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Néstor Curbelo, a native of Uruguay, has lived most of his adult life in Argentina. After joining the Church, he served a full-time--as a missionary and then began working with the Church Educational System in Argentina while concurrently serving in various leadership capacities in the Church and later as the director of public affairs. Since the 1980s, he has served as Church historian in Argentina, and then in 2010 was called to be the area Church history advisor for all of the South America South Area and has served in that capacity until the present time. He recently had articles featured not only in the local pages of the Liahona in South America but also in the October 2014 Ensign. Just last week, Nestor was awarded the Leonard Arrington Award for Outstanding Contributions and Distinguished Service to Mormon History at the Mormon History Association conference. Nestor has recorded and donated over 400 oral and video histories to both the Church History Library Department and BYU, accompanied by literally thousands of images of people and documents he has gathered of early Church history throughout Latin America, with particular focus on Argentina. He has produced over 30 documentaries, many of which have been aired on BYU Television International, and has produced five books about the Church in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile, and Bolivia, respectively, and several more on the way. Welcome, Nestor Curbelo. [APPLAUSE]

Brothers and sisters and friends and old friends that I know in this audience, to come from the other side of the equator land in the Southern Hemisphere, where it is now winter, to give a presentation that may expand and contribute to your understanding and awareness of the faith of the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints worldwide is not an easy task. My concern is that we will not be able to develop a true international sister- and brotherhood in the Church until we are able to better understand their manner of life, their faith, and their work, like Doctrine and Covenants says. We need to understand each other to become friends, to become brothers and sisters.

This valley, with a long tradition and generation of faith, and those of us who live geographically distant, with diverse cultures and distant social and political realities, must become united.

The purpose, the proposed purpose, of doing a history of the Church is to finalize, collect, preserve and share all that demonstrates the way that the hand of the Lord touches our life. Today, the fact that the Church is worldwide means that the universe where the significant and important histories occurred--are occurring--has expanded to the entire world. The question is how Mormon historians possibly deal with this extensive history.

Looking at the size of the challenge, why should we even attempt to fulfill the mandate that the Lord gave us in the date of the organization of the Church in April 6, 1830, in Fayette, New York? As you remember, He says that day, "Behold, there shall be a record kept among you." The gospel, the priesthood, the scriptures, the miracles, the faith, and the sacrifice that occurred during the early days of the Church in the 19th century are now duplicated all over the world. It is the same God, the same power, and the same purposes. Can He continue to be in the same Church history?

I can testify that after having visited, interviewed, and documented the lives of hundreds of persons and families throughout the Spanish-speaking countries during the last 30 years, I have seen manifestations of faith, miracles and sacrifice equal to those of the early days of the Church in the life of the members of the Latter-day Saints in Latin America. I don't doubt that the same happened in all the remote parts of the world where the Church has been established.

How can we bring to the entire Church knowledge of this experience and faith of members distant from the center so that they contribute to the building of a real worldwide brotherhood and sisterhood? One of the ways we can meet that goal is throughout sharing history. The collecting and preservation of the history and stories wherever they are found began with a more concentrated program in the last five years. The historical department of the Church has significantly expanded its work to all of the areas of the world. We, the brothers and sisters in distant areas of the Church, have also grown in faith, similar to the marvelous history of the Church beginning in Palmyra, New York, extending to the Salt Lake Valley. We all recognize and appreciate this early history that always, always will be the foundation and the trunk of the history of the Church to build a faith in the entire world regardless of what happened in other parts of the Church.

The challenge is not just to collect and preserve the history of the distant Church but to tell and publish those histories to the members. The present Church has an extraordinary means of communication that make the goal less challenging. We have seen the amazing opening of doors communicating our faith and history throughout the social media. The prophets have taught us the concept that we are a peculiar people, a holy nation, a people united with the same gospel, the same faith, the same baptism.

The dissemination of our stories, experience, and histories will be one method and technique to create this unity.

What will be the reason to preserve in records of our history if we never read them, we don't know it, and we don't learn from it? What will be the purpose to preserve the history?

What the purpose will be to have a Church history that not contribute to the faith of the members? How will it be if the Book of Mormon is still in the Hill of Cumorah today?

What value will be to preserve the history of the Book of Mormon or the sacrifice the ancient prophets did if we never publish it?

