(4/19/99)

Among the four people injured in Thursday's Family History Library shooting is an 80-year old missionary. News Specialist Stacey Butler spoke with her.

"It went in here and came out here."

When Nellie Leighton was shot in the right cheek during the rampage at the L.D.S. genealogical library last Thursday, she says she never even saw the gunman walk in.

"I just felt this terrible thumping, terrible pain, and black and red and held my head and prayed," Leighton says.

Then she watched as her friends, one by one, went down.

"Then when I heard the next shot, I got down. I just got down on my knees and prayed," she says.

Nellie says her prayers were answered. "I know in my heart. I know that God answer prayers and I was praying."

Nellie had been living in Oakland, California, before her mission began in Salt Lake City over a year ago. She was supposed to return to Oakland in February, but asked for an extension.

She has no regrets.

"It's just, I think, an isolated thing that happened. I happened to be in the wrong place at the right time."

Nellie says she doesn't hold any grudges against Babarin. She says she's just lucky to be alive.

"I'm very lucky- very blessed to have gone through something like that and be here to tell you about it."

Nellie says she's a walking miracle, and doctors say that's not too far off.

Had the bullet gone in even an inch closer to her head, she may not have survived at all.

She will be released tomorrow and as soon as she recovers she wants to go right back to the library and continue her mission.