Six years after Elder Dale E. Miller and his wife, Laurel, moved into their dream home, they decided to sell it.
They didn't buy another house and didn't have any idea where they would go. "We had a strong feeling that we were supposed to sell our home without knowing exactly why," said Elder Miller, who was sustained as a new member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy April 5.Two days after the Millers accepted an offer on the house, during the summer of 1995, Elder Miller was called to serve as an area authority to live in Puerto Rico. They moved to the Caribbean Island within days of the sale being finalized.
Elder Miller said that on their wedding day he and his wife had made the decision to keep their temple covenants and do whatever the Lord asked of them. Once they both knew selling their home was the right thing to do, they didn't need to know why they were selling it, he explained.
"Some of our friends asked, `What are the Millers doing?' Sister Miller said, "But when the call came it all fell into place."
Elder Miller added, "We have found that the Lord has been incredibly transparent in guiding us in some of the major decisions we have made."
Elder Miller had the opportunity at a very young age to compare the Church's doctrine to teachings from other churches. As a youngster, Elder Miller and his brother attended a Catholic elementary school. "They taught us Catholicism, of course. We then began to compare the two, resolving the differences through logic and the spirit. I think very early in my life I really began to feel the Spirit of the Lord."
Raised in Los Angeles by parents who were not active in the Church, Elder Miller said his grandparents and excellent Church advisers gave valuable guidance and support.
"The influence of the Spirit also greatly helped me through high school . . . steering past many side roads," he said.
Elder Miller is also grateful for one attentive ward member who influenced him prior to his mission. "I used to stay late hours at his house discussing the gospel. He had a well-developed knowledge plus a large library of LDS books. Those visits helped greatly to strengthen my testimony."
But it was while serving his mission to Uruguay, 1957-1959, that his testimony truly became planted. "For the first time in my life I became fully aware of the forces of both light and dark," he said.
It was also his decision to go on a mission - amid many temptations not to go - that helped his mother become more active in the Church.
Upon his return from the mission field, Elder Miller contacted Laurel Chandler - a young woman from his ward who would become his future wife.
Even though the couple had not dated prior to his mission, and only exchanged letters once while he was gone, they had a lot in common. They were born in the same hospital, grew up in the same neighborhood and attended the same junior high and high school - where she served as president of the "Ladies," the honor's society for young women, and he served as president of the "Knights," the honor's society for young men.
"My first memory of him was when I was 11 years old," said Sister Miller. "He and his older brother were our home teachers. I thought he was very good looking."
From the time he came home from Uruguay, the relationship deepened and a year later, on June 24, 1960, they were married in the Los Angeles Temple.
"We decided to commit ourselves fully to the gospel covenants we had made. We desired a partnership with the Lord at its head," Elder Miller said.
After his graduation from BYU, with a degree in marketing, the couple moved back to Southern California for the summer to work, prior to his starting the University of Utah law school in Salt Lake City in the fall.
"As we made these plans, we also followed private counsel given to us by Elder Spencer W. Kimball not to delay our family," said Elder Miller.
When the Millers discovered that Sister Miller was expecting, the decision was made to delay graduate school. Consequently, Elder Miller accepted a full-time position within the aerospace industry.
"A year later, a member of our ward, Jack Zenger, persuaded me to enroll at the University of Southern California, where I earned a master's degree in international management."
While Elder Miller attended graduate school, the couple had three children. "Laurel was a great support to me on the home front while I was working and going to school," said Elder Miller.
A year after graduation, in 1966, the family moved to Northern California where Elder Miller joined Syntex Pharmaceutical Corp. in Palo Alto. Business assignments from Syntex required extensive travel internationally, particularly in Spanish-speaking countries. During this time the family grew with two more children being born.
Sister Miller returned to school where she finished her bachelor's degree in psychology, then continued to complete a master's degree in marriage and family counseling at the University of Santa Clara. She maintained a private practice in the Bay Area for 13 years.
Her education has been a valuable resource in raising their five children.
After 10 years at Syntex, Elder Miller, together with Jack Zenger, founded Zenger/Miller, a management training company. The company flourished. Following its sale in 1988, and for the next eight years, Elder Miller was business adviser to a number of early stage high technology companies.
The Millers greatly enjoy spending time with their family, which includes 13 grandchildren. Together they water ski, play tennis and snow ski. Both Elder and Sister Miller enjoy regular fitness training and Elder Miller runs 3 to 5 miles most days of the week.
Throughout their marriage, both Elder and Sister Miller have had many opportunities to give service to others, particularly in Church assignments.
He has served as a bishop's counselor, elder's quorum president, Sunday School president, bishop, stake president and mission president to the Venezuela Caracas Mission. She has been seminary teacher, Laurel adviser, Young Women president and Relief Society president.
His calling as an Area Authority, assigned to serve in the North America Southeast Area, however, probably prepared them most for his current assignment. There he worked closely with the area presidency in training local leadership in the Caribbean. Elder Miller also assisted with forming many new stakes, preparing for a new mission training center and the ground breaking for the Santo Domingo Temple.
"One of the great highlights of our Church assignments has been the wonderful opportunity to receive valuable personal counsel from experienced Church leaders," said Elder Miller. "There is great wisdom in these men we sustain as general and local authorities."
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Dale E. Miller
Family: Born on April 2, 1936, in Los Angles, Calif., to Wade Elliott and Romania Davis Miller. Married Laurel Chandler on June 24, 1960, in the Los Angeles Temple. Parents of five children: Dana Layton, Michelle DeMaso, Brett, Michael, and Ryan; 13 grandchildren.
Education: Bachelor's degree in marketing from BYU, 1961; master's in International Management from University of Southern California, 1965.
Employment: Executive with Syntex Pharmaceutical Corp., 1966 to 1976; co-founder of Zenger-Miller, 1976 to 1988; business adviser to early stage technology companies, 1989 to 1996.
Church Service: Area Authority, North America Southeast, assigned to the Caribbean, August 1995 to May 1997, stake president, 1984 to 1993; mission president of the Venezuela Caracas Mission, 1979 to 1982; and bishop, 1972-1976.