Tuesday, March 31, 1970

Elder Frank Clark companioned with me today. He is a good man. Our morning hours we devoted to typing convites for our Sunday evening fireside. We used Tania’s typewriter. During the afternoon we had a first lesson fall through, visited Irmã Odcira (who was not home), and tracted (where unfortunately nobody cared to listen).

Tonight a quite unfortunate incident happened. We dropped by Paulo’s home to fill out the forms for baptism. We hoped to do it and leave before Miguel and Marluce made a visit we had asked them to make, but they arrived just after we did. As we were leaving after filling out everything, the subject of using the Lord’s name in vain came up. Brazilians do it frequently: Se Deus quiser, ó meu Deus, vai com Deus, graças a Deus, pelo amor de Deus, Deus me livre, etc. Such phrases make up the bulk of what leaves their mouths. Because of it, we generally teach our investigators concerning the matter. Somehow we had not taught Marluce. She openly and flatly refused to change, even going so far as to say that such a point could make her leave the Church. I was shocked, not so much by her reaction to the commandment, but by her attitude and by the fact she would carry on in front of an investigator examining the Church.

Monday, March 30, 1970

Last night following sacrament meeting we showed for the members living within our district a film of the October 1968 semi-annual general conference of the Church. The fireside worked quite well in animating those who were attending. Many of our members were not there, but several from the other two branches were. It was a splendid way to end an Easter Sunday.

Today the Ramos District visited Petrópolis, the beautiful little city in which I labored upon arrival in Brazil. It was almost like going home. Elder Bertasso had also worked there, making us a well-outfitted group as far as guides go. It was a fast, fun day that helped unify the district considerably. Upon return, we all ate at Bob’s and resorted to our place for district meeting.

In our weekly meeting we planned an investigator fireside for Sunday evening and discussed our standing spiritually as a district, putting forward specific ideas and programs to improve district unity, animation, and spirituality. I am calling it “Unity in Righteousness,” suggesting it as a theme for the month of April. Also in district meeting we examined and discussed an outline I have prepared to help the members be missionaries, listing specific and practical things they might do to meet the responsibility “every member a missionary.”

Monday, March 23, 1970

A letter to my parents:

Please excuse me for not writing last Monday, but there was absolutely no time available. I hope this letter finds everyone in health and happiness. Time is running away with itself; I think it must run faster here in Brazil than there in the States.

A week ago Sunday the branch we were in was divided and we are now in the new branch. A completely new branch presidency was called because the old presidency lives in the other branch. It is really great to see Zion growing here in Rio. Yesterday afternoon in our first sacrament meeting there was a larger attendance than the entire old branch was ever having when I was first transferred into it last September.

The branch president is a member of only a year and four months, a really sharp young man with a wonderful family supporting him. There are now three branches using the chapel where we meet. There are five branches now within the city of Rio itself and ten within the Rio District. Our big goal is still working toward a stake in October. When that happens there would be between five and seven wards and five branches in the new stake.

My companion and I are working with a wonderful family right now that plan to be baptized a week from Saturday. The children are: a boy aged 15, a girl 13, a boy 9, and a boy 7. They are fairly excited about it all. Saturday we took the younger kids with some of their cousins to Primary, which they completely and thoroughly enjoyed.

Last Monday I donated (for the first time in my life) a pint of blood in behalf of a member’s wife who is dying because she cannot get any blood to mix with hers. She even rejects blood of her own type. The doctors are trying all they can do, but only a miracle could save her.

Well, once again. May heaven ever bless you. I love you and pray for your welfare. Proverbs 25:25.

On the back side of the letter I hand printed this poem by Carol Lynn Pearson entitled "Point of View."

Sun and mountain meet.
“Look,” I say.
“Sunset!”

But I forget
That far away
An islander
Wipes morning
From his eyes
And watches
The same sun
Rise.

What’s birth?
And death?
What’s near
Or far?
It all depends
On where you are.

Tuesday, March 17, 1970

The mission is now running on a new schedule:

6:30–7:30     Dressed, personal study
7:30–8:30     Companion study
8:30–9:00     Eat
9:00–12:00   Proselyting
12:00–1:00   Eat
1:00–2:00     Personal study
2:00–5:30     Proselyting
5:30–6:30     Eat
6:30–9:30     Proselyting
9:30–10:30   Planning, reports, in bed

It differs from the previous schedule thusly:

6:00–6:45     Dressed
6:45–7:45     Companion study
7:45–8:15     Eat
8:15–9:00     Personal study
9:00–9:15     Prayer, testimony
9:15–12:00   Proselyting
12:00–2:00   Eat, personal study
2:00–6:00     Proselyting
6:00–7:00     Eat
7:00–9:30     Proselyting
9:30–10:30   Planning, reports, in bed

In a meeting in the temple the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve decided that missionaries throughout the world would be up at 6:30 instead of 6:00.

Somehow a few months slipped by without notice on these pages. We have kept ourselves fairly busy. Of historical significance, on January 23 Joseph Fielding Smith, at age 93, became the tenth President of the Church and was set apart as prophet, seer, and revelator in a special meeting of the Quorum of the Twelve in the Salt Lake Temple. He will be sustained by an official vote of the Church at a solemn assembly to be held in connection with the 140th annual general conference in April. Counselors to President Smith are Harold B. Lee and N. Eldon Tanner. Spencer W. Kimball is acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve. Harold B. Lee is the senior Apostle behind President Smith and would therefore be president of the Twelve if he were not serving as a counselor in the First Presidency.

Monday, March 16, 1970

Yesterday evening the Meier Branch was split to create a new Cascadura Branch, of which we are now a part. The change was effected in a joint meeting of the Tijuca and Meier Branches, with all members of the mission and district presidencies in attendance. President João Dias effected the new organization, announcing new meeting schedules for the three branches to be using the Tijuca chapel, explaining boundary lines, and sustaining the new branch presidency. President Cury (Tijuca), Campanella (Meier), and Ovídio (Cascadura) all spoke. President Johnson was the concluding speaker. The new Cascadura Branch presidency is Ovídio da Cunha Vieira, assisted by Joaquim Alves Rodrigues and Jorge Duarte as counselors.

The chapel was completely full for the meeting. My heart thrills to see and to experience the growth of Zion, the building and spreading forth of the kingdom. Each day, I feel, moves us closer and closer to a stake in the city of Rio. President Dias indicated this was but the first in a series of branch divisions within the district. Since my arrival in Brazil four new branches have been created in this mission: Fortaleza, Nova Friburgo, a second branch in Belo Horizonte, and now this one here. Yes, growing pains are wonderful.

A change of face came to the district today. Elder Randall Lunt was transferred to Campina Grande. Elder Arlo Weeks, whom I have learned to love dearly, is in Meier now. Not real far away. Replacing them are Elders Michael Bertasso and Frank Clark. The latter elder came to Brazil last April, the same time as Elders Weeks and Smith.

All systems, then, look go. The district has new blood, there is a new branch to support and help build, it is an excellent opportunity for growth, recommitment, rededication.

Speaking of new blood, this morning we visited the Hospital Servidores do Estado to donate blood in behalf of Daria Banhos Tristão Fernandes, the wife of a member Elder Smith baptized in Vitória, Irmão José Tristão Fernandes. Elders Smith, Warner, Weeks, and I each gave a pint of blood. Elder Weeks became faint and had to have a pint of plasma pumped back into him. Elder Meyer fainted while being weighed (he is afraid of needles), and they would not take his blood. Elders Axtell and Clark were too thin even to be considered.

This afternoon I saw for the fourth time the musical My Fair Lady. I enjoyed it ever bit as much as before.