The Brazilian Mission

I had much less fear in the jungles of Brazil than I feel upon this occasion. I am indeed humble before such an awe-inspiring assemblage. ¶

This year marks the centennial of the Church's missionary work abroad. I am pleased to make a report of one of the latest, or perhaps the last, foreign mission opened up by the Church — the Brazilian Mission in South America. In 1930, through the efforts of a few missionaries sent out from Buenos Aires, Argentina, converts were baptized and a branch was established in a small town in the southern part of Brazil. In 1935, just four year? ago now, we were called to open the Brazilian Mission. Since that time, with the splendid cooperation of your missionary sons, and the great leading spirit of the Lord which has been with us in that work, eight branches in that great country are now part of our Church. ¶

Inasmuch as this is the first report of this new mission, you might be interested in knowing that our work up until just recently has been carried on solely among the European colonists who have been settling Brazil for the past hundred years, more particularly among the German people. We have 'many stalwart members and fine friends among these people. ¶

Ours has been a pioneering work and in many of the villages and towns where the -missionaries have gone the name "Latter-day Saint" or ''Mormon" had never been heard before. It didn't take the adversary very long to catch up and circulate the usual falsehoods. ¶

In one town three of our missionaries were mobbed and driven out, but fortunately sustained no personal injuries. Not long after that time, missionaries returned to this same town and were able to establish one of the finest primaries we have in the mission. At the last conference I attended there the hall where we have our meetings would not hold all the people. There were people in that town waiting for the truth and with the help of the Lord the power of Satan was stayed. Since then several have been baptized there in that same village and the work is going forward. ¶

While our work was carried on among these German-speaking people we were able to get the Book of Mormon translated into the Portuguese language, the common language of the great country of Brazil, and now many missionaries are engaged in proclaiming the restored Gospel in this language, and the work will go on even more rapidly. ¶

Through the translation of the Book of Mormon into the Portuguese language the way has been opened to nearly forty million Portuguesespeaking people who may hear the Gospel in their native tongue for the first time. Through the work of proclaiming the restored Gospel in the Portuguese language in Brazil, new evidences of the authenticity of the Book of Mormon are coming forth. ¶

Just recently in the upper region of the Amazon Basin hieroglyphics ¶

resembling some form of Egyptian scroll engravings have been found. The Brazilians are puzzled. They can't find any Egyptian relationship with Brazil's history. The development will be interesting to us as a people, I am sure. ¶

Brazil and the Brazilians are and have been friendly to the United States and we find very little difficulty in general in preaching the Gospel in that great country. We are a long way from headquarters here in Salt Lake City, and I would like to express gratitude and appreciation for the splendid cooperation and support received from the First Presidency and the General Authorities. We have felt their sustaining prayers and faith. ¶

This is a marvelous organization and system that we have here in this great Church. Without the spirit of the Lord and the sacrifices of humble people very little can be accomplished. You parents and relatives who are supporting missionaries are in very deed showing your love for the Gospel and your fellow men in enabling these young men and women to be messengers of light to a tired and weary world. ¶

In one of the large cities of Brazil recently a very well trained and educated man asked me why we didn't concentrate and send missionaries to the so-called heathen countries and nations as most other churches do. I told him that I thought perhaps the Lord was more dissatisfied with those generally who profess to follow him and those who bear his name than with those who do not profess to be such. He said, "I agree, and may your people succeed in such a great undertaking." ¶

It was my privilege to be traveling in far-off India a few years ago and going around with a native, a so-called heathen or non-Christian. I remarked on the large number of American automobiles used there by the natives. He replied rather philosophically, "If the American religion or religions would work as well as the American automobiles, we non-Christians would accept them as we do the automobiles." ¶

My testimony has been strengthened by witnessing how the Gospel of Jesus Christ actually works for the salvation of the soul in the daily lives of Latter-day Saints more universally than in any other form, creed, or symbol to be found upon the earth today. I feel there is a great future for the Gospel in Brazil and South America and that there are many souls who are waiting for the truth. ¶

I bear you my testimony to the divinity of this work and ask the Lord's blessings upon us, that we may so live that we will be an example of light and peace to the world'. I do so in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶

Sunday. April 9 Third Dag ¶