{"title":"Matthew K. Heiss","description":"\u003cp\u003eMatthew K. Heiss is an independent historian and retired archivist for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He received an MA in Religious Studies from the University of Virginia and a BA in Humanities from Brigham Young University. Heiss helped pioneer the Church History Department’s efforts to collect and preserve global Latter-day Saint history, especially in former communist Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Heiss served as a missionary in Germany. He currently serves as an executive secretary to the Middle East\/Africa North Area Presidency.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMatt is the co-editor of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/gregkofford.com\/products\/the-unlikely-and-the-impossible\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Unlikely and the Impossible: Supporting Saints in Former Communist Europe\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-unlikely-and-the-impossible","title":"The Unlikely and the Impossible: Supporting Saints in Former Communist Europe","description":"\u003cp\u003eedited by \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/gregkofford.com\/collections\/matthew-k-heiss\"\u003eMatthew K. Heiss\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/gregkofford.com\/collections\/james-a-miller\"\u003eJames A. Miller\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAvailable October 27, 2026 in print and ebook. Pre-order today.\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(230, 230, 230);\"\u003e“Through original archival research and personal accounts, editors Matthew K. Heiss and James A. Miller uncover a powerful story of personal sacrifice, courage, and divine design in the expansion of the restored gospel.”\u003c\/span\u003e — \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/gregkofford.com\/collections\/reid-l-neilson\"\u003eDr. Reid L. Neilson\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(230, 230, 230);\"\u003e“Tells the inspiring story how Latter-day Saints somehow survived in Central and Eastern Europe despite stiff opposition from political disruption via communism and Nazism, and a rampant atheistic scourge coupled with the dreads of war.”\u003c\/span\u003e — \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/gregkofford.com\/collections\/fred-e-woods\"\u003eFred E. Woods\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/gregkofford.com\/blogs\/news\/preview-the-unlikely-and-the-impossible\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePreview the volume\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eBook Description:\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Unlikely and the Impossible: Supporting Saints in Former Communist Europe\u003c\/em\u003e tells the remarkable story of faith, perseverance, and quiet courage behind the growth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Central and Eastern Europe during and after the Cold War. Drawing on rich historical research and personal narratives, the book highlights men and women who sustained their faith under communist regimes that restricted religious belief and public worship. Long before the fall of the Berlin Wall, these “supporting Saints”—ordinary people from diverse backgrounds—kept communities alive, navigated political barriers, and prepared the way for a future that once seemed unimaginable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRather than focusing on headline events alone, this volume brings history to life through intimate, human stories of sacrifice, resilience, and hope. Readers encounter missionaries, local leaders, couples, and converts who worked largely outside the spotlight yet played decisive roles in building lasting congregations across former communist Europe. Both scholarly and accessible, \u003cem\u003eThe Unlikely and the Impossible\u003c\/em\u003e offers an inspiring testament to what faith-driven individuals can accomplish when circumstances appear most forbidding—and why their legacy still matters today.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003ePraise for \u003cem\u003eThe Unlikely and the Impossible\u003c\/em\u003e:\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003eThe Unlikely and the Impossible\u003c\/em\u003e, edited by Matthew K. Heiss and James A. Miller, \u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(230, 230, 230);\"\u003etells the inspiring story how Latter-day Saints somehow survived in Central and Eastern Europe despite stiff opposition from political disruption via communism and Nazism, and a rampant atheistic scourge coupled with the dreads of war\u003c\/span\u003e. The editors are vigilant veterans who know the terrain and have no doubt solicited seasoned authors who likewise are familiar with the turf. The inspiring quote by Apostle Russell M. Nelson that Heiss and Miller used to kick off their introduction signals what lies ahead and is