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Garth Peterson MonsonMy Life Story

March 1997
At the age of 69, I need to put my life story on paper. The Lord has been so kind to me in
these 69 years. It is really hard to believe how wonderful, yet at times how hard life has been. I
have traveled to the Holy Land, Rome, Jordan, Egypt, Lima Peru, and the Jungle camp on the
Amazon River. I have lived in the Hawaiian Islands, served a mission in the Manti Temple as
President, and served a mission to Hannibal MO. I am married to the most wonderful wife in
the whole world and have nine great children, thirty grandchildren, and so many other
wonderful thingsit is, indeed, hard to believe. I thank the good Lord for all my blessings and
so it is time to go back to how it all started.
I was born on a cold winter day, the 27th of January, 1928. I was the ninth child and the
third son. I was born at home at 800 South 600 West, on top of the old Dorigatti hill. When I
was about 3 or 4, father sold the home and we moved to 630 South State Street. Both homes
were in Preston, Franklin County, Idaho. Dad made a living with, among other things, an old
Romney tractor and a big thrashing machine that he pulled all over the north end of Cache
Valley and all around Preston. I can remember as small boy riding with my father to do the fall
thrashing. Later, Dad had two dump trucks that he, Dale, and Rheal would drive as dad worked
with a large road construction company.
As a young child I slept with my two brothers in the back bedroom without any heat. My
brothers would roll on me (a young boy) or pull the covers tight and I would lay there and
freeze all night. I also loved to ice skate as a young boy. I could cut a figure 8 on one leg going
backward, as well as forward. Skating was true love for me!
We always had a cow for milk; chickens for eggs; a pig or two for meat; and (to a small boy)
one of the largest gardens in Preston. I recall milking, slopping the pig, and gathering the eggs.
We always had this big paper route (15 miles long) passed from the older kids down to me.
However, when the older siblings had it they had a horse to ride, but when I came along, there
was only the bike. There was one place that the road was so sandy you could not ride your bike,
so I would get off and push it for this long stretch of sand. It was often getting dark by now and
I could hear the coyotes crying in the night and I would run out of fear they might attack me.
There were some friendly dogs and then there were some so mean I would have to stand on my
bike seat so they could not bite me.
As young people growing up, with no TV, all we had was the radio, and movies at the
theaters, which cost money. We made up our own fun and we did have fun. Around Halloween
we would mix part of a cattle herd into another herd in another field, etc. We disassembled the
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wagons and reassembled them on top of the barn. There were very few homes with indoor
plumbing, so most people had the old out house. We thought that it was great sport to tip
them over at Halloween time. One night we had a gang of about 10-12 young boys and we
went to a man who was known as the old grouch. We had his outhouse nearly over when,
from within, he shouted, I have a shotgun and will use it. We were all so frightened that we
just gave it one big final push and over it went, right on the door. As we were all running, we
heard a shot of his shotgun and I felt a little buckshot hit my pants and did that hurt and burn!
That was the end of by pushing over outhouses.
We, (the gang) always felt that the best tasting watermelons were those that were
borrowed. As a boy we had Priesthood and Sunday School in the morning, and then we came
back that evening for Sacrament. I was all dressed in my little brown hand me down suit. The
gang talked me into missing Church and going with them to get some melons from Mr. Greaves,
who lived on the corner where we turned west to go to Church. He had a great patch of melons
right on the corner of his lot. He was lying with his shotgun in the ditch. As I picked my BIG
MELON up to move out, he jumped up and yelled to put them back and we all took off. The
others were able to get in the pickup and take off, but Mr. Greaves got in his car and started to
chase me. I ran south on the road, but he was gaining on me, so I jumped the fence and started
for the Church, feeling if I could just get inside I would be safe. I was running so fast I stumbled
a time or two and finally, when Greaves could see that I was headed for the church, he turned
his car around and tried to head me off before I made it. I jumped the fence, tearing my suit
pants, and headed up the steps of the Church as he pulled in. I rushed to the door, opening it as
fast as I could, to find that they were right in the middle of the Sacrament. They had already
passed the bread and I stood at the door just a second to catch my breath, my torn pants, dirt
and dust all over me, and red faced. I slipped into the back row in hopes that my Father had not
seen me come in; but he saw it all, as did my Mother, and everyone else in the Church. I made a
promise to the Lord that night in that Sacrament meeting that I would never steal another
melon, and to this date, I have kept that promise. I found out later that those that are paid for
taste as good as those that are borrowed!
