Agnes Veronika Erdös and Gustav Palm in front of the temple.

Agnes Veronika Erdös and Gustav Palm experienced World War II under vastly different conditions: she as a prisoner in a concentration camp and he as an SS soldier. Amazingly, the two would fall in love, help each other heal, and embrace a common faith in God that would lead them to find The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Agnes Erdös was an only child, born of Jewish parents but baptized into the Catholic church with her family when she was 9 years old. Though she lived a rather carefree childhood, her life was turned upside down when Hitler invaded Poland. Because of their Jewish descent, she and her parents were treated as Jews and were sent to a ghetto in Nazi-invaded Hungary.

In 1944, SS soldiers emptied the ghetto where Agnes and her parents had been living, whisking everyone onto a freight car and from there to a warehouse in Zalaegerszeg, Hungary—their first stop on the way to Auschwitz.

In distant Norway, when news of war between England and Germany came, Gustav Palm felt it was far away and cared little about it. But when Germany invaded Norway, Gustav, with little political knowledge and no one to turn to for advice, decided to join the National Socialist Party, which he found full of bold ideas and ambitious members.

In 1941, Gustav was offered a job as a traffic policeman in the city, where he was confused to be put through harsh military training. However, Gustav’s first assignment in 1942 was not as a traffic policeman, but as a guard at the newly opened Berg prison camp. He quickly realized, “We, as guards, were also prisoners, even though technically we had our freedom. None of us had voluntarily sought the task we were tricked into. The Nazism I had been in contact with so far was not at all what I had imagined it to be. I had simply been very naïve. I was now fully convinced that the organization to which I belonged was wrong.”

To escape life as a prison guard, Gustav joined the Waffen-SS Ski Ranger Battalion Norway. He believed that he “would be able to support Finland’s cause against Communism but had to do so in the uniform of a Nazi Waffen-SS soldier.”

Early Blessings

July 6, 1944, Zalaegerszeg, Hungary

After being held in Zalaegerszeg for three weeks, Agnes and her family were loaded onto another railcar with the rest of the Jewish prisoners. The next morning, hours away from entering Auschwitz, Agnes’s father woke her to give her a father’s blessing.

Though it was not written on paper, the words of the blessing were recorded on Agnes’s heart: “Father told me that in spite of much suffering, I would survive. I was young and of a pure heart. Father’s spirit would protect me so that I would eventually find ‘the truth.’ He assured me that in the future, we would be reunited with God and His Son Jesus Christ.” Though she didn’t realize it at the time, her father’s blessing would become a lifeline for Agnes. She reflected on its words many times throughout the war and drew great strength and comfort from its promises.

Early 1944, Hallein, Austria

A week after arriving in the Waffen-SS boot camp in Hallein, Gustav became severely ill with scarlet fever and diphtheria, quickly followed by a throat disease. When he finally recovered enough to return to camp, the officers found him too weak to train and sent him home to his family in Onsöy, Norway, for a few weeks. Gustav was grateful for this experience: “Because I was sick, I did not deploy with my unit when they were sent to Finland to fight the Russians. Later, I found out that my sickness was a blessing in disguise because everyone in that unit, save just a few, was killed.”

Narrow Escapes

July 8–9, 1944, Auschwitz, Poland

Arriving at Auschwitz, Agnes and her mother were placed in a line with the old and weak women destined for death. At her mother’s urging, and to the astonishment of fellow prisoners who had just seen others shot for the same act, Agnes safely dashed across a platform to join the healthy line. That was the last time she would see either of her parents.

Not long after her escape to the healthy line, she left the group to find a better barrack to sleep in. When morning came she felt prompted to leave, later recalling, “Israel’s God had heard my father’s blessing thus far, and there it was fulfilled. Once again, I was comforted. Had I remained where I slept the first night, I would have ended up in the gas chambers. I was overcome with a peaceful feeling that I also felt many times during the remaining period of my captivity.”

September 1944, the Baltic front, Latvia

When Gustav was transferred to the front lines, he was discouraged, recalling, “I thought morosely, ‘It is here I shall either live or die.’” He was chosen with six others to head what was deemed a suicidal attack on the Russian front. As they stormed down a hill, Gustav remembers losing his helmet in the middle of all the gunshots and tanks. He made it to the valley, but a bullet grazed his face and another pierced his thigh. “As sure as I lived, I could have been dead,” he says. “I also clearly remember feeling ordered by someone during my attack to take a step to the right. Which I did. That probably saved the bullet from hitting me directly in the face.”

