Bio of Don Allphin

Spouse: Jeri Lynn Huff. Children: Donovan O. Allphin Jr. 25 Mission to Malaga, Spain. Christopher James Allphin 23 Mission to Bilboa, Spain. Mark Edward Allphin 21 Mission to Tacoma, Washington. Karalyn Grace Allphin 17 Senior, Provo High School.

Family: Besides three successful missions, we have been fortunate to have three state championship basketball rings, among our boys. Their dad even has one as a coach for Provo High Basketball (I coached the freshman program for several years, and assisted Craig Drury). Don Jr. and Chris are married and we have a four-year-old grand daughter, Ember. All the boys are in school to some degree or another, and are doing well. We have been truly blessed.

Our youngest, Kara, is a state champion English horse rider. She loves jumping competitions and has been very successful. She has a lovely singing voice and has participated in musicals, choirs, and is a soloist for her choir. Jeri, my incredible wife, went back to school after Kara was in school and is now an attorney here in Provo, specializing in employment and family law. She has been and is my strength. She devotes much of her time to community service and is currently the director of the Community Mediation Center, located on the UVSC campus.

Church Service: I have served in Texas, Oklahoma, and Utah. I have always enjoyed being a home teacher and have been blessed to have served in several callings with the Young Men's organizations. In Oklahoma I served as the Elder's Quorum President, and then in Utah I have been a choir director, music director, Gospel Doctrine teacher (favorite calling) and a High Priest Group Leader. I am currently serving as a High Counselor and the Stake PFR. They call me the Key Master. I don't get to the temple as often as I should, and I'm certainly not a perfect member of the Church, but I do love the Lord and am trying to improve my life each and every day.

Education: I graduated with a BA in Spanish (go figure) and History from B.Y.U. in 1979. Since then I have been in business for myself. First in Texas, and then, later in Utah. Work: For the past 16 years I have owned and operated a small industrial supply company in Provo. It has afforded me a great deal of time to spend helping raise our children, coaching them and teaching them the principles of hard work and hard play. In 1993 I was in a serious car accident in which I suffered some soft-tissue brain damage. I reverted back to fourth-grade reading, writing and speaking abilities. Because I feared I might not be able to continue to work, my dear wife decided to go to law school so she could help out.

As part of my therapy, I began writing again, and within a couple of years my first outdoors article was purchased and I was published in Western Angler Magazine. Since then, I have regained most of my abilities and have had over 300 articles published, and I have owned and published a Bass Fishing Magazine, and currently write the "On Fishing" column weekly for the Provo Daily Herald Newspaper.

Hobbies: I am a professional bass angler which takes me to tournaments all over the United States. I very much enjoy hunting, and fishing for fun as well as for profit. Golf is another of my interests. I play to a 6 handicap and have served as president of the East Bay Men's Association. The greatest thing to happen to my golf game though was when my wife fell in love with the sport. I no longer play in golf tournaments, but rather spend a couple of hours three days a week golfing with Jeri. What a country!!

Community Involvement: P.G.A. volunteer 6 years running. President of the Men's Association. Member of the Board of Directors of the Provo Open Golf Tournament. Volunteer for the C.A.S.T. for Kids Charity. Donate time teaching kids to fish, and present fishing seminars. Participate in the Catch A Cure For Cancer Fishing Tournament.

Comps: I'm sorry but I couldn't find all my companion information. Here are a few I remember: Cory Allen, Tom Fletcher, Mark Hartshorn, Randy Rigby, Kevin Colver, Gary Witte, Gary Cunningham, Ronnie Tyson, Gary Lamph, Aristides Hawkin. I apologize to those I have missed. Some of my memories are fuzzy, a problem with old age I'm told. Like many, my mission was a wonderful, yet trying experience. I was young, quite naive, and as my wife explained to me after we were married, I was spoiled rotten. For those companions that took the time and had the patience to put up with me and teach me how to live my life, I will be eternally thankful. And, though I may not have remembered your names, whatever I am now, I owe to the influence for good that each of you had on me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Areas Served: Comayaguela, Honduras, Granada, Nic, San Jose, Costa Rica, San Isidro Costa Rica, San Pedro Sula, Honduras, Canal Zone, Panama. Dichos: Actually, my whole mission was a Dicho. There were lots of stories about paseos and other events that made folks wonder if I was on vacation or on a mission, but most of the stories were not true.

I had many wonderful experiences, but one stands out in my mind. I wanted to visit a world-famous bass lake in Honduras, so my companion and I took a P-Day to see it. When we walked down the road to the resort, a tiny lady began running to us shouting "Elderes! Elderes!" This wonderful woman had joined the Church in San Pedro Sula 15 years before, but when she went to work at the lodge she had lost contact with the Church. We were the first missionaries she had seen in all those years. She treated us like kings and we had a wonderful day.

Missions are great teachers. We leave as snot-nosed kids, (unless you're Elder Box) and come home with eyes wide open, having seen too much poverty and suffering, yet having experienced the healing powers of the Priesthood, feeling the Spirit of God touching the lives of the people you teach, and committing to try and be a better person tomorrow than you were today. I was able to serve in four countries: what a great blessing. I feel absolutely blessed to have been able to serve under President Eagar. He has been a pillar of strength to me over the years. I had the opportunity to visit him in Pine Arizona with my family a few years ago. He looked as he always did, strong, full of faith, and still a great leader. I thank my Heavenly Father each day that I was called to serve in Central America.