I learned another hard lesson about stealing. My cousin, DeLore Walgren, who lived up the
street, and I were initiated into a good gang at Preston grade school. We had to go into the
5 and 10 dime variety stores and steal things like the big 50 almond bars, small toys, etc. I
would take these things home and hide them. I had so much loot that mother found them and
showed them to my father. Uncle Arthur and Aunt Hattie also found Delores loot. Between the
two fathers and their close association with the police, they agreed on an arrangement. The
police car, with sirens going, pulled up to our home and one came in and told me that I was
under arrest! They put handcuffs on me, put me in the car, then stopped at Walgrens and
picked up DeLore the same way. They locked us up in the city jail and we stayed there all night
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long. We felt that we had really been abandoned by our parents. We cried all night long until
the night jailor was about to make us shut up or kill us. The next morning our fathers came with
all the loot they could find in our homes and took us to every store manager and gave them
back the things that we had taken and we apologized. It was a very hard lesson, but as I look
back on it, Im so thankful to my wise and loving father teaching me right and wrong with a little
tough love.
I had several accidents when I was a young boy. Rheal became a good ax thrower when he
worked for the government during the Depression. He had a very sharp little hatchet. I found it
one day, and started to hit the rocks in our driveway. Nice big sparks would fly from each hit,
somewhat like a sparkler. It was so much fun to see the sparks. Rheal came out and found me
doing this, angrily took the hatchet, went into our wooden garage and threw it into the corner
near the roof. It stayed and I was left crying under it to have it back. It started to slip and came
down and hit me on the top of my head, luckily with the hammer side rather than the blade.
Dad explained later that had I been just three inches higher or lower, the hatchet would have
cut my head in two. I guess the Lord was really watching over me.
Another time I had made a harness for our dog, a bulldog. I taught him how to pull my
sleigh. He became good at pulling the sleigh especially when he was after some of the cats in
the neighborhood. It was a cold February day and I wanted one more fast ride, even though it
was starting to get dark. I was in the road on the east side of the street and my friend, Glade,
was on the west side. I saw a cat going down the sidewalk and this got my bulldogs attention.
Just as I started to enjoy the ride, my friend called, Garth, look out behind you. I turned
around on my sleigh as my bulldog was really taking off, to see two head lights nearly on top of
me. I rolled off the sleigh and the drunk drivers car bumper hit my right leg. The left front
wheel rolled right down the middle of my sleigh. If Glade had not yelled at me, and if my
bulldog had not been making tracks for the cat, I guess I would have been run right over and
killed. As it was, I received one broken leg and a smashed sleigh. Again, I was rushed to the
doctor and wore a cast for over six months.
My father died when I was just eleven years old and dad was fifty-one. Dad called me to his
side (he was in bed at home) and told me I would have to be the man of the house and asked if
I would really look after mother and help her in every way. I promised him that I would do
everything I could. The next day my father was dead. He died of a heart attack. This was my first
experience with death. Dad had been so warm--yet he was so cold and stiff when I touched
him. I could not understand how a kind and loving Father in Heaven could be so cruel to me,
when I needed my father so badly. The funeral was very big, since dad was loved by everyone
who knew him. We went to the cemetery and when they were ready to go back home, I did not
want to leave my father. I was crying and screaming as I got out of the car and ran to my
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fathers casket and held on like a bulldog. Dale and Rheal had to come and pry my hands loose
and carry me to the car and hold me. It seemed to me leaving my father there, I would never
see him again. I didnt want to leave. I just did not understand death, or why my father had died
so young. It was a long time before I got over his death. Years later I really studied from the
scriptures and the writings of the brethren about death. I tried to get a better understanding. I
feel by now I have a good understanding and death is not the final end that I thought it was. I
believe very strongly that it is in dying that we are born into eternal life. I can truly testify that
Dad has been with me and helped me from the spirit world, more than if he were here in
mortal life. I have grown to love him even more, and look forward to the day that I will be with
dad and mother again.
