LDSWorld-Gems Stories from Church History (Compiled and written by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, dkenison@xmission.com) [Pres. George F. Richards was serving as the President of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles when he shared this story in General Conference. Note that this experience occurred during during the peak of World War II.]

"A few years ago, at the closing of a conference of the St. Johns Stake, we had had a wonderful conference I thought, and I was very happy on retiring. I was sleeping in the home of the president of the stake, Brother Levi Udall, and that night I had a remarkable dream. I have seldom mentioned this to other people, but I do not know why I should not.  It seems to me appropriate in talking along this line.

I dreamed that I and a group of my own associates found ourselves in a courtyard where, around the outer edge of it, were German soldiers -- and Fuhrer Adolph Hitler was there with his group, and they seemed to be sharpening their swords and cleaning their guns, and making preparations for a slaughter of some kind, or an execution. We knew not what, but, evidently we were the objects.   But presently a circle was formed and this Fuhrer and his men were all within the circle, and my group and I were circled on the outside, and he was sitting on the inside of the circle with his back to the outside, and when we walked around and I got directly opposite to him,

I stepped inside the circle and walked across to where he was sitting, and spoke to him in a manner something like this:  "'I am your brother. You are my brother.   In our heavenly home we lived together in love and peace. Why can we not so live here on the earth?' "And it seemed to me that I felt in myself, welling up in my soul, a love for that man, and I could feel that he was having the same experience, and presently he arose, and we embraced each other and kissed each other, a kiss of affection.

"Then the scene changed so that our group was within the circle, and he and his group were on the outside, and when he came around to where I was standing, he stepped inside the circle and embraced me again, with a kiss of affection.

"I think the Lord gave me that dream. Why should I dream of this man, one of the greatest enemies of mankind, and one of the wickedest, but that the Lord should teach me that I must love my enemies, and I must love the wicked as well as the good?

"Now, who is there in this wide world that I could not love under those conditions, if I could only continue to feel as I felt then? I have tried to maintain this feeling and, thank the Lord, I have no enmity toward any person in this world; I can forgive all men, so far as I am concerned, and

I am happy in doing so and in the love which I have for my fellow men.  "I love the Saints of God, as I love the Lord and his work. I love you faithful men and women who are laboring for the Lord, and for your fellow men."

George F. Richards, Conference Report, October 1946, p. 140