- - -- i,,, ', d.'1:' ,:,:::,,-4Oi-z,! ', ,,T.?i, it ,.,-- 41U4.?,:,--,-4,,'-,,:.!.., .4,1.: s441,3,,'',;,'!,ro,!1:,)?:,,;, ';; their family. '',,,,,." :,, ' - - ,,... ,,,,,,,,,',- ;::':',.;::', , :',,S, ,, ' 4,4.:'k':Ists-,,,-,,.,,,,.,,4t ...:t'' 'f,..7:34:::::.:',.4t4::41,7.1,..-;::.i,'-;;:,tri- ,,,,,iti,,,,g4,..........., ,,3;:;.1,L,,,i4,4iit,.,1.t,1,,-,,,-4,,,,,z51,,,s . ' e a er 04 plp Ita. 11 11 ' . I A Ver)t : ..: s pe, , , 1 I : M an s 4 i., t; k, , k ', g. ILI hi 1 1 1 Espen L. Amundsen is a very special man. He is special to the Oslo lid Branch, because he is the branch president. He is special to his wife, Sidsel, because, though she loved him, she would not marry him until she knew they could go to the temple. IHe is special to his three children, because he is a wonderful father. Sister Amundsen has been a member of the church since she was eight years old, All her life her mother had taught her the principles of the gospel, and especially the importance of temple marriage. fBut, it was not always easy for girls to meet and date boys who are members of the Church. 1 "I met Espen while I was going to college, He asked me to dance, and then he asked me for a date. lie wasn't a member of the Church, but I liked him very much and for a year we dated. "I told him about the Church from the beginning. He thought it was nice that I was religious. He went to Church with me, but he didn't feel it was for him," Sister Amundsen explained. "She told me she would only 4larry someone with the priesthood. I didn't know how serious she was, but I did love her. I was sure I could convince her to get married first and we could work our the religion after. "I went to England to school after we had been dating for a year. I would see her on holidays and we would write. She would never agree to marriage other than with the assurance of a temple was something I didn't marriage.-Tha- t underst and." he said. The summertime dating went on for four years. "It looked like we would never make it. I had prayed about Epsen. I loved him very much, but I knew the value of a temple marriage and I would not settle for less. After four years, I told , - home. "We , , I : , , .:;;;,:',',',--7;',:- ,',, ; ,,r..... g4 : - 4., :W. i 1 . Shortly after their marriage, Brother Amundsen was called into military service. After he had been a member of the Church for one year, a leave was arranged and they were sealed in the temple. "We were so happy. We were so close to the Lord that I felt like He was saying to us, Iknowou .' -We didn't understand everything about the temple, but we did retura and later, we had the privilege of taking part as the voices in the Norwegian temple Amundsen said -n film," Sisl-P'W'leSister Amundsen. became pregnant, she left her job as airline hostess. They established. their home in Oslo with Brother Amundsen working as a textile agent. Within a year he had established nis own business and has operated successfully since. There are now three children in the Amundsen family. They spend a great deal of time together as a family, aild have purchase. d property on a little island on which to build a .summer 3 ;i., .: ''''''''''-:-'''''- 0 :, , ,J.,...:,,...l:.,.....:::k,.....y:,.. ri v, - 4 4.,-,,- ti .: :..,::!.:, :..',',...,i' ,,:, i I',- - ". ,,,:;,,:...,;,- 1 OSLO, NOR WA ,,,,. ,. .... I I ,,.., ,4,.- '''''''7'''''''.."":". '.. .,,,,,,,x,: ::, , , , ,, ; ',' , ,, .....,.. , - ; : . , - .:.: ' '. 1 ,, : : , ., , ,.-;-'',.....,...,,,,,,c,.- ..Z.cf "' ::, ' , ,: -- ,. ....,,..,.,,, , ' 411: fk's?Irk;:'ifs,,i,..?,,t.'1: ,, ::., , ,.,, t -- ' ::. , - . , , ,, ' priesthood. The ncloaurrtrise:ip aiat;dr feivoeuplyeealrvseroef' nearly Amundsen had been firm waiting. Sister who in her conviction to marry is eomeone could take her to the temp. .''',,'-';"''',.- , - :- ..1 ,' ;.,'-.- , !!'l ' , , , 4 !.- 'I - ...:;:':';'r; ''''' - . ,:-- ' ' SidseL too, Ed itor tA - was praying. "II received the assurance that Espen would become a member of the was an airline Church," she said.' hostess for Swedish Mr Service and took a holiday to England. I wanted to see Espen. Imagine my jos when he said, 'Tomorrow I will be baptized."' It Was a dream come true, Brother Amundsen completed his education, and found employment in the inndleunsitbrYer sihli,oe grew quickly wthi the and received church News .. , ,., 7 ,..... k.' - ,..,,,,..,,,,,, . - -,.., ri4, 't- By . ,.,....,...,i,...,....,,,.,..:,..,,,,, ;"'" ' - . ,., , .11r,,-;027-,;--, ' ,i ... .,,,....: ' .... .. 4,'A441,4,L.p. 0..m., , 'i ..., ,,,- - -- .,.,.... ....,..,,,,,, ' .. , , 7:r.,,,;- le '''''. $..., 1 . .:......,...i,..,..,..;.,..,,, ..,: ?- .tx,,s:', Iki,,..:',... , s ',. - ' ' : .:t ...7t4.,...1,zs.lt? ' ... meeting start?' He smiled and replied, 'In just a few minutes, let's go together.' ' -I started taking the lessons with the missionaries, but I did not tell Sidse. 'i about that. I did as the Tishesisoaniadries asked, I fasted and prayed,' No answer seemed to come to my' prayers. I continued to pray, making a definite commitment thatniawowauld follow It was the promptings of I then tthhaetc I got sk:ide7' mwyasatnnstwe,e"riteI knew him we should break it off.' I dated others and we didn't see each other all summer. "That summer I went to the temple in England with my mother. I did baptisms for the dead. While I was there I put Espen's name on the prayer roll," she said. lie dated other girls during the summer, but no one seemed right. "I missed Sidsel very much," he said: "I felt impressed to call her and foutid that she had just returned from England. I asked her for a date and I agreed to start to study about the Church. "We had only three dates before it was time for me to return to England for my final year at school. It was in Leicester, England that I got in contact with the missionaries. I found out where the LDS Church was and went to see what it looked like. A young man, about my age, was standing near the church. I asked, 'What time does the church , Brother Amundsen is now arranging to change his employment so he will have more time for werking in the Church. "The Church is the center of my thinking. Each time we return to the temple we are struck with new things and realize the eternal nature of our lives together," he said. "Yes," Sister Amundsen said. The Church helps us find our own best way to fulfill each other's needs. It is wonderful to be together and do things together. We have postponed building our summer house. But, we still do things with our children. You see, my husband is special." V1V7t' Cf1111:(' - - . : were very busy and very happy," Brother Amundsen said. "My work was expanding, soon we would build a new home and we had plans for many family activities." But, when Pres. Gosta Berling of the Norway Oslo Mission, called him to be the branch president, he did not hesitate to accept the responsibility. "I had no choice, because my patriarchal blessing said I would be a leader. I knew how big the job was, and I wondered how I could do it. As "talked with my wife, we remembered our covenants to the Lord in the temple. We accepted," he said. WEEKNNNG - i