Elder Verde: Ward Missionary
I met Elder Gilberto Verde in Brazil on my vacation. Gilberto had wanted to serve a mission, but recent changes in the requirements prevented him from being eligible to serve as a full time missionary. 8 years ago, LDS church leadership revised it's set of requirements which all potential missionaries must meet in order to be called on a mission. Elder Ballard called it "raising the bar." I'm looking here at the General Handbook of instructions that was updated that year, and it reads: Having a tattoo will not deny one from temple ordinances. Those with tattoos in visible places are not allowed to serve as full-time missionaries. Gilberto's tattoos are almost entirely covered up by his long-sleeved shirts, but his Brazilian bishop was really unhappy with just how many tattoos he had. Gilberto was denied, and also disappointed. For the last two years, Gilberto has been doing work with service missionaries in his area. He said he likes it, and ultimately he got permission to go through the temple. "The temple was so peaceful and pretty inside... but the washing and anointing stuff made me nervous that I was about to have gay sex right there in the temple. Oh yeah, and the ordinance workers talked to me about my tattoos. Something about defiling my "temple" (body) with graffiti." "But you know, after the initial disappointment of not going on a mission, I think in the end it was a blessing---the whole tattoo thing. My bishop hadn't even gotten to the Law of Chastity, so I never told him about all the girls I had fooled around with. I don't think he would have let me work with the service missionaries or go to the temple if he knew about that." Gilberto is probably right about his bishop's character. But of course these revelations didn't stop me from calling him on a mission, missionaryBoyz.com-style. I too have "raised the bar" high. I just think some qualities, in a missionary, are more important than others. And Gilberto certainly passes the test!
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