Singing Brought Us Together

When our stake offered to house a group of Saints from Mexico who were coming to Salt Lake City to attend the temple for a week, we agreed to have at least two guests in our home. No one in my family knew a word of Spanish, and I was concerned about communicating with them. The day soon came when my husband ushered in two smiling guests, a man and his wife, who greeted me with “Buenos Dias!” They knew no English—not a word. My heart sank. How would I get through the week?

The first evening, a friend who could speak some Spanish interpreted for us. The next evening she wasn’t available, and I felt self-conscious as my guests sat and watched me preparing dinner, clearing up, and puttering around at other chores. Unconsciously, and I suppose to help break the silence, I began humming a hymn.

Immediately Brother Regino’s eyes lit up. He started singing the same hymn in Spanish and finished the song with me. He started another familiar hymn, and I joined him with English. His wife and my family soon joined us, and with delighted smiles we continued singing until we exhausted all the songs we knew. By then we felt the warmth of being close to one another, even without knowing the other’s language.

I have always cherished that week the Mexican Saints were with us, because I learned one important thing—that people who share the gospel of Jesus Christ are “of one heart and of one soul” (Acts 4:32), and language is no longer a barrier. Wanda West Badger, Salt Lake City, Utah