In October, 83 years ago, 17-year-old Helmuth Hübener was executed by a guillotine for telling the truth.
He died protesting against lies. His story is graphically portrayed in the new movie, “Truth & Treason.” The film depicts a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who, as a teenager, concludes that truth is stronger than Hitler.
His belief moved young Hübener to “do what is right, let the consequence follow.” His protest was shared in leaflets he wrote on a borrowed church typewriter. He typed the truth against the falsehoods of a vile, vindictive government. Words were his weapon. He fought against prejudice, cruelty and blind obedience to the evil political establishment.
Today, with parallels not totally dissimilar to Germany in the ’40s sans the overt brutality, our first task is to recognize the anti-truth when we hear or see it. That is not easy. How does one identify truth when the leader of the country intends to deceive? The corruption is reinforced by modern technology and thousands of voices screaming at us from social media. Further, how does a society ascertain what is real when a popular source of information twists and distorts reality for its profit? In contrast, there is no money in loving your neighbor as yourself.
In his quest for truth, Hübener sought information from other sources.
Instead of only listening to the government, he tuned to the BBC on a smuggled shortwave radio. He then put the propaganda to the test of his faith.
We can do the same. Turn the dial or punch in different numbers on the remote. Ask the question: Do the words match the message we consider holy? In other words, does the political monologue mirror the script of the scriptures? When the king embodies hate, we love one another.
Joseph Grant Cramer, Murray
Donate to the newsroom now. The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax deductible