Latter-day Saint Life

Unusual Family History Miracle Links the Living and the Dead

Have you ever met someone with a spirit, smile and faith so infectious you want to immediately introduce them to everyone you know? They are those special souls who radiate optimism and good news.

Meet Abigail "Abby" Hanson of Philadelphia. We crossed paths last week when I addressed a singles conference of the LDS Church in Frederick, Maryland, and she swirls at the center of one of the most inspiring family history stories you’ll ever hear.

Hanson was born in 1975 in Accra, Ghana, to an unmarried teenage mom. Her maternal grandmother hadn’t been supportive, and Hanson’s mother was sent packing during the pregnancy. Then, at age 4, the same grandmother ordered Hanson’s biological father to take the child away and rear her elsewhere.

With the help of some extended family on her father’s side, including his twin sisters, they gave Hanson the best life they could given their difficult circumstances. Despite the constant challenges, Hanson and her father beat the odds more than once, and in 1986, they joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

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