Sitting in a Mexican jail cell — and reflecting on the wife and infant he’d left for two years to serve a mission — Andrés Carlos González Rodríguez didn’t know if he’d see his loved ones again. And so he penned that night in 1910 the words to a hymn titled “Despedida,” or “Farewell.”
Yet the first sentence was one of hope: “Oh, how great is our joy ev’ry day / As we serve in the work of our Lord.” What could the imprisoned elder have to be cheerful about?
“The joy he had is what he found in the gospel and his new life as a result of joining the Church — gospel principles and understanding, a new community that he’s with, new opportunities,” said John Gonzalez, a grandson of Andrés González. “And the joy that comes from seeing others change their lives.”
The elder’s fervor would live on in the refrains of missionaries across Latin America, as his hymn was published in the Church’s Spanish hymnal in 1912. “Despedida” later became “Placentero nos es trabajar” to match the first line.
Widely known across Latin America as “el himno número 88” in the Spanish hymnbook, “Placentero nos es trabajar” now expands to a worldwide ensemble as it joins the new hymnbook, “Hymns — For Home and Church.”
Of the 48 hymns announced for the hymnal, “Oh, How Great Is Our Joy” — the English title — is the first originating from the Spanish hymnbook. In May 2024, a song from the Spanish “Children’s Songbook” — “Estrella de luz,” or “Star Bright” — was also released for the new hymnbook.
The addition of Andrés González’s song comes during the 100th anniversary year of the restored gospel being preached in South America. Fitting, for the hymn’s enthusiastic pleas to “hear the word of the Lord” and “teach with gladness His truths.”
“It’s joyous to be involved in the work of bringing others to Christ,” said John Gonzalez. “I hope others can get from that hymn how great it is to be involved in the work of salvation.”
Who was Andrés González?
Andrés Carlos González Rodríguez became many “firsts” in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: the first Mexican to serve a full-time mission, then the first Mexican member to serve on a high council, and later the first Mexican patriarch, according to an Aug. 12, 1967, Church News article.
Born Feb. 4, 1887, in Nadadores, Coahuila, Mexico, González left home to live in the Latter-day Saint colonies in Colonia Juárez, Chihuahua, at age 17. His older brother Manrique had already been living in the colonies as a convert, but González had no interest in joining the Church. He just wanted to learn English, thinking it would help further a career.
The young adult soon fell in love with the restored gospel though, internalizing its principles and even paying tithing a year before Manrique baptized him in February 1906. Almost three years later, in December 1908, González married Minnie Spencer, who was born in the colonies.
In July of 1910, when his son Andrés Carlos was 3 months old, González received a letter from the Church’s Missionary Department asking him to preach the gospel in Mexico City, 1,100 miles south.
González was stunned, unsure of what to do. But his wife quoted to him 1 Nephi 3:7 and encouraged that as he did what the Lord commanded by accepting the call from Church President Joseph F. Smith, the family would be blessed.
And so, nervous yet trusting God would provide a way, the convert of almost five years started the 24-day journey of hitchhiking south to share the truths that had so richly shaped his own life.
How did ‘Oh, How Great Is Our Joy’ come to be?
Aiming to draw more listeners to their missionary message, González and his companion sang the familiar Christian hymn “In the Sweet By and By” on a street corner in Mexico City. Instead, a group of angry residents argued the song didn’t belong to them and demanded they stop singing, according to John Gonzalez and the Church’s article “About the Hymns: Oh, How Great Is Our Joy.”
The missionaries came back to sing the next day, and the crowd brought the police, who threw the elders in jail. That night, wondering if he’d see his loved ones again, González felt inspired to write his own words to the song.
“This was at a time where if you were put in jail, you may never be seen again by your family,” explained John Gonzalez about the Mexican Revolution. “And so those emotions are with him as he’s penning the new words to the hymn; ‘Regardless of what happens to me, how great it is to be involved in the work.’”
The next day, with new lyrics in hand, González and his companion could now claim the right to sing the hymn. The elders were released from jail, perhaps solemnly singing to themselves, “What an honor to walk in His way / As we share Jesus’ light and His word.”
An article in the Aug. 12, 1967, edition of the Church News noted: “A lover of music, Bro. Gonzalez has translated a number of the Church hymns into Spanish. He has a fine singing voice and has performed as a soloist on countless Church and other programs.”
Latin American Saints’ love for the hymn
Whenever Yael Albizu Baliño — from Buenos Aires, Argentina — sings this hymn, she feels an invitation to work enthusiastically in the Lord’s work.
“I believe this hymn comes at a very important time,” she said. “The Prophet and the Apostles are inviting us to be an active part of the gathering of Israel, both in this life and on the other side of the veil. And this hymn is like a reminder that Jesus Christ is near and that we can be His faithful disciples, instruments in His hands to prepare for His return.”
