Vincenzo Di Francesca

Vincenzo Di Francesca (1888–1966) was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1951 until his death. However, he is most known for his long struggle to become a member of the LDS Church that is documented in the short LDS Church film "How Rare A Possession".

Francesca was raised in Italy, where he studied religion. He went to New York City in 1909, where he became a Methodist and graduated from Knox College of New York in November 1909. He then became a pastor. In 1910, he was preaching among Italian immigrants in New York City. One day he found a book without a cover or title page that had been discarded. He read the book and believed its message and began to preach Christian doctrine from it. He was removed from the ministry because he would not burn this book and returned to Italy. [Hartman Rector and Connie Rector. "No More Strangers" (Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft, 1971) pp. 83–85.]

During the First World War, Francesca served in the Italian Army. It was not until 1930 that Francesca learned the book was the Book of Mormon. Francesca was able to contact the leaders of the LDS Church; Apostle John A. Widtsoe was able to meet with him but did not at that time feel he was ready to be baptized. In 1932, Francesca married, but his wife later separated from him because she did not agree with his devotion to the LDS Church. Later meetings with church officials did not occur because of various political and military events in both Italy and elsewhere culminating in the Second World War. In 1951, Francesca was baptized by Samuel Bringhurst, the president of the LDS Church's Swiss–Austrian Mission.

In 1965, Ortho R. Fairbanks was in Italy doing a study of sculpture and was able to obtain a copy of Francesca's story which he then gave to the "Improvement Era", which printed it initially.

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References

* [http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=850727cd3f37b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1 "The Saga of the Di Francesca Story"] , "Ensign", Sep. 1989, p. 73.