My Parents
Jim and Linda – The Story Behind Their Home
At the time, the years
1980 and 1981 were the worst years for the U.S. economy since the
Great Depression. Unemployment exceeded 10%. Inflation reached 14.6%.
In an attempt to control inflation, the U.S. Federal Reserve had been
systematically raising interest rates to extraordinary levels. This
also influenced interest rates for 30-year home mortgages, causing a
record-breaking one-year leap from 10.5% in April 1979 to a whopping
16.3% by April 1980. 30-year mortgage rates, on average, reached a
mind-boggling high of 18.45% by October 1981!
During this same time is
when Jim Hartley chose to change his career, and he and his wife,
Linda, purchased a new home in Murray, Utah. The timing could not
have been worse for them. Such changes flew in the face of common
sense.
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| Jim and Linda's Home Murray, Utah - 1980 |
Opportunity and
Discontent
In 1977, Jim and his wife,
Linda, and their son, Jason, were living in Spanish Fork, Utah. Jim
was the national advertising manager for a computer firm in Provo. In
1978, Jim was offered an opportunity by Powder River Enterprises to
create an advertising agency to direct the advertising and public
relations work for the corporation’s four subsidiaries and to
generate outside business. Jim accepted the offer and became the
executive director of the newly created American West Advertising,
Inc. His team included an account representative and a graphic
designer.
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| Jim at work in 1977 |
The first year for the
agency was very successful. It was profitable -- a notable
accomplishment for a nascent startup! Their profitability was
rewarded with healthy commissions to supplement their base salaries.
Along the way, Jim's team also won several national and local
advertising awards for their work. They were very optimistic about
the agency’s future.
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| Jim's business card in 1978 |
However, in 1980, when a
national economic crisis began, one of Powder River’s subsidiaries
started having financial problems. Jim's manager suddenly refused to
show him the agency’s financial records, and Jim suspected that the
agency's profits were being siphoned off to support that struggling
sister company. The manager later cut off all commissions to the team
and put them on modest salaries. Losing their financial incentive was
demoralizing and contrary to industry norms for ad agencies. Jim and
his team were angry.
At that same time, Jim was
surprised with an employment opportunity with
The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints (the "church") in downtown Salt Lake
City. The position of Manager of Print Media in the church’s Public
Communication’s Department was open. It was originally offered to
Jim's brother, Richard, but Richard turned it down and told the
hiring manager to consider Jim instead. Jim was then invited by the
hiring manager to apply.
The
problem was that Jim had no interest in working for the church, even
though he was upset with Powder River Enterprises. He was thoroughly
infected by the glamor and creative fun of the advertising world, and
he had his heart set on the large income potential that could be
realized in advertising. Additionally, the salary offered by the
church was less than the new salary he was making at American West.
But, out of respect for his brother who referred him, Jim felt he
should interview and try to make a good show of it.
The
Wrestle
Jim
was stunned when he was offered the church’s position. This created
a mammoth conflict for him.
By
then, Jim and Linda had three children. They had terrific neighbors,
lived in a great location, and were comfortable. They had just
completed major improvements on their Spanish Fork home and were
enjoying a 3.75% interest rate on their mortgage.
 |
| Jim and Linda's first home Spanish Fork, Utah - 1977 |
They
lived an easy 15 minutes away from Jim’s work. Accepting the new
position would require Jim to commute more than 50 miles each way to
work. Public transportation wasn’t available, and Jim was not aware
of anyone with whom he could carpool.
The
job would also require a radical change in profession. As Jim saw it,
he would have to choose between his professional dreams with
potentially high income and his devout loyalty to his church with
employment that appeared to have very little professional future and
no family benefit.
Jim
went to a city park on Provo’s Center Street and spent an hour of
intense pondering and praying about what to do. His was an enormous
wrestle seeking divine guidance about something he was not interested
in and for something that made no rational sense for his family.
Eventually, a brightness settled upon his soul leaving no room for
doubt. Jim knew that the Lord wanted him to accept the church's
employment offer, even if the negatives clearly outweighed the
positives and even though—down deep inside—Jim did not want to
accept it. But, Jim chose to act on faith from that strong spiritual
impression. He reluctantly accepted the employment offer. On June 30,
1980, Jim became the church’s Manager of Print Media in the Public
Communications Department.
Moving
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| Church Office Building Salt Lake City, Utah |
A
few months into his new employment, the 70-minute drive each way
between Spanish Fork and Salt Lake City became too hard for him.
Without public transportation or carpool opportunities, he needed the
family to move closer to his work.
Given
the ever-soaring mortgage interest rates in 1980, Jim and Linda
weren’t sure that they could sell their Spanish Fork home and find
a good one in the Salt Lake Valley they could afford. They spent
two-months with a real estate agent looking at numerous homes in
various parts of Salt Lake Valley. They prayed to find an acceptable
house close to work and in a neighborhood where their children could
have lots of good friends. However, after visiting house-after-house,
none of them felt right.
