Tonight Abe’s Aunt Andrea came over for dinner and told us some great family stories.
The first one starts with a couple named Emmet and Ermina Mousley. Emmet had impressions when he was a young boy that he would die early, and he prayed his whole life that he would live to get married and have a family.
In 1918 the Spanish Flu took Emmet’s life, but not before he had met and married Ermina and had four kids. His last was born in 1918, just before his death. They named that son Woodrow, after the President. He was known as “Woody” after that.
Woody himself had many miracles during his life. In a blessing, he was told that he would plant the gospel in the hearts of many. After his father died, newborn Woody stopped eating and wasted away to skin and bones. The bishop came over and told his grieving mother that perhaps her prayers were keeping him on this earth, and that she might need to tell Heavenly Father that it was okay for Woody to return home. His mother tearfully consigned Woody to the care of Heavenly Father, and while she was praying, Woody fell into a deep sleep. When he awoke, he ate and regained his vitality.
When Woody was eighteen, he got a job at Universal Studios as a busboy. He served famous actors and actresses, and he worked alongside Alexander Darais–also born in 1918. He noticed that Alexander had high standards and was kind. Woody was a musician and eventually made violins of a quality that equalled Stradivarius. Alexander was an artist. They bonded. Right before he left the restaurant, Woody worked up the courage to give Alexander a Book of Mormon.
That was what initially started Alexander on his conversion path. As he was pondering the Book of Mormon, he stepped on a church pamphlet with the name of the mission home on it. He felt that was his answer and joined the church. Andrea still has that pamphlet with her father’s footprint on it.
We all owe a lot to Woody, who only found out that his Book of Mormon had helped Alexander join the Church many years later.