On the Move in Milano

Tullio De Ruvo should know the Church organization in northern Italy fairly well by now. There are two stakes in Italy, in Milan and Venice, and he has served as executive secretary in both.

He was called to be executive secretary in Milan after he moved there because of an employment opportunity. In his mid-twenties, Tullio holds a responsible position with a firm that imports and sells high-tech electronics equipment. He and his wife Francesca (whom he met through Young Adult activities before his mission) now have a young son. But not long ago (1984–86) he was serving in the Utah Salt Lake City South Mission.

Tullio joined the Church with other family members at age twelve after a strong spiritual witness of its truth. He recalls that when he was in his mid-teens, he found it difficult to hold to Church standards because of the influence of some of his peers. But at about seventeen, he began to turn back to gospel truths.

Shortly afterward, he was called into the army. It was fortunate that this came after he had begun his spiritual change. “It sounds strange, but my time in the army was probably one of the most spiritual periods in my life.” He spent many hours studying the scriptures.

His study was good preparation for a mission. In Utah, he found his gospel knowledge tested by anti-LDS people he met in proselyting. His mission became a period of much more intensive, broader gospel study for him. Hungering to know more, Tullio built a library of more than one hundred Church books before returning home to Italy.

His mission experience has left him very missionary-minded. An enthusiastic, outgoing person, he doesn’t hesitate to talk about the gospel at any opportunity. “If we could be more open with others in sharing what we have, the Church could grow much faster,” he says.—Don L. Searle, Associate Editor