European Saints Articles
After World War II, Germany was one of the most torn-apart countries. Despite the roll which Germany had played in World War II, leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly known as the Mormon Church) were concerned for all who had suffered in the war and were anxious for the German Saints. As soon as they were permitted, they sent help, but before the Church was able to get there, many Saints pulled together to help rebuild their land, focusing a good deal on their religion and pulling fellow members together.
In Hamburg, Germany, two brothers who were members of the local branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were instrumental in helping to rebuild the Church in their area. On July 27, 1943, Hamburg was heavily bombed by more than 700 Allied aircraft in what was called Operation Gomorrah. The bombing created a firestorm with winds reaching 150 miles per hour and temperatures reaching 1500 degrees Fahrenheit... Read the rest of this article »
Charles Dickens changed his opinion of the Mormons, once he met them in person. He visited a ship leaving England for America, full of Mormon emigrants leaving to gather with the Latter-day Saints.
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The Helmuth Hübener Group has become somewhat famous in Mormon culture as a group of teenage boys who took it upon themselves to resist the Nazi regime. While they did do this, a personal account from the last-surviving member of the group, Karl-Heinz Schnibbe, brings to light the heroism as well as the innocence and naivety of these boys as well as the price each of them paid.
Helmuth Huebener
Schnibbe recalls how the rise of the Nazi regime was viewed by most as a good thing in the beginning. Though not everyone liked them, they did vastly improve the economy and morale of the country. Growing up in Hamburg, Schnibbe was aware of the intense, of later hidden, dislike of the new regime. However, along with this, Schnibbe remembers how the regime went after the youth immediately, filling them with propaganda and having them do military drills, though the children did not all realize at the time what was going on.
Karl-Heinz credits his father’s... Read the rest of this article »
This is an excerpt from a letter to the First Presidency regarding the condition of the European Saints after WWII by Ezra Taft Benson:
Ezra Taft Benson Mormon Prophet
“The general condition of the Saints is improving daily. Spiritually it has been good throughout the war and was perhaps never better than it is now. Mission leaders everywhere report that in their experience the Saints have never so completely lived the law of tithing and kept the Word of Wisdom and otherwise maintained the standards of the Church. While the Saints have been called upon to endure hardships almost beyond description, in many cases, yet they have remained hopeful and optimistic, even during occupation of their countries by a foreign enemy when at times they feared for their very lives.
“During the past two or three weeks we have ridden in unheated trains, trucks, and airplanes in order to visit the various missions, but in every instance we were greeted... Read the rest of this article »
It wasn’t until near the end of Bro. Babbel’s mission, in 1947, that they were finally given permission to send welfare supplies to the Russian sector of Berlin, which permission had been denied for quite some time. The Saints there were so grateful. Many lives were saved by the receipt of these goods. However, the brethren had still been unable to obtain permission to send welfare supplies to East Germany, and the Saints there were suffering greatly. On March 20, 1947, after Elder Benson had been replaced by President Sonne and had gone home, President Sonne spoke with Bro. Babbel. He said, “I want you to leave right away for Berlin and get permission from the Russians to let us ship our welfare supplies into East Germany. When you accomplish this task, you can go home.”
This was the most difficult task Bro. Babbel had been assigned. With no military orders authorizing him, Bro. Babbel managed to negotiate entrance into Berlin.... Read the rest of this article »
Sweden
Despite losing international missionaries, the Swedes were able to maintain nearly twenty full-time, native missionaries during the war. Their convert baptisms increased significantly during the war years even though they had far fewer missionaries. The Swedish Saints had an impressive 85 percent attendance in their Sacrament meetings. Even more astonishingly, their tithing payments increased by 300 percent and their fast offerings increased by 600 percent during the war years. These Saints truly understood the need to help one another and to turn to the Lord in their trials.
Holland
In an early meeting with Mission President Zappey, Elder Benson advised Zappey to find some land where the Dutch Saints could grow potatoes and alleviate some of their own needs. After finally finding land, the Dutch Saints turned a crop of 66 tons of potatoes the first year. Remarkably, President Zappey made a startling request of the Saints, which they agreed... Read the rest of this article »
After the end of World War II in 1945, many of the people in Europe were without homes, clothing, or food. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints‘ leaders knew they had to do all they could to help the Saints now in dire straits. The First Presidency called Ezra Taft Benson, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, to serve a one-year mission touring Europe to reorganize the Church there after the devastating war. Frederick W. Babbel was called to escort him and be his aide. In addition, Chaplain Howard C. Badger was permitted to accompany them once they were in Europe to act as a military escort and help them in many ways.
Today Mormon Helping Hands
Elder Benson’s assignment included reorganizing and reopening the European missions, which had mostly been forced to shut down at the beginning of the war; assessing the physical and spiritual needs of the people and helping the Church meet those needs; and bringing the blessings... Read the rest of this article »
Many of the first German-speaking converts to the Mormon Church joined in England. German immigrants to England were converted during the lifetime of the Prophet Joseph Smith in London and later moved to Nauvoo, Illinois, where they established their own German-speaking Mormon congregation. Some even helped Joseph Smith learn German so that he could read Martin Luther’s translation of the Bible, which, Joseph later remarked, was the best translation he had read. According to the Church’s records, the first German to join was Jacob Zundel, who joined the Church in Kirtland, Ohio, in 1836. Alexander Nejbauer (also spelled Neibauer) joined soon after Zundel and later wrote down notes on a speech given by Joseph Smith, and that text remains one of the earliest written accounts of Joseph Smith’s First Vision and the first written down by someone other than Joseph Smith himself.
In 1840, Brigham Young, later second Prophet and President... Read the rest of this article »
