9 1 . ▁He ▁and ▁his ▁students ▁collected ▁j okes , ▁leg ends , ▁stories , ▁songs , ▁and ▁other ▁information ▁to ▁add ▁to ▁the ▁M orm on ▁fol kl ore ▁arch ives . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁education ▁William ▁Albert ▁Wilson ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁T rem ont on , ▁Ut ah , ▁to ▁Bill ▁Wilson , ▁who ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁rail road ▁for eman ▁for ▁Union ▁Pacific , ▁and ▁Lu cile ▁Wilson . ▁He ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁Dow ney , ▁Id aho , ▁a ▁small , ▁close - kn it ▁community . ▁He ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁his ▁family ▁to ▁attend ▁university ▁when ▁he ▁en rolled ▁at ▁Br igh am ▁Young ▁University ▁( BY U ) ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 1 . ▁He ▁served ▁a ▁mission ▁for ▁the ▁Church ▁of ▁Jesus ▁Christ ▁of ▁L atter - day ▁Sain ts ▁in ▁Finland ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 3 . ▁While ▁in ▁Finland , ▁he ▁gained ▁an ▁appreci ation ▁for ▁Finn ish ▁culture , ▁especially ▁the ▁collection ▁of ▁ep ic ▁poetry , ▁The ▁K ale val a . ▁As ▁a ▁mission ary , ▁he ▁met ▁Han ne le ▁Bl om q v ist ▁who ▁was ▁serving ▁as ▁a ▁sister ▁mission ary . ▁They ▁studied ▁at ▁BY U ▁together ▁and ▁were ▁married ▁in ▁the ▁Salt ▁Lake ▁Temple ▁on ▁May ▁ 3 1 , ▁ 1 9 5 7 . ▁They ▁had ▁four ▁children ▁together . ▁ ▁After ▁teaching ▁English ▁for ▁a ▁year ▁at ▁B ount iful ▁High ▁School , ▁Wilson ▁completed ▁an ▁MA ▁in