Faithful Courage

Throughout the course of the war, both Agnes and Gustav stood up for what they knew was right—even in the most dangerous of circumstances.

In one instance, Agnes refused to report a food theft—and paid the price for her courage by being demoted from a German’s secretary to a toilet scrubber in a bombed out factory. Gustav likewise allowed a couple to keep a stash of hidden meat that he should have confiscated or destroyed. He reflects, “That choice I made was one of the first conscious moral stands I had ever taken in my life.”

At the end of the war, Gustav’s morality led him to make another difficult choice: he turned himself in to the Allies and was taken as a prisoner of war.

Overcoming Through Love

After enduring the horrors of captivity, Agnes was finally liberated. She eventually decided to move to Långshyttan, Sweden, where she worked in a factory cafeteria.

“The job as a kitchen helper and waitress in Långshyttan was my first paid job, and it marked also the beginning of a new life for me,” she says. Little did she know that it would also mark the beginning of a new love: Agnes and Gustav were destined to meet in Långshyttan.

Gustav’s path to Sweden as a POW was a difficult and uncertain one. When he was released, Gustav recounts, “They unlocked my jail door. For me, the war was finally over. My first hour of freedom stunned me.” Due to Gustav’s Swedish citizenship, his sister had negotiated his exile to Sweden rather than a political trial in Norway, and his cousin, Helge Palm, arranged a job and apartment for Gustav upon his arrival in Långshyttan.

“I was 23 years old, had only a few clothes and no money, and felt completely ostracized from society,” he shares. “For me it was inconceivable that Germany could be behind the horror that I was hearing more and more about. But now it turned out to be true, and I had taken part in all this. I had served in the Waffen-SS in good faith, but no one now wanted to see it that way.”

But there was at least one person who noticed him: Agnes. “In early March,” she says, “I noticed a young man—so miserable, so lean, and so pale, almost green in his face—standing in the lunchroom queue. He had beautiful, sad, kind eyes.” When she noticed his seat empty one day, she traveled to his nearby apartment to bring him food.

And that was how it all began.

Gustav initially asked Agnes to the movies. “We began to meet more frequently. We each had little money, but neither of us really missed anything. Our long walks and talks took the place of what we did not have. Agnes meant more and more to me.”

Even when Gustav told Agnes about his past in the Waffen-SS, she listened to him with an open and forgiving heart. “Our relationship only got stronger,” Gustav says, “and soon there were ties between us that could no longer be broken so easily.”

“Gustav was 24 and I was 27, and we were truly in love,” Agnes recalls. “We needed each other. He was alone and I was alone, but together we had each other.”

Nothing could separate them—not even their war traumas. They were married on March 2, 1947.

Finding the Gospel Together

1950s, Borlänge, Sweden

Happy years passed by, and they each put their war-ridden pasts behind them. Still, Agnes and Gustav each yearned to find a fulfilling church to go to. They found it when a neighbor lodging two American Mormon missionaries loaned them a Book of Mormon and introduced the Palms to the elders.

The family studied the Book of Mormon and met with the missionaries. Agnes remembers, “Gustav did as it said in the book to do: he asked God in prayer with a sincere heart whether the book was true, and he got a convincing answer to his prayer.”

Ten months later, they were baptized in a small river. “It felt like being baptized in the Jordan River. A quiet peace prevailed, and I felt a great inner joy,” Agnes says.

Gustav and Agnes are now in their 90s, and through many years and humble circumstances, they have built up a large, devoted family that now exceeds more than 125 people. Their example is one that will forever be remembered—and not only by their family.

In 1995, President Thomas S. Monson visited Stockholm to divide the existing stakes. At a meeting with 1,500 Swedish Saints, President Monson told the little-shared story of Agnes, a Holocaust survivor, and her sweetheart Gustav, a Waffen-SS soldier. Finally, Gustav’s years of guarded silence about his past were broken.

And yet, never an unkind word has been spoken on the subject. Their fellow Saints know that their life together is a remarkable example of fortitude, forgiveness, and faithfulness to the Lord. Inscribed on the Palm family crest is the motto “Overcome through love.” And nothing could describe Agnes and Gustav’s legacy more aptly than that: love and faith can conquer all.

