Saints Podcast

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In this season finale, Jed Woodworth, managing historian of the Saints project, Scott Hales, the literary editor of the volume, and Lisa Olsen Tait, a general editor for this volume, join us to take a look back over volume 3 and to reflect on its production. We discuss the challenges of researching and writing this volume during COVID 19.

Today we are joined by Ray Kuehne, a historian of German Church History, and Christian Fingerle, the Europe Area Church History Manager, to discuss the significance of the Swiss temple and the improving situation that the Church found itself in Europe ten years after the Second World War.

As Latter-day Saints prepare for a temple in Europe there are practical considerations that Church leaders have to deal with. In today's episode we have Virginia Pearce Cowley, an author and former member of the Young Women General Presidency, and Christian Euvrard, a sociologist and historian of European Church History, joining us to discuss the state of the Church in Europe and Gordon B. Hinckley's efforts to start operations in the Swiss Temple.

In the early 1950s, German Latter-day Saint Henry Burkhardt has to navigate numerous pressures as he interacts with the German Democratic Republic as a Church leader. Joining us today is Matt Heiss, a manager in the Church History Department, and Tobias Burkhardt, the son of Henry Burkhardt. We discuss Henry's efforts to keep the Church going and the complicated topic of how he related to the government.

This week we are joined by Alan Parrish, an emeritus professor of religious education at Brigham Young University, and Melissa Inouye, an historian in the Church History Department. First we discuss Clemencia Pivaral's journey to the Mesa Arizona Temple from her native home in Guatemala and the significance of such a journey. We then talk about John A. Widtsoe, a prominent recurring character in the book and his role in facilitating a temple for Europe.

James Miller, a Church History Specialist in the Church History Department, joins us today to discuss the rising tensions in Central and Eastern Europe especially in Czechoslovakia. We also have Laura Paulsen-Howe, the Art Curator over global acquisitions in the Church History Museum, who shares additional insights into the Book of Mormon art created by Arnold Friberg.

Angela Hallstrom, a writer and former member of the Saints team, and Melissa Inouye, a historian in the Church History Department, join us to discuss the lives of two Latter-day Saint women in the years after the Second World War. We also discuss the different ways that Saints is used by readers and why we need a history such as this.

In today's episode we cover the restrictions on religious freedom in Czechoslovakia after the war and the implications these restrictions had on the Church and its members. Matt Grow, Managing Director of the Church History Department, joins us to discuss the efforts European Latter-day Saints went to as they sought to maintain their faith. We also take some time to talk about George Albert Smith and his mental health struggles.

Matt McBride, Director of Publications in the Church History Department, joins us this week to provide some further details about Pieter Vlam's involvement in the Dutch Potatoes project and Elder Ezra Taft Benson's mission to Europe to provide relief.

Europe was devastated after years of fighting. In today's episode we explore what the Church did to relieve the suffering of Latter-day Saints and others. Richard E. Turley Jr. a historian and founder of the Saints project joins us to share extra insights into the challenges facing the Church in the years after the war.

The final stages of the Second World War saw fierce fighting across the world. Cory Maxwell, a son of Neal A. Maxwell, and Bob Freeman, a Professor of Church History and Doctrine at Brigham Young University, join us in this episode to discuss the conditions and circumstances of the war and to share extra insights into the experiences of Latter-day Saints who were caught up in the fighting.

The Second World War changed the Church and the lives of Latter-day Saints across the world. Nathan Waite, the Editorial Manager of the Saints project, joins us to discuss the role of language in the Church in Brazil and the ways Latter-day Saints adapted to life during the war.

Matt Heiss, a manager in the Church History Department, joins us this week to discuss the efforts of Dutch Latter-day Saint Pieter Vlam to share the gospel after he is taken prisoner during the Second World War. We are also fortunate to have Donna Ikegami, a daughter of David Ikegami, who joins us to share extra insights into her father's story as a Japanese-American member of the Church living in Hawaii.

Ryan Saltzgiver, a historian in the Church History Department, joins us to discuss the story of Helmuth Hübener and his friends in Nazi Germany as they sought to resist Nazi propaganda. We also talk about the Church's attitude towards the war and how to deal with the fact that there were Latter-day Saints on both sides.

Joining us this week is Petra Javadi-Evans, an Assistant Editor for the Saints project, and James Miller, a Church History Specialist, both from the Church History Department. In today's episode we address the Second World War and some of the different experiences of European Latter-day Saints.

Angela Hallstrom, a writer and former member of the Saints project who is also a General Editor of volume 3, talks to us about Emmy Cziep and her escape from Czechoslovakia as World War 2 began. Angela shares insights into the researching and writing of Saints as we also discuss President J. Reuben Clark and his efforts to improve religious education in the Church.

Tensions were high amongst Mexican Saints in the 1930s and 1/3 of the membership left the Church. James Goldberg, a writer and historian and Elisa Pulido, a Visiting Scholar at Claremont Graduate University, joins us to talk about the state of the Church in Mexico and what caused the split.

Harold B. Lee saw himself as an "inexperienced farm boy from a small town in Idaho." In this episode Brian Cannon, a professor of history at Brigham Young University, and Jeff Anderson, an archivist in the Church History Department, join us to share their insights into Harold and the birth of the welfare program.

Tarienne Mitchell, a professional archivist, and Scott Hales, the lead writer and a General Editor of Saints Volume three, join us in this episode to discuss marginalized Latter-day Saints and the ways in which they lived the gospel. We talk about how Latter-day Saints in different areas of the world maintain their faith despite the hardships they faced.