Great-Grandpa's Diary, Vol. II

This Sunday in Gospel Doctrine we'll be discussing eternal marriage. Seems like a good time to dust off Great-Grandpa Hofmann's autobiography, as the story of his courtship and marriage is one of the more unusual parts of his history. (Here's a link to the first post in which I quoted from his diary.)

Grandpa Ed served in the German military during World War I, but was discharged as a result of a serious injury (some stories related to this will definitely be told in later posts, there's some really good stuff). In 1917, while the war was still going on, he was called as the Vice President of the Swiss-German mission.

Because of the war, the mission president (an American) was unable to visit or even correspond with branches or members of the church in Germany and Austria. So my great-grandfather was the highest ranking church officer in the two countries during that time. How cool is that? In two rented rooms, Ed Hofmann and an "aged" mission companion, Paul Gmelin, both slept and did their office work. I'll let Ed take it from here:

Brother Gmelin and I could not do all the work required of us properly. We needed help.

The President of the Swiss-German Mission, Angus J. Cannon, as well as the President of the European Mission, George F. Richards, advised me to marry so that the aged Brother Gmelin would have a home. In addition, I was to look for someone to help me in my office work. In December 1917 I rented an apartment to which we moved our office and living quarters and asked Sister Margaret Albisser who lived in Zurich if she would go on a mission if she was called. She answered yes she would go, but she takes care of her grandmother. I told her we would take care of that problem. Then she consented. Thereupon I asked her if she would also be prepared to marry me. Without delay she answered yes...on Christmas 1917 we began family life.

How crazy is that? Margaret's mission call was basically to marry Ed. And she said yes, "without delay." It's likely the two of them at least knew each other before this odd proposal, though the diary gives no indication of this and certainly does not provide details of any additional dating or courting that took place. It seems more like Margaret was simply following the pattern established by Rachel and Rebekah in Genesis, viewing the blessings of a covenant marriage as more important than typical relationship concerns.

Family certainly came first for Ed and Margaret. It also came right away--the first child was born in October, 1918. That was my grandfather, Karl Edward Hofmann, Jr. (he would also go by "Ed"). They had eight children by the time they moved to the US in 1929, and four more were born after arriving in Utah. That's a lot of posterity! On June 20, 1929

President Bryant S. Hinckley [yep, Gordon's dad!] signed a temple recommend for me, Mama and our eight children. June 27th Mama and I went through the Salt Lake Temple for our own endowments and sealing. [June 27th is my parents' anniversary/sealing date too!] As this was done our eight children came into the sealing room and were sealed to us. The sealing was done by President George F. Richards, former President of the European Mission who advised me to marry in 1917. He told me at this time his advice was a good one.

You can say that again! My life has been blessed tremendously by their decision to not only marry but to seek for an eternal marriage, to be sealed together forever. I'm hoping that reading this account will have an impact on my dating patterns. Two of the main reasons (though certainly not the only ones) I am not yet married are laziness and being too picky. My great-grandfather was told to get married, and he went right to work. And even though Ed and Margaret didn't "date," they were committed to each other and to the Lord and they made their marriage work. Overall, arranged marriages have a strikingly low divorce rate. That's certainly not the only thing to consider before advocating for more arranged marriages, but I generally agree with this statement from former LDS Church President Spencer W. Kimball:

"Soul mates" are fiction and an illusion; and while every young man and young woman will seek with all diligence and prayerfulness to find a mate with whom life can be most compatible and beautiful, yet it is certain that almost any good man and any good woman can have happiness and a successful marriage if both are willing to pay the price.

This was definitely the case for my great-grandparents.