This suggests the following: In most of the distant areas of the Church, there actually does not exist written history that is accessible to most of the members. There have been occasional articles published in the Church magazine that were excellent. In the last two or three years, Church history has been included in the area website pages. In some countries and areas, with effort of individual members, there have been written and published histories, many, many with incomplete or questionable documentation. This private publication have very limited possibilities to be distributed among the members of the Church where they are published. There are some important published histories that are only found in English, which are beyond the ability of most of the members to read it. I have been privileged to teach seminary and institute classes for over 30 years, and I can only remember four books of the Church history that exist in Spanish. The first, I remember with a lot of love, is essential to Church history, from Joseph Fielding Smith. We studied this book in Sunday School in the '60s. Also The Restored Church and a study guide, and the History of the Church in the Dispensation of the Fullness of Time. And finally Our Legacy, that we all know. Two of those books are textbooks for seminaries and institute. But interesting saying that in these four publications that we are familiar with them, that there are only maybe 20 pages in total that dedicate to the history of the Church outside North America in the 20th century. I cannot recall any included examples of faith of the members of the Church, only description on the success of the Church in different parts of the world. I am not interested to minimize the importance of the fundamental pioneer history of the Church, or even--I'm not trying to increase the visibility for our members in faraway places. All I want to suggest is the need to add our testimony of faith to the traditional history of the Church in North America and continue to build a brother- and a sisterhood of faith. It is not enough to have written histories in our countries. We need to add our story of faith to those of all of the Church to build a feeling of a united people and know of the faith of the members in other parts of the world.

Let me tell you a little joke. There is more than 17 miracles.

There are hundreds, even thousands of miracles that regularly occur whenever the Saint of the Latter-day Saints are. I've heard testimony of those miracles. I have heard a description of many. I have personally witnessed many. What we need to do is have them recorded, described and documented, saved and protected, and then share them at the appropriate time when the story of this miracle will strengthen the faith.

These ideas are applicable to all the continents. I'm not talking only about Latin America. All the faraway members of the Church from the center of the Church, which is in Utah.

We find inspiring examples of faith wherever members are found in the world. However, for this presentation, I will give an example of the histories of which I am familiar: the Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America. In this example, we will see how prophecy comes before the history. Before telling these stories, it's necessary to place them in the historical context. So I'm going to mention some things to give you this context. First of it, the total population of the Church today is a little more than 15 million members, and probably you're gonna be surprised with this, there is 43 percent that lives today in the United States. And there is--many thousands are Spanish-speaking, English and Spanish and many other languages. In Latin America now, there is 40 percent of the members of the Church.

In the rest of the world, 17 percent.

Now I would like just to go through some of the important events in the history of the Church in Latin America. The first to be mentioned is 1879. The first missionaries went to Mexico. Let me tell you that Mexico is the door through where the Church got into the Spanish world.

Mexico is our old brother in the Church. In 1925, Elder Melvin J. Ballard dedicated South America for the preaching of the gospel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Nineteen twenty-eight, the Church is established in Brazil. Nineteen forty-seven, the work begin in Central America and in Uruguay.

Nineteen fifty-six, the beginning of the work in Chile and Peru. Nineteen sixty-six, the first stakes are organized in Brazil and in Argentina. Nineteen seventy-eight, the first temple in Latin America is dedicated in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This is a temple where all the members in South America get sealed and attend for the first time. In 1983 a temple is dedicated in Santiago, Chile. Nineteen eighty-six, a temple is dedicated in Lima, Peru, and Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Now I would like to talk about a moment of prophecy and revelation, and you will see how prophecy came before the history.

We all know the story of Lehi and his family and relatives and friends coming to the Americas. Academics in the Church continue looking for evidence of the place they arrived and the location of their subsequent history. To me, however, what is much greater importance are the inspirational words he spoke in the time. What Lehi spoke in that day. And here is a quotation. "But, said he, notwithstanding our afflictions, we have obtained a land of promise, a land which is choice above all other lands; a land which the Lord God hath covenanted with me should be a land for the inheritance of my seed. Yea, the Lord hath covenanted this land unto me, and to my children forever, and also all those who should be led out of other countries by the hand of the Lord." So this is what I want to remark. "Wherefore, I, Lehi, prophesy according to the workings of the Spirit which is in me, that there shall none come into this land save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord."

