Being born in Salt Lake City and into the Mormon environment, my future life was almost sealed from day one. One does not get "born" into a religion and easily figure out or understand the rest of life.

Yet, my family couldn't have provided a more ideal environment. My mother played organ for the LDS Church. My dad never did accept Mormonism and never went to church. Dad's side of the family was already wise to the Mormon teachings and bloody historical record, polygamy and cult-like living. This split gave ample opportunity to observe, compare, and do some of my own thinking. I was able to keep one foot on the ground during intense Mormon indoctrination.

Even, mom, another born-into-the-religion member, had many reservations about Mormonism. She never did want to participate in a Mormon temple ceremony or get "sealed" in the temple. Instead, down deep she felt there just may not be a heaven -- that heaven and hell was right here on earth. I carry this philosophy with me today --- "make the very best of this life."

We weren't a rich family. Struggling through life on a meagre income, mother found herself managing the family finances. There were times when dad was out of work. One venture was dad setting up his own sign business and sign painting school. Mom supplemented our income by teaching piano, otherwise we would not have made it.

I was oldest. Along came a brother, Roger, and two sisters, Deanna and Renae. Many family trips which included Yellowstone, Brighton, the nearby Uintah Mountains, even California all opened our lives to a new, exciting and bigger world. I particularly fell in love with Yellowstone -- even today making yearly trips to enjoy Yellowstone's wonders.

Grade school was pretty much hum drum. I never felt I was smart even though I desperately struggled to be numbered in that group. My reading skills were poor. I well remember the teacher standing over me and scolding me for my "poor reading."

Junior high, though, provided a break. I was honored to get on the Irving Junior High stage crew. It helped build my sagging self-esteem. I signed up for Latin -- heaven forbid, the toughest class at the school, maybe mainly to show myself that I wasn't as dumb as I imagined. I squeaked through Latin with barely a "C" grade. It was during these junior high years that I got my first job -- delivering real estate listings for the Salt Lake Real Estate Board.

The real estate listing bags were heavy, and the route long. Up elevators, down elevators. In buildings, out buildings. Twice a week I rode the bus to town and hauled the listing bags. During these high school years I substituted for the various jobs in the Salt Lake Real Estate Board office --- for those who went out on vacation. What an eye opener to what work life was really like! I slipped from part-time to full-time work -- still delivering the listings twice weekly while doing the full-time job of a normal staff worker.

Up to this time I had hesitated being baptized into the LDS, Mormon Church. I wasn't sports minded and the basketball and scouting programs offered little incentive to get active into the Mormon religion.

As I came into manhood I realized that life wasn't just delivering real estate listings, but marriage and a whole lot more. One of the Salt Lake Real Estate workers, Harry Hurley, baptized me into the religion after convincing me that it was the "best thing" that could come into my life. The connection between being a good church member and seeking out a wife in a Mormon community became obvious. Maybe that was my only real incentive for getting baptized.

Maybe I expected too much from this over-hyped baptism. When they layed their hands upon my head and said, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost," I waited. I waited. And I waited. I'm still waiting.

I still struggled getting out to Sunday church meetings. I still struggled trying to make logical sense out of scrambled eggs, contradictory scripture and often illogical doctrine. I still had very deep trouble with the mandated tithing -- "Regardless of your income you can always afford 10%." Our family was not rich and tithing seemed like a very unwise donation at a time when our family was in so much need. I often purchased milk to supplement our family living. In short, I couldn't accept the Mormon religion 100%. That alone created inferiority and an undercurrent of destruction in self-esteem.

I graduated from East High School in 1950. The incentive to go to college was not a family thing... none of my family had college experience nor any need for pushing their children into it. However, the Korean War was in full swing and the United State Army draft was definitely going to grab me if I did not go on to college. So, it was on to the University of Utah.

I struggled, barely keeping my head above water at the University. Grades slowly tumbled over those two years. My signing up for Pre-Med and then taking 21 hours of course work easily predicted my downfall. My poor reading and comprehension skills stirred into the mix brought my college classwork to a molasses pace. Too, since my college tuition was paid from my own part-time work, valuable study time was further eroded away. This detrimental combination further tore down my self-esteem. What was to happen next could be expected --- being drafted into the Army.

But, interestingly, my bend away from Mormonism played an important role in my future Army experiences. Instead of attending all my meetings on Sunday, playing basketball and signing up for scouting programs in the LDS church, I spent my hours at home learning electronics. My major interest was the miracle of radio and what made it tick. I had dreamed and wanted to become a part of this new medium. In our basement I had constructed, from scratch, a small radio station. This led to seriously applying myself toward learning enough electronics to acquire the Federal Communications First Class Radiotelephone License -- a license needed to operate any commercial radio station in the United States. I had this license in hand before being drafted into the army in 1955.

