If (as a writer) I would have submitted this story to my editor as a fiction novel, the reviewers feedback would have been, "You have to write realistic fiction - a story like this could never happen in the real world. " The reader of the conversion story of Mario Facion will come to see that truth is more miraculous than fiction.

I read this book in two days - more accurately two nights, long after I should have turned the light out and gone to sleep - the story had riveted me.  I knew how it was going to end, Facion went from Mafia to Mormon - but the journey he went through inspired me in several ways.

Mario spent his adult life working scams; essentially stealing property and money.  He had become quite efficient at what he was doing and he felt no reason to change.  I appreciate the level of detail the author gave on his lifestyle.  The reader was given just enough information to understand the nature of what he was involved in.  The purpose was not to teach us about that world - but to share the story of how Mario became converted to the gospel.

A business trip took Facion to Salt Lake City.  He knew nothing about the Mormons, but as his airplane landed he was touched by the sight of the Salt Lake Temple. "My eyes were fixed on the gleaming spires of the temple.  I just couldn't believe that such a unique, beautiful building was there and all those other buildings surrounded it. " Mario continued on with his work and returned to his home in Detroit.

A few weeks later, Mario came home to find out that his wife had invited the Mormon missionaries (who were tracting) to come back and visit.  This would have been a non-event, except that she accidentally gave the missionaries the special phone number that was used for his illegal business.  Were they really missionaries or were they government agents?  Mario had to talk to them.

When the missionaries came for the first discussion, Mario was touched.  He considered religion the ultimate scam.  He asked the missionaries what he thought was the unanswerable question: "... tell me about this earth, why are we here?" The answer (one a seminary student could have given) startled Mario.  Was there something to this?  This first discussion lasted until 2 am (after Mario had a visit with the mission president on the phone).

The teaching and learning process went on as many conversion stories do.  The Facions liked what they heard from the missionaries, the members welcomed them with open arms and they were baptized. He found the Book of Mormon exciting and addictive.  Baptism didn't change Mario's day job - he felt they were separate and had no reason to change anything.

Three months after his baptism things were going great until the Bishop called him in to the office.  He said "You can't serve two masters.   Get rid of one.  You have to make the choice. "  Getting out of the mafia was not like quitting your job and getting another one.  People who tried to quit did not live long.

Mario Facion described the spiritual struggle he went through to get out of his mafia world alive.  He prayed and searched and pondered.  He knew that his lifestyle would change - but he didn 't care.  He wanted to go to the temple.  The great miracle of this story is that Mario was able to leave his old world behind -something that rarely happens.

The Lord blessed him with miracles along the way.  Getting out of the business cost Mario his marriage and all the money he had.  When he walked away from his mafia work, what kind of a job could he find?  As he was going through this crisis a ward member, who was a plastic surgeon, approached him in the hall at church and asked "Are you good at collecting money?  I have over $200,000 that patients owe me."

The trials and miracles that Mario Facion experienced come to life in this easy reading book.  When I finished the book I marveled that I was able to share in this experience.  Three things stood out from the book.  First, I can never pre-judge who will one day be touched and want to follow after the gospel.  I thought I knew that before - but through this book I have re-lived the miracle that conversion can be.  Second, the Lord was there to provide the blessings (and miracles) that Mario needed when he needed them.  I have listed one or two but there others that left me in awe of how our Heavenly Father can be there for his children.  Third, Brother Facion made these sacrifices and changes in his life to embrace a gospel that I already have.  As I gave the book to my 18 1⁄2 year old pre-missionary son I hoped I would appreciate how many blessings I have in my life.

- Rob Ficiur