There are many opinions related to this land of promise. Where is the land as Lehi see it? But the prophets talked often about the topic on numerous occasions. I know many quotations from all the prophets referring to Zion. I will mention only three of those quotations. The first is from Joseph Smith in a conference in 1844. "The Prophets have spoken and written upon it. But I will make a proclamation that will cover broader ground. The whole America is Zion itself from north to south, and is described by the Prophets."

President Brigham Young in 1860: "You need not teach that this place is Zion, or that Nauvoo or Missouri is Zion; but tell the people that North and South America are the land of Zion, and that our God will finish his work where he commenced it."

And the last quotation is from from President Ezra Taft Benson. In that time he was an Apostle. And, to me, it's very special because this declaration was in Montevideo, Uruguay, in 1960, and they published it in the Liahona magazine. And they make a comment in the Liahona saying, "We were surprised with what Elder Benson says." And hear what he says. "I'm sure, my brothers and sisters, the day will come when there will be stakes of Zion and then there will be temples in this beautiful land since it is part of the land of Zion, and I am certain that it is the desire of our Heavenly Father that you have all the blessing of the gospel, including the rich and inestimable blessings that come from the temples of God." Now I would like to talk for a minute about immigration--immigration in South America, not in the United States.

For members of the Church in North America, the history of the immigration to the United States from Europe is a well-known story. Few, however, realize that at the same time, that there was similar immigration of Europeans to Latin America. Even though immigrants came to North America from all over the world, the original--most was from United Kingdom and not in Europe. Similarly, immigrants came from all over the world to Latin America. But the original, most were from the Catholic countries of southern Europe. War, political problems, lack of opportunity, desire for land, and other issues encouraged immigration. Similarities of religion, weather, and culture were the attraction to the South, as similar factor were for the United States. For example, in Argentina between 1861 until 1920, 2,700,000 Italians and over 1,200,000 Spaniards immigrate to Argentina. The immigration from Europe significantly changed the culture and many of the countries of Latin America.

So, now I want to mention another moment of revelation and inspiration, a prophetic moment. In 1925, the First Presidency announced the beginning of the missionary work in South America and sent there three missionaries to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to dedicate the land and begin the work. The General Authorities who were sent were Elder Melvin J. Ballard from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and Rey L. Pratt and Rulon S. Wells of the Seventy. On December 25, 1925, at 7 o'clock in the morning, these three missionaries went to the small wooded area of willows in Palermo Park next to the Rio de la Plata, where Elder Ballard gave the dedicatory prayer. Events such as these are a moment of prophecy and revelation. Here are quotes from his prayer: "[We] approach Thee on this beautiful Christmas morning, in this secluded spot, in the City of Buenos Aires, Argentina, South America, in a land far distant from our mountain home, but in a country which Thou has called a part of the Land of Zion.

We are grateful that we have been chosen by Thy servant, President Heber J. Grant, to come to this great land of South America, to unlock the door for the preaching of the gospel, to all of the people of the South American Nations. To search out the blood of Israel that has been sifted among the Gentile nations, many of whom, influenced by the spirit of gathering, have assembled in this land. And we also pray, that we may see, the beginning of the fulfillment of Thy promises, contained in the Book of Mormon, to the Indians of this land, who are descendants of Lehi." Six months later, in July 4th of 1926, just prior to returning to the United States, Elder Ballard gave a prophecy related to the growth of the Church in all of South America. It is important to place his work in historical context and their mission.

Of the three missionaries, only Elder Pratt spoke Spanish. Early in the mission, Elder Wells got seriously ill and had to return home a few weeks after arriving to Buenos Aires. In Buenos Aires there were only two families--German families, immigrants--who were members of the Church, who had written to the First Presidency requiring that the missionaries were sent to Argentina. Elder Ballard, who did not speak Spanish, distributed more than 12,000 flyers in the street and the train of the Buenos Aires city.

In those six months, they were only successful to attract a few families to attend the meetings held in what was the mission home, which was also the living quarters. Within the context, notice Elder Ballard's words. This is another moment of revelation. "The work of the Lord will grow slowly for a time here just as an oak tree grows slowly from an acorn. It will not shoot up in a day as does the sunflower that grows quickly and then dies.

