Maintaining the Faith during World War II

Just two years after his baptism in 1932, Robert Simond was called as a counselor in the Neuchâtel branch presidency. In this calling and later as branch president, Robert had many opportunities to minister to the mostly working-class members in the area. At the time, there were no stakes in Europe, leaving local leaders like him dependent on mission leaders for direction. At the outbreak of the Second World War, however, the Church’s missionaries were evacuated from the continent. At the same time, Swiss men were being compelled into military service, which limited the number of priesthood holders available to fulfill callings. Robert was exempted from military duty because of chronic pain in his foot and was assigned instead to protect patients at the hospital during air raids, giving him greater flexibility for Church service. During the war he was called as district president over branches in French-speaking Switzerland and in southeastern France.

For the duration of the war, he faced the challenge of sustaining Church members through food rationing, poverty, and the ever-present fear of invasion. Because of coal shortages, he developed an adjusted Church meeting schedule for winters, which included more combined meetings.

During the war, members remained active. Despite losing postal contact with the Church and thus lacking new curriculum materials, members continued to teach from the scriptures and older manuals. In some parts of Switzerland, Relief Society sisters maintained branch meetings when all priesthood holders were called away. Simond noted that in the face of wartime shortages, members—especially young people—were more faithful than ever in their tithing. Saints held socials and gave choir performances, singing and encouraging each other throughout the war.

When the war ended, Simond met with Léon Fargier, the only priesthood holder in France, and determined to send his son-in-law, Antoine Riva, to assist the French Saints. For two years, Riva traveled to Basançon to administer the sacrament and supply food to members there each week. When missionaries returned in 1947, Simond was pleased to see the next mission president recognize that members had managed the Church well without outside support, keeping both teaching and accounting in order. Over the following years, the Church in Switzerland was organized to be less dependent on missionary leadership. The first stake in continental Europe was organized in Switzerland in 1961.

Robert Simond (center) with his counselors in the Neuchâtel district presidency, Antoine Riva (left) and Pierre A. Schütz (right), 1952.