BY THEIR FRUITS: LDS Second Counselor Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf

[Grig]

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf was named as Second Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on February 4, 2008. He was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on October 2. 2004. He has served as a General Authority since April 1994, and served as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy from August 2002 until his call to the Twelve.

Elder Uchtdorf was born on November 6, 1940 in then Mährisch-Ostrau, Czechoslovakia, to Karl Albert and Hildegard Else Opelt Uchtdorf, who were Suddeten Germans. He was raised in Zwickau, Germany, where his family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in 1947.

* Married Harriet Reich, December 14, 1962; parents of two children

* Degree in business administration at the University of Cologne, West Germany

* Degree in international management at Lausanne University, Switzerland

* Joined the West German air force in 1959

* Received pilot wings at Webb AFB, Big Spring, Texas

* Fighter pilot training, Luke AFB, Phoenix, Arizona

* Lufthansa German Airlines Pilot, 1965-1996

* Lufthansa Airline captain, 1970-1996, flying multiple types of aircraft and completing his career flying the Boeing 747

* Several executive positions at Lufthansa, including head of the airline pilot school, director of in-flight services, and head of cockpit crews

* Senior Vice President of Flight Operations and Chief Pilot for Lufthansa, at time of his retirement

* Chairman of the Flight Operations Committee of the International Air Transport Association

* Board member for several government and business executive committees

==ESCAPE FROM COMMUNISM==

The Uchtdorf family left Czechoslovakia in 1944 in advance of the Soviet Army forces moving into the country, and went to Zwickau, Germany, where they hoped the British and American allies might eventually occupy the area, leading to freedom. However, soon after the war ended that part of Germany was incorporated into the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), a communist state.

In 1952, while the family was living in East Germany, the life of Dieter's father was in extreme danger due to the extreme political repression of the time and suspicion as to the reasons for their having left Czechoslovakia originally. He and his family made the decision for him to escape alone to minimize risks to his wife and children. To avoid suspicion, the rest of the family would not be able to travel together. They would have to make the attempt separately.

A plan was implemented. Dieter's two older brothers, Wolfgang and Karl-Heinz, took a northern route out of their hometown of Zwickau. Their sister, Christel, traveled with two other girls on a train that passed briefly through West Germany en route to its destination city in East Germany. As the train passed through West Germany, the girls persuaded the conductor to open the door for them, and they jumped out of the train.

Dieter, age 11—the youngest of the children—and his courageous mother took still another route. They carried with them only a little food and precious family photographs that had been preserved from destruction through World War II. After Dieter and his mother had walked long hours, Sister Uchtdorf's knees began to weaken. Dieter carried their belongings and helped his mother climb a final hill to freedom. There they stopped to eat a meager meal, only to realize, when they saw Russian guards, that they were still shy of the border. The mother and son terminated their picnic, picked up their packs, and climbed even higher before reaching their goal.

Dieter and his mother continued their trek as refugees, hitchhiking and walking to their destination at a suburb near Frankfurt. After many long and perilous days of separation, the family was finally reunited. The brothers arrived first; their father followed. Dieter and his mother then arrived, and his sister came last. Their great reunion was joyful.

Of lesser significance was the fact that they had left behind virtually all of their possessions.

Seven years earlier, toward the close of World War II, they had fled from home as foreign forces approached. Now they were refugees again. Once more they owned nothing. Once more they had to start over. But they had each other. They had their deep faith in God, and they had their membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, acquired barely five years earlier.

The family's one-room apartment near Frankfurt was small and infested with mice. Young Dieter was intrigued by the rodents running around. Public transportation in Frankfurt was relatively inexpensive, but the family could not afford for all to travel to church each week. So they took turns.

It is no wonder that President Uchtdorf feels so passionately about the sacred institution of the family. With great sincerity he testifies that the family is ordained of God. Family is of utmost importance to him. It was within his family that the seeds of his powerful faith were sown and nurtured. There he began to prepare for the fulfillment of his foreordination as a priesthood leader in the Church of God.

[Saundra Duffy]

A great man of God. His career was that of a pilot for major airline. I feel safe with him helping to steer this good old Gospel ship.

[Grig]

He spoke at our Stake Conference just after he was called to be an Apostle. He is a great man.

[Old Mountain man]

Obviously, he well understands the relative importance of Spiritual things and personal possessions. (You can lose the personal with no problem if you hang on to the Spiritual).

[aMorePerfectUnion]

A wonderful career. Too bad about the whole mormonism
involvement. You often see very accomplished military
people get sidetracked into other things... Generals
campaigning for Democrats comes to mind.

There is still time as long as he is alive to turn
to the one true Gospel of Grace. Let’s pray that way.