June 29th, 2025, 4am MDT
Sitting in a prison cell, he looked back at his wife and toddler, and he left for two years to serve the mission. And he wrote the words that night in a hymn entitled “Despedida” or “Farewell.”
But the first sentence was one of the hopes: “Oh, the day of our joyful ev’ry/How wonderful it is for us to serve the Lord’s work.” What should an imprisoned elder be cheerful about?
“The joy he had was what he found in the Gospel and what he had in his new life, and his new life as a result of his participation in the church, his principles and understanding of the Gospel, his new community and new opportunities.” “And the joy that comes from seeing others changes your own life.”
His hymns were published in the Church’s Spanish Hymn in 1912, so the elder’s enthusiasm lived on the modestness of Latin American missionaries.
“Placentero nos es trabajar,” widely known in Latin America as “El Himno Numero 88,” will expand into a global ensemble when joining the new hymn, “Hymn.”
Of the 48 hymns released for the hymn, “Oh, how wonderful our joy is” – the English title – is the first to come from the Spanish hymn. In May 2024, a song from Spain, “Children’s Songbook” (“Estrella de Luz” or “Star Bright”) was also released for new hymns.
The addition of Andrés González’s song comes in the 100th anniversary of the restored gospel preached in South America. For the fitting, for the enthusiastic plea of hymns “hear the Lord’s Word” and “to please and teach him his truth.”
“I’m happy to be caught up in the job of bringing others to Christ,” John Gonzalez said. “I hope that others can get from that hymn how wonderful it is to be involved in the work of salvation.”
Who was Andre Gonzalez?
Andres Carlos Gonzalez Rodriguez became the “first” of many in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The first Mexican to fulfill his full-time mission, then on August 12, 1967, according to a church news article, the first Mexican member, and later the Mexican patriarch, became the first Mexican patriarch.
Born on February 4, 1887 in Nadador, Coahila, Mexico, Gonzalez left the house at the age of 17 to live in the Latter-day Holy Colony of Colonia Juarez, Chihuahua. He just wanted to learn English.
However, the young adult quickly fell in love with the restored Gospel, but internalized the principles and even paid a ti-minute one year before Manriquet baptized him in February 1906. Almost three years later, in December 1908, Gonzalez married Minnie Spencer, born in the colony.
In July 1910, when his son Andres Carlos was three months old, Gonzalez asked the church’s missionary department to preach the gospel of Mexico City, 1,100 miles south.
Gonzalez was stunned and didn’t know what to do. However, his wife quoted him 1 Nephi 3:7 and encouraged the family to be blessed, as he did what the Lord commanded by accepting the call from President Joseph F. Smith of the Church.
And a nervous yet trusting God would provide a way, the convert for almost five years began a 24-day hitchhiking trip south to share the truth that shaped his own life so richly.
“Oh, how amazing was our joy?
On the street corner of Mexico City, Gonzalez and his companions sang familiar Christian hymns with the aim of attracting more listeners to the missionary message. Instead, a group of angry followers argued that the song does not belong to them, and demanded that they stop singing, according to John Gonzalez and the Church’s “On Hymns: Ah, How Great Our Joy is?”
The missionaries returned to sing the next day, and the crowd brought the police. The police threw the elders into prison. That night, wondering whether he would see his loved one again, Gonzalez felt inspired to write his words into the song.
“This was a time when you could never see your family again if you were put in prison,” John Gonzalez explained of the Mexican Revolution. “And those feelings are with him as he writes new words in the hymns.
The next day, with new lyrics in hand, Gonzalez and his companions were able to assert the right to sing the hymn. The elders were released from prison and perhaps “what an honor to go down his path, as if they share the light of Jesus and the words of him.”
An article in the August 12th, 1967 edition of Church News states: “A music lover, Gonzalez translated many church hymns into Spanish. He had a great singing voice and played soloist in countless churches and other programs.”
Latin American saint’s love for hymns
Every time Yael Albizu Baliño, from Buenos Aires, Argentina, sings this hymn, she is invited to work diligently in the work of the Lord.
“I think this hymn will come at a very important time,” she said. “The prophets and apostles are inviting us to become active parts of the Israeli gathering, both in this life and on the other side of the veil. And this hymn is like a reminder that Jesus Christ is nearby, and that we are in his hands to prepare us for his return.”