Read or listen to more of their amazing true story and journey of faith and forgiveness with the book and audiobook Surviving Hitler. This book tells even more about the horrors of their war experiences and the multiple miracles that saved their lives. Available at deseretbook.com.

Original Source:  Article by O. Håkan Palm. Content link: LDSLiving.com. 

Megan Finley

In between writing short stories she’ll never finish and marathoning Marvel movies, Megan Finley is often found missing the loves of her life, her two cats Leia and Loki. Her passion for “geek culture” extends into her passion for academics, as she is an optimistic MA student with plans to be the next Professor X (with hair). Her life’s dream is a simple one—to drink a hot chocolate in every Disney park in the world.

Jacob Schipanboord, who served as the acting mission president, had done great work among the Saints. However, the war had taken its toll on many of the 3,200 members leaving them bitter, angry, and resentful towards their former enemies, the Germans. Many of the Saints were without food and clothing. Branches were in desperate need of staffing, administration, and adequate housing. Bombs had annihilated the mission home in The Hague which was in need of windows, doors, repairs, and furniture. And the institution of full-time proselyting was also necessary. Thus, the Netherlands Mission was in dire need of repairs, both temporal and spiritual.

The tiny country of Holland began experiencing the terrors of World War II in late 1940 when the German occupation with its tanks and soldiers overran the country in only five days. By obliterating the center of Rotterdam, including the LDS chapel there, the German Luftwaffe hoped to break any Dutch resistance in the first major air strike aimed at a city – a blitzkrieg that would ultimately claim the lives of 40,000 civilians.

Nazi troops occupied Holland for five traumatic years leaving many of the Dutch citizens torn between loyalty to their countrymen and survival by any means necessary. Many of them, to protect family and friends, cooperated with the German regime, others resisted, and still others did both. Numerous Dutch soldiers, resisters, and Jews were either executed or taken to prison camps. Among them was Anne Frank.

In the aftermath of the war, the Dutch received welfare relief from the United States and instructions about the welfare plan. As a means to sustain life, they decided to plant potatoes. President Zappey tried to get the people to work together for the good of the community by growing potatoes and green vegetables to help feed the poorest among them. During the war, every family had a vegetable garden to grow vegetables. The elderly and the physically challenged however did not and as a result, many of them starved to death.

After some months, word came that the people could expect an abundant harvest of potatoes. Then one day, President Walter Stover of the German Mission came and told of the hunger and desolation of the Saints in Germany. President Zappey asked the Dutch members to give some of their potato harvests to help feed the Germans. Though feelings of animosity still lingered among many of the members, they agreed to help the Saints in Germany.

In the first weeks of November 1946, ten trucks with more than 70 tons of potatoes started to the border where they met with opposition from the Dutch government which prohibited the export of its valuable food resource. President Zappey and then President of the European Mission, Elder Alma Sonne, tried for days to get permission to deliver the food to the German members. President Zappey appealed to many of the government officials preaching a message of brotherly love for those who were once enemies. He finally received permission to proceed, but only on the condition that the potatoes were to be eaten and not planted.

Eventually, 90 tons of donated potatoes and 60 tons of donated herrings were shipped to Germany. A few years later when the North Sea flooded and those same Dutch members were in need, the German Saints showed their gratitude by sending welfare supplies to the Netherlands.

This tender act of kindness and forgiveness from the Dutch Saints falls directly in line with the teachings of the Apostle Paul to the Saints in Ephesus. He taught, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32). The Lord Himself also taught, “I say unto you, be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine.” (Doctrine and Covenants 38:27).

Additional Resource: Pioneers in Every Land

Keith L. Brown

Keith L. Brown is a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, having been born and raised Baptist. He was studying to be a Baptist minister at the time of his conversion to the LDS faith. He was baptized on 10 March 1998 in Reykjavik, Iceland while serving on active duty in the United States Navy in Keflavic, Iceland. He currently serves as the First Assistant to the High Priest Group for the Annapolis, Maryland Ward. He is a 30-year honorably retired United States Navy Veteran.

of-common-sense.site123.me/

Gerhard Fricke was 20 years old at the time, but had not yet been drafted into service, because of his speech impediment. Harald was 17 at the time. Gerhard saved his mother, aunt, and sisters’ lives that night by forcing them into a deep underground bunker. Harald and their grandfather had been assigned to watch over the church’s meetinghouse, but luckily escaped to the bunker in time, and all their lives were spared.

