Area Authority Seventy

During a time of personal turmoil, Ambrosio C. Collado, Area Authority Seventy in the Philippines/Micronesia Area, opened the door to his apartment in Manila, Philippines, to see two tall North Americans with wide, eager smiles on their faces. “They asked me if I would like to listen to the message of the everlasting gospel of the Savior, Jesus Christ,” says Elder Collado.

As the missionaries explained the plan of salvation, Ambrosio had a glimpse of the meaning and purpose of life, and he found it glorious. He was so impressed that he invited his wife, Dorotea, and children, Francisco, Maria Paz, and Teodora, to join him in listening to the discussions. “With succeeding lessons our excitement grew,” he recalls.

During the months before baptism, the family was enthusiastically fellowshipped by ward members. “It took the missionaries nine months to nurture and help us grow until we were finally baptized as a family on 23 July 1973,” recalls Elder Collado. “We saw and felt the dawn of enlightenment illuminate our home. While I knew before that I loved my family, I realized that with the gospel to guide me, my love could build a foundation that would keep us together through the eternities.”

The first step toward that goal was to be obedient to gospel teachings. While helping their children walk in the ways of the Lord, the Collados also prepared themselves to attend the temple.

In 1977 their son left to serve a mission. The following year Ambrosio and Dorotea were sealed in the temple in Salt Lake City, Utah. In 1979 they returned with all their children to be sealed as a family. “It was a blessing for which we express our everlasting gratitude to a kind and loving Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ our Lord,” he says.

During the following years, Brother Collado, a lawyer, went on to serve as a bishop, a stake president, and a regional representative before accepting his current calling as an Area Authority Seventy. With the marriage of two of their children, the Collados’ extended family now includes eight grandchildren, who live nearby. Their proximity makes it possible for the whole family to eat together on Sundays and to enjoy the wonderful blessings of worshiping together and serving the Lord in their respective callings.

“The tender and loving association that we have every time we meet is a treasure beyond measure in our bank of loving memories,” says Elder Collado.