"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." - 1 John 5:4.
In August 1986, while visiting in West Berlin, I attended an organ recital in the beautiful Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. Johann Sebastian Bach's incomparable music filled hearts and souls on that particular occasion.
No sooner had I exited the chapel at the conclusion of the program and entered the foyer than my eyes fell on a bulletin board and these words in German in bold print: "Our Faith is the Victory - 1 John 5:4."
John's statement of faith impressed me in a way I wouldn't have expected, but I didn't think more about it until a day or two later while walking along the street just across from the Berlin Wall. My eyes surveyed the imposing Berlin cathedral at the base of whose cupola were inscribed those same words in German: "Our Faith is the Victory."
Over the next few days I came to know and appreciate that profound message communicated by John. I traveled to Freiberg and the newly dedicated temple where East German Saints stood in a ward testimony meeting to witness this miracle and victory of their faith.
President Kimball had asked Church members to pray for doors to be opened so that the Kingdom might be established throughout the world. Saints living in the German Democratic Republic, and others, did more than just pray. They themselves opened doors by their faith and Christlike lives.
It was only a matter of time until the Berlin Wall fell and the Cold War ended. Soon, missionaries were entering eastern Europe and areas of the former Soviet Union with the gospel message.
I will long remember the powerful words contained in this scripture and the remarkable way they were impressed upon me in German.