High school was full of changes. I had to move to North Cache High School when mother
married Walt Thompson. This was a difficult change and I didnt want to leave Preston. It ended
up being a really great experience for me. I tried out for the football team and made the
starting team. I made a best friend named Bruce Hymas. He had really high standards and we
were very close. Bruce and I were in the Booster Club (a club to boost the high school in any
way that was good). At the end of my Junior year, I was voted as the President of the Booster
Club. In the two years that I was at North Cache High school, I was in Football, 3 and 4; Track 3
and 4; Boys Glee 3; Booster Club 3 and 4; President 4; Norcachian staff( school paper) 4; Drama
3 and4; Drama Award 4. I started out for basketball, but had to quit because of a knee injury
from football. North Cache really changed my life for the better in every way.
After graduation, I signed up with Uncle Sam for 18 months, since
World War II was still going even though we had celebrated victory in
Europe. I was in the Army Air Corps and spent 18 months in training in
Denver, Colorado, and then in Las Vegas. After I returned home in 1948, I
enrolled for Spring Quarter at Utah State. Shortly afterwards, I received
my mission call to labor in the Texas-Louisiana Mission. I grew to fully
love Texas and its wonderful people! Richard L. Evans set me apart and I
was thrilled. The blessing was very spiritual. I loved my mission and really
worked hard for the Lord.
When I returned home, in the fall of 1950, I began dating again. I met Shirley Hall, who was
a date of my friend, Jim Allen. I immediately tried to find a good excuse to speak to that cute
Shirley Hall, but it was not until Spring quarter, 1951, that it just so happened we were in the
same class together. She asked me about the Pajama Dance and we agreed to go. After that,
Shirley and I became even more close and dated more and more. We got engaged (or pinned)
at Thanksgiving, and by Christmas I had saved my money to give her a diamond.
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Shirley and I planned to get married in June, and were married on June 3rd in the Logan
Temple. After a big reception at Shirleys home, we spent our honeymoon driving through
Glacier National Park and on to Calgary, Canada.
I went to work at Levens shoe store and Shirley started to set up house, and taught at the
Logan Jr. High School until she had to quit at Christmas since she was pregnant. Dennis came
along later that spring--in May.
I had a hard decision about what I wanted to do. I was offered a job as store manager at
the Levens shoe store, but I had been praying about teaching Seminary since I found that I
enjoyed teaching an institute class a lot! Even though I would make more at the Levens store, I
felt right about pursuing teaching Seminary. I received my B.S. degree from Utah State in 1954.
Shirley had just given birth to our second son, Bruce.
I had received a Church assignment to open the first Seminary in Safford, Arizona. They had
never had seminary there and this was the home town of Elder Spencer W. Kimball. We moved
to Arizona and the heat, but sure did enjoy the students there. Often, Elder Kimball would just
drop in and want to look over the roll. He was personally responsible for getting the Seminary
building right across from the high school and as the former Stake President, knew all the
students and their families. He was eager to speak to them. We loved Safford and even though
we made very little, we were rich with friends and experiences that helped us grow. The Lord
really looked out for us.