Because of this First Class License, I aced the Army battery of tests for electronics. I received the best school in electronics the Army offered.... the Guided Missle Electronics course at Ft. Monmouth, New Jersey. I graduated as the "Honor Graduate," -- receiving the highest test score of the group.

From this moment on my self-esteem started rising (if that is possible while in the United States Army). I took on a part-time job at radio station KGRT, Las Cruces, New Mexico as an announcer-engineer. I also did some microphone work at White Sands Proving Ground interviewing personnel for the Army radio services.

During this time the wheels were turning. I had long dreamed of adding sound to our home movies. The idea of synchronizing music and sound to an 8mm movie intrigued me. Electronics could easily achieve that job. Before I was out of the White Sands stint and out of the Army I had made a crude electronic box which would do just that.

A return to the University of Utah was next. Coming back into classwork with a clear mind, my University of Utah grades sharply rose. I finished up with a degree in Radio-Television Speech and a minor in Biology. During those college years, my interest in radio had not subsided in the least. I worked part-time during my college years for KSL, the largest radio station in the valley. I also worked for the University of Utah Radio Department, putting organist, Robert Cundick, on the then new FM radio for a weekly classical organ series. Mr. Cundick was later to become one of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Organists.

After graduation from the U. of U., I found employment with the then newly starting "Closed Circuit Television." Here I enjoyed my ability to use electronic skills in putting the TV system up and running. The only sad part was that I never became fully convinced that replacing an instructor with a TV set was the thing to do.

It was during my lunch breaks that I zipped over to the University Library where I browsed the John Widtsoe Mormon book collection. John Widtsoe was an early Mormon apostle. It was here I learned the untold, hidden side of Mormonism. The LDS Church over the many years has made deliberate effort to hide their early history and record. This was the side of the story my parents couldn't tell me since they, themselves, have never been exposed to the facts. Only a few relatives sometimes reluctantly leaked information about this ugly side of Mormonism -- the polygamy; the true reasons why Mormons were chased out of town after town; the real personality of Joseph Smith, founder of the LDS Church; why two governors of two states found the Mormon problem uncontrollable. It was during these years that the LDS Church took on the appearance of a monstrous fraud instead of a friendly, loving religion.

Yet, I still realized one thing -- that in Salt Lake City, there was no choice. You had to be Mormon. If you weren't, you were regarded as a black rat in a colony of white mice.

I told my newly chosen LDS fiancee that "I could probably never become a good church member." Down deep, I'm sure in her mind, that the flame never extinguished that I would eventually change and become a good Mormon. I never could or would make that change.

Yes, I went to my church meetings, trying hard to make sense out of nonsense. I came home only upset with the ignorance of those teaching something they knew nothing about. Instead of coming home with comfort and happiness, I came home with discouragement and confusion. I found my self-esteem sinking. One can not be a 95% member and be in good standing in the Mormon church.

I found that the indoctrination program of the church from the first day a child enteres the religion, "... when you go on your mission," was so intense that a father or mother no longer can give advice or offer education contrary to LDS teachings. "The only true church," penetrates every corner. "You can't reach heaven without paying a full 10% of your gross income." "You will not turn away from the religion once your are baptized into it without being sent to the lowest kingdom (Hell)." "The only hope for you in heaven is a Temple Marriage." It was a church whose basis of control was fear and cult-like indoctrination.

Meanwhile at the University of Utah Closed Circuit Television job I managed to find a niche. My electronic skills were valued and used. It was during these years I designed and helped build the first automated TV routing switcher in the nation. I also secured a patent on a touch-plate lighting switch circuit. A modern, evolved schematic of this circuit is found at http://members.tripod.com/wsimister

Over these years I completed my college education graduating with a Master of Science Degree in Radio-Television Speech and a minor in Biology. I then completed course work to get a Masters Degree in Communications and a minor in business.

During our off duty evening hours my brother, Roger, and I worked on a system of adding synchronized sound to home movies. This blended in with my activity as President of the Utah Cine Arts Club -- a local amateur filmmaking group.

From the University I then moved to KSL Television. Here I started in their engineering area then moved over as Business Manager for the Television News Department. In my spare moments, I designed more electronic equipment, branching into computers and computer processors.

Interests also branched off into music. I found the MIDI keyboards and computer music a fascinating new venture. This led to composing several musical pieces -- particularly about Yellowstone and Utah.

Retiring in 1995, my activity in computers, electronics, and music continues.

My other interest in these senior years is to take the time to inform others about Mormonism -- to tell the true story. Too much is hidden from the unsuspecting investigator. Only knowing the entire story can one make an intelligent decision about Mormonism. There are much better choices.

See waynesimister.mysite.com/ -- for more about the truths of Mormonism

In electronics, my latest project is the "One Button Home." This idea is to allow one to control any light in the home at any touch plate in the home.