Childhood Shenanigans
Burns won a dime from his dad by waking up in the middle of the night under a full moon to do this chore.
What is milking the cows?
Though Burns told recruiters he wanted to join the Army to avoid being stuck on a boat, he accidentally stepped into the wrong line and was sworn into this branch.
What is the Navy?
Because of his clear tenor voice, some girls squealed and nicknamed Burns after this legendary American crooner during his time in the Utah Centennial Chorus.
Who is Frank Sinatra?
When Burns was 12, his neighbor bought him one of these rare items, causing Burns to run screaming in absolute excitement for multiple laps around his house.
What is a bicycle?
Burns and Mona were blessed to raise this total number of biological children together.
What is eight?
Burns' mother successfully kept him away from the nearby creek by telling him this mythical creature lived under the bridge.
What is a troll?
Burns survived nine major battles and two kamikaze plane attacks while serving aboard this heavy cruiser.
What is the USS Louisville?
From a very tender age, Burns' mother would accompany his public singing performances by playing this instrument.
What is the guitar?
In 1985, Burns opened a massive guest lodge on this family property, completely exploding their hospitality and family reunion business.
What is the Rockin’ R Ranch?
In the summer of 1942, Burns locked eyes with his future sweetheart, Mona Lundgreen, while visiting this local recreational facility.
What is the Marysvale Roller Skating Rink?
Burns and his friend Dean got caught by their schoolteacher after scavenging these items and trading them at Bigg's Store for a giant sack of candy.
What are chicken eggs?
In his first battle at Saipan, Burns was locked from the outside in a stifling room where he had to hoist shells weighing this many pounds.
What is 250 pounds?
At age 15, Burns won second place in a regional singing contest, earning the prize to perform live on this iconic Utah radio station.
What is KSL Radio?
The family fell into deep debt after purchasing Colorado cattle infected with this highly contagious disease, which Burns also painfully contracted.
What is brucellosis? (Also accept undulant fever or "bangs")
Because of a hospital paperwork error by the attending physician, Burns’ birth certificate mistakenly listed his name as this for many years.
Who is Don C. Merrill? (Or Don C. Black)
This poodle-sized sheepdog "saved Burns' life" by jumping on his mother's back and biting her apron strings during a spanking.
Who is Bob?
While hitchhiking with a "Y" taped to his suitcase, Burns was picked up by a 1936 Plymouth driven by this famous Latter-day Saint Apostle.
Who is John A. Widtsoe?
Multi-talented Burns learned to play all four instruments in his childhood home: the harmonica, the guitar, the ukulele, and this buttoned instrument belonging to his dad.
What is a concertina?
When the family finally moved back to their own farm around 1940, this vegetable became their very first successful cash crop.
What are potatoes?
When Burns returned home from his 28-month mission, his young son Rodney was so petrified of his "new" father that he hid behind this bedroom object.
What is a dresser?
While hitchhiking home from school in a freezing winter whiteout, a kind police officer let 15-year-old Burns sleep in a cell overnight in this Utah town.
What is Nephi?
After the war, Burns was able to personally complete sacred temple work for this exact number of men who were killed on his ship.
What is 52?
Burns learned how to yodel by faithfully listening to radio stars Sonny Dawson and this man on his family's battery-powered radio.
Who is Skeeter Hubbard?
To keep the family afloat during lean financial years, Burns wrapped pork loins for this specific meatpacking company.
What is Cudahy Meat Packers?
While serving in Syracuse, New York, Burns gained his burning spiritual witness of the Book of Mormon after sitting in a chair and reading it straight for this many hours.
What is 11 hours?