Jim
later saw a newspaper listing for a house in a neighborhood in Murray
City near the Jordan River. The real estate agent told Jim and Linda
not to bother because they wouldn't be able to afford a house in that
neighborhood and he refused to it show to him. Regardless, Jim felt
impressed to look at the house anyway. After inspecting the house, it
still didn't feel right, but on the same block there was a new
construction that caught his eye. It had a sign that said "sale
pending." The real estate agent for that house coincidentally
lived a half-a-block away and spotted Jim looking at the house. He
came over and showed Jim through it. "Wow," Jim thought,
“it feels right!”
A
few days later, Jim brought Linda up from Spanish Fork to see it.
Except for a few minor things, the house was exactly what they were
looking for. They drove around the neighborhood and saw a lot of
tricycles and small bikes in the yards. On July 24th,
Utah’s Pioneer Day, Jim and Linda took advantage of the holiday to
again visit the house. While there, the neighborhood held its own
parade with children, parents, tricycles, bicycles, and little wagons
decorated in patriotic pioneer fashion. The parade confirmed for Jim
and Linda, “this is the place!” The house was about 15 to 20
minutes away from Jim’s work and it was in a "kids’
neighborhood." Everything felt right, and they made an offer on
the house. The people who made the previous offer then had 72 hours
to close their deal. That deal didn't close, so Jim and Linda's offer
was accepted. The house was theirs.
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Neighborhood Pioneer Day Parade
Murray, Utah - July 24, 1980 |
Now their faith was tested. They had to sell their Spanish Fork home while construction on the Murray home was being quickly completed. But, interest rates were sky-high and the real estate market was freezing cold. In order to avoid real estate commissions and keep the price low, they decided to sell the home on their own. Despite the depressed real estate market at the time, they were blessed to sell the house within two weeks and at the price they needed!
That
solved one concern, but, by the time the Murray home was completed,
interest rates on home mortgages had jumped to 14% and they couldn’t
qualify for a loan. The builder offered to carry them for a year with
a loan interest rate of 12%. Hoping the rates would drop during the
following year, Jim and Linda agreed. They moved in on September 1,
1980.
Interest
Rate Shock
Unfortunately, during the
next year rates continued to soar. A major national economic
recession had set in. Immersed in that national financial crisis, in
September 1981, Jim and Linda were obligated to refinance their home.
With mortgage rates at all-time highs, the best interest rate
available to them was an unbelievable 17%!
 |
| 30-year Fixed Rate Mortgage Average in the United States |
Both Jim and Linda felt
that the Lord had led them to the home, so they put the matter in His
hands, and they worked as hard as they could to supplement Jim's
income. Jim was blessed to obtain substantial freelance work writing
and doing graphic design. Linda was able to teach piano lessons and
babysit other children. All combined, Jim and Linda were able to
qualify for that 17% loan and keep the home!
Struggle and Relief
Over the years, the cost
of the house created enormous financial pressures. As Jim once
observed, family finances
were "stretched thinner than pizza dough."
Their family grew to six
children. Even purchasing
essentials, like food, had to be done prudently. They shopped at
discount food stores, watched carefully for sales, and became masters
at leveraging coupons. They maintained their old cars. Jim
rode public transportation to work.
Jim’s frequent lament
became, "Houses, cars,
computers, and kids ... black holes of expense!"
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| Hartley Family in the Murray Home - Christmas 1996 Left to right: Andrea, Taylor, Tom, Jason, Linda, Brent, Angela, Jim |
However, relief gradually
came in four ways. First, as years passed and interest rates fell,
they were able to refinance the house a few times and lower their
monthly mortgage payments. Second,
between the church and his freelance work, Jim’s income was
steadily increasing. In addition, after all the children were finally
in school, Linda found steady, part-time work with the local school
district. Third, a strong real estate market returned, the value of
their house increased, and, therefore, the equity in the home grew.
So, when a large expenditure or emergency happened, their equity
could be tapped for additional loans. And fourth, they knew they were
very blessed with heavenly assistance when they needed it. In their
minds and hearts, they knew that heavenly assistance was a direct
result of being faithful to their religious promises to God.
After
years of struggle, hard work, and heavenly help, the home was paid
off in 2014 – nearly 34 years after moving in. A miracle indeed!
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| Jim and Linda's Home Murray, Utah - 1984 |
Hindsight
and Unexpected Good
Over
the years, and especially during the tumultuous early 1980s, it could
have been extremely difficult for Jim and Linda to have confidence in
their decisions to change employment and to purchase a home in
Murray. The cards were clearly stacked against them -- low desire to
work for the church, a lower salary, a longer commute (temporarily),
sky-high interest rates, a home that would likely not sell, a new
home that would likely be too expensive, going against a real estate
agent's advice, economic turmoil occurring throughout the U.S., etc.,
etc. -- but Jim and Linda acted on their
faith and pressed forward.
In hindsight, going
against common sense and acting on their faith resulted in a lot of
good -- good that went well beyond simply having a comfortable home.
