Sisters in Name and Faith

By Heather Wrigley

Church Magazines

Maria and Diana Ursu are not just sisters; they are best friends too. Diana is 10 years old, and Maria turned 12 last August. They live in Romania, where there are about 3,000 members of the Church. They keep their faith in Jesus Christ strong by going to church, reading the scriptures, and praying.

“In church I’ve learned to have faith in God,” Maria says. One day she had a test, so she prayed to Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ for help. When she got a good grade, she felt like Heavenly Father had helped her.

Diana says the Book of Mormon helps her have faith. “Every day that I read the Book of Mormon, I have a good day,” she says. Her favorite scripture story is the story of Joseph Smith. “He prayed, and God and Jesus Christ helped him,” she says.

Chocolate

Both sisters’ favorite dessert is chocolate: Maria likes brownies, and Diana likes chocolate cake.

Favorite Song

Maria and Diana both play the piano. Maria’s favorite song is “Love One Another.” It is about Jesus’s commandment to love other people. Diana can almost play it perfectly, but the end is the hardest part, she says.

I Love to See the Temple

Maria and Diana both want to be married in the temple one day. They live in the Kyiv Ukraine Temple District.

When Diana is older, she will go to the Kyiv Ukraine Temple to do baptisms for the dead. Maria is now old enough to go. The temple is about 500 miles (805 km) away.

Family First

Maria and Diana love their parents. “Mom makes us feel better when we’re sick,” Maria says. “Dad takes us to school,” Diana says.

Hymns

Diana’s favorite hymn is “Far, Far Away on Judea’s Plains,” which tells about when Jesus Christ was born. Members in Romania use the Church’s green hymnbook. “Imnuri” means “hymns” in Romanian.

Photograph of sisters by Adam C. Olson; illustration of cake and brownie by Thomas S. Child