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The SAINTS
AT WAR Project: Capturing Faith in the Midst of Conflict
by
Nicole Martin
 More
than 1,000 accounts from Latter-day Saint veterans have been gathered
in a unique project that focuses on faith in the face of war.
As part of the
groundbreaking Saints at War project, more than one thousand
accounts from Latter-day Saint veterans have been gathered.
Many of these accounts will be available in November with the
release of the book, Saints at War: Experiences of Latter-day
Saints in World War II. In addition, a Saints at War
conference will be held at Brigham Young University on November
10, and a KBYU Saints at War documentary will air on Veterans
Day, November 11.
Dr. Robert C.
Freeman and Dr. Dennis A. Wright, professors in the Church History
department at BYU, started the Saints at War project two
years ago. "More than 1,100 American veterans are dying each day,"
said Dr. Freeman. "These brave men and women will pass from our
view very quickly and we felt an urgent need to capture their stories
for future generations."
Saints at
War: Experiences of Latter-day Saints in World War II combines
over 200 remarkable stories from Church leaders and veterans around
the world with hundreds of images that literally capture faith in
the midst of war. Among the veterans' accounts are several general
authorities of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints including
Thomas S. Monson, James E. Faust, Boyd K. Packer, Neal A. Maxwell,
and David B. Haight. "There is much to be learned from the valiance
of these veterans. Their stories teach us the meaning of courage,
sacrifice, and what it means to be an American," said Wright.
William Slaughter,
an archivist with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
said the bravery and faith of LDS veterans will have lasting value
and will inspire future generations. "Saints at War is
one of the most exciting and important endeavors in the field of
Mormon history," said Slaughter.
The Saints
at War project is in partnership with The Veterans History
Project, a larger effort being undertaken by the Library of
Congress.
"These projects
give families the means to revive and share the memories and preserve
their stories," said Sarah Rouse, Program Officer of The Veterans
History Project. "It becomes a strengthening time for families
and a priceless gift for everyone."
Herbert Frost
contributed to the Saints at War archive just four months
before he passed away. "My father was very proud of having fought
in the war and was so grateful for the opportunity to express his
feelings," said Susanne Olsen, Frost's daughter."ìI was touched
by his experiences, particularly his participation in the Church
during World War II."
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Two
U.S. Liberty Class Merchant ships were named for Latter-day
Saint prophets: the U.S.S. Brigham Young and the U.S.S. Joseph
Smith.
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It is the focus
of faith during war that makes the Saints at War project
unique. These men and women didn't set aside their religious convictions
even though they were carrying rifles and machine guns. They still
found time to read their scriptures, take the sacrament, pray, and
share the gospel with others,"î said Wright. "In the most
trying of circumstances their spiritual life did not end; in fact
it became a sustaining force."
The Saints
at War archive will be housed in the Harold B. Lee Library
at BYU and will include personal histories, journals, letters, period
photographs, artifacts, and first-hand accounts of war experiences,
both oral and written. "We are hopeful that the book Saints
at War: Experiences of Latter-day Saints in World War II, the
KBYU documentary, and the conference will alert people to the existence
of the archive so more veterans will be able to participate," said
Freeman. "The book also gives the reader a wonderful opportunity
to have a piece of the archive in their homes and share it with
their families."
Saints at
War: Experiences of Latter-day Saints in World War II, by Dr.
Robert C. Freeman and Dr. Dennis A. Wright ($39.95 hardcover) is
published by Covenant Communications. The Saints at War
book and video ($19.95 VHS, $24.95 DVD) will be available mid-November
at all bookstores or at covenant-lds.com.
To contribute to the Saints at War archive, visit www.saintsatwar.org.
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© 2001 Meridian
Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
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