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BYU Studies Quarterly

BYU Studies Quarterly

Keywords

Mormon studies, book review, East Germany, Communism

Abstract

From 2002 to 2004, Kuehne served a second mission with his wife in the Freiberg Germany Temple. There he met Henry Burkhardt, who had served as a counselor in the North German Mission presidency for some thirty-eight years and was the first president of the Freiberg Temple. When Kuehne heard Burkhardt speak to the temple workers concerning the history behind the building of the temple, he wanted to read more on the subject. He was told that, although this temple was the only one built in a Communist country, very little had been published on the subject. Burkhardt gave Kuehne a copy of a paper he had written shortly after the temple was dedicated. Using this paper as a basis for his research, Kuehne interviewed other members of the Church who were involved in the temple construction. This led him to stories about life in East Germany during and after World War II, as well as life behind the Iron Curtain during Communist rule. Documents from the LDS Church Archives in Salt Lake City, from East German government records, and from memoirs supplied by members of the Church add strength and depth to Mormons as Citizens of a Communist State.

...There are many...positives to note in Mormons as Citizens of a Communist State. Few topics intrigue readers more than accounts of valor under difficult circumstances. Raymond Kuehne has managed to incorporate a moving example of valor within this documentary history of Latter-day Saints living in East Germany. This book is an important addition to the growing body of documentation concerning the growth of the Church throughout the world.

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