Below are a few things that happened as a direct consequence of the
employment change and living in Murray. None of them would likely
have happened otherwise or would have been replicated elsewhere to
the same extent.
1) In 1985, their son,
Jason, learned from friends how to cheat arcade games and get tickets
he didn't deserve at a fun center called the 49th
Street Galleria in Murray. However, even at a young age, Jason showed
great maturity and courage to later rectify the situation. More details can be found here.
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| 49th Street Galleria Murray, Utah - 1998 (Later renamed "Utah Fun Dome") |
2) In 1992, Jim was told
he would be at risk of losing his church employment, even after 12
years of excellent performance, because he didn't possess a master's
degree. This motivated him to pursue higher education. (The equity in
their home paid for his schooling.) Not only did that degree anchor
his employment, but it also provided other positive effects such as
Jim learning to overcome dread and fear and also how to learn by
study and faith. More details can be found here.
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| Jim's graduation day - 1995 Master's degree in Public Administration |
3) In 1993, their son,
Taylor, suffered a bicycle accident that caused serious brain damage,
including losing his ability to read. Living in Murray placed the
right people and amazing circumstances around Taylor that contributed
to a miraculous recovery. Most importantly, the ordeal was a major
turning point in Taylor's life and ultimately a very positive
influence. More details can be found here.
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| One day after Taylor's bike accident July 28, 1993 |
4) In 1999, their son,
Tom, went to great lengths to hide personal problems in his life that
caused him deep misery and to be depressed. One night at home, Tom
had a dream in which he and a friend were murdered. Upon awakening
from the dream, a strong desire emerged to change his life. A
particular church leader in Murray helped Tom as he made those
changes. It was a major, positive turning point in Tom's life. More details can be found here.
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| Jim & Linda's son, Tom (right) Jeff Degen (left), the church leader that helped Tom Tom's Eagle Court of Honor - September 1999 |
5) In 2002, the Murray
Utah North Stake (a group of church congregations in Murray) was
invited to construct a parade float for the annual Pioneer Day Parade
in Salt Lake City. Jim was asked to design the float and help with
its construction. Along the way, Jim made a serious mistake that
appeared to be beyond repair. In addition, float expenses went
considerably over budget. However, Jim’s prayers for help led to a
number of remarkable tender mercies. More details can be found here.
 |
| Jim carving the float, 2002 |
6) In 2014, Jim retired
after having been employed by the church for 34 years. Little did Jim
know when he was first hired, that his church employment would
eventually be the means of fulfilling prophetic promises made in a
patriarchal blessing he was given at age 15 by a local church leader,
called a patriarch. Jim was promised that he would carry the word of
the Lord to those of the world who knew it not, even to foreign
lands, and his ability to master the languages would be very
striking. Jim had assumed the promise would be related to missionary
work, but he was wrong.
During his church career,
Jim was eventually transferred to a department to help with the
translation of scriptures and other sacred materials, in other words,
"the word of the Lord." Over the next twenty years, Jim
traveled to more than 30 countries and managed translation projects
in 77 different languages. Jim's ability with those foreign languages
was indeed striking, especially to him. The promises in his
patriarchal blessing were fulfilled exactly! Jim once observed, "How
would a patriarch know all of that when I was 15 years old if he did
not have a divine spirit of prophecy? Patriarchal blessings are
amazing!"
The Foolishness of God
How wonderful that
various, separate events could be interwoven together to work out for
the better -- for Jim and Linda and for their children! What may have
appeared as foolish decisions by Jim and Linda during two years of
national economic crises, actually turned out to be wise and resulted
in tremendous good. By giving heed to divine direction, Jim and his
family also experienced many positive life-changing events that may
not have otherwise happened!
A verse from the Bible
sums it up well, "…The foolishness of God is wiser than men;
and the weakness of God is stronger than men." (1 Corinthians
1:25).
Story written
and adapted by Tom Hartley (son), August 2018
Reviewed and
approved by Jim Hartley (father) and Linda Hartley (mother)
Some other memorable locations
in Murray, Utah for the Hartley family
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| Golden Isle Chinese Restaurant - 1998 The Hartley family loved eating here |
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| The famous Murray Smoke Stacks - 1998 |
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| Smith's Grocery Store in Murray - 1998 The family went here frequently for groceries |
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| Horizon Elementary School in Murray - 1998 |
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| Church chapel in Murray the Hartley family attended - 1998 |
Sources:
US Business Cycle
Expansions and Contractions
30-Year Fixed Rate
Mortgage Average in the United States
Recession of 1981–82
U.S. Unemployment Rate
U.S. Inflation of
Prices
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CPIAUCSL (edit the chart to display percent change from a year ago to get the
inflation rate as a %)
James E. Hartley: My
Story, March 2018
James E. Hartley: Dread
Does Not Need to Be the Victor, September 2017
Jim and Linda Hartley
Video Interview, January 2016, at FamilySearch Library in
Riverton, Utah, by Tom Hartley (son)
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