Matt Whitaker has been writing and directing for film and television for over 30 years. A specialist in the WWII genre, his produced screenplays include the critically acclaimed war films Saints and Soldiers and Instrument of War. In 2002, Whitaker and a film crew travelled to Germany with the last surviving member of a teenage resistance group, a powerful experience that led to the PBS documentary Truth & Conviction: The Helmuth Hübener Story. Now, his dramatic feature film, Truth & Treason, brings this incredible history to audiences across the UK.

I wanted to speak with Matt to dive into the compelling history of Helmuth Hübener, the youngest person executed by the Nazi regime for opposing Adolf Hitler. As a fellow Latter-day Saint, Matt shares his 25-year journey of bringing this profound piece of history to life, the complex realities of local church leaders navigating a totalitarian state, and how recent research on Gestapo files has been changing how scholars view the Church's relationship with the Third Reich.

Some highlights from this episode include:

• Loyalty to a Lie: Matt breaks down the incredible true story of 16-year-old Helmuth Hübener, who chose to risk everything by listening to banned BBC shortwave broadcasts to uncover the truth and launch a clandestine leaflet resistance campaign.
• The Words of the Leaflets: Matt reveals a crucial detail about the creative authenticity of Truth & Treason: every single sentence of anti-Nazi text typed or spoken from the resistance leaflets in the film is a direct, accurate English translation taken straight from the historical Gestapo archives.
• The Secret Gestapo Files: A fascinating look into additional historical research by scholar Steven Smoot and the BH Roberts Foundation, detailing a massive, Gestapo dossier that proves the Nazi regime was actively spying on and deeply suspicious of the Latter-day Saint community in Germany.
• The Complexity of Wartime Leadership: A nuanced discussion regarding the immense pressure faced by Hamburg Branch President Arthur Zander, exploring the difficult dual-realities of a man who was a devoted church leader but also an ardent supporter of the regime.
• A 25 Year Project: Matt opens up about a deeply personal spiritual experience that gave him the definitive mandate to direct this film, and how his wife's unwavering support kept the project alive through two decades of immense funding and development challenges.

Truth & Treason is available on Amazon Prime Video and major UK digital platforms starting May 18 2026.

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For All The Saints episodes are released every Monday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVDUQg_qZIU&list=UULFFf7vzrJ2LNWmp1Kl-c6K9Q
https://open.spotify.com/show/3j64txm9qbGVVZOM48P4HS?si=bb31d048e05141f2
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/for-all-the-saints/id1703815271

If you have feedback or any suggestions for topics or guests, connect with Ben & Sean via hello@forallthesaints.org or DM on Instagram

Conversations to Refresh Your Faith.

For All The Saints podcast was established in 2023 by Ben Hancock to express his passion and desire for more dialogue around faith, religious belief, and believers' perspectives on the topics of our day. Tune into For All The Saints every Monday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more.

Follow For All The Saints on social media for daily inspiration.

Osamu Sekiguchi is a devoted member and leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Japan. Having served in numerous capacities—including as the Mission President of the Japan Sendai Mission and currently as the Asia North Area Family Search Manager—Osamu has a profound perspective on the spiritual and cultural evolution of the Church in the land of the rising sun.

I sat down with Osamu in a Tokyo recording studio to explore the rich, and at times challenging, history of the Church in Japan. From the early 1901 mission led by Heber J. Grant to the modern era of five temples, we discuss the unique cultural hurdles Japanese saints have overcome, the incredible sacrifices made to attend the temple, and Osamu’s own personal "pioneer trek" across the United States and Europe.

Some highlights from this episode include:

• The Early Struggles and Triumphs: Osamu recounts the history of the first Japanese mission and the "disappointment" of the early years due to language barriers and cultural differences, followed by the post-WWII resurgence of the faith.
• The Sacrifice for the Temple: Moving stories of early Japanese members who sold their belongings and quit their jobs just to travel to Hawaii for temple ordinances before a temple existed in Asia.
• A Modern Pioneer Trek: Osamu shares the gruelling yet spiritual journey of taking his family on a 110-day handcart trek from Nebraska to Salt Lake City, followed by an epic bicycle journey from New York to San Francisco.
• Cultural "Harmony" vs. Conversion: An insight into why conversion can be difficult in Japan, where maintaining social harmony and honouring Shinto or Buddhist traditions often takes precedence over individual religious changes.
• Elder Stevenson's Call to Serve: When Osamu received his mission call he did not expect to be serving during a global pandemic. His bold leadership proved to be a powerful example of inspired leadership.
• The Future of the Global Church: Osamu explains his vision of the Church shifting from "International" to "Global"—where the core doctrine remains the same, but local cultures (like Japanese humility and aesthetics) are embraced and celebrated.
• FamilySearch in Asia: A look at how technology is bridging the gap for members in countries like Korea and Mongolia to find their ancestors and preserve their heritage.

