The experience of German Latter-day Saints during this period was not dissimilar from that of their fellow countrymen. They, too, hoped for a better Germany following the hard years of the post-World War I era. Some were clearly persuaded by the sophistry of the charismatic and deceitful personality of Adolf Hitler.

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As Germany's war machine emerged and as Hitler's ambitions became apparent, great concern was felt by leaders at Church headquarters in Utah for the welfare of the German Saints. In 1937, President Heber J. Grant and other leaders conducted a tour of Europe, including Germany, to assess the well-being of the Church and its members. It is important to note that at the end of the 1930s, Church membership in Germany ranked just third behind the United States and Canada. The tour also provided President Grant an opportunity to both express his love for the Saints as well as to warn them that the gathering clouds would make it necessary to have greater self-reliance.

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In January 1940, local priesthood leaders were called to preside over the missions in Germany and Switzerland to replace the American leaders who had begun returning to the United States. The new leaders included Herbert Klopfer and Christian Heck as acting presidents of the East and West German Missions, respectively.

In spite of the hardships of the war, these leaders inspired the members to remain faithful and were vital in keeping the organization of the Church intact during the long isolation from Church headquarters that would follow.

During the years of 1939-45, over four million Germans died, and many cities and towns were utterly destroyed. The tribulations of the war were very heavy for the German members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Hundreds died and thousands were left homeless. Many lost family members, and hunger and hopelessness were everywhere.

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Among the most difficult challenges that confronted the Church in Germany were the loss of communications with Church headquarters, which necessitated even more self-reliance. This proved both to be a hardship and a blessing. Additionally, in September 1940, the monthly Church publication Der Stern, which had been in publication since 1869, was suspended for the duration of the war. Suspension of the paper came in response to the Nazi government's wartime prohibition against the printing of independent magazines and books.

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By the end of the war, according to Latter-day Saint historian Gilbert Scharffs, almost five hundred Latter-day Saint German soldiers and over one hundred civilians had died, including German Mission presidents Friedrich Bichl and Christian Heck, as well as district presidents Martin Hoppe, Carl Goeckeritz, and Erich Beh-rndt.' Despite such heavy losses, the total number of Latter-day Saints in Germany was approximately twelve thousand, only slightly less than the number of members at the beginning of the war. According to Scharffs, approximately 85 percent of the members were left homeless, and many were unaccounted for, being separated from their families and scattered across the country.

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It is important to continue to learn about and to share more of the German Latter-day Saint experience during this very difficult and pivotal period of history. The intent of this publication is to convey something of the sacrifices endured on the other side of the war in a way to complement earlier works from the Saints at War project.