After riding the metro systems in New York last year, and more recently in Frankfurt, Rome and Milan, we thought we were pretty good at navigating mass transit trains/subways and that Vienna couldn’t be all that different. We were wrong! Upon exiting the subway on our second day there, we were met by the transit police checking to see if travelers had paid tickets to ride. I proudly produced our 24-hour tickets purchased the day before. We were clearly within the 24-hour period as our tickets had the purchase time printed right on them. To our surprise we were told that we had violated the system and that the fine was 135 euros each! I protested that the ticket clearly showed that we had purchased the 24-hour ticket less than 24 hours ago. The officer then told me that we had to have activated the ticket by getting it stamped when we took our first ride. As there were no turnstiles like we have seen in other cities where you put your ticket in, I incorrectly assumed that purchasing the ticket with the purchase time printed on it was sufficient. The officer said I could pay for only one of the two violations if I did so immediately. Although we had violated their system, which they viewed us as having cheated, I saw myself as perhaps naïve but not as evil. I was just wrong in my assumption of what the real process was.
On Wednesday evening we attended a Young Single Adult institute class. The subject was how to avoid being deceived by the devil, regardless of the method (associates, internet, etc.), regarding Gospel truths. A talk given by Elder Lawrence E. Corbridge in 2019 at BYU, titled Stand Forever, was referenced. In it, Elder Corbridge talks about the broad spectrum of deception we face today and our making errors because of that. He said, “When you act badly, you may think you are bad, when in truth you are usually mistaken. You are just wrong. The challenge is not so much closing the gap between our actions and our beliefs; rather, the challenge is closing the gap between our beliefs and the truth. That is the challenge.” It reminded me of what Jesus said, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). Knowing the truth helps us see things as they really are and avoid sin and error. Had I clearly understood (known the truth about) the Vienna subway system process, I would be $150 richer today!
In his talk, Elder Corbridge continued speaking about truth and knowledge, and about primary religious questions (such as does God exist, is Jesus the Christ, etc.) and secondary religious questions (such as the methods by which Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon, etc.) we all face. Elder Corbridge described four methods of how to find the truth: the scientific method, the analytical method, the academic method, and the divine method. It was a great talk about seeking truth and focusing first on what we know and what is most important when facing Gospel questions.
While at the Young Single Adult class/activity, I met a young missionary, Elder Gout, the grandson of the temple president we met last Saturday in The Hague and great-grandson of my mission president when I was a young man. Meeting the two of them in so short a time has caused me (Russell) to wonder if God is trying to tell me something. I’m just not sure yet what that something is.
This week we met with two great NGO’s (the purpose of our trip) with whom we have worked before and plan to continue doing so in the future: VinziWerke and Caritas, Austria. Both organizations are dedicated to serving the poor and needy. Talking to their representatives (and with those of other NGOs we work with), to plan projects that will help God’s children is the best part of being a missionary here.
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