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Stories: AnnaMaria Ferrarro-Ellis, A Dillingham, AK Conversion Story
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| Thank you for your warm welcome into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It has been a twenty or more year journey to Baptism for me. Approximately fifteen to twenty years ago, I had a layover in Salt Lake City and had about four hours to waste. The only desire I had then was to go see the Temple. I did not know why at that time. I took a cab just to glimpse this magnificent structure. I didn’t know then that there was a Visitors’ Center and just had the Taxi drive me around the area.
I have a testimony that I have been in the presence of the Holy Spirit as he visited my son while he was in the Critical Care Unit in the Alaska Native Medial Center in 1990. My only son was struck by a truck on June 27, 1990, and was in a come from a closed head injury, had a paralyzed left arm, his right hand was torn off (the only thing that connected it was one artery and one tendon), he had many internal injuries, his ribs were torn from the spine, and all the nerves to his left arm were broken at the shoulder blade.
My sister, Dorothy Wilson, and I were told by the Neurosurgeon that there was no hope for my son. My thoughts were of hopelessness, but then I realized that only Our Heavenly Father could heal my son. And if he chose to take him home, who was I to question his wish? He gave up his Only Begotten Son to save all the sinners of the World. We set off to the local grocery store and found two copies of the Book of Psalms. We took turns reading this book in the CCU.
I believe I was there two weeks, when one day, the room turned very chilly. My sister and I were holding hands and praying for God to intervene, after we had been told that he was not going to make it. We witnessed the Holy Spirit in our presence, an approximately six foot tall apparition where we sensed a total calm come over my son and us. The Head Nurse and another Nurse came to the bedside and said, “Something just happened here!” YES, indeed it had, our Heavenly Father performed a miracle on my son! The next day he was taken off all life support, and was maintaining his own. At the end of the week he was taken out of the CCU and transferred to a private room. He was on the Coma scale of 10, but was coming out of the coma. He remained that way for quite a period of time. It was very strange to see his eyes open knowing he could not see a thing.
We had a wonderful Orthodox Priest who was there all the time and was a great comfort to us, however, we found out he had been excommunicated. After a week of being there, another Priest of the Orthodox Church, of which we were both members, was passing by the room and I asked him to come pray for my son. His response absolutely crushed me. He stated, “He is not on my list,” and continued on his way. That very day an old LDS friend of mine came by and asked if she could have the Elders come pray for my son and give him a blessing. I replied, “Of course, all prayers are welcome.” The two young men came by. I do not remember their names and would love to learn who they were—to thank them and let them know the power of their prayer. My son came out of the coma on August 14th and the Neurosurgeon called him a true miracle. Today he is well and I would love to guide him into the Church.
Our Heavenly Father then placed Douglas and I in each others’ paths and we now have been taking steps to our eternal salvation and an eternal marriage, and, most importantly, to dwell with our Heavenly Father in the Celestial Kingdom. Douglas was my guide into the Church as he always loved it. We started going to Church in February 2002 and have not missed since.
We took the lessons from the wonderful missionaries, Elder Alldredge and Elder Ward. My husband had been excommunicated in 1983. His priesthood was restored by President Douglas White. Douglas then baptized me, and the Holy Spirit was conferred by Elder Ward.
As I gave my testimony the next day at Sacrament Service, the feelings and words just tumbled out. I cried and likened my cleansing to Our Heavenly Father shaking out a dirty soiled pair of pants that had been in a garden, and all the gambling, alcohol, cigarettes, caffeine and the many sins were being shaken from the pockets. It has been a rough road, but today I am convinced that I have found where I truly belong in Our Heavenly Father’s Plan of Salvation. |
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