The Small Plates of Tom: My Parents Jim and Linda

Three days from now, September 1, 2018, marks the 38^th anniversary when my parents, Jim and Linda Hartley, moved into their home in Murray, Utah. This was the one and only home of my entire childhood and upbringing. However, little did I know the story behind the home until much later in life. In honor of the home's "birthday" and to better remember and document the incredible story behind it, I have written and adapted the following:

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.

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.

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.

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

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 24^th, 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.

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!"

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!

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 49^th 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.

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.

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.

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.

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