Gone With the Wind of Guanabara

So first off, Guanabara is the charter bus company that our mission uses to transport missionaries from place to place. After 6 days of being together, one of the assistants called us and told us that Elder Paz was to be transfered the following day. So, that´s what happened. The day after I received my new companion Elder Bezerra (remember a double "rr" makes an "h" sound). He´s pretty small and feisty. He´s from Manaus which is the capital of the state of Amazonas. If you are wondering, he´s never seen a native before because Manaus is a huge city and people there are normal. (they just eat a lot of fish and exotic fruit, well I suppose if you live in the area it´s not exotic, so let´s go with tropical fruit) He´s also had a pet monkey and has been trained in several martial arts. My Portugués is definitely going to improve with him, he doesn´t hesitate to correct me (which I think is a blessing from heaven because I´m not the best at studying the language). I say the words correctly and never really had an accent to begin with, I just don´t speak normally. He´s a good teacher, especially for having only one transfer in the field.

Things are going well. The people here are great. I baptized two people on Saturday. It was amazing. Really, it´s truly amazing to be a part of someone´s eternal progression. I was telling my district at our district meeting that "Everytime we invite someone to be baptized, we invite them to have Eternal Life." That was one of those profound moments that the Holy Ghost taught me the instant that I spoke. Ít´s true though. Teaching and studying the gospel is amazing. In St. John 3:5 says "5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God."

In order to inherit eternal life we need to enter the kingdom of God, and in order to enter the kingdom of God we need to be born of water and of the Spirit (which is being baptized and receiving the Holy Ghost). But the thing is, there are many people that will say that they´ve been baptized and received the Holy Spirit or that they can baptize, but unless they have the proper authority it´s not valid. Jesus Christ set the perfect example for us to follow. Matthew chapter 3

13 ¶ Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be ^abaptized of him.

14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?

15 And Jesus answering said unto him, ^aSuffer it to be so now: for thus it ^bbecometh us to ^cfulfil all ^drighteousness. Then he suffered him.

16 And Jesus, when he was ^abaptized, went up ^bstraightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the ^cSpirit of God descending like a^ddove, and lighting upon him:

Why did Jesus search out John the Baptist? It was because John the Baptist had the proper authority of God to baptize. John knew that Jesus was the Son of God because he was a servant of the Lord who had the authority of God and that´s why he said that he need to be baptized by Jesus. So, why was Jesus Christ baptised? Did he not live a perfect and sinless life? Why was it that he needed to be baptised for the remission of sins? What does he mean to "fulfill all righteousness"? Here is the answer in the book of 2 Nephi chapter 31 (located in the Book of Mormon)...

5 And now, if the Lamb of God, he being ^aholy, should have need to be ^bbaptized by water, to fulfil all righteousness, O then, how much more need have we, being unholy, to be ^cbaptized, yea, even by water!

6 And now, I would ask of you, my beloved brethren, wherein the Lamb of God did fulfil all righteousness in being baptized by water?

7 Know ye not that he was holy? But notwithstanding he being holy, he showeth unto the children of men that, according to the flesh he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be ^aobedient unto him in keeping his commandments.

8 Wherefore, after he was baptized with water the Holy Ghost descended upon him in the ^aform of a ^bdove.

9 And again, it showeth unto the children of men the straitness of the path, and the narrowness of the ^agate, by which they should enter, he having set the ^bexample before them.

10 And he said unto the children of men: ^aFollow thou me. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we ^bfollow Jesus save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father?

11 And the Father said: Repent ye, repent ye, and be baptized in the name of my Beloved Son.

12 And also, the voice of the Son came unto me, saying: He that is baptized in my name, to him will the Father ^agive the Holy Ghost, like unto me; wherefore, ^bfollow me, and do the things which ye have seen me do.

Jesus Christ was baptized to show us the example that we need to follow. My dear friends and family. I know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true. I know that the Book of Mormon is true, for many reasons. But I know the Book of Mormon is true because it teaches of Jesus Christ. I love you my dear ones and I invite you follow Christ´s example. Let´s all try to be more like our Savior every day.

Elder Samuel H. Chiba