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Q - My wife was wondering if there is any way we can keep the Donny & Marie show on the air? A - Merrill -Donny and Marie are doing very well. Their show has been officially cancelled, but they're doing great. Donny and Marie's ratings had never been higher, but you get one market who pulls the plug, everything else falls.  Q - I just wanted to tell you, that Jay was always my favorite. (Jay - I like you, thank you!) I too come from a large family, I'm the youngest of 11, and probably about 130 kids with my brothers and sisters, and all. Do you know how many there are in your family? A - Wayne - Right now there are 54 grandchildren, 8 boys and one girl (that's us and Marie), then there are 10 or 11 (there's a couple on the way) great-grandchildren…and we're just getting started! Q - I'm just curious if you guys attend a Temple regularly, and if you've been to the new Oklahoma Temple? A - Jay - I haven't been to that new Oklahoma Temple, but we love the work of the Lord. All roads in the Church lead to the Temple, do they not? You bet ya! Because we perform in Branson, we don't get that many opportunities to go to our Temple District, which is St. Louis. When we are home, we sure do visit, and it is always a blessing. Wayne - Merrill lives, what a mile from the Manti Temple, and I live two blocks from the Bountiful Temple, and so when we're there, absolutely it is a wonderful place to go. Merrill - My wife and I served as Temple workers for three years in the Jordan River Temple, we worked in the baptistery, so we love Temple work. It's worth every minute of it. Q - Jay - Do you still have two left feet? We were classmates at BYU in a dance class that we had one Spring term, along with your parents…probably the summer of '87. I worked at the information center. A - Jay - Yes! Nice to see you, it's been a long time.  Q - I thought it was awfully amazing to see a family so close as yours. My wife and I have eight children, six of which are boys. How long do we have to wait until we get to the point where they relate to each other the way you guys do? A - Jay - Actually, I think everyone has problems relating. Arguing is part of the growing. It is how you fight that counts. It's how you look at it, and resolve it. If you know that you're going to resolve it, then it always works out. Merrill - I have six children, four boys, and two girls. For me, as I look back, one of the greatest times we ever had was when we made our disagreements a part of our family agenda. We all got into it, had fun with it. When you're there for your kids, they'll be there for you until the end. There is nothing greater. Wayne - There is not enough affection in the Church today…people don't hug their children, children don't know that they're supposed to hug their parents back. Husbands and wives aren't even as affectionate as they should be. Maybe I'm speaking out of turn, but I've seen it a lot, and I think we just need to be closer to one another and hug each other! Q - I'm a hospital chaplain. I am one who is a helping hand as you go into surgery, I am one who is holding your hand when you're coming out of surgery, I am one who is praying for you when you go into surgery. Thank you for your testimony and steady faith. I am the recipient of two miracles, I'm not supposed to be here…and I know what you cannot tell, I was dead for three minutes. A - Jay, bless you - Wayne - bless your heart, Merrill - special people in this room.  Q - How does it make you feel to know there are so many us…your family were such missionaries…how does it make you feel to know that so many of us are now members of the Church? A - Merrill - These are the things, right there, that keep us going. If we go 6 ½ more years, we will have gone 50 years in show business, then we're all going to get out of the business. What makes us keep going is that right there. Thank you, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Wayne - To answer your question…it makes us feel very, very humble. Thank you. Q - Twenty-five years ago, I was on a mission in Australia when your family came through on tour. I went to the fireside you did there, and never had the chance to write you or thank you. I understand you have a deaf sibling? (Merrill - my son is deaf.) Your son is deaf? My son is deaf. Do all of you know sign language? A - Jay - Our two older brothers are also hearing impaired and know how to sign. We learned the alphabet, but not sign language. (Questioner - Shame on you.) Jay - I know! - (laugh by audience). Wayne - I am better at it than they are! HA! Q - For the record, you really do look good up close! (Jay - You're kind, Merrill - You're sweet.) My question is, in your industry, how in the world have you been able to incorporate the certain principles and practices that keep your standards? It must be a huge challenge. A - Jay - One of the blessings we've had in this crazy business, is that our family has been real close. But the greatest support beyond that, are the members of the Church. We knew that we had their support, and trust. One of the things that gave us the strength is that positive peer pressure from the members of the Church. That's what held us together. Merrill - When you know, it's right here. When you pull away from it, that's when you experience a period of darkness. In our business, when you know what you're doing is important, you remain focused on the goal, the challenges and temptations aren't as great. When you have brothers who hold the Priesthood of God and stand by you, it makes it a lot easier to go through.  Q - One of my favorite albums of all time was The Plan. Such beautiful music, and truly inspiring to me as I investigated the Church. I'm wondering if you're going to be putting it on CD, or if you have it and I just haven't seen it? I'd certainly look at it, because I'd like to share it with my family. A - Merrill - Thank you. The people who own the masters to The Plan have been contacted, and they are in the process of working that out. The CD will come out soon. Q - How does it feel with everybody knowing who you are, and that you're famous? A - Merrill - That's a very unique question! When Jay was 2 ½ years old and still in diapers, he started performing, I was no more than six. It's what we've done, what our lives have been about ever since we were children. So, it's pretty hard to answer that question, since it's all we know. It's what we are. Jay - Everybody seeks, in some way, to be recognized. It has been a big part of our lives. However, it has also made us very self-conscious, very humble, and very responsible for what we do because we are always being watched, as I mentioned before. It's been hard for me, personally. But I also want you to know, it has blessed us to have that pressure. Wayne - It isn't just us though, every one of you who are LDS…people watch you, every one of you. Whether it is the workers around you, friends, or whatever. You can be such examples to those around you, because you are watched. What you do, everyone is going to judge the whole Church on exactly what you do. It behooves us all to be that way.  Q - As performers who have been in the industry for so many years, do you know of, or are you involved in any forums to help others who are in the process of trying to stay close to their standards and become performers, and work in the industry as well? A - Merrill - We were fortunate years and years ago to have Andy Williams and Walt Disney discover us, and put us where we could be exposed to the world. Today, somebody will come to me and ask that question…and I'm almost discouraging to them, because of the obvious reason. The entertainment industry today is sick, and the sickness is almost coming to the point where it is accepted as the norm in our youth. What's disturbing, I turned on MTV the other night, and I turned it right off, and I'm in that business. So, how do you encourage somebody to continue what they do in an industry that's sick? I can tell you this…with the new regulations, the networks, the satellites, and so forth that are opening up new opportunities, it will become more of a niche market for the people who really have the talent, and need to be exposed. But it's going to take some producers with faith and determination to change that. In fact, there is a man named Kieth Merrill, you might know Kieth, he's a good friend of ours. We're working with Kieth right now, on some new film ideas, new concepts. He's the one who did "The Testaments" for the Church. Q - How many states have you traveled to? A - Jay - How many states? States of mind, or states?…HA. Merrill - I think we've been to every state in the union. Wayne - About 40 times! We've been around since water. In fact, we performed on the very first cruise ship…Noah's Ark. Boy that audience, they were animals! Merrill - Well folks, that sort of wraps it up! We would like to thank you so much for allowing us to be here with you, and to share our testimonies. We are a unique bunch. We are so grateful for our testimony of this Church. We hope that you all come down and see us in Branson. Again, we thank you! and the brothers ended the Fireside with a song...  |