Darlynn was born in the Logan Hospital on June 27, 1955. Shirley had gone back to Logan
and her doctor up there. Jerry was our first and only child to be born in Arizona in January,
1957. Our four years in Safford were so full of blessings and fun, we really hated to leave. We
both felt that I should return to Provo to get my Masters Degree at BYU. The CES asked if we
would consider an assignment near BYU to finish this degree. I could not afford to take a
sabbatical leave so we said yes. We found a home on the west side of Provo, 846 North 800
West. I taught at Provo High and worked on my Masters, while Shirley raised four children at
home. It was long hours away from home, teaching, doing my Masters degree and Utah
National Guard. Then we discovered that we were
expecting another baby. Paul was born on March 4, 1959.
We had lived in the Rivergrove 1st ward for 12 months
when I was called to be the Bishop of the ward! I thought
I was too young and had such a young family, but then
the Stake President said, This call is from the Lord, not
man. Will you accept it?
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I did, and came to love the outstanding people in this great ward. We worked hard and
played hard as a Bishopric and really grew to love each other and the whole ward. I worked
hard from August to May in the ward, and with the help of my two counselors, I took the family
to Logan and spent the summer writing my thesis. After a lot of sweat, the paper passed and I
received my Masters Degree in 1960.
With the Masters Degree out of the way, life slowed down a little. Instead of going 100
miles per hour, it was back to 80 miles per hour. We had a blessed event come into our lives:
Richard Alma Monson was born on June 21, 1962. What a sweet little boy. When I came home
from the hospital, Darlynn would ask if she had a little sister. Often, I would say, Yes, you have
a little sister, then would later say not yet, but soon. I had pulled her leg so many times that
if the Lord did send a little girl, she would not believe me.
It is so funny how all of the children would welcome Mother and baby home with open
arms. There was much love and attention to the new baby and it has been so with each child.
When something had gone wrong and we were trying to find out who did it, Rick would say,I
did it, it was me! Seldom was he at fault, but he was always the peacemaker.
Later, after five years at the Provo Seminary, Shirley and I were called into the central
office and asked if we would take an assignment to work at the Institute/College. We had a
choice of being the Director of the Price Institute or the Ephraim Institute. We chose Ephraim
because the National Guard units were in Manti, Mt Pleasant, and Nephi. The other draw was
the Manti temple.
We were sad to leave our wonderful Rivergrove ward, but we made the move in August of
that summer. I was not released from being a Bishop until August 1963. When I asked President
Hinckley when the release would happen, he would laugh and say that Ephraim wasnt that far,
that I could commute. We just cant find anyone to take your place, he would joke. I was Bishop
for four years.
Our home in Ephraim had some issues and was still being worked on for three years after
we had moved in. We loved Ephraim and shortly after school started I was called to be the 2nd
counselor in a Snow College Ward. Snow College grew and the Institute grew at the same rate.
In 1983, we had outgrown the expanded Institute. The Church built a new building across the
street from the old Snow College gym.
As the new Director in 1963, I started the Friday Forums. They have grown to be a great
success. The local radio station taped the talks and re-broadcast them on Sunday morning. I
also started a student singing group, called the L.D. singers. It grew in popularity and seemed
that more students wanted to get into the L.D. singers than the college singing groups.
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David was born on June 2, 1964, while I was Director of the Institute and Bishop of the
Snow College Ward. The next year, Shauna was born on August 2, 1965. I was able to watch
that birth, and Annette was born on a cold day, January 9, 1967. Again I was able to watch.
When I was released as Bishop of the Snow College 1st Ward, I was called to be the Young
Mens President in the Ephraim South Ward, in 1970. Then in 1971-75, Shirley was the South
Ward Relief Society President; then from 1982-85, she was a Stake Relief Society counselor to
Helen Dyreng. In 1985-87, Shirley was called as the first Stake Relief Society President of the
new Ephraim Stake. She served for over 18 months until we were called to go to Honolulu,
Hawaii.
In the spring of 1972, I was called to be a counselor to Wilbur Cox, the new Stake President.
