While Elder Uchtdorf was very young, his father was forced to join the German army. However, the family was still in danger, because his father had been vocal in his opposition to both Nazism and Communism. They were able to move to safety in Frankfurt, West Germany. Elder Uchtdorf said of his childhood,. However, these hard times brought the Uchtdorf family a great gift, the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.
At fourteen, Elder Uchtdorf dreamed of becoming a pilot. He pursued this dream as a career, and has become one of the most recognized and honored commercial pilots in Germany. Half a century later, he looks back on a career in aviation that began with earning German and U. He trained in the U. Air Force from to , graduating at the top of his class, and served six years as a fighter pilot in the German air force.
Latter-day Saints, however, were more reluctant to embrace former President Donald Trump, expressing unease about his personal behavior and his combative political style.
Church members from both sides of the partisan aisle launched intensive efforts for their respective candidates in , forming the grassroots groups Latter-day Saints for Trump and Latter-day Saints for Biden-Harris. Nearly six weeks after Election Day and more than a month after major news organizations declared Biden the winner in the Oval Office pursuit — but only minutes after an Electoral College vote affirmed that outcome — the church officially congratulated the Democrat and his running mate, Kamala Harris, on their victory.
Similar sentiments were expressed to Trump after his triumph in and to Barack Obama in after he won a second term by defeating Republican Mitt Romney, the first Latter-day Saint ever to gain the presidential nomination of a major party. Donate to the newsroom now. The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. By Peggy Fletcher Stack. March 12, , p. His fears of speaking and understanding English increased when the bishop of the branch called him to teach Sunday School:.
I thought the bishop was crazy to call me, because how could I do this? But what a blessing it was. I could feel that the Lord was helping me. Dieter would overcome the language barrier and find love and comfort with his branch as he spent time with the members working to build a meetinghouse.
I also learned the important survival skill of missing my thumb when pounding a nail. While his fellow students spent their spare time doing activities that did not comply with the standards of the Church, Dieter spent his spare time helping to build the meetinghouse.
Soon, all of the Uchtdorfs were baptized, and after two years of waiting, Dieter was old enough to join the Church as well. Dieter did not realize the significance of some of the experiences in his life until several years after they happened.
When living in West Germany, his family started a laundry business to earn money. Dieter did not particularly enjoy this responsibility or the ugly bicycle. The cart was often very heavy, making it difficult to pedal his bike around Frankfurt. But Dieter worked at this job for many years, because his family needed all the money they could get. He did not realize the blessings of this duty until he was in the process of joining the German Air Force. There were some concerns over his medical test.
The doctors asked Dieter what treatment he had used. He realized that pedaling the heavy loads of laundry on his ugly bicycle had given him the exercise he needed to heal his lungs. Dieter and Harriet would have two children, six grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. On October 2, , Dieter F. Despite the trials of his youth, Dieter has remained happy and strong. Dieter has chosen to not let the hardships of his youth overcome him. He has lived and served in faith, love, and happiness.
To learn more about Dieter F. Uchtdorf, check out his Facebook Page or visit the links below. Sign in. Log into your account. Forgot your password? Password recovery. Recover your password. Get help. Brown May 27, 0. Why I Stay Aug 21, 0. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position of the Church.
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