Experiencing severe abuse during childhood, Paul struggled to manage life. His struggles were complicated by attention deficit disorder and dyslexia. Paul turned to faith in God and prayer in facing the challenges of life.
After a near-death experience and a brutal beating, he ran away and walked through the New Mexico desert with prayer and a promise to God to always go to church, perform missionary service, get an education, and marry in the church. Paul was rescued by a family at 1:00 am. on a dark and lonely road after being told by the spirit to "Go to the highway as fast as you can. Run, don't stop."
Soon after being rescued, Paul quit school with a ninth-grade education and joined the United States Marine Corps when he turned seventeen. He completed his enlistment in the Marine Corps, performed missionary service, married in the church, and attended the University of Utah, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree. Paul retired after a forty-one-year career as a nuclear and fossil power plant principal engineer and manager.