God moves quickly and without hesitation: the product of His omniscience, I suppose, and the results are always astonishing. Denise consented and even participated in our children's baptism: Five out of six are Christian. But the most astonishing thing is this: Denise has requested baptism from our Pastor. She is becoming Lutheran, but more importantly, Christian. If you had told me a year ago that this is where my family would be, I would have laughed as Abraham's Sarah laughed. Praise our most Holy God!
A word about Catacombs: There is something to be said about the growth of genuine faith through opposition and persecution. You may be able to say that Denise and I have been persecuted for our decision to attend the Lutheran Church together. Our stay here has been life in the Catacombs. I'm not afraid of the Lions of Rome, but the Bee-stings of Deseret. As M. Russell Ballard has pointed in a general conference report (M. Russell Ballard, “Doctrine of Inclusion,” Ensign, Nov 2001, 35) the members of the LDS church may, ignorantly or knowingly, disadvantage their Christian neighbors.
However, we have found that most of our opposition and at times real persecution comes mainly from those close to us, those we love: our Mormon family. I have been able to write on one occasion, letters that were intended to answer specific questions raised by our family. They do, however, require some editing from the original state they are now in: one, to protect the Innocent's and the Guilty's privacy, and two, to make them more readable and usable for those inquiring about the Mormon faith or questioning one's own faith in the Mormon church. These seem to hit on common complaints that are raised by our Mormon peers and might be useful to the users of this blog. In a short time, I hope to have these edited and posted.
Faithfully,
Brian
