"And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do." - 1 Ne. 4:6.
For his 50th birthday 61/2 years ago, Elder V. Dallas Merrell, who in June was called to the Second Quorum of the Seventy, penned a piece of prose detailing what he had learned from a half-century of living. Some musings were humorous, some reflective. Personal insights such as "Money helps, but not enough" and "Darkness always ends" were shared with family and close friends.At the conclusion of his light-hearted essay, Elder Merrell noted that at 50 years of age he had overcome a variety of maladies including a punctured eye, ulcer, pleurisy, pneumonia, whooping cough, broken knees, broken ribs, broken foot, hepatitis, a fractured jaw and knocked-out teeth, whiplash, a ruptured disc, severed lip and deaf ears.
You would never know it looking at him.
Now, at age 56, the 5-foot, 10-inch Elder Merrell appears physically healthy and fit. And if his capacity for physical hearing has diminished a bit through the years, his ability to hear and heed spiritual promptings has only increased. Sensitivity and obedience to the wishes of his Heavenly Father have been hallmarks of Elder Merrell's life and the life of his wife, the former Karen Dixon. Many times through the years when faced with decisions, large and small, they, like Nephi of old, have relied on the inspiration of the Spirit, "not knowing beforehand the things which they should do."
"Evidently I don't make very good decisions, and the Lord has often intervened," Elder Merrell noted, explaining the different turns and twists his life has taken through the years..
Elder and Sister Merrell have demonstrated their responsiveness to the gentle nudges of the Spirit often, including several at key crossroads of their lives.
After high school, Elder Merrell was set to attend Washington State University, where he knew teachers and administrators and had received a couple of scholarships. He had been involved in Future Farmers of America and planned to pursue an education and career in agriculture. "I was planning to go there, but somehow, I felt differently and ended up in the car with my sister and my cousin headed for BYU. I didn't know anybody there, but that turned out to be a very important turning point in my life."
During his second year at BYU, Elder Merrell decided that he was not going into agriculture. He didn't know exactly what he wanted at that point, but found he had a talent for helping people, for organization and for evoking change. "One thing I learned was that people needed a friend, and that I could be a friend. I was drawn to people and was drawn toward the building of good works and helping others, which influenced very much my subsequent career choices."
That change in direction led to a diverse, interesting career for Elder Merrell in writing and consulting in corporate development, leadership systems and education reform in the private and public sectors.
Elder Merrell's keen people and organizational skills led him into student government at BYU, where he served in several capacities, including junior class president. As a junior, he was gearing up to run for student body president and had a well-organized campaign with much support. Victory seemed certain, he recalled. However, serving the next year as student body president would have delayed his leaving for a mission. "So one morning I woke up with a very strong feeling that I should go find my campaign manager, Monroe McKay, who is now a federal judge, and say, `Monroe, you're now the candidate, and I'm the campaign manager. I'll be leaving on a mission.' So Monroe was the next student body president."
While at BYU, Elder Merrell met Karen Dixon, who was from Provo, Utah. She was a freshman and Elder Merrell a junior when she saw him walking across campus with another young woman. "I knew when I saw him that we belonged together," recalled Sister Merrell. "I didn't even know his name. I found out who he was and then hoped all year that we would date."
The pair dated twice before Elder Merrell left for the Great Lakes Mission in the fall of 1956, and didn't correspond until the latter part of his service. "When I got her letter, I thought, I wonder if I should write and ask her to marry me.' Then I thought,That is the most ridiculous thought a guy like me could have.' But I felt very positive about the idea."
And what was Sister Merrell thinking at home? "I thought, `If he should ask me to marry him in a letter, I would probably say yes.' "
Elder Merrell returned home in September 1958. The couple was engaged in December and married the next June, in 1959.
Elder Merrell continued his schooling, earning bachelor's and master's degrees at BYU in sociology and economics. He later received a master's degree and a doctorate in public and international affairs at the University of Southern California. Elder Merrell had originally wanted to pursue his doctoral studies at the University of Michigan. He applied but was rejected.
He was disappointed, but BYU had been in contact encouraging him to take a position there. Elder Merrell was contemplating that offer when he received a telephone call from the University of Michigan wondering where he was. The school had a scholarship and teaching fellowship with his name on it.
"We found out that the secretary had sent the wrong letter, which kept us
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Elder V. Dallas Merrell
Family: Born in Basalt, Idaho, Jan. 25, 1936, to Victor Lybbert and Beatrice Jensen Merrell; married Karen Dixon in the Salt Lake Temple, June 8, 1959. They are the parents of nine children (eight living), Ann Farnsworth, St. Charles, Mo.; Kay Webster, Cincinnati, Ohio; Joan Swensen, Boise, Idaho; Paul Dixon; Mary (deceased); Mark Jensen; John Carter; Ilene; and David Porter, all of Salt Lake City.
Education: Bachelor's degree in sociology/economics from BYU; master's degree in social psychology from BYU and master's of public administration from University of Southern California; doctorate in management and public affairs from USC; post-doctorate one-year fellowship, American Society for Public Administration.
Employment/political service: Coordinator of student organizations at BYU; chairman of BYU education weeks and community education; director of BYU California Center for Continuing Education; co-founder and chairman of Leadership Systems, Inc.; president of Merrell Inc.; U.S. Senate candidate in Maryland; president of Maryland Taxpayers Association; president of United Families of America; chairman of Bonneville Foundation.
Church Service: Stake missionary, full-time missionary in Great Lakes Mission, bishop's counselor, bishop, high councilor, counselor in stake presidency, temple ordinance worker, seminary and institute teacher, area public affairs director, mission president, regional representative.
