Dec

19

These are a few conversion stories of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). It is interesting to observe how the Lord touches different people in different ways because their lives and experiences are unique, and only the Lord really knows how to open their minds. However, the end point is still the same for all of them. They learn and embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ in its fullness. Many of these people were already Christians, but they had questions or doubts that were not answered in their churches and they were looking for something more. When they finally enter in contact with the Mormon church through friends, family, missionaries, or even through anti-mormon literature, they recognize what they were looking for and find answers to their questions.

Karen Merkley (a convert form the US) - two parts

Francesco Lepore  (a convert from Italy)

Valerie Finnegan (a convert from Scotland)

Jean Capenda (a convert from Congo)

Dec

10

Members of the Mormon Church should remember the great talk by President Ezra Taft Benson about flooding the earth with the Book of Mormon. I was reading that talk again today and I remembered the great movie that the Church produced, The Book of Mormon, How rare a possession, where it is narrated the story of Parley P. Pratt, and especially of Vincenzo di Francesca, that amazing Italian who found an almost burned copy of the Book of Mormon in the US in the beginning of the 20th century and was influenced by it long before discovering the Church who published it.

While reading the talk I wondered if someone had already posted that video on youtube and yes… I found it. Here is the entire movie, it is a little old but it is still great and inspiring. It has been split in 5 parts and it is not HD, but it still touch me to watch the story of this Italian convert.

Oct

6

I have written before about my conversion story and how I became a member of the Mormon Church.

This is a very interesting picture of the day of my baptism.. I was skinnier and younger, obviously


Elder Forbes, Giuseppe, Elder Stout

Elder Forbes, Giuseppe Martinengo, Elder Stout

Now Luca, my son, is in the mission field, looking for people like me, ready to accept the Gospel and the Church. My son had an exchange of emails with one of the two missionaries who taught me the gospel first, and the one who confirmed me a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

This is an excerpt from the email that was written by Lynn Forbes (Elder Forbes) about how he remembers those times:

I would be happy to share my recollection of how I met your dad…. It was sometime in December of 1984. I had only been in Italy a little over two months, so was still in the process of really learning Italian. Me and my senior companion (Elder Burton) were doing street contacting in Asti, where we would go to the busy streets and try to talk to people about the gospel, and arrange to visit them in their homes if they would let us. I actually think I remember some of our conversation with your dad on the street that morning. We would typically look for men who would be in the age range where they might be married, so your dad was younger than we might usually stop. I really believe that Heavenly Father knew your dad was ready for the gospel - so, we ended up stopping him anyway. I think I totally messed up what I wanted to say, but, somehow your dad invited us to come to his house with our message. It wasn’t until January that we ended up getting to talk to him. By that time, Elder Stout (I think you’ve met him) was my senior companion. I do remember the day that we finally spoke with your dad, because I wrote about it in my journal. That afternoon, we had been tracting (knocking doors) without much success. At one apartment building, we actually had a couple of interesting things happen to us - first, on one floor, after we knocked and told the person inside who we were, we heard a dog barking as someone who was angry was unlocking the door - we decided to leave that floor and go to another floor. On that floor, a lady got really angry with us and told us we better get out of the building or else. So, we left the building. As we left, that lady dumped a bucket of cleaning water on us from above. We talked about what we should do - and decided we would try to pass by some of our street contacting names. Your dad was the one we decided to see (he was only a name on a sheet of paper, at that time). Anyway, we went by his place (his mother’s home), and he let us in, and we taught him the first discussion. We asked him to read from 3 Nephi (Christ’s visit) and we made an appointment to return in a couple of days. When we came back, he had read all of 3 Nephi, and had started at the first of the Book of Mormon. He said he knew it was true and that he wanted to be baptized. It seems like we returned every day, or every other day for a week or so. He finished the BofM soon. The only problem we ran into was his mom. Because of her, we put off his baptism until February - she was still very angry - you probably know that part of the story from your dad. But, he ended up being baptized. Elder Stout baptized him and I confirmed him. His confirmation is still one of the times of my life that I felt the Spirit the strongest. I don’t think that Elder Stout and I were “special” missionaries. We were just out, doing our best, and Heavenly Father did the rest. That is the key to missionary work, I think - to be out “opening your mouth” and doing your best - it sounds like you’ve learned that. I’m glad you are having a great mission - seeing the gospel change people’s lives - it really is a beautiful thing. You will look back on your mission as a great time in your life - when you had the privilege of devoting all your time to the Lord. There will be times in the future when you will miss that.

Jul

19

Several months ago I created my first video with the story of when I met the Mormon missionaries and joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Many people have watched it and I have received some good feedback. I wish my English was better, but I know that my accent did not prevent good people from appreciating it (or detractor from criticizing it anyway…).

Last week I decided to record a similar video that contains the story of a few experiences I had before meeting the Mormon missionaries. Those experiences prepared me over the years to understand and accept the message of the Restoration.

At this point I can’t avoid making fun of myself and comparing it to Star Wars movies. The second trilogy tells the story of what happened before the first trilogy….

Similarly this second video tells what happened before the first video. But I am not Darth Vater…

I have the impression that in this second video my English is better, but natives will better judge if this is true.

Giuseppe Martinengo: before becoming a Mormon

Jul

1

Tonight I found a very interesting page on the Internet. In fact, it was a page about me and this blog that was created by someone who is of Italian descent.

It is titled “Testimony of an Italian Mormon Convert”

He made this comment:

I really enjoy these immigrant stories where someone comes from somewhere else and makes something of himself/herself and what they will pass on to their offspring and the magic of the whole process. Reminds of my great-grandparents who left Italy with their kids on a ship and started a new life in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. I am grateful for them because had they not done what they did, well, I simply wouldn’t be here or possibly even exist. The implication of that for me and my family would be astronomical.

I hope my kids realize it. In fact, this is a good opportunity to share a few pictures of my first son, Luca, who is serving a Mormon Mission in the Boston Massachusetts Mission. He has been in the Mission field for a little more than 6 months and from his letters we realize how much he has already improved his life.

We can feel from his letters that he is happy as never before. Since he went to the Missionary Training Center we noticed a change for better.

To join the Mormon Church in Italy, many years ago, was an important step not only in my life, but in the lives of my future kids (not yet born at that time). For this reason I always told my sons that it is their responsibility to go and find many other people like me, and baptize them, so that they will someway repay for the blessings they received in their lives, thanks to what two missionaries did many years ago in Italy.

This is him, when he received the mission call…

opening_mormon_mission_call

He is discovering where he will go…

discovering_which_mormon_mission

Opening the booklet…

mormon_mission_booklet

The Mission call….

mormon_mission_call

The Mission call was saying that he would leave on February 6… but this is not what happened… infact, he left before that? Why, it is all his daddy’s fault!