Marie Elliott, known by her friends as Mary, survived three years as a prisoner of war when

she was just a little girl.

She remarkably survived in a camp where deaths were happening every day.

Her father survived on the Javasese for five days after his Dutch mine sweeper was torpedoed

by a Japanese destroyer.

Her family was miraculously reunited at the end of the war, but her little brother Georgie

died shortly thereafter from the effects of the camp.

And the memories of that time have never left.

Mary's experiences from the war are told in an upcoming book under the Javasese by Heather

B. Moore, which will be released this fall.

Mary Elliott is now 85 years old.

Following World War II, she and her family moved to Holland and then to South Africa, where

she raised her family and joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Seven years after she joined the Church, her husband was baptized and in 1980, the couple

saved enough money to be sealed in the London Temple with their three sons and one daughter.

In Mary's own words, I remember one day before my mother passed away, she said, Mary,

this church has changed your life.

And it was true.

I was a changed girl after the war, after the horrific ordeal of living as a prisoner

of war.

I was quiet and introverted, but the restored gospel had brought me out of myself.

And I've learned again what it is to be me happy and eager to serve and love others.

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