Sister Rudá Tourinho de Assis Martins, a pioneer of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Brazil whose testimony impacted generations, died Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Orem, Utah. She was 92.
Sister Martins and her late husband, Elder Helvécio Martins — the first Black general authority in the Church — helped build the Church and spread the gospel in many ways, in Brazil and beyond.
Elder Martins served as a General Authority Seventy from 1990 to 1995. Prior to that, the two served as leaders of the Brazil Fortaleza Mission from 1987 to 1990.
In an interview with the Church News in 2022, Sister Martins declared, “My testimony is the most valuable thing I have.”
Rudá Tourinho de Assis was born on New Year’s Day in 1932, to Francisco Neves de Assis and Margarida Tourinho de Assis in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
In 1953, she answered a job posting from the labor department. On her first day on the job, she met Helvécio Martins.
In his self-titled autobiography published in 1994, Elder Martins wrote, “When I came to work the following day, Rudá Tourinho [de] Assis was already there, the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. I loved her from the moment I first saw her … .”
It took some time for the two to begin dating, and her father did not immediately approve. Young Elder Martins had dropped out of school at age 11 to work full-time and help support his seven brothers and sisters. With Rudá's support, however, he worked during the day and studied at night and earned his high school equivalency, obtained a bachelor’s degree in accounting and took graduate classes.
The two were married in the Santo Antônio dos Pobres church on Inválidos Street in the center of Rio de Janeiro on Dec. 8, 1956. They are the parents of four children: Marcus Helvécio, Marisa Helena, Raphael and Aline.
Elder Martins emphasized that aside from the Lord the most influential force in his life had been his wife (Church News, May 26, 1990).
“We’re a family that loves to talk and tell stories — especially Helvécio,” Sister Martins said of their family. “Often we’ll sit for hours talking, with the kids saying, ‘Dad, tell this story, tell that story’” (Ensign, May 1990).
Latter-day Saint missionaries knocked on their door in Rio de Janeiro in April 1972. The Martins, who had been on a spiritual search for years, joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on July 2, 1972.
“I didn’t know my life would change so much,” Sister Martins said of her baptism. “I have no doubt, having the Lord in charge, everything becomes better.”
According to Elder Martins, “We had found the truth, and nothing would stop us from living it” — not even the fact that their family could not directly enjoy the blessings of the priesthood at that time. But “when the Spirit tells you the gospel is true, how can you deny it?” Elder Martins said in an Ensign article at the time of his call as a general authority.
Within a few weeks of their baptism, Elder Martins was serving as a Gospel Doctrine teacher and Sister Martins began serving in the ward Primary presidency.
A few years later, Church President Spencer W. Kimball announced the São Paulo Brazil Temple. Despite not knowing if they would ever serve inside, Sister Martins sold her jewelry to help with the temple fund, and Elder Martins served on the temple publicity committee.
During the cornerstone ceremony for the temple in 1977, the year prior to the temple’s dedication, President Kimball promised Elder Martins that if he remained faithful “you will enjoy all the blessings of the gospel.”
On June 8, 1978, Elder Martins returned home from work. “I have news, amazing news!” Sister Martins declared. Earlier that day, the First Presidency had announced that temple blessings would be extended to all worthy members, regardless of race. “We wept as we thanked our Father in Heaven,” Elder Martins recalled.
A few months later, the São Paulo temple was dedicated. The Martins and their children were sealed on the very first day the temple opened for Brazilian Saints.
Through the years, Elder and Sister Martins served in a variety of callings on a ward, stake and general level. Elder Martins wrote that one of the most fulfilling parts of serving as a mission president was working side by side with his wife.
“Rudá and I traveled together for hours by bus, car and plane, going back and forth over the backlands (sertão) of Brazil’s northeastern region to meet with the missionaries. We became much closer during those three years and learned many important things together: to communicate better with the Lord, to eliminate worldly things from our lives in order to become more spiritual, and to learn from people of all social, economic and intellectual levels of society.”
Elder Martins died of heart problems in 2005 at age 75.
In a Church News article in 2022, Sister Martins, age 90, spoke of her relationship with the Lord. “I talk to Him. And He answers me through my dreams,” she said. “I close my eyes and say, ‘Lord, I don’t know what I need to do. I have this and that. What should I do? What should I say to my daughter? To my son?’ I ask the Lord, and the Lord answers me because I have faith in Him. I know the Lord will not let me fall in a hole and stay there. He will do a lot for me. He always does.”
Sister Martins is survived by her four children: Marcus Helvécio, Marisa Helena, Raphael and Aline; and by many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
A celebration of life will be held at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 21, at the Latter-day Saint meetinghouse on 422 E. Holdaway Road, Vineyard, Utah.
