A Thousand Years of Good Prayers

( man announcing over P.A. )

( woman announcing over P.A. )

This is the rocket scientist I was sitting next to on the plane.

Mr. Shi, this is my sister Barb.

Oh, how do you do?

My daughter.

- Oh, hi. I'm Yilan. - Hi. Nice to meet you.

Mr. Shi told me the most fascinating stories.

Old stories. I'm retired.

Well, you have a wonderful visit in America.

- Nice to meet you. - Nice to meet you. Bye-bye.

Yilan...

Yilan.

Yilan.

Huh?

Eh?

Good afternoon, sir.

Hello?

No, thanks.

Good morning.

Good morning.

What are you writing?

Nothing.

Well, it's a beautiful day.

Uh, yes.

Uh...

You no work today.

You no work yesterday.

Good.

Yeah, well, I'm unemployed at the moment.

I can't seem to find a job.

What you do?

Oh, well, I studied to be a forensic scientist.

- Scientist? - Yeah. Uh-huh.

Oh, good good.

I scientist-- rocket scientist.

Oh my God, that is so cool.

That is so cool.

I want to be a forensic scientist.

Have you ever been in a cadaver lab?

It's very peaceful. It's very peaceful.

We once had a brain that we sliced up like a loaf of bread--

Well, pretty much everything sliced up for our convenience.

A lot of people think I'm weird and morbid,

but I think I have a very sunny outlook on things.

Oh, yes, you like sun.

- Uh-huh. Yes. - Good good.

Uh, goodbye.

Oh, bye. Bye.

Bye-bye.

Good weather.

Uh...

Ci-cah-das.

Ci-cah-das? Ci-cah-das?

Down.

Sleep.

17 years.

Come up.

Sing.

Jirjirak. Jirjirak.

Jirjirak. Aha.

Sing one summer-- die.

Zari-Jon, salom.

To park.

Adult school.

Friend. Salom.

Hello in Farsi-- salom.

Salom. Say salom.

- Say salom. - No, salom.

Salom.

Salom, hello--

Chini...?

Ni Hao.

Ni Hao.

Telephone.

Cell phone.

Have cell phone?

No?

My wife--

Oh. Oh.

She die.

No phone.

No cell phone.

Cancer.

Liver cancer.

Good afternoon, sir.

How you do?

Good good.

This is Elder Reilly and I'm Elder Leach.

How are you today, sir?

Good.

Good.

You look like you're a little worried about something.

Are you okay?

Sir, have you ever thought about finding answers

to all the questions you have?

America

like cold water.

No good to stomach.

Stomach?

Sir, have you ever heard of the prophet Joseph Smith?

Or of this book, the Book of Mormon?

Joseph Smith brought the Book of Mormon to the world

and we believe it to be

the most correct book on the earth.

Uh...

"awake, my sons.

Put on the armor of righteousness.

Shake off the chains with which you are bound

and come forth out of obscurity

and arise from the dust."

What it means is

this is a prophet

and he is talking to his sons.

And he's telling them

to break-- break out of the chains,

to be strong.

To stand up.

Workers in the world, come together.

You free. You have world.

You know who said this?

No, I'm afraid not, sir.

Marx, Engels.

You too young.

Is he a Chinese wise man?

Yes, clever.

Sir, there are many wise sayings

by many wise people,

but what we seek to learn,

what helps us

answer the questions we have

are the words of the prophets of God.

I not know

your god.

China no have god.

That's why we're here talking to you, sir.

Yes yes.

Do you have any questions?

Questions many many.

I not know English.

Would you like some Chinese missionaries--

speak to missionaries to help you understand?

I see you--

I remember myself.

1948. Communist.

Okay.

- Okay. - Thank you.

I finish book--

I see you.

"Indian summer."

"Indian summer."

"Indian summer."

# one little, two little #

# three little indians... #

My daughter--

My daughter-- she not happy.

Oh.

It's good. Have daughter is good.

Be happy.

- Yes. - ( speaks Farsi )

Her husband--

He go China,

no back. No back.

Eh?

I ask.

My daughter no talk.

( clicks tongue, speaks Farsi )

Yes.

Yes, my husband,

husband of mine left.

Left.

Uh,

Another woman?

My-- husband of mine

uh...

three...

three years.

America.

Iran-- return.

- Oh. - Return to hell.

Men--

Idea. Idea.

Communist.

Huh?

I study Russian.

Communist.