In December of 2016, I received a phone call from Sheila Calder. She and her husband, Cameron are friends in the ward. She told me she had been to lunch that day with some ladies from the ward. During lunch, Lorna’s name came up in the conversation.

Connie Larson, who had moved from the ward, was at the luncheon. She asked those at the table if they knew if I was dating? No one at the lunch knew whether I was or wasn’t. She told them that there was a widow in her new ward, whom she felt I should meet. Then she explained why she felt that way. Then said she was hesitant to call me. Sheila said, “I’ll call him. What’s her name and number?”

Sheila called and asked if I was dating. I answered no. She told me about the lunch she attended that day. She told me about Connie’s feeling that I should meet a widow in her ward. I told Sheila I appreciated the call and the inquiry, but I was not interested in dating yet.  She insisted I call and sent me Connie’s number.

I had no intention of calling.

However, for the next few days, I’m “troubled.” I’m feeling I should call, but I don’t want to. The feeling won’t go away. I decide to at least make the call.

I call Connie and ask her about the widow she feels I should meet.

During the previous summer  (it’s now December), Connie was jogging in a local park. She jogged by a bench that Brenda, the widow from her ward, was sitting on.  Connie hears someone say: “Introduce Brenda to Craig Jenkins.”

That afternoon, Connie and her husband, Mike, ran into me at Costco (I remembered that meeting at Costco).  She hears again, “Introduce Brenda to Craig.”  Connie told me that every time she sees Brenda, she hears the same thing, “Introduce Brenda to Craig.”

When Connie was telling her experience to those at the lunch, Brenda walked into the restaurant.

I’m not a big believer in coincidences anymore.

I called Brenda.  She had been a widow for a few years. She told me that when her husband died, good riddance. She never wanted to see him again, and certainly didn’t want to be sealed to him. She said he had done “some things.” I didn’t ask what those things were.

She then told me that she had come to believe from her personal impressions that you can repent on the other side of the veil. But, she had been unable to find any statements from the brethren to corroborate what she was believing.  She had even attended a fireside on Life after Life, where the presenter was unable to give her a definitive answer.

I told her yes, of  course you can repent on the other side of the veil. The second estate, the time to prepare to meet God, is birth to resurrection, not birth to death. I have statements by Elder Packer, Elder Maxwell, Elder Oaks, Eldred G. Smith, (Church Patriarch from 1947-1979), Alma, Section 138 of the Doctrine and Covenants, and others. I’ll email them to you.

A short time later I received this email back from her.

Brenda and I never met.  Just a phone call and an email. However, I do feel a connection to Brenda, and her husband, who loves her.

Brenda’s husband had repented. He was then authorized to speak the words to Brenda’s mind that you can repent on the other side of the veil, and that he had repented.

Brenda had believed what most Latter-day Saints believe. If you are a Church member and you die in your sins, you had your one chance. No Celestial Kingdom for you.

For Brenda, that belief was being challenged by her personal revelation, that her husband, who had been active, endowed, sealed in the Temple, but had done some things, who hadn’t repented before he died, wasn’t lost. He could repent of those things’ in the spirit world.

She wanted to believe the impressions she was feeling, but needed a second witness to confirm what was being revealed to her.

Council meetings are held on the other side of the veil, Church and family. In a council meeting her husband addresses her need for an additional witness to confirm to her what she was now believing. A statement from a credible source.

Don’t ask me how, but in some way he finds out that I have quotes that will confirm the impressions that Brenda has been receiving.

How to get them to Brenda? Again, in some way, he becomes aware that Connie is a link; she knows both of us. It was not a coincidence that Brenda was sitting on a bench in Lambert Park when Connie jogged by, or she ran into me at Costco later in the day, or that every time she saw Brenda she would hear the same thing: introduce Brenda to Craig.

Because of Connie’s reticence (completely understandable) to call me, after a few months Brenda’s husband makes arrangements for ladies from the ward and Connie to meet for lunch (because “they can do things from there”).

Lorna’s name comes up at lunch, my name comes up, Connie shares her story. Sheila calls me: I’m not going to call, but I’m troubled by Brenda’s husband (always authorized)  to make the call. I call, and Brenda gets the quotes she needs to confirm what had been revealed to her. She knows her husband has repented and loves her.

Larry James, a fellow ordinance worker at the Timpanogos Temple shared his experience with me.