43. To My Parents

A letter started to my Dad and Mom on Monday, August 17, and finished on Tuesday, August 18, 1970, in Maceió.

This week’s letter is going to be pretty short. Today we had visiting with us from Recife twelve more elders to meet in a zone conference. That took most of the day, and so there is no time left to write a letter.

[Next day] Here it is Tuesday already, meaning that it is illegal to write letters. I just wanted to mention briefly a special youth home evening we held Sunday. It is held weekly for twelve young people who are from part-member families where it is impossible to hold home evening in the home. Every person had to list five specific reasons why he liked another given person. You cannot imagine how positive and how love-filled such a session was, with the Spirit being poured out in rich profusion before we had completed. It was truly fantastic, something every family in the Church might profitably use. Tears filled many eyes: tears of gratitude, tears of pure love, tears of happiness.

Sunday evening our branch choir sang for the third consecutive sacrament meeting, a special arrangement of “We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet.” I spoke on the life and teachings of Joseph Fielding Smith, including the visit Jerry and I had with him and Sister Smith four years ago in their Salt Lake apartment.

I subscribe my full love and gratitude. I pray this finds everybody healthy, happy, and smiling.