Another Modern-Day Pioneer

By Ken Jarvis, Area Media Specialist

“I grew up Catholic, so I was very much into faith, praying and God,” said JoAnn Stevens.  She’d always gone to mass on Ash Wednesday regardless of whether she was going every Sunday or not. “That was just one day that I did not miss.”  

Sister Stevens’ Baptism: Quentin Stevens (nephew), Todd Stevens, JoAnn Stevens, Elder Macdonald, Elder Evans

So, on Ash Wednesday, 2016 she was going to go on her lunch hour to the Cathedral in downtown San Antonio, but she just didn’t feel right.  “I started to question my religion and I just didn’t go to Mass that day. It was an awful feeling!  I had a belief and I knew about God and truly believed in Jesus and prayer, but something just wasn’t right.”  

At that time, she was dating Todd Stevens, who later became her husband.  Todd was raised a Latter-day Saint but became inactive. Sister Stevens told him about her feelings later that day.  He said his nephew wanted to study with the missionaries and he volunteered to set up a meeting with her, but she objected.  

Adoption day with Judge David A. Canales, Amelia, JoAnn and Todd Stevens

What little she knew about the Latter-day Saints she didn’t like.  “I knew there was no coffee and no wine, and I said, ‘No!’”

Todd started having the missionary discussions with his nephew and one day he asked JoAnn if he could make dinner for the missionaries at her house.  She agreed and then he said, ‘Oh, by the way they’re going to give you a lesson.”  

She wasn’t thrilled.  

Nevertheless, on February 19, 2016 they came over. The lesson went on for an hour and at the end of the discussion the Elders challenged her to baptism.  She declined but when they asked if she would read the Book of Mormon she agreed. “I did read it and it was a life changing experience.” She was baptized two months later.  

But as she studied in preparation for baptism, she never felt she was good enough to be baptized.  Even immediately after her baptism she told her future father-in-law, who baptized her, “What if I mess up?” He reassured her saying “Of course you’re going to mess up.  That’s what this is all about.”  From that day forward she felt like she had a clean slate.  Her job didn’t seem quite so stressful.  “I had a different perspective on life.”    

When the Stevens married, they knew that having a baby was out of the question.  Their one-year wedding anniversary fell on fast Sunday and they had been fasting.  That evening they babysat their newborn grandniece.  Their niece had decided to give up the child so the Stevens asked her if they could adopt her.  She immediately replied, “No, that would be too weird.”

So, Sister Stevens asked, “Would you at least pray about it?”  

Todd and JoAnn Stevens at the San Antonio Temple after sealing

To which her niece replied, “No, I don’t pray about anything, but I’ll think about it.”  The next day her niece consented and after going through the necessary legal hoops the adoption became final and Brother and Sister Stevens adopted their daughter…Amelia.  

A new Latter-day Saint family was created.

As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we most often think of Pioneers by the definition of “…a person who is among those who first enter or settle a region.”  In other words, the people who first settled the Utah territory.  

The Stevens family today

But there is a second definition. “One who is first or among the earliest in any field of inquiry, enterprise, or progress…”  Many who join our faith today never relocate but are the first in their own family; thus, they are pioneers by paving the way for other family members to follow suit.  

Amelia Stevens today

Sister Stevens now realizes that she is a new Latter-day Saint pioneer.  “I’m the only one in my family who is a member and I will hopefully change that going forward through Amelia.”