But thousands will join the Church here. It will be divided into more than one mission and will be one of the strongest in the Church.

The work here is the smallest that it will ever be. The day will come when the Lamanites in this land will be given a chance. The South American Mission will be a power in the Church. " For those who know the story of the evolution of the Church in South America, it is amazing to see how the history of the past 90 years follows exactly the prophetic vision of Elder Ballard. There was slow and deliberate growth for many years, but then came the time to expand and strengthen. One can recognize at the present time that South America is a power in the Church. The Church first began in the Atlantic, with the immigrants. And after, in the '60s, they went to the Lamanites in the other countries.

Now I will tell you three stories that reflect what we have been talking. The first is this. It's a story of an immigrant that came to Argentina and Uruguay, In 1865 a ship called Mimosa arrived on the coast of Southern Argentina in the area called Patagonia, an Indian territory in that time, bringing the first group of several Welsh immigrants, who will settle it first near the Chubut River and later extended westward to the Andes Mountains. These Welsh settlers established similar communities in the Patagonia and were able to maintain their language and their culture while at the same time successfully integrating themselves into the Argentine nation. They maintained their religion, belief, and practice, and today we can visit 16 chapels built by them in their settlements. They were farmers and traders. They were able to establish peaceful and cordial relationship with the Tehuelches Indians who lived in this area. Why would Welsh immigrants settle in a harsh desert of Patagonia?

Why are these settlers still there? There are many stories and explanations, but I wish here to tell one story to share what we have been talking about that was brought by the hand of the Lord.

One of the important leaders of this country was Lewis Jones--it's a Welsh name, not an English name--whose name was given to the city of Trelew, which means in Welsh "City of Lewis." At the end of the 1940s the president of the Argentine mission, W. Ernest Young, and then Harold Brown both sent missionaries to the Welsh colonies in Patagonia. Iris Lloyd as a 16-year-old teenager, a descendent Lewis Jones, believed the message of the Mormon missionaries related to the Prophet Joseph Smith but was but was not baptized. She was the only one in her family that believed and kept the testimony here for 15 years, and when she became an adult was baptized and consequently raised her family in the Church. In the history of the Church in Argentina, there is several families from the Welsh colonies who have a legacy of faith. I would like to conclude its history with the words of Elder Alin Spannaus, presently in Area Seventy and one of the sons of Iris Lloyd Spannaus Spannaus. Listen to his testimony. [VIDEO PLAYBACK] I was thinking about the impact of one man's decision when Lewis Jones, the Welsh leader, decides along with his brother Michael Lee Jones to come to Argentina with the Welsh, to America. They had the chance either to go to the US and to La Patagonia in Argentina. Lewith Jones decided to go to Argentina. And it is said in the Book of Mormon that--it a prophecy that everyone will come to America being led by the hand of the Lord. So for me is very clear that Lewis Jones was inspired to come to Argentina. Now, some years later my mother, who is the great-grandchildren of Lewis Jones, Iris Lloyd, she was the seventh children of seven siblings. She was the youngest. And when the missionaries came to my grandparents' home, she was the only one who believed in the message of the Prophet Joseph Smith, you know? But my grandparents didn't allow her to be baptized. She was 15. But she stayed strong with these feelings, and finally--she stayed active for 15 years without being baptized and finally decided to be baptized in [INAUDIBLE] in Argentina 50 years ago. Those two decisions, Lewith Jones on one hand coming to America and my mother accepting the message of two young missionaries who were preaching on horses, literally has had a super impact in my personal life. Not only mine--my wife, my children and the whole posterity. So it is quite clear for me that two decisions that were inspired in one moment in life have a huge impact in posterities--not just one posterity, but posterities: my brothers and sister, people we preach, friends of ours that were baptized because our own preaching when we were missionaries, et cetera. So when you see that in perspective--and I have at least 50 years of perspective--I can see the impact of one decision in time, and it's quite amazing and unequivocally inspired. [END PLAYBACK] The second story begins in Spain. In 1917, a young 17-year-old teenager by name Ramón Ávila left his native Spain with a cousin, crossing the Atlantic in an old boat, arriving in Argentina hoping to fulfill a dream. He wanted to make enough money to give to his widowed mother and older brother and sister a better life.

His plan was to work in Argentina and send part of his salary back to Spain to help to provide his family with financial assistance they couldn't get in their small village.

