The weak things shall ...break down the strong

Here are two famous paintings about our ancestors that I like to show people to strike up conversations about the church and the power of the gospel. The first is of a Mormon missionary preaching to a Danish household about 1852. Yesterday we visited some members who live in similar poor conditions. In fact as I saw their house and sat teaching in it, I felt I was living in this picture.


Some debate if we should even teach the poor. I think the answer lies in the next picture. Some of both Caroly's and my ancestors were so poor when they joined the church that when they left Europe to come to Utah, they had to walk the thousand or so miles across the plains with handcarts because they couldn't afford oxcarts to haul them and their things. But when they got west, the gospel changed them and their descendants to be the wonderful people they are today. That's the miracle of the gospel--it changes people so that as the scriptures say "the weak things shall come forth...and break down the strong." (D&C 1:19)


Now the church tells the members to stay where they are. It's our task to patiently show them how the miracle of gospel works to change them and their children to make Hungary a better place. Yes, we need educated people filled with talent like the Apostle Paul to join the church, but we have to remember that Peter was just an uneducated fisherman before the gospel performed its miracle. That's my insight for the day from working with our wonderful members.