Not long after the raid, both brothers were drafted into the German army. It was near the end of the war, but Gerhard was sent to the Western Front and Harald to the Eastern Front. Gerhard was made a prisoner of war soon thereafter by the Allies, but had enough to eat, though his circumstances were miserable. Harald was detained in Russia even after the war was over and survived dreadful circumstances which many others did not: lice infestation, starvation, disease, and cold.

After 18 months in Russia, Harald was so thin and sickly that the Russians told him to return to Germany. It took four weeks of riding in a cattle car before he made it. Many fellow travelers did not. His family had mostly given him up for dead since they had not heard from him in so long.

Both Harald and Gerhard returned to full activity in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints upon returning home. They had joined with their mother in 1910. Harald served as a bishop for 15 years and on the high council for 22 years. Today, he continues to keep up the Church meetinghouse in Wartenau.

Gerhard married Ruth Braun, another member of the “Mormon Church” who had fled East Prussia when the Soviet Army advanced. After the war, the Altona Branch was the only one that still had a building to meet in; all the others had been destroyed. Gerhard and Ruth were called to leave their comfortable apartment provided by the housing authority to move into and restore an old villa to serve as the new meetinghouse. It was in bad shape and needed a lot of work. Gerhard and Ruth took the building apart piece by piece and then put it back together, reinforcing beams, adding new plumbing and wiring, and developing a love for the building. They gave up personal comfort to serve when they were asked. The building is now protected under German law as a state monument.

The Frickes moved out of the building when Gerhard “retired” at age 65, but he continues to love and care for the building 20 years later. Gerhard declared, “I have a firm testimony that Father in Heaven has watched over me [in my] lifetime and the restored church is led by the Lord; this I’ve often felt.

Faithful Saints such as Gerhard and Harald provided hope for others as they recovered from the effects of the war. Many suffered a great deal, but they all testify of the hand of the Lord blessing them when they needed it most.

dwhite

Doris White is a native of Oregon and graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in English and a minor in Editing. She loves to talk with others about the gospel of Jesus Christ.

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 resulting in the deaths of 40,000 people.

Gerhard Fricke was twenty years old at the time of the bombing, but had escaped military service due to a speech impediment. His mother had joined the Mormon Church in 1910 and he and his younger brother, Harald, were both active in the local congregation. The entire family was miraculously preserved during the bombing, but afterwards both brothers were drafted into the army, with Gerhard being sent to the Western Front and Harald to the Eastern. Both were essentially prisoners of war for quite some time after the war ended, but both eventually made it back home.

Harald was a prisoner in Russia for one and a half years. When he was too sick to keep on, the Russians sent him home. After a four-week journey during which many others died, Harald finally made it hoe. After their returns, both boys became active in the Church again. Harald served as a bishop for 15 years and on the high council for 22 years. Now, at age 83, he continues to keep up the Hamburg Ward building.

Upon Gerhard’s return, he married and he and his new wife left a nice, new apartment to answer a call from their local congregational leader to restore the meetinghouse they had been allotted by the government. Any buildings were hard to come by, and the villa they were permitted to use was in shambles. Gerhard and his wife moved into this building and slowly rebuilt the whole thing. This building still serves as the meetinghouse for the Altona Ward in Hamburg, Germany. Through the Frickes’ continued dedication, the building is now protected under law as a state monument. Though Gerhard and his wife retired as the building’s caretakers nearly twenty years ago, they still live near it and continue to care for it. It is the dedication and sacrifice of such people as these which helped to strengthen the Church in Europe after World War II, bringing hope to people whose world had been destroyed and torn apart. The Church was able to bring much-needed aid to thousands through the efforts of the faithful Saints there.

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.

Gale

Gale is a former fibro and CMP sufferer. She hopes this information will help other sufferers on their journey to good health.

“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 upon arrival with such love and warmth of spirit that any hardships encountered in our travels were soon forgotten. Probably the gospel has never been so fully appreciated by the Saints in Europe as during the recent war period. Already we have come to love them deeply and I am sure we cannot say enough in praise of their devotion to the truth and their love of the General Authorities of the Church” (On Wings of Faith, 25–26).

Mormon Aid

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. Once there he was able to arrange a meeting with the Russian general in charge of East Germany. After explaining their desires and plans, Bro. Babbel once again asked for permission. He was denied. Feeling guided by the Spirit, Bro. Babbel said, “General (calling him by name), I am grateful to you for granting me this privilege of discussing this vital matter with you. I sincerely respect you and realize that you must have good and valid reasons for giving me the answer you have just given me.

