Calling his recent visit to the German Democratic Republic a "week of wonder," Predident Thomas S. Monson, second counselor in the First Presidency said the experience has been "one of the most satisfying and gratifying monents of my life."

During his visit from Oct. 24 to Oct. 28, President Monson met with top Germam Democratic Republic Officials, Including Erich Honecker, Chairman of the StateCouncil (chief government leader of the nation), and Kurt Loeffler, State Secretary for Religious Affairs.During meetings with the government officials in Berlin, the Church was granted the right to conduct missionary work in the German Democratic Republiuc (DDR)and to permit Latter-day Saints from there to serve as missionaries both in their native country and elsewhere in the world. (See related story on this page.)

During the visit to the German Democratic Republic, Predident Monson was accompanied by Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Council of the twelve, Elder Hans B. Ringger of the First Quorum of the Seventy and a counselor in the Europe Area presidency, and local Church leaders.

During the meetings, President Monson presented Honecker with a sculpture of two parents and a child that depicts the Church's emphasis on the family, to which, President Monson said, he responded by mentioning his appreciation of the famitly unit.

In a Church News interview, President Monson said past events in the DDR, including the dedication of the temple in Freiberg in 1985 by President Gordon B. Hinckley and the granting of permission to conduct missionary work, "make me very humble. I know our Heavenly Father and His Son have brought about these changes."

"I have seen the hand of the Lord in the unfolding of the opportunities which are now before us," said President Monson, who has had leadership assignments tothe members of the Church in the German Democratic Republic for the past 20 years.

"The faith of the people is extraordinary," he declared. "Their activity level-whether in sacrament meeting attendance, home teaching, temple attendance or family home evening participation-is as high there as any place in the entire world. One has to simply appreciate that due to their faith and their complinace with the commandments of the Lord, the way has been opened for them to have these blessings. It is divine intervention."

President Monson commended Elder Nelson, Elder Ringger and local Church leaders in the German Democratic Republic for their efforts in seeing the work progress in that country.

Recalling an experience he had in 1968, when he visited the branch in Gorlitz, President Monson said, "I was speaking at the pulpit and was overcome by the faith and devotion of the people. In words that were not mine, which were prompted from a higher source, I promised the members if they were true and faithful to the teachings of the Church, the day would come when they would enjoy the same blessings as members of the Church in any other nation of the world."

He pointed out that the full Church organization is now available to the members throughout the German Democratic Republic. For example, he explained, "all the members of the Church in that nation belong to stakes. No longer is there a mission district. We have ordained patriarchs. We have a local temple president, who has local counselors. We have local stake presidencies. The work of the auxiliaries is identical to the operation of the Church in other countries."

President Monson explained the Church has a strong foundation in the country; many of its 3,700 members in the two stakes are third- and fourth-generation Latter-day Saints.

"It is not as though we are starting from scratch," he related. "Before World War II, we had a larger concentration of Latter-day Saints in that part of the world than anywhere else, with the exception of North America."

He said several bishops have fathers and grandfathers who were branch presidents of the same units many years ago.

President Monson said missionary work in the German Democratic Republic "will begin modestly. It will not be a crash program. It's been a long time coming and so we will begin modestly. The work primarily will be with regard to referrals and, likewise, answering the questions of those who visit our many buildings."

President Monson dedicated the two new Church meetinghouses Tuesday, Oct. 25 in Dresden and Wednesday, Oct. 26 in Zwickau.

He described the stake center in Dresden as a "beautiful building, one of the nicest we have in the German Democratic Republic, located on a magnificent site and available to public transportation."

President Monson said several government officials, including the State Secretary for Religious Affairs, traveled from Berlin to participate and speak in the dedicatory services in Dresden.

Some 29,000 people attended an open house held in conjunction with the dedication of the stake center. "As government officials visited the building," President Monson related, "they commented that it could be a pattern for efficiency, coupled with beauty." He quoted Loeffler as saying to government workers who supervise buildings "that this could well be a model to follow."

President Monson said citizens stood in long lines, patiently waiting to tour the building. "Their comments were positive and uplifting. The very fact that many individuals would be interested in what we were doing there was most significant to me."

Between 5,000 and 6,000 people visited the LDS meetinghouse in Zwickau. "The building in Zwickau is smaller, but just as commodious and lovely," he said. "There is a keen interest in the buildings we are erecting in the German Democratic Republic. One of the aspects of our request and our approval for missionary work is that we can answer the questions of these people who come inquiring."

President Monson said every courtesy "was extended to us during his visitT, and we have had no difficulties with regard to being accepted as good citizens. The Articles of Faith have been a great blessing to us in establishing the proper relationships with the government, namely, that we believe in honoring and obeying and sustaining the law of the land. The fact that we are good citizens in the countries where we live and the fact that we practice the work ethic and believe in the solidarity of the family unit are points well received by government officials."

The government's positive reception to the Church has been one of long-time reputation, said President Monson. "Chairman Honecker and his associates have been observing the work of the Church for many years." President Monson further said officials remember how President Ezra Taft Benson, then of the Council of the Twelve, went to Germany in a great humanitarian effort after World War II.

President Monson said President Benson's efforts "were a great blessing to the people, and government officials are very much aware of the aid extended under President Benson during that period of time."

"He President BensonT not only took care of the physical needs of the members of the Church and others, but he also attended to their spiritual needs as well. This was a period of great turmoil after the most devastating war that has ever taken place. Scarcely a family did not lose one or many loved ones as a result of the war. That included Church membership as well. One older member came up to me and said, `I'm alive today because of the help extended by the Church under the direction of President Benson during that time of long ago.' "

President Monson said that the dedication of the temple in Freiberg seemed to mark a maturing of the membership of the Church. "Certainly things have moved forward with greater rapidity and stability since the dedication of the temple."

President Monson said that temple is the only one he is aware of that has every seat filled for every endowment session. "One stake president said, `I'm having a little difficulty with my home teaching because all of my stake members are in the temple.' I thought to myself that if every stake president could have all his members attending the temple, one of the chief purposes of home teaching would have been achieved."

He further said, "The spirituality was there before the temple was dedicated. But whenever there is a temple of God in the midst of the people, spirituality continues to grow."