Joel Isaac Espinoza Verdejo, from Lima, Peru, recalls singing “What a wonderful thing” during the farewells of several missionaries, including himself. “For me, it is a hymn of perseverance and tenacity in serving the Lord’s work, with hints of nostalgia, hope and love for God’s work.
Ana Laura Luis Sanchez, from Oaxaca, Mexico, first heard “Placentero nos es trabajar” in the year she was baptized in 1994. “When I made a covenant with my Heavenly Father, this hymn became more relevant to me and my family, and I learned that we must be willing to serve our Lord with our daily dedication of our lives.”
Her husband, Elyseo Neftari Altamirano Cruz, agreed by saying, “It’s great to work as a family to establish Zion.”
He added excitement to share the hymn with a non-Spanish speaker. “It is filled with joy to know that the hymns of stories filled with faith and submission will reach all saints in the world.
For Lorna Campos Lagos in Ormuët, Chile, this hymn is an invitation with a positive attitude and true intention. “Despite the difficulties that have arisen in our lives, providing selfless service is always a reminder that joy in our hearts.”
Bishop Lucas Magnotta of Buenos Aires Argentine’s Giancar ward, Stock, said the hymn is a symbol of the history and faithfulness of Latin American members, and inspires a generation of missionaries.
What is included in the new hymn is “another way to testify that the church is here and around the world, and that in every corner of this vineyard there are disciples that Christ’s disciples try to serve,” he said.
Nicolas Cerry Guayara, from Bogota, Colombia, said: He hopes that those who sing it will “have similar affinity to my individual experiences of joy, motivation and renewal.”
This hymn gives Nancy Noemi Sanchez of San Miguel de Tucuman in Argentina the joy she will see her ancestors again. “It helps us to know that there is a God who loves us and has made such a beautiful plan for us to return to his existence as an eternal family. Whoever we are, he gives us the opportunity to return to live with him.”
A lesson from my grandpa
Honorary Authority For Elder Crate W. Musk Jr., 70, his grandfather, Andre Gonzalez, was his father figure, who fought in World War II. “He had a huge impact on my life.”
Growing up in El Paso, Texas, he lived in his granddad’s house as a toddler with his family before living around the corner from him a few years later.
“I waited for his car to arrive and then ran to his house trying to smash his house into the house. He usually had popsicle nickel,” said the elder Musk, who now lives in Gilbert, Arizona. “I always lived in my grandma and grandpa’s houses, and passersby never refused to eat hot food.”
A favorite memory of Elder Musk’s grandfather was the missionary story he told, which prompted him to serve as well. “I remember telling me to always sort out my financial house so I could call anywhere, anytime.”
Elder John Gonzalez, grandson of Andre Gonzalez and senior mission in Argentina, can identify what he learned from each of his growing up. From his granddad it was love to be a missionary.
Elder Gonzalez, from Doper, Utah, said: “I wanted to share the gospel and serve others, and I left my grandfather primarily for that desire.”
This desire led Gonzalez to serve as a young adult on the Southeastern Mexico (Veracruz) mission, and later served as his wife, Carrena, as a California Fresno mission leader. He is currently on a mission in Argentina with his wife and serves as executive director of the Southern South American Presidential position.
Gonzalez recalled his grandfather’s intense service as a patriarch. He was called to grant patriarchy to everyone south of the border, Gonzalez said.
“Church members come to Mesa Arizona Temple, get donations and pass through the temple, and receive patriarchal blessings. So my grandfather regularly makes those blessings to Mesa, Arizona.”
Gonzalez, 16, was asked to become the patriarch’s assistant by recording his blessings on a cassette machine. “That was my quote, ‘phone’. ”
Andre Gonzalez passed away while John Gonzalez served as a missionary for young adults. “It was a very sad moment, but I was happy and honored to be serving in Mexico, where he served.”
Elder Musk said that more than 100 Andres Gonzalez descendants served on the mission, most of whom are serving on the mission in Spanish-speaking countries.
“We’ve met many people who know and love hymns across Latin America, and it’s definitely a favorite among our people,” he said. “We are excited to have that place in the new hymn.”
