Thursday, May 28, 1970

Elder Camargo and I worked together today. Our morning was dedicated to passing out convites to the fireside tomorrow evening. Being another Brazilian holiday, Corpus Christi Day, nobody was at home and everything in town was closed down. In the afternoon we taught a third lesson to Irmão Luis, his wife, and their son (the one who attended the district conference in Recife on Sunday). The son is by far the sharpest and may be the only one to be baptized. They are all so super busy that the elders have only been giving lessons on holidays.

We also visited José Damasceno, a member who is inactive and was reportedly a padre in the Brazilian Catholic Church (a break-off from the Roman Catholic Church). He is an interesting person, seems to have had a testimony at one time but does not now have one. He is not a padre, although the position has been offered to him. If he ever were to accept, he would be the only Catholic priest in Brazil who had ever held the priesthood of God. He was cordial, even singing a few hymns for us, and showing us all his literature about the church, and insisted that we return to visit. His reason for leaving the Church was Aldo, so he said.

In the evening we visited Aldo and discussed our earlier visit to Damasceno. Aldo told us the entire branch history and about nearly every member’s history as a member of the branch. We ended up spending the entire evening there. Most of the inactive members blame Aldo for their inactivity, which is at once ridiculous because they are each individually responsible for their own lack of faith and testimony and understanding, while through it all Aldo hung in there firm, lacking jeito to be sure, but ever faithful. I feel convinced that Aldo’s call to be branch president by President Hicken, and his continuance in that office under President Johnson, was inspired. Perhaps he needed to test the faith of others. Perhaps he served as president during a period when he himself would have left the Church had he not been held in by the job. Now he is stronger, and the need is past. Perhaps the Lord had other purposes served which cannot now be seen. I am impressed with the thought that the history of the Maceió Branch alone proves the Church is true. What other organization with so few members and so many problems could last for four years?

Anyway, the evening spent with Aldo was instructive and useful. Our job now is to build a new branch and convert people to the gospel, whether they be investigators or members.

While working today with Elder Camargo, we had a good discussion of the blessing powers and rights of the priesthood.