We had nearly seven wonderful years working together in the Manti Utah Stake Presidency. We
were released in the fall of 1978, as President Cox had been called to be the President of the
Manti Temple. Shirley and I have had some great and spiritual experiences rubbing shoulders
with many General Authorities at Stake Conference and other special meetings. There is one
meeting that stands out most of all. It was a very special meeting with President Spencer W.
Kimball, Elder Thomas S. Monson, and Arthur Haycock in the Manti Temple.
In the summer of 1975, Shirley and I were so thrilled to go with the CES Department to the
Holy Land. This was one glorious trip. We were so indebted to the Lord, but also to Dennis,
Bruce and more especially Darlynn, who at the tender age of 18, tended all the children so that
we could make this wonderful trip. It will remain forever in our hearts and minds as one of the
most spiritual experiences in our life.
Dennis and Bruce both served missions in Finland, Jerry served in Germany, and Paul
served in the Texas San Antonio Mission in 1978. Rick served his mission in Indiana,
Indianapolis. David went to Lima, Peru on his mission, and Annette served a mission in Japan.
In June of 1987, I received a call to see if I would consider going to Honolulu as Director of
the Institute at the University of Hawaii. It took some time to convince Shirley to want to go,
but we were called for three years. We took Annette with us so she could attend BYU Hawaii
while we were there. We were there for three years, from June 1987-July 1990. In that period I
served as Director of the Institute at the University of Hawaii, and was the Seminary
Coordinator for the early morning Seminary teachers in the Honolulu Stake. We started Friday
Forum, which was difficult at first, but later grew as we worked on it. In the three short years
we were there, I have never worked so hard in my life. My average day was from 5 am until 6
pm. Most days were from 14-16 hours a day but we loved it and Shirley was very involved with
the student activities also.
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I had a dream to place Books of Mormon in each hotel room in Honolulu. I met a man by
the name of Scully Rogers, who thought he could help me. In two weeks, he came back and
reported that he had given two cases of 24 books in each case to his business friends. Scully
was a wealthy man and one of the most successful real estate men in the islands. He personally
knew over half of the owners of the hotels and felt that we could accomplish the dream of
placing Books of Mormon. We next met with President Kikuchi, our mission President. He was
excited and said that he would order the books for us. When President Kikuchi called Salt Lake
to place the order for 10,000 copies, the girl was sure he meant 100. He finally asked to speak
to the manager. They couldnt believe that he wanted 10,000 copies. Finally the order was
placed and we had a small stick-on label that stated if they wanted more information to please
write to the Box B. giving the mission address. We were able to place more than 80,000 Books
of Mormon, with the help of Scully placing many on the major islands. What great missionaries
Scully and Lu, his wife are!
We had such a great time in the Islands; I could not have been a happier man in my lifes
work. I just love teaching the gospel of the Lord and working with His children in the CES
setting. When we returned to the mainland, I retired from CES. I taught 36 years in CES: 4 years
at Safford, Arizona Seminary; 5 years at the Provo Seminary; 24 years at the Institute in
Ephraim, Utah, and 3 years at the Honolulu, Hawaii Institute of Religion.
On May 21, 1991, I received a phone call from President Gordon B Hinckley. I rushed into
our bedroom, picked up the phone to hear Brother Hardy say, Brother Garth Monson? Just a
few minutes for President Hinckley. My heart was pounding when I heard the Prophet say,
What are you doing putting in a new furnace on such a hot day
in May? He kidded around a little and then gave me the most
thorough interview I have ever had over the phone. All during
this interview my mind was just racing wondering why he was
calling me. After the interview President Hinckley said; Brother
Monson, we would like to extend a call to you to serve as the
President of the Manti Temple. Would you be willing to accept
this call?
