The conversion of the first Italian LDS general authority
A 9-year-old boy in Taranto, Italy opened the door to missionaries in 1970 and chose to be baptized, even though his parents never joined the Church.
This Mormon mission was paid for by someone who didn't even believe in the church. In 1970, Latter-day Saint missionaries knocked on a door in Toronto, Italy. A 9-year-old boy named Masimo Deo answered. He and his brother Alberto listened to the message, believed it, and chose to be baptized. Their parents never joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but they did something remarkable.
They supported their sons completely as they became active in their new faith. Years passed. Masimo grew into a young man with a powerful desire to serve a mission. But he knew something that weighed heavily on him. His family didn't have much money. A mission would strain their already limited resources. So he sat down with his father, Vtorio. His father looked at him quietly and asked, "Do you really want to do this?" Masimo answered without hesitation.
With all my heart, I want to serve the Lord. Vtorio made a decision in that moment. Even though he did not believe in the church, he promised to help pay for his son's mission. Masimo later reflected on that sacrifice and said, "I considered that money sacred. It was the fruit of great sacrifice from a man who did not believe in the church." From 1981 to 1983, Masimo served in the Italy Rome mission.
He helped strengthen a young and growing church in his homeland. In the branch in Toronto, he met a woman named Laura Donna. She would later become his wife and lifelong partner in service. Together, they served faithfully for decades. And then in April 2016, the little 9-year-old boy who once opened the door to missionaries, was sustained as a general authority 70. The first general authority from Italy, a father who didn't share his son's faith, still helped build the kingdom in a way he never would have imagined.
Today, there are over 29,000 members of the church in Italy. And in 2019, the Rome, Italy temple was dedicated in a historic event where the entire First Presidency and all 12 apostles were present.
