Gail Christensen John

In Gail John’s own words:

I was born in Tremonton, Utah on March 6, 1939 to parents that I would characterize as being very dedicated to their values. This included a strong commitment to family. I always felt unconditional love and a sense of security and stability, but the environment was also one of learning and expectation for hard work. I am grateful to have grown up in this environment. I believe it has served me well. My mother was a convert to the Church having been baptized in Denmark by my father as he served a full-time mission. She later immigrated to the United States and she and father were married.

As I turned eight my parents had responded to a mission call and were serving in Denmark helping to reestablish the missionary activity following the Second World War. My older brother, two older sisters, a younger brother, and I were living with our grandparents. This period was particularly challenging since my father was not there to baptize me. He taught me, though contrary to my wish, that it was more important for me to be baptized than by whom.

A decade later in 1957 I was finishing high school, playing the clarinet in the band, and being a majorette among many other activities. But most important, I was engaged to be married.

Another decade later in 1967 I had been married in the temple and had three sons, Ricky, Steven, and David. During this period we had not only had our family, but I had worked hard in partnership with Darwin to help him finish his degrees. We were in the process of building a new home and life was good. I did not anticipate that we would be making a major move to Minneapolis.

Another decade later in 1977 I was in Minneapolis. It had been a decade of our children growing and maturing, of opportunities for service as a Primary president, as a Young Womens president, and in the stake Young Womens presidency. Again, a sense of being settled and not anticipating another major move, this time to Philadelphia.

A few years later on a day in March of 1980 we were in Philadelphia. Our oldest son had just returned from his mission to New Zealand and was on his way back to BYU. Our second son was a freshman at BYU and had received his call to serve his mission in France. Our youngest son was still at home. During the morning of this dramatic day I received word that my mother had died unexpectedly and that afternoon I sat in a room with a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as he asked me if I would support the call of my husband as the president of the Philadelphia Pennsylvania Stake.

Just short of a decade later, another dramatic day in October of 1989. All of our sons had completed their missions. The oldest two had been married in the temple. I had again had opportunities for service in the Relief Society presidency, as stake Primary president, but my most choice experience during this time was through my work in the Young Womens program. Several young people had been taught the gospel in our home and baptized into the Church.

The years of stake presidency service were complete. I was enjoying the travel with my companion as he served as a regional representative in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and Potomac, Virginia Regions. On this dramatic day we received a letter which was directed to my husband. It offered him the opportunity to head the Information and Communications Systems Department of the Church. And so we are here filling an assignment which was not sought, having had some values tested, and some measures of success set aside to enable this service. We find it the most rewarding, and in some ways, the most challenging season of our lives.

Life continues, my service as a Church service missionary assigned to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building completed in 2002. I moved with my husband to Washington D C in support of his assignment to be the Chief Information Officer for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This assignment came following the attack of September 11, 2001. The assignment lasted 9 years. The early part of the assignment had us in D C and then we were able to move back to our home in Utah and fill the assignment from there. I appreciated the opportunity to be a part of serving our country, but at the same time it did come with significant challenges for me.

In 2008 I added to my role that of being a spouse to the Bishop of our ward as that call came to our family. In 2012 the call as Bishop was complete as I accepted with my husband a call to serve in the presidency of the Draper Utah Temple. Completing these 3 years was some of the most rewarding yet most demanding service of my life. I look back knowing The Lord was with me each day of that service. Our family continues to be most supportive. I am so grateful for the many many blessings in my life.

As I am now in my 80s, our family has grown and we now have eighteen great grandchildren with another due soon. This is a most interesting season of life. One of looking back, being in the moment and looking forward all at the same time. Being grateful remains the most powerful feeling in my life.