“But if you will be as frank and honest with me as I have been with you, you must at least acknowledge that I have told you the truth in these matters. We have no ulterior motives; we are only interested in helping to keep some of these critically needy people alive; and we don’t care who gets the credit.”

After what Bro. Babbel referred to as a noticeable pause, the general smiled and said, “I must admit that you have been extremely frank and honest with us . . . and because you have been, we are happy to grant you permission!”

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

Mormon Potatoes

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 to: “Some of the most bitter enemies you people have encountered as a result of this war are the German people. We know what intense feelings of dislike you have for them. But those people are now much worse off than you are and we are asking you to send your entire potato harvest to the German saints. Will you do it?” This is just one amazing example of the peace that the gospel of Jesus Christ can bring to people.

Finland

Previous to the war, Finland had not been opened to the preaching of the gospel. In his call to this mission, Elder Benson was promised that due to his efforts, many new nations would open to the missionaries. In one of his first meetings in Europe, while in Sweden, Elder Benson felt impressed to call Bro. Fritz Johansson to serve as a Finnish-speaking missionary. After fulfilling his mission to Europe, Elder Benson was still impressed with the need of finding a Finnish-speaking mission president to open a mission there. He was travelling with his wife to the East on Church business. Due to a train leaving early, they were stranded in Kansas City. Elder Benson called the airport and arranged for a flight to take them the rest of the way, and then he phoned the Chicago stake president to have someone pick them up and drive them to the airport. One of the counselors in the stake presidency, Henry A. Matis, met the Bensons, and on the drive inquired about the state of things in Finland. Upon questioning Elder Matis, Elder Benson found Elder Matis’s parents were Finnish, and that he was fluent in the language. Shortly thereafter, Elder Matis was called to serve as the Finnish Mission president. The promise made to Elder Benson was fulfilled dramatically.

Norway

When the brethren met Bro. Olaf Sonsteby, who had been acting as mission president during the war, Sonsteby told them a remarkable story. When occupying powers had taken over, they seized all denominational funds. Bro. Sonsteby moved them repeatedly, but finally resorted to burying the money. When he dug the money up after the war, he inexplicably found an extra 37,000 crowns added to the amount he had buried. The mission was blessed through his efforts.

Germany

Mormon Germany Remains

No country was more devastated than was Germany at the end of the war. The Allied Forces had been merciless in bombing countless cities. When the Church assessed their damages they found that nearly all German meetinghouses had been destroyed. In addition, 80–85 percent of the German Saints had been bombed out of their homes. Many refugees were fleeing Poland to Germany and they brought nothing with them save destitution.

Despite the extremely poor conditions which were so prevalent in Germany, the Saints still had great hope. The brethren received wonderful accounts of German servicemen during the war attending services in other countries, administering the Sacrament, providing blessings, and often giving their rations to the people. This goes to show that even in war there can be kindness and generosity through the teachings of Christ. In one area, the German Saints pulled together and lived the Law of Consecration, helping one another as best they could. Disease was everywhere in the country, and winter was beginning to set in. Most Germans had been on ration for seven years, throughout the war, and their rations were being cut still. Most were on the brink of starving to death. Then the coldest winter recorded during the previous hundred years set in, wiping out even more people who were suffering so badly.

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 and love of the First Presidency to the Saints in Europe.

Conditions were deplorable at this time. Permission to enter all countries had to be granted from all appropriate military powers, and once permission was granted the actual travel had to be arranged. Flights were nearly non-existent, except in military planes. Many railways had been bombed out and there were virtually no passenger cars left, so most railway passage was in livestock cars or third-class cars. Automobiles were very scarce and exceedingly hard to come by, but the missions had to have some. Most countries were still on food rations, and many people could not even find the food available which was listed on their ration cards. Most things were sold on the black market at exorbitant prices, and starvation ran rampant. In some cities there were no buildings left standing, and few people had clothing. On top of all of these hardships, occupying soldiers often took out their rage and hate on the often innocent civilians. Rape, pillage, and plunder were all common, everyday occurrences. These are some of the conditions which President Benson and his companions faced.

