SAO PAULO, Brazil — As a young black man in Brazil, Flavio Santana had known his share of grief. But after graduating from dental school in Sao Paulo near the end of January of this year, he was optimistic about his future. "Now my life begins," he told friends.

Courtesy Anita Joos

After graduating from dental school this year, Flavio Santana was optimistic about his future. His murder shocked Brazil.

Days later, on Feb. 3, before he could hang his shingle over his new practice, he was killed by police after being mistakenly identified as a robber. He was 28.

Brother Santana was a convert to the Church. He served in the Brazil Belo Horizonte Mission from 1994-96 and was Young Men president in his ward at the time of the shooting. His effervescence for the gospel beamed in his face, said his friends. Classmates knew of his love for the Church and often heard him bear testimony, yet they said they never felt coerced to believe as he did.

"Flavio was very happy," said his friend, Anita Joos. "People were drawn to him by his smile."

Others agreed, saying his smile befriended everyone, and that he loved to laugh, make fun for others and work hard. And while he was open about sharing his religious beliefs, he was respectful of those with differing views.

Life for Brother Santana was a series of triumphs — excelling against seemingly insurmountable odds. He grew up in a troubled home. His parents separated when he was 14. Members of the Church who lived in the neighborhood took him into their home where he learned the gospel and was soon baptized.

His surrogate father was a dentist who taught the ambitious young man to make dental prothesis. During the next years, Flavio became expert at making false teeth and other dental work and earned money by filling orders from various dentists.

Following his mission, he returned home to study dentistry and was among the first to receive assistance from the Church's Perpetual Education Fund. At one point in his education, after receiving scholarship money from the university where he studied, he returned Church funds, hoping "they could be used for someone else."

During these years, he served as the Sunday School president in a ward where the youth were particularly challenging. He told the bishop after the first class that it was "hard," but he was going to win them over. In time the youth had a change of heart and were reading scriptures and participating in activities.

On some Saturday nights, while his friends sought a good time, he stayed home to fill out referral cards to be given to the missionaries the next day.

Sitting at the table, he completed a detailed glossary of facts, phone numbers, points of interest and background on the new people he had met during the week — providing missionaries with anything that might strike a conversation.

On the evening of his death, Brother Santana had taken a friend to the airport for a midnight flight and was driving home when he was stopped by police. A victim of a robbery earlier that evening was riding with police looking for suspects. The victim spotted Brother Santana, and at first glance, thought he was the robber.

According to accounts by the victim and Brazilian press, Brother Santana got out of the car and, while waving his arms above his head, tried to calm the two policemen.

For reasons not disclosed, the police fired three times, killing him where he stood. News of his slaying was widely reported in the Brazilian press, including details about the attempt by the police officers to falsify reports about the shooting.

At his funeral, friends and family said it was a harsh ending to a life lived in love and happiness.

"He often expressed his love of the gospel and how much good has come into his life because of it," said Sister Joos.

In his memory, classmates and professors organized a memorial fund.

E-mail to: shaun@desnews.com