I am grateful that I took the opportunity to read this book. It helped me puzzle some things together that I have been studying in other areas.
Enzio Busche was born just three years before Hitler came to power in Germany. He talks about the thought processes and learning at the time and about his experience in the Hitler Youth.
There is a part in the book where he says, "There was a great deal of talk about a world of conspiracy with secret combinations. Certain names of rich families were mentioned as well as members of the royal families in Europe. Supposedly, they wanted to establish a world government that would use democracy and communism as tools to fulfill their own purposes. We were told that Germany was the last enemy standing in their way, so they wanted to destroy it permanently."
Sound familiar?
Elder Busche goes on to say, "This idea always seemed very far-fetched to me. And, surprisingly, similar rumors tend to surface year after year, even in America. I do no believe them any more today than I did then. But I have observed with interest what long lived rumors and lies can have and how they destabilize the comfort and peace of societies."
I believe something is lost in the translation here. It was the only part of the book that had me really confused because in the very next paragraph, Elder Busche goes on the describe the very conspiracy that fooled so many and became what is known as the Holocaust. Truly, secret combinations are part of this world. I talked this out with C. He made the comment that he's been asked about who are behind the secret combinations of this world. Who are the conspirators? Who is the great and abominable church? His answer was that it wasn't one thing.
The drug cartels. The mafia. Those who seek to destroy the church and the faithful can all be part of secret combinations. Surely there are many. The idea of pointing to just one, even in the time of Hitler, Stalin was also an evil dictator responsible for the killing millions and for secret combinations that allowed him to keep the power of which he was so jealous. C's thoughts made a lot of sense to me. There is no one family, no one race, no royal family, no one sect that is out to cause chaos, war, bloodshed and the destruction of society.
The book goes on to tell of Elder Busche's conversion to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and of the many tender mercies gifted to him by our Father in Heaven. He also tells many instances of people whose devotion to God gave them the ability to serve him in miraculous ways and often that helped them to be in the right place at the right time with the right help, with the right information... Elder Busche told many stories about how after giving all they had and coming short, the Lord made up the difference. The book is full of stories of the widow's mite... those that have so very little, but whose sacrifice, made in love is great.
There is a thread of liberty that runs through the book. An understanding of how freedom and liberty are essential to the gospel. The end of the book includes a treatise on the bloody history of Christianity. It's very sad, but interesting and made me think how much we still live today with our ancient history. Elder Busche tells how we need to judge faith by it's fruits and that the best is that message delivered by the angel at time of the birth of Christ, "Peace on Earth, Goodwill toward men."
I give this book the highest recommendation I have and hope that you will read it and tell me what you think.