And None Shall Stay Them

In an account which Bro. Babbel wrote of their experiences, he focused on the promise the Lord gave His servants in the Doctrine and Covenants: “And they shall go forth and none shall stay them, for I the Lord have commanded them” (1:5). The experiences of these brethren truly showed the fulfillment of this promise. In one of the first meetings he attended with Elder Benson, Bro. Babbel recorded the following description of him:

“Never had I met a men of God who was so humble, so grateful for loyalty and kindness rendered, so genuinely and deeply emotional and receptive to that which is good and pure, a man who has such an all-consuming love for the children of our Father. Since our arrival he had been able to do more in less time, and that more thoroughly and effectively, than I had ever dreamed to be possible” On Wings of Faith, 20).

When they met with the saints in Oslo, Norway, Elder Benson gave the Saints the following promise:

“I promise you as a servant of God that if you will live true to the covenants you have made with him and will live the gospel as it has been restored, every blessing you might receive by living close to the temples shall be granted unto you, even the celestial kingdom of God.

“God judges us not only by what we do, but by what we would do and desire to do if we had the opportunity. He will not withhold any blessing from us of which we are truly worthy” (On Wings of Faith, 20).

This was a very significant promise, because the Saints keenly felt their distance from any temple. Eventually many more temples would be built in Europe, but this promise surely gave much comfort to those Saints who never had the opportunity to attend the temple in their lifetimes.

The brethren took a whirlwind one-month tour of Europe to get a better feeling for the needs of the Saints in all areas. Elder Benson summarized their trip and findings in a letter to the First Presidency, which was included in the official European Mission History.

On their first visits, the brethren made all possible arrangements for welfare supplies to be delivered to the Saints in most need before the larger welfare shipments arrived. They also worked closely with the International Red Cross, as well as other necessary offices, and obtained much-needed help to transport and distribute the supplies which were sent for.

Miracles in Transportation

After this initial trip, Elder Benson gained a deep understanding of the needs of the Saints and went to work arranging for welfare goods to be shipped to them. This was, however, a very complicated process, and many times it was only through a series of miracles that they were able to get all the permission and paperwork they needed.

In addition to getting supplies to the Saints, it was also Elder Benson’s responsibility to reopen the European missions. However, records were in shambles from the war period. Converting the piles of disorganized information into some semblance of mission records seemed a nearly impossible task, since nearly all missions were in the same state of disarray. However, by the end of their first year, this task had been completed, which was key in reopening many missions and sending the Saints much spiritual strength. It took much more work than organizing the records, however. Elder Benson had to meet with several civil and military authorities to gain all necessary permission for missionaries to return to these countries, but of course he was successful in this endeavor as well.

Conditions in Europe

As they travelled to many different countries, Bro. Babbel recorded the situation in each. Though some countries were better off than others, everywhere there was devastation and despair. The brethren noticed consistently, however, that despite harsh and trying conditions, the Saints were hopeful and had the light of Christ in their hearts. Some touching experiences strengthened testimonies and offered encouraging reports to the First Presidency.

Welfare Arrangements

Despite so much suffering, the Saints retained strong testimonies. One sister who had walked to Western Germany from East Prussia bore her testimony of the power of prayer and of the gospel. Her husband was killed in a battle near the end of the war. She fled with her four small children, the youngest still a baby. She walked over a thousand miles with them, pulling a small cart with all their belongings. Along the way she lost each of her children, digging graves for them along the way with a tablespoon. Near the end of the unbearable journey, her baby died and she dug the grave with her bare hands. Despairing and near to suicide, she felt the impression she needed to pray, which she did. She was comforted and strengthened and bore a fervent testimony that she was happy because she knew Jesus is the Christ and that if she continued faithful, she would be rewarded in the next life for all she had suffered in this life.

Others bore similar testimonies that through the devastation of war they had gained an unshakable testimony because they had turned to the Lord when there was no one else and He never denied them. Bro. Babbel recounted seeing hundreds near starvation, but never hearing them utter a word of complaint. They found their hope in the gospel and did the best they could.

In the course of things, Elder Benson arranged for the Church’s welfare supplies to be shipped by the Red Cross to Bremen, Germany, but there was a lot of concern about the shipments being pilfered once they made it to Bremen and were being shipped by rail across the country. Much of this robbery had been occurring, but the papers were trying to keep it quiet, and Elder Benson was very concerned about it. Later it was decided that all supplies would be sent to Geneva, because the risk of sending them through some of the German and Belgian ports was too great. Through the protection of the Lord, though, there was minimal loss of the welfare supplies during this huge relief effort. In addition to the Church’s welfare supplies, Elder Babbel contributed many things at his own expense. His wife often sent him care packages that he would share with and distribute to the Saints. Sometimes it was something as small as a needle and thread, which were impossible to get in Germany, and the gratitude with which these things were received always touched Bro. Babbel’s heart.

