Early Italian Convert: Vincenzo Di Francesca

Vincenzo Di Francesca was born in Italy in 1888. He always had a love for the gospel of Jesus Christ, and in 1909, he travelled to New York City, where he became a member of the Methodist Church and attended Knox College of New York in November of 1909. After graduating, he became a pastor. The following February, while going to visit a sick friend, he came across a book lying on a barrel. It was very damaged and had no cover or title page. However, as he leafed through it, he recognized the name of Isaiah, and he felt it was a religious book. He took the book home and cleaned it up, spending the whole day reading the book. Of this experience, he said:

For several hours I read the remainder of the pages, which gave me light and knowledge and left me charmed to think of the source from which this fresh revelation had come. I read and reread, twice and twice again, and I found it fit to say that the book was a fifth gospel of the Redeemer. At the end of the day, I locked the door of my room, knelt with the book in my hands, and read chapter ten of the book of Moroni. I prayed to God, the Eternal Father, in the name of his son, Jesus Christ, to tell me if the book were of God, if it were good and true, and if I should mix its words with the words of the four gospels in my preaching. I felt my body become cold as the wind from the sea. Then my heart began to palpitate, and a feeling of gladness, as of finding something precious and extraordinary, bore consolation to my soul and left me with a joy that human language cannot find words to describe. I had received the assurance that God had answered my prayer and that the book was of greatest benefit to me and to all who would listen to its words.

As Francesca began to incorporate the new doctrines he found in this book into his sermons, however, other pastors became angry because their parishioners preferred Francesca’s teachings and attended his sermons. When a disciplinary council was held against Francesca in December 1910, its members told him if he would burn the book and no longer preach its teachings, he could continue in the church. He refused, because he knew its teachings to be true. After another four years went by and he still refused to burn the book, the council excommunicated Francesca. Francesca began a search for the church which considered this book doctrine, but it took many, many years to find it.

It was not until May 1930, while serving in the Italian Army in World War I, that Francesca discovered that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were called Mormons. Recognizing this name as that of a prophet from his book, Francesca wrote to the church’s university (Brigham Young University) for more information about the book. His letter was answered by then-prophet and president of the MormonChurch, Heber J. Grant. President Grant sent Francesca a copy of the Book of Mormonin Italian and told him he would have the mission president (John Widtsoe) of the European Mission send him more information. When Francesca heard the news, he wanted to be baptized, but due to a revolution in Sicily, Francesca could not leave, and President Widtsoe could not come in. This did not in any way dampen Francesca’s enthusiasm, though, and he agreed to translate part of Joseph Smith‘s autobiography into Italian, but the Catholic authority in the area was too strong, and they destroyed the copy of Francesca’s work.

More war and slow communication further delayed Franscesca’s opportunity to be baptized. From 1940 to 1949, he lost all contact with the Church. Finally, on January 18, 1951, Francesca was baptized in Sicily. This was the first Latter-day Saint baptism to be performed here. Five years later, Francesca was able to attend the Swiss Temple to receive his endowment. Though Vincenzo Di Francesca was isolated in his love of the gospel for most of his life, he remained faithful to the spiritual confirmation he received of the truthfulness of his book with no name. His faith continues to be an inspiration to Saints everywhere, not just in Italy. His story was made into a short Latter-day Saint film How Rare a Possession, which can be viewed below.