A little card

When Jake & I lived in our apartment in Pleasant Grove, we were in the Grove 3rd Ward. Not that we went to church all that often. We lived there for exactly a year, and didn't know ANYONE in the ward or in our building, except for the Bishop. About 3 months before we moved out, I started getting serious about wanting to go to the Temple, and I knew that the first step was to go to church more often. I also started meeting with the Bishop to discuss specifics to get to the temple. One of the last times I met with him {March of 2010}, he gave me this card.

I had seen it before, and I think I actually already had one on our fridge, but he gave me a new one anyway and wrote his email address on the back. He told me that when I go through the temple, he wanted me to send him an email and let him know.

In November of 2011, I sent him that email letting him know I went through. I was SO proud of myself for getting to write him. And he wrote back. I thought I had the email somewhere, but looking in my phone I don't see it. I'll have to look from a computer since I can search easier.

Last week, I was cleaning out my wallet and found the card again. I decided to email Bishop Wernli and let him know that we had been sealed. This was what I sent him:


Bishop Wernli,

So I don't think you're the Bishop of the Grove 3rd Ward anymore, and we moved out of that neighborhood 3 years ago so chances are you don't remember us. But I wanted to email you and tell you Jake & I were finally able to be sealed.

When we were in that ward, I was just barely becoming active again and Jake wanted nothing to do with it. We moved and 18 months later I went through the Temple (Nov 2011) and I emailed you when that happened.

In the middle of June, Jake went through the Provo temple and received his endowments.

And last weekend we got sealed at the Manti temple.

I have kept this card in my wallet since we moved all those years ago because I knew it was true. I knew that my husbands heart could be softened and that we could make those covenants together. And now it's happened.

Thanks for being such a great Bishop, and for giving me this card with your email on the back so long ago. I've been looking forward to sending you this email for a really long time.

Hope you and your family are doing good.

Ashley McClellan


Not even 2 hours later, I got this reply back:

Ashley,

Thank you so much for emailing me - you have made my day! I certainly do remember you and I can remember the feelings I had when you visited with me. I am so proud of the decisions you have made in order to bring this all about. I am also very humbled by how the Lord works with us! I will never forget how clearly He communicated to me regarding His love for you. It sure was clear that he had a plan for your family :)

I will be printing this email to keep with me for a long time :) Again, thank you so much for sharing and for being so true to yourself and to the Lord's voice. 

With Love,

Bishop Brandon Wernli

ps. My family and I just recently moved across the United States to the Atlanta, GA area. Its been quite the change for us but we have enjoyed our new surroundings so far. We sure miss the 3rd Ward. If we have the opportunity of meeting up again, you may find me with a subtle accent if I'm not careful :)

It totally made my day that he remembered us. And his response made my day. I'm so glad that I kept that little card in my wallet all these years. And I'm grateful for all the prayers that our little family got - I know that the Lord truly can open the hearts of those around us. The fact that I got to be sealed to the love of my life 9 days ago wouldn't have happened without the prayers and faith of those around us who kept encouraging us.

And yes, this card is still in my wallet.