Sometimes Discussion is Pointless

We had a lovely and low-key evening at the center.  A couple of hours before the YSAs started coming, my friend Monia from Italy (We met in our Danish class last Fall) came in to talk to me about what we will fix for Thursday evening.  She had a menu made out and together we worked on a shopping list.  I will buy everything we need Wednesday morning and then she will meet me at the center that evening and we will assemble everything for the meal.  She will come in again on Thursday to help get it served.

She is so nice....I enjoy her a great deal.  Before she left I told her about FamilySearch and showed her how to get on the site.  She seemed genuinely excited about it.  I told her about our belief in eternal families.  I hope she tries it and gets excited....how can you not?  I even showed her how to help with extractions.  We'll see.  She is a great lady.

There were fewer people at FHE tonight, and I am unsure why.  The ones we had were enthusiastic and enjoyable.  I didn't have time to really visit with any of them, and that is always the best thing about any evening there.  They are such good people.

I did spend an hour an a half with a man who came to the center with an interesting request.  He was just in Denmark for a day from another country in Europe.  He is looking for a wife.  He chose Denmark because he thinks Denmark's blue-eyed blondes are the most beautiful in the world....I have to agree.  He wants a Mormon Danish blue-eyed blonde because he wants someone who is pure...never been intimate with anyone.

I explained in several different ways that our young women are beautiful and I expect that they live virtuous lives, and that the reason for that is their faith and testimony in the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ and their desire to go to the temple someday with an equally virtuous young man who is worthy to attend.  For that very reason, any young Mormon woman would probably not be interested in marrying someone not of our faith.

He patiently explained that it is a new world today where artificial boundaries need to be crushed...that we are much alike, as well as our beliefs.  We are all interested in pleasing God and in living as good people, and that if he could find a woman with the two above mentioned charactistics, he would be a good husband.  He argued his case....he is a professional, fully established in his career and makes a good living.  He is older...by many years, but doesn't feel that would be an obstacle.

He feels that his religion and beliefs are as valid as the Mormon religion and beliefs and therefore he should be an acceptable husband to a Mormon young woman.  I tried over and over again to help him understand that young Mormon women want a young Mormon man who will complement them as they strive to live their faith.  He was kind and patient, but he could not understand and left thinking I could help him find a wife, even though I told him I could not.

He is frustrated with any religion declaring that it is the only way to God, and especially the ones who try to win converts.  I told him that very belief is a mighty force in someone's life to be pure.

Towards the end of the discussion, as he stood at the door, he said, "I only want a young woman who is a blue-eyed blonde and pure....that is all."

I said, "Wait!  What about a mind?  What about someone you can sit down with in the evening and discuss the events of the day...history, science, literature?"

He answered, "Everyone will have a deficiency of some sort.  It doesn't matter if she isn't very smart.  I just want a blue-eyed blonde who is pure."

I stood with my mouth open.  I had nothing left to say.