I was speechless, and overcome. Humbled, I just sat there, and finally he said, Brother
Monson, are you still there and what is your response? I told him that I would humbly accept
the call. He stated that Shirley would be called as the Matron of the Temple and that a letter
would follow this phone call to outline all that had been covered. He also stated that we could
not say a word to anyone until it came out in the Church News, but I should send in who I
wanted to call as my counselors. Never in all my life have we received a call that would put us
on our knees for so long. It is a humble feeling to preside over one of the most beautiful
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Temples in the Church. The Lord chose R. Clark and Marjorie Greenhalgh from Nephi, and
Phillip and Lorene Smith from Delta. We would take over as the new Presidency on September
1, 1991. It was Thursday, August 22, 1991, at 1:30 pm that Shirley and I met President Gordon
B. Hinckley in his office. There he laid hands on my head and set me apart as President of the
Manti Temple and gave me that sacred sealing power to perform marriages in the Temple.
After I was set apart, President Hinckley called Shirley to the chair and set her apart as the
Matron of the Temple, asking me to stand in with him. What a great outpouring of the Spirit of
the Lord, and what a great man to be set apart by!
The three years Shirley and I spent there as President and Matron are beyond any doubt
the three shortest, best years of our lives. Words fall short in trying to explain the heavenly joy
that we experienced each day of our mission. Working in the Temple is indeed, being in heaven
while still on earth.
After we were released, on September 1, 1994, Shirley and I visited each of our children.
We had spent three years in the Islands, and three in the Temple, so we wanted to get
reacquainted with our grandchildren. We then sent our papers in for our mission. We received
our call to the Peoria, Illinois Mission to work in Nauvoo. We were eager to serve the Lord, and
yet Shirley felt that going to Nauvoo would be like showing the spiral staircase 100 times a day.
We were to report to the Sr. MTC on May 1, 1995. After two weeks of training, we were
released from the MTC and drove to Nauvoo. We met with our Mission President, David Udall,
early the next morning. He stated that they had a great need for a couple to go to Hannibal,
Missouri, to proselyte and work with the less active members of the Hannibal Ward. We were
elated. We felt that our prayers had been answered. We told the Mission President that we
would be happy to go serve wherever the Lord needed us. So we began our mission in
Hannibal. Few things bring more joy than seeing someone come from the darkness into the
light. Our hope and prayer is the Ward members will really fellowship those who need their
help. We were there for 18 wonderful months.
While I was on my mission, I started to have TIAs (transient ischemic attacks). I guess I was
having these in the last 6 months of our Temple Mission, but no one knew what it was. The
doctor referred me to perhaps the best stroke preventive doctor in the USA. He found a large
number of small blood clots, and every now and then they would break loose and hit my brain.
He put me on Coumadin. I feel the Lord sent us to this mission and to Dr. Thompson to save my
life. I have found that throughout my short life, the Lord has really been looking over me to help
save my life time and time again.
We were released on October 31, 1996. The new year of 1997 found us still busy, home
teaching, working with the 14-year-olds, and later being called to be the High Priest group
leader.
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This coming January 27th, I will be 70 years old. In those 70 years, I have grown so much in
the understanding of life and its purpose. I feel that soon (no one but the Lord knows when) I
will be called home. Before that time, I would like to share with my children, my grandchildren
and great-grandchildren, yet unborn, my testimony and knowledge of the purpose of life.
I love Shirley more that words can express. All my life, or at least after my fathers death, I
found out that God is real, He is not just an imaginary figment of mans mind. We are His
children; we lived with Him before we came to earth. Stop and think of just how long each of us
has waited to come to this point. How long did you wait as an intelligence? How long did you
wait as a spirit child of God, after your spiritual birth? We were all so eager to come to earth
and receive a physical body and be free to choose what we really wanted to be. We have all
waited eons of time for this short stay on this earth. That is why Peter the prophet of the Lord,
after the death of the Savior said, But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day
is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day (2 Peter 3:8). We can be
ignorant of many things, and we are, but not this one thing that 1,000 years on this earth is
equal to one day with God. If you live on this earth 88 years, you would be away from the Lord
two hours of His time. Can we see how short this life is, and yet how important?
