A prison camp in France in the 1940s caused Joseph F. Beuchert, a young German prisoner of war, to suffer many years of physical deprivation and mental anguish.

That same camp now represents a gateway through which Brother Beuchert passed as he found a more abundant and fulfilling life. It was there that he discovered one of his greatest blessings: He learned of the gospel from a fellow prisoner of war.

Brother Beuchert, now the membership clerk of the Holladay 17th Ward, Salt Lake Olympus Stake, left his family's farm near Heidelberg, Germany when he was drafted into the German army. Shortly after he was captured by an American unit - the Thunderbird Division - in southern France in 1944, Brother Beuchert realized he was missing more than just the physical presence of his family. He also lacked the faith his parents had in their religion.

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When he got to the second French camp, he looked at the other prisoners quite carefully. "I tried to decide which ones I should get acquainted with," he said. "I saw one German soldier who was quite healthy looking. I figured he had some connections with the kitchen, so I decided to make friends with him."

Brother Beuchert soon discovered that his new friend was a Mormon elder, Walter Ruthenberg, who didn't have any special connections with the kitchen.

"He told me he had been living the Word of Wisdom as a young man and that that had helped preserve his health," Brother Beuchert said. "Of course, that didn't mean anything to me, so I asked him about about it. That was the first time I'd heard anything about the church."

Brother Beuchert saw his bunk mate, Hans Ruckdaschel, reading a book and asked to borrow it when he was finished. Walter had given Hans the book, "Voice of Warning," by Parley P. Pratt before Brother Beuchert had been assigned to the camp.

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The three men spent many hours telling other prisoners about the church and sharing many faith-promoting and character-building experiences. Brother Beuchert remembers one in particular.

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The man was Karl Bechert. He took Brother Beuchert to the apartment to which he had gone earlier to talk about the church. "I couldn't figure out how he knew who I was or that I was looking for him," Brother Beuchert said. "We rented the pool at City Hall for one hour and I was baptized there."

Brother Beuchert served as a missionary from 1949-51 in Germany and then immigrated to Canada with a missionary companion, Nephi Horn.

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Although the years he spent as a prisoner of war are among the darkest in his memory, Brother Beuchert feels he gained much from his experiences. He is looking forward to a reunion with Walter and Hans in the near future. Hans was also baptized into the church after his release as a prisoner of war.