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. Our 12th Article of Faith isn’t a blind statement - German Mormons didn’t use it as an excuse to exterminate the Jews despite Hitler’s extermination order was the “law of the land.”

I wouldn't boast about the nazis and the LDS church if I were you. The LDS germans co-existed quite nicely with the nazis.

"In their eagerness to coexist with the [Nazi] government, American officials of the German Church resorted to public relation efforts . . . Probably the clearest example of this tendency is an article by West German Mission President Alfred C. Rees entitled 'In the Land of the Mormons.' The article appeared in a special issue of the Nazi Party organ Der Volkische Beobachter dated April 14 1937. In the Editor's Preface to the article, President Rees is called 'the representative of the Church in Germany,' who 'paints for our readers a portrait of Mormonism today, a church which views the New Germany with sympathy and friendship.' Whether President Rees originally wrote the article in German or not, the language of the piece abounds in such loaded terms as Volk and Rasse (race), and a picture of Brigham Young bears the caption, 'Fuhrer der historischen Mormonenpioniere.' But the significance of these linguistic gaffes is magnified by hindsight. More disturbing is the way President Rees blatantly parallels Mormonism with Nazism. As Rees warms to his topic, Mormonism begins to sound like a fulfillment of Nazi teachings, providing 'the practical realization of the German ideal: "the common good takes precedence over the individual good."' Rees concluded by assuring his readers that 'Mormons are people who put this healthy doctrine into action.' Reading articles such as this, it would have been easy for a German Saint to mistakenly conclude that the seal of official Church approval had been placed on the Nazi regime."
- Alan F. Keele and Douglas F. Tobler, “The Fuhrer’s New Clothes: Helmuth Huebner and the Mormons in the Third Reich,” Sunstone, v. 5, no. 6, pp. 20-29

"[The Mormon] policy of appeasing the Nazis worked well until the war broke out. Despite the classification of Mormonism as a sect 'dangerous to the state…' according to Gestapo reports, the Church was not summarily dissolved as many others were. The missionaries remained; the Church continued. Even during the war, Mormon life was disrupted more by bombing raids, supply shortages, and travel restrictions than by official harassment. By and large, the German Saints lived through the Thousand-Year Reich much like the rest of their countrymen."
- Alan F. Keele and Douglas F. Tobler, “The Fuhrer’s New Clothes: Helmuth Huebner and the Mormons in the Third Reich,” Sunstone, v. 5, no. 6, pp. 20-29

Mormon Quotes

AS a point of history, you might want to examine the case of
poor Helmuth. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmuth_H%C3%BCbener)

Quote for the time

“First, we killl all the Jews, then we start with the Mormons...”

In that, they were not unlike the Americans who seem to enjoy killing mormons....

History is only maliable to the observer.

>>>>I wouldn't boast about the nazis and the LDS church if I were you. The LDS germans co-existed quite nicely with the nazis.

Except for the Mormons like Helmuth Hubner who lost their heads to Hitler's Guillotines for speaking out against him. Besides you have violated Godwin's law in overstating an association between Nazi's and the LDS church.

My grandfather served his mission in Germany and took a picture of Hitler in a parade and subsequently had his camera confiscated by the SS. He and his mission companion were interrogated all night once b/c they were thought to be America spies. They had two gaurds that would tail them to all their appointments and write down who they were seeing. Understandably many church members and investigators did not want to meet with them with their tag along Nazi's but some were brave enough to continue. He has many interesting stories.

His local barber had his uniform and once asked if he would help some Jews escape. My grandfather declined because he thought it was a trap (though he did like the man generally). He did worry about the impact it would have on the church and missionary work if he was caught helping Jews escape. 10 days before the war started Heber J. Grant pulled all the missionaries out of Europe. My grandfather returned to Germany years later and talked to his barber. He asked him if he was serious about helping escapees. He replied he was.

During the war he worked for the FBI decoding German communication because of his fluency in the language.

I asked him once about the propaganda effects and he said its hard to describe, he knew Hitler was evil but with the positive mass demonstrations and speeches coupled with the threat of fear and terror does affect you.

So if my grandfather hadn't been as worried about losing his head like Helmuth Hubner and other Mormons did, or worried about getting innocet German church memebrs locked up he may put his and their lives in peril to help. But saying the LDS church coexisted with the Nazi's is overstating it quite a bit.