I have really experienced this, for it was only yesterday I was in high school, on my
missions, and just got married to the most beautiful girl God placed on earth, yesterday. I have
found that these 70 years on this earth have been so short, and yet so enjoyable. Why? When I
came to know that God is really my real Father. I am his real son, and I lived with Him before I
came to this earth and He created me in His image. I found that I could dearly love Him, with all
my heart, which I do. I know that He created this beautiful world, through His son, Jesus Christ.
I see, I hear, I talk, I think, I walk, I live and move. I breathe the air that gives me life, and all of
this is because of Him. Believe me, being the father of nine children, my wife and I did not have
the power to make an eye, ear, or even hair. Our power ends with the uniting in the holy bonds
of marriage. God is the creator, not us. I have found that the best way to show my love to Him
is in two ways. First, show love toward each and every one of His children, second, is to keep
His commandments--all of them. I have found that when I do, I am happier than when I try to
become a law unto myself. When you look at me, I want you to see one of the happiest,
wealthiest men on earth, thanks to the God who gave me life! I would hope that all my family
would live the formula of happiness. Begin the day on your knees, and end the day on your
knees, thanking the Lord for all He has given you. Talk to Him as child to their Father. Read the
scriptures every day. They are the bread of life. Feast on them, not just nibble. Go to church
each week and partake of the Sacrament worthily. Really take upon you the name of Jesus
Christ. Always remember the Savior Jesus Christ. He gave His life to us to be totally forgiven of
all our sins--for no unclean person can dwell in the presence of God, but He gave us victory over
the grave. Thanks to Christ, all mankind regardless of how they have lived, will be resurrected
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and become immortal. Where we live eternally is up to each of us but He gave us freely the
knowledge that all of us will be resurrected. It is only natural for us to remember Him every day
of our life. Keep His commandments. If one really listens in the holy temple, and if they read
D&C 131 and 132:7-24, they know what this means. Only when we keep the commandments,
can we receive the greatest gifts of the Father- the gift of eternal life.
Life is eternal! The real you is your spirit body inside each of us more than our physical
body. The spirit body is eternal. It will never die, it cannot die! Because we are literally the
offspring of God. That which God gives life to is eternal. I look forward to seeing you and living
with each of you in His presence for time and all eternity. I will love each of you this day and
always!
On August 15, 2001, at 4:00am in the morning, Garth got up and went into the bathroom.
While there he had a massive heart attack. He collapsed, hitting his head against the tub. When
Shirley heard him fall, she jumped up and ran to him. She pleaded with him not to leave her.
She called Shauna and Gerald to come up and they called the EMTs, and Gerald administered
CPR until the ambulance arrived. He was rushed to Mt. Pleasant hospital where they worked
on him for sometime before telling Shirley, Shauna, and Gerald that he was not reviving and
there was nothing more they could do, Garth had passed away. When they took him off the life
support, he surprisingly began to breathe on his own.
The family believes that Garth was so thrilled to see all of his family and friends on the
other side that he was too busy to come back as soon as he should have, and he hurried back
when they determined that he wasnt reviving. He began to breathe on his own.
He was rushed to LDS Hospital in Salt Lake and although he never regained consciousness,
the family was blessed to all be in Utah at this time. They gathered together as a family to say
good-bye, and have family prayer. Elder Neal A. Maxwell
of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Elder Spencer J.
Condie of the First Quorum of the Seventy came into the
hospital room to give Shirley and Garth a blessing. This was
a real peaceful, spiritual experience for the family. When it
was time and Shirley was ready to let him go, the family
gathered at his bedside for a final farewell. The room was
filled with such sweet peace that they knew Garth was
saying goodbye.
Garth passed away at about 4:00 pm on August 15, 2001. His final resting place is in the
Preston, Idaho Cemetery. His wife, Shirley Hall Monson, passed away on October 22, 2009, and
was laid to rest next to Garth.