I was
only six years old when Grandma Gloria passed away, but her legacy continues to
inspire me. Some of my fondest memories are walking hand in hand with my older
sister to her house after school. We would climb the counter to peek into the
candy cabinet and await the poached eggs with milk that would surely be our
dinner. Her tiger lamp, famous spiral iron staircase, and the enchanting
carousel horse are just the possessions that made grandma so unique to my
cousins and me. Now I recognize the pivotal example she was to so many through
her instant and permanent testimony of the Book of Mormon.
Gloria
was born in a small town in central Nebraska in the year of 1928. She was an
only child for most of her life. Her parents adopted her brother and sister
after she was an adult. Her place of education was a one-room, country schoolhouse
outside the town of Burwell. Her family was taught in the ways of the Methodist
faith, but rarely attended.
Annually, the quaint little school would
bring in Catholic Nuns for a week to teach the students stories from the Bible.
For days, they would read and discuss the lessons learned from Noah, Moses,
David, and other prophets and people in the Old and New Testament. At the end
of the week, they were each asked to stand in front of the class and recount
their favorite story. At the age of seven, my grandma stood and shared her
favorite story, “…when God lit the stones so the men could see in the boats.” The teachers were puzzled. “Gloria,
that’s a nice story but it is not one of the Bible stories.” With the closest
LDS chapel and, likely, the closest Book of Mormon (what is the Book of Mormon? read here) as well, hundreds of miles
away, her mother, the teachers, as well as herself, had no idea how she had
heard this story. When asked, she had responded, “I don't know how I know it,
but I know it’s true.” They asked every minister they came in contact with
about the story but no one seemed to have ever heard such a tale. Gloria never
forgot.
As
years passed, that experience was always in the back of Gloria’s mind. But soon
she met Norman Sillivan, the love of her life, and they were married in January
of 1947. They had four children and adopted four, as well. Gloria and Norman
raised their kids with the values of hard work, faith, and determination. They were
also members of the Methodist church, although they didn’t attend but for
special occasions. Still, they were known for their honesty, loyalty, values,
and hard work.
In the
summer of 1972, my grandparents decided to take the three kids that were still
left at home on a trip to California to visit family. As fortune would have it,
Salt Lake City was where they spent the night after a long day’s drive. After
recognizing the tourist options within the city, they decided to at least walk
around Temple Square. Not surprisingly, they were handed many brochures, as
well as a Book of Mormon. After their planned 15-minute walk turned into three
hours, they headed on their way.
As they
drove, grandma read bits and pieces of her new literature out loud to her
family. They soon returned home
and the book was placed on the shelf. Years passed and it collected dust.
Finally, in the year of 1975, my grandma picked up the Book of Mormon once
again. In the little village of Arcadia, Nebraska, Mormonism was hardly heard
of. And the few people, who had
heard of it, knew very little about it. This included my grandma, other than
the few hours spent in Salt Lake City.
My dad,
the youngest of the eight children, only knows the story through his eyes. He
was playing pool with his father in the basement of their little farmhouse.
Suddenly, they heard a scream, along with tears, coming from just up the
stairs. Upon reaching the top, they found Gloria sitting with the Book of Mormon in hand. With happiness and what must have also been shock and confusion, she
shouted “I found my story!” Sure enough, out of curiosity, she had taken the
book from the shelf and began reading where she had left off: Ether 3.
She was
hungry for more; more knowledge about this book. She had so many questions. She
did know one thing though, the story she had known all those years before as a
small child, really did happen. Gloria wrote Church headquarters in Salt
Lake City, asking for additional information about the church and the message of
this Book of Mormon. For three years she waited, until one day two elders,
missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, walked into
her local business asking for a Gloria Sillivan. She recognized who they must be immediately and responded,
“What took you so long?”
Norman,
Gloria, and the two youngest of the family, my aunt and my father, began
meeting with these Mormon missionaries. The elders came, from the closest branch
100 miles away, to teach the family. Within just a few short months, the four
were baptized on October 11, 1978 in the Middle Loup River. The recent converts
were not always fortunate enough to make the drive to a newly formed branch only
70 miles away every Sunday. But members came for visits to strengthen and
support their family. Meetings
were held in their home and as their testimonies increased, so did their church
attendance. For years they continued to drive 140 miles round trip each Sunday
and Wednesday as new callings came.
Now, 37
years later, I see the influence my courageous grandmother had on so many. Her
leading example has brought dozens to the truth and to the knowledge of the
gospel. She testified through the power of the Holy Ghost to all those who questioned
and doubted her faith. The first daughter to be baptized brought her husband
into the church and my father married a young lady from their first branch.
Eventually, the church grew in our remote area and my dad was asked to help
form a branch closer to home, this time only 30 miles away. The Broken Bow
Branch was created in 1992. My
father was called as the first Branch President, fulfilling a statement from
one of the missionaries that baptized them: “Someday this area will see a
President Sillivan.”
On
October 11, 2012, exactly 34 years from the day of her own baptism, two more of
Gloria’s daughters were baptized. The gospel, and her example, continues to
bless many of her grandchildren and great grandchildren to this day.
My
grandma’s role in building the church in central Nebraska has been pivotal. My
grandma’s role in building my family’s testimony has been without measure. Her
unshakeable testimony of the gospel has taught me patience in learning, faith
in God, and to believe that good things come to those who seek after truth. Her
faith in a simple book, and even more so, within a short story, has testified
to me that miracles do still occur. In Mormon 9:19 it says, “And if there were
miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an
unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would
cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles.”
Heavenly
Father is aware of every individual. He knows their needs, their desires, and
their heartaches and will always send assistance. He sent aid to my grandmother
exactly when she needed it, to eventually bring her the eternal truths that
would not only bless her life, but her family’s life for generations to come on
both sides of the veil.
Although
my testimony may have first started on the foundation of my parents, I too, now
know firmly that my Heavenly Father lives and truly did send Jesus Christ to be
the Savior of the World. The Book of Mormon will bring any honest seeker to
truth and happiness. All the blessings He has in store for us in this life come
through faithfulness to His commandments. I am so thankful for my testimony and
the witness of my grandma, Gloria Sillivan.