It took a year for Bro. Babbel to receive permission from the Russians to allow welfare supplies to be sent into Eastern Germany. This was one of the greatest miracles which occurred during Bro. Babbel’s year-long mission.

The Sacrifices of the Brethren to Bring Aid to the European Saints

Bro. Babbel recorded accurate records of all he and Elder Benson were able to accomplish, but their success did not come without sacrifice. These brethren often worked eighteen-hour days or longer, getting up before 5:00 in the morning and going until at least midnight day after day. They often went without food —either because it was not available or because they gave what they had to the Saints who need it so much more. They once fasted for a period of four days. They also often travelled under horrible circumstances, once flying in a plane with no heating and no insulation. They were nearly frozen when they landed. They each left their families for a year, and communication with their families was minimal, with letters sometimes taking several weeks to reach the brethren in their travels. At one point Elder Benson did not hear of his child’s serious illness until it was too late for him even to pray for a good outcome. He had to have faith that the prayers which had been offered in this child’s behalf would be sufficient: they were.

Their travelling was unfathomable, especially under the conditions in which they were forced to travel. Between April and June, Elder Benson travelled from London to Switzerland, back to London, around England, to Norway, then to Sweden and then to Denmark. Next came Holland, then back to London, back to Denmark and then to Germany, and finally back to London. Elder Benson often travelled extensively within each country he visited, as well.

By the end of his mission, Elder Benson had travelled 32,202 miles by plane 1,455 miles by ship and boat; 9,818 miles by train; 14,356 miles by car; and 3,405 miles by miscellaneous transportation including military jeeps and station wagons, buses, street cars, taxis, droshkas (horse-drawn carriage), cable railways, etc., for a total of 61,236 miles.

Despite their hardships, these brethren sacrificed most willingly to bring hope and comfort to those of God’s children they were called to serve.

Success of the Welfare Mission

At the end of the welfare mission, all of the hard work Elder Benson and Bro. Babbel had put in had produced marvelous results. All previous missions had been reestablished and were operating under individual mission presidents, with the exception of West Germany, whose new president was on his way. Welfare supplies had been organized and routes set up so needy Saints could get some relief. Missionaries were sent out again and were working hard to help bring people the peace of the gospel as well as help the people rebuild their countries and lives. Finland had also been opened to the gospel and proved to be one of the most receptive countries in Europe.

Ninety-two railway carloads of welfare supplies, amounting to about 2,000 tons, had been received and distributed in Europe. These supplies included food, clothing, utensils, medical supplies, and other necessaries. Individual Church members organized themselves and sent additional tens of thousands of critical items. The response was great enough that the Church was also able to donate large amounts of clothing and food to local child-care and feeding programs in some places. Several military barracks had also been purchased and moved to house the Saints while they rebuilt. The countries which benefited from the monumental relief effort included Britain, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, and Germany. By March of 1947, needs had been met in all countries except Germany, Austria, and Poland, which allowed extra items to be sent to the still-needy countries.

The welfare program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provides the necessities of life, so those who are in need may once again become capable of providing for themselves. The efforts of Elder Benson and Bro. Babbel in post-World War II Europe saved the lives of countless people. The Lord blessed these men to find ways to accomplish the seemingly impossible task of reaching so many people under such circumstances. Truly the Lord’s promise that “none shall stay them” was fulfilled in this mission.

In 1840, Brigham Young, later second Prophet and President of the Mormon Church, who was then Mission President of the British Mission, sent James Howard to the German speaking lands.  At that time there was of course no Germany, but rather 31 independent states ruled by various princes.  He had no success and returned to England shortly thereafter.  The next year, in 1841, Orson Hyde, one of the original Apostles, arrived in Germany on a missionary tour through Europe.  Gifted with languages, he spent 9 months preaching in Germany and published a pamphlet about the Book of Mormon and modern prophets, “Ein Ruf Aus Der Wüste.”  His preaching created quite a stir and received attention in the German newspapers, but few listened to the message.  However, in 1843, one convert, Johann Greenig, organized a group of