He was successful in helping his family but never returned to Spain. Ramón met a young immigrant woman in Buenos Aires, married her, and raised a family of seven children. In the 1940s, Mormon missionaries entered into the life of the Ávila family and converted them to the Church through a miracle of faith.

Today, the Ávila family have left a mark in the Church in Argentina. Listen to the testimony of Elder Juan Carlos Ávila, one of the grandchildren of Ramón and Eliza Avila. [VIDEO PLAYBACK] - [SPEAKING SPANISH]

[END PLAYBACK] The last story that I have for you began in Spain also. The name is Sacramento and Rafael Viñas. They were two young friends who lived in Seville. The Viñas family owned a factory and allowed them to live financially well. Rafael was privileged to study in the Spanish Air Force school. And then in 1936 the Spanish Civil War begins, and the life became very confusing. When Rafael Viñas and his companion were sent to prison and received a sentence of death, every day Rafael watched as Some of his companions were removed and later heard the gunfire that took their lives. By miracle, Rafael's life was saved, but he spent four years in prison.

Shortly after getting a pardon from General Francisco Franco, he was set free.

He returned home and married his girlfriend of his youth, Sacramento. But Rafael has only one thought in his mind: leave Spain and immigrate to the Americas.

In 1948 the Viñas, with their three young children, left Spain, leaving their families, friends, good economic condition, and went to Paraguay, where they soon met the Mormon missionaries. They decided to settle in Uruguay, where they contacted the missionaries again and were soon baptized by Elder Richard G. Scott and Elder Roland Skinner. Both--you know Elder Richard G. Scott, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve today, and Roland Skinner, a missionary from Utah.

The Viñas family were pioneers in the Church in Uruguay and have also left a legacy and a name or faith. Listen to the thought of Elder Francisco Viñas, today a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy, the young son of Rafael and Sacramento. [VIDEO PLAYBACK] The fact that I am able to be here this afternoon is a blessing for which I must express appreciation to my parents, who many years ago when the missionaries came to them, heard for the first time the voice of the Lord through his servants and hearkened to it. That changed the course of their lives and was a great influence in the lives of their children and grandchildren. [END PLAYBACK] Dear brothers and sisters and friends, with this discussion I hope you see the necessity to share our experience of faith in the gospel, which will in turn increase our fellowship and unity in a worldwide Church. We have listened to a few beautiful stories. Now I want to leave you with this word from the Book of Mormon: "He inviteth them all to come into him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come into him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are like into God, both Jew and Gentile." I say this to you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. Thank you.

[APPLAUSE] We do have a little time for questions. Please wait for the microphone. Always is good to have a good friend. I know Irma since she was a teenager, almost. Me too.

OK, brothers and sisters, some of you have some questions. I just want to know--because this whole talk is helping us to understand the Latinos, so we can understand them and love them--how has recording the histories affected their testimonies? Have you seen any influence in that?

Can you repeat the last part? Because there was [INAUDIBLE]. Yeah. Totally. How has recording their histories affected the Latinos? That they have access to it, to their histories and their stories?

That's a good question. I can answer this in English. OK.

Well, like I said during the talks, we pick up--a door have been opened for us to share. We are talking about sharing history on both sides: from outside and for here. We exchange it. So now the Church has wonderful media tools. So the answer to this question will be just in a few weeks, we're going to have a website called "The Church History in South America South." And you're gonna see there many histories, even documentaries, even the complete story of the Sacramento and Rafael Viñas in a documentary. They're gonna be published just in a while. So remember www.mormondelsur.org/history.

Even today you can get to this page. That answer to you?

Was the pattern throughout of all of the South American countries similar to what you described here? The immigrants from Europe joined the Church first before the Native people joined the Church? [SPEAKING SPANISH] Well, I don't know if I should say this in public, but when you say Latin America really is not Latin America. Because we have the mestizo culture that come from the, you know, the Spaniards with the Indians. And we have the African root, which is very strong in many of the countries like Brazil and Colombia and Ecuador. So there is a mix that is like an additional state. So we can have immigrant from Europe in the Atlantic, and the Indians in Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, and many other places. So South America is a garden with many flowers.

[SPEAKING SPANISH] Well, I think that there is two times.

