In the summer of 1941 an incident took place in the Hamburg District [of the LDS Church) that caused me more fear and anxiety than I have ever experienced in my life. Three young members of our church, Helmuth Gud-dat, Rudolf Wobbe and Karl Heinz Schnibbe, who were from 16 to 17 years old, had listened to a British radio program that was aimed to lower the resistance of the German people. They had not only listened but also written down and duplicated the news they had heard and then distributed this information in various places in Hamburg. They had left sheets in telephone booths, put them on walls and other places. Of course, this was a very dangerous undertaking and the Gestapo didn't waste any time in arresting them. The Gestapo did not think that these young boys were able to do anything like this without having someone to inspire their thinking. The stepfather of Helmuth Guddat, not a member of the church, accused Elder Otto Berndt of being the instigator and the leader of this conspiracy.

For three days I was thoroughly questioned by the Gestapo. The fact that the office equipment of the Hamburg District, of which I was the president, had been used in typing and duplicating this dangerous information caused much concern. When I went to the police headquarters I prayed like I had never prayed before. When I entered the rooms and the questioning started, I felt that my spirit left my body and another spirit entered and took over my thinking. I was asked hundreds of questions in rapid succession and I, or I should say the spirit or the higher power that had possession of my body, was able to answer them all without any hesitation. I was very sure of myself. After three days of questioning the officers felt that I or the church I represented had nothing to do with the crime committed by these three young men. In the course of the questioning I was able to show that our church was not an American church and that we had nothing to do with the U.S. government. All our records had been confiscated by the Gestapo. They were checked and later returned. Questioned about tithing, I was asked why our church forces its members to pay tithing. I told him that we didn't force our members and that only 28 to 30 percent of them did pay tithing. He thought it was an awful lot of money to pay and so I asked him if he didn't spend that much for his political party, considering all the time and money involved.? Then the question of genealogy was brought up. I had to prove that I was an Aryan. Since my ancestors had been living in Germany for many generations and since I had my lines traced back about eight generations, to the surprise of the investigating officer who was only required to have proof for the last three generations, I was able to pass this test with flying colors.

At the conclusion of the hearing I was asked, and I had to sign a statement to this effect, whether I had been treated with courtesy during the in-vestigation. Since this was true, I signed this statement. The officer asked me if I had been afraid during these last three days. I answered the question in the affirmative. He asked: "Why?" I told him that I had heard rumors about the cruelties committed by the Gestapo. This ended the questioning and I was free to go home.

So far I had only heard rumors. A year later (sic) a member of the Hamburg District, Brother Heinrich Worbs, was arrested and returned six months later from a concentration camp. I then knew that the rumors were true. At this time a monument honoring one of the Nazi heroes had been erected in Hamburg. Brother Worbs made the remark to someone to the effect that they had built another monument for one of their butchers. This someone was an informer and he went to the next policeman and had Brother Worbs arrested. In the concentration camp he had to undergo awful cruelties. After his return he related to me that in the middle of December he was stripped naked and his hands were put into stocks. Then water would constantly flow down on his hands and freeze. Every three or four hours a guard would come and knock off the ice with a rubber hose and say: "This will keep your hands warm." When Brother Worbs returned from the camp he was a broken man and died soon after.

The three young men who had been arrested were taken to Berlin to the High Tribunal or Reichsgerichtbof (sic). Brother Helmuth Guddat showed at this time remarkable courage. However, his fate was sealed and he was sentenced to die. His head was chopped off with an axe (sic). Two hours before his execution he wrote a deeply moving letter to his parents containing this sentence: "I have only two hours left, then I have to appear before my God."

I felt that Brother Helmuth Guddat (Hübener) was a deeply religious boy and I was saddened by his death. On the Sunday following the execution the mother and the grandmother of the boy attended the sacrament meeting in one of the branches in Hamburg. I had cautioned the brethren not to mention the name of the boy in the meeting. However, one of the very zealous brethren said, referring to Brother Guddat: "If I had had a rifle I would have shot him!" This was in October 1942. He had previously been excommunicated by the mission authorities on 15 February 1942. Brothers Wobbe and Schnibbe were not. This was done to avoid further difficulties with the [Nazi] party and to show that the church had nothing to do with the treason these boys were accused of.

When I was questioned by the Gestapo I was told to see that the accused Helmuth Guddat was cut off by the LDS Church. I flatly refused to do this and explained to them that he would pay for his crimes, but that the Church had no right to excommunicate him.

The excommunication certificate was signed by President Anthon Huck and by Branch President Arthur Zander. I protested against this action and I believe that my protest and that of other members prevented the excommunication of Brothers Schnibbe and Wobbe.

In conclusion, let it be said that the Saints who believed in the ideals of the New Germany did like Saul of Tarsus in persecuting the Christians; they did what they did because they believed it to be in the best interest of the Church and the country. Repentance and forgiveness has been manifested by all concerned after the war.