Durante la II guerra mondiale molti militari, santi degli ultimi giorni, combatterono in Italia. Franklin L. West riferì, alla conferenza generale di aprile del 1945: ###>During World War II, many LDS servicemen fought in Italy. Franklin L. West reported in April 1945 General Conference: "I was proud to get a picture of four of our seminary men, all chaplains who met together in Italy, in a similar undertaking.