Joel Isaac Espinoza Berdejo from Lima, Peru, recalls singing “Oh, How Great Is Our Joy” at several missionary farewells, including his own. “For me, it’s a hymn of perseverance and tenacity in serving in the work of the Lord. It has a hint of nostalgia, hope and love for God’s work and what embarking on it entails.”
Ana Laura Ruiz Sánchez from Oaxaca, Mexico, first heard “Placentero nos es trabajar” in 1994, the year she was baptized. “As I made covenants with our Heavenly Father, this hymn became more relevant to me and my family, and we learned that we must be willing to serve our Lord with dedication every day of our lives.”
Her husband, Eliseo Neftalí Altamirano Cruz, agreed, saying, “Working as a family to establish Zion is a wonderful thing.”
He added his excitement to share this hymn with non-Spanish speakers: “It fills me with joy to know that a hymn with a story full of faith and obedience can reach all the Saints of the world. Its inspired lyrics will be of great strength to those who have to give up places or situations to serve in the work.”
For Lorna Campos Lagos of Olmué, Chile, this hymn is an invitation to serve with a positive attitude and real intention. “It’s a constant reminder that despite the difficulties that arise in our lives, offering selfless service always brings joy to our hearts.”
Bishop Lucas Magnotta — of the Juncal Ward, Buenos Aires Argentina Congreso Stake — said the hymn is a symbol of the history and faithfulness of Latin American members, inspiring generations of missionaries.
Its inclusion in the new hymnbook “is another way of testifying that the Church is one here and throughout the world, and that in every corner of this vineyard there are disciples of Christ willing to serve,” he said.
Nicolas Cely Guayara from Bogotá, Colombia, said: “It’s a hymn that always encourages me greatly when I hear it, motivating me to continue serving, renewing that inner energy.” He hopes those who sing it “have a similar affinity to my individual experience of joy, motivation and renewal.”
This hymn gives Nancy Noemi Sanchez from San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina, the joy that she will see her ancestors again. “It helps me know that there is a God who loves us and made such a beautiful plan for us to return to His presence as an eternal family. Whoever we are, He gives us the opportunity to repent and return to live with Him.”
Lessons from Grandpa
For Elder Clate W. Mask Jr., an emeritus General Authority Seventy, his grandfather Andrés González was a father figure while his dad fought in World War II. “He was a tremendous influence in my life.”
Growing up in El Paso, Texas, he lived with his family in his grandpa’s home as a toddler, then a few years later they lived around the corner from him.
“I would wait to see his car coming then run through the alley to his house trying to beat him home. He usually had a nickel for a popsicle,” recounted Elder Mask, now living in Gilbert, Arizona. “There were people living in Grandma and Grandpa’s house always, and no passerby was ever denied a hot meal.”
Elder Mask’s favorite memories of his grandfather are the missionary stories he told, which inspired him to serve too. “I remember him telling me to always have my financial house in order so that I could serve wherever and whenever I might be called.”
Elder John Gonzalez, also a grandson of Andrés González and serving a senior mission in Argentina, can pinpoint something he learned from each of his family members growing up. From his grandpa, it was the love of being a missionary.
“I wanted to serve a mission because I wanted to have experiences like my grandfather had,” said Elder Gonzalez, who is from Draper, Utah. “I wanted to be able to share the gospel and serve others. And I primarily attribute my grandfather for that desire.”
This desire has led Gonzalez to serve as a young adult in the Mexico Southeast (Veracruz) Mission, then later with his wife, Karlena, as California Fresno Mission leaders. He’s currently on a mission in Argentina with his wife and serving as executive secretary for the South America South Area presidency.
Gonzalez recalled his grandfather’s diligent service as patriarch. He was called to give patriarchal blessings to everyone south of the U.S.-Mexico border, said Gonzalez.
“Members of the Church would come to the Mesa Arizona Temple to get their endowments and go through the temple, and also receive a patriarchal blessing. So my grandfather would go to Mesa, Arizona, on a regular basis to give those blessings.”
As a 16-year-old, Gonzalez was asked to be the patriarch’s assistant by recording the blessings on a cassette machine. “That was my ‘calling.’”
Andrés González died while John Gonzalez was serving as a young adult missionary. “That was a very sad moment, but I was happy and honored to be serving in Mexico, where he served.”
Elder Mask said that well over a hundred of Andrés González’s posterity have served missions, most of them in Spanish-speaking countries.
“We have met so many people who have known and loved the hymn all over Latin America. It’s definitely a favorite among our people,” he said. “We are thrilled that it has taken its place among the new hymns.”