One is when the conquerors-- [SPEAKING SPANISH] The people they colonized and came to America. [SPEAKING SPANISH] They want to conquer, like Columbus. And then the people that arrive from Europe. There are two different stage in South America. And the other one is the immigration that came because of the war, like in Spain and many others--and most of them came to the Atlantic. But you can see very clear the Spanish and Italian group to all the South American countries.

I think it would be interesting to know if any of Lewis Jones's families from Wales are presently members of the Church in Wales and Brother Ávila--whatever became of his family in Spain? Have they become members of the Church? And do the Ávilas in Spain today and the Lewis Jones family know the contribution that has been made in South America in the Church? If that research hasn't been done, perhaps it would be interesting to discover the answers to those questions. OK. [SPEAKING SPANISH]

No, he doesn't know if there really is any in the Wales or in Spain. They don't know yet. [SPEAKING SPANISH]

He's going now to try to find what is going on about that. But we don't know about it right now. Ray Mortonson. Yeah. Let me propose some input on Chile. The first members there were definitely not immigrated from other nations other than the fact that they, yes, had mixed blood with them. But they were Native Chileans, mostly having crossed with the Indians at the time, Ricardo Garcia being the first one in the nation. And then the remainder of those, as you went about from new branch to new branch, you found that there was an awful lot of German mixed in with them, together with English. The main street, for instance, in Santiago, Chile, is Bernardo O'Higgins. That's not very Araucano. That's more English. So you do see that there is a great mixture of the blood. [SPEAKING SPANISH]

Today I refer to the Italian and Spanish because ... [SPEAKING SPANISH]

because the stories that I shared with you were for those countries. [SPEAKING SPANISH]

But there are multiple nations in South America. [SPEAKING SPANISH] The Church started in South America in Brazil and in Argentina we see German people. [SPEAKING SPANISH]

Was President Williams--Frederick Williams was one of the first presidents there. And he got a book with all the families, first families members of the Church in those years. They were from ... [SPEAKING SPANISH]

In the branches they have in that moment he count 15 different countries, nationalities for different countries that were members of the Church in that moment. And that was in 1950s? No. Excuse me that was when he was a missionary. That was about 1928. 1928. That's enough?

OK.

Maybe the last question?

From your lecture I understand that the Church--missionaries went to Mexico in the 1800s, but it wasn't until the 1970s that they got to other Latin American countries. Just wondering why did it take so long for missionaries to go to other Latin American countries if they were in Mexico 100 years earlier. OK. [SPEAKING SPANISH]

Well, the first easy answer is because it was not the time. But also, the Church was prepared to expand it to all the world. So they went to Mexico, and there was a lot of problem to get into Mexico because of revolution and many other things. So what I would say, when the time came they sent the missionaries to South America in 1925. I would say that the Church maybe was not prepared, but also the field was not prepared because of the influence of the Catholic Church, the political situation and many other reasons. But that was a time, and the growth of the Church after 1925 were very slow, like Elder Ballard says. The real expanding of the Church in South America begins in 1960. Let me add to his question and partly to what you're saying. So almost all of the countries, whenever missionaries eventually got there, was by request to Salt Lake City that missionaries be sent. And so no matter what country it was, that's the way it happened. [SPEAKING SPANISH]

Well, usually when the Church begins some work, there is some context. There is some reason to send missionaries there. But they work together, the purpose of the Lord to open South America for preaching the gospel, and some specific person. There are key person in that time. I don't think that the Church was open in South America because just a family wrote a letter to the First Presidency. It's because it was time, and the people was prepared to receive the missionaries and the gospel.

Well, maybe one more. The last one? This is the real last one. No more?

I was wondering if you have any idea--with so many members of the Church that are Spanish-speaking, why there are so few publications by the Church that are in Spanish language? [SPEAKING SPANISH]

Well, maybe it is same answer that I said before. Maybe it's not good enough, but it's the time now. Sometimes everything has to be prepared, and the Church must be prepared. Because it's not only Latin America. Think in Africa today. Think in Asia, Philippines. So how can the Church expand so fast? With the resources, and you have publication, and you have everything organized. So I would say that the time is in this moment because we have wonderful opportunity now to publish our histories. All I said is we need to share history to become better brothers and sisters. That's all that I wanted to say this night.

[APPLAUSE]