Follow For All The Saints on social media for updates and inspiring content:
www.instagram.com/forallthesaintspod
https://www.facebook.com/forallthesaintspod/

For All The Saints episodes are released every Monday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVDUQg_qZIU&list=UULFFf7vzrJ2LNWmp1Kl-c6K9Q
https://open.spotify.com/show/3j64txm9qbGVVZOM48P4HS?si=bb31d048e05141f2
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/for-all-the-saints/id1703815271

If you have feedback or any suggestions for topics or guests, connect with Ben & Sean via hello@forallthesaints.org or DM on Instagram

Conversations to Refresh Your Faith.

For All The Saints podcast was established in 2023 by Ben Hancock to express his passion and desire for more dialogue around faith, religious belief, and believers' perspectives on the topics of our day. Tune into For All The Saints every Monday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more.

Follow For All The Saints on social media for daily inspiration.

Peter Fagg, historian, author, and tour guide specializing in the British history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, returns to the podcast to share more of his research on the early missionary efforts in the United Kingdom, specifically the development of the Church in Preston, Lancashire.

I wanted to speak with Peter to dive deep into the fascinating, and often harrowing, history of the first LDS mission to England in 1837. We explore the social conditions of industrial Preston and how a small group of missionaries managed to establish what has become the oldest continuous branch of the Church in the world.

Some highlights from this episode include:
The "Gruesome" Reality of 1830s Preston: A look at the harsh industrial landscape the first missionaries encountered, defined by cotton mills, child labour, and a staggering 55% infant mortality rate.

"Truth Will Prevail": The origin story of the famous mission motto, which was adopted on the missionaries’ very first day in Preston after they saw a gold-lettered political banner during a rowdy election.

The "Tee -Total" Forerunners: A discussion of Joseph Livesey and the seven men who signed the famous Teetotal pledge in 1832 at the Preston Cockpit. This local movement against alcohol served as a providential forerunner to the missionaries introducing the Word of Wisdom in that same Cockpit five years later.

The Vauxhall Chapel Conflict: How the early success of the missionaries led to a dramatic falling out with Reverend James Fielding, as he watched his own congregation leave to join the restored gospel.

A Message of Hope for Parents: Why the missionaries’ teachings on the sanctity of childhood and the rejection of infant baptism resonated so deeply in a city plagued by death and poverty.

Orson Hyde’s Prophecy and the "Vauxhall Brick": The story behind a symbolic prophecy regarding the stones of the Vauxhall Chapel and how a piece of that history is physically built into the Manchester Stake Center today.

The World’s Oldest Branch: A discussion on the survival of the Preston branch and its legacy as the longest continuously operating unit in Church history.

Peter's Latest book titled:
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: Book 1: LDS Preston can be found here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GWHJ2RJ3

Follow For All The Saints on social media for updates and inspiring content:
www.instagram.com/forallthesaintspod
https://www.facebook.com/forallthesaintspod/

For All The Saints episodes are released every Monday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVDUQg_qZIU&list=UULFFf7vzrJ2LNWmp1Kl-c6K9Q
https://open.spotify.com/show/3j64txm9qbGVVZOM48P4HS?si=bb31d048e05141f2
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/for-all-the-saints/id1703815271

If you have feedback or any suggestions for topics or guests, connect with Ben & Sean via hello@forallthesaints.org or DM on Instagram

Conversations to Refresh Your Faith.

For All The Saints podcast was established in 2023 by Ben Hancock to express his passion and desire for more dialogue around faith, religious belief, and believers' perspectives on the topics of our day. Tune into For All The Saints every Monday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more.

Follow For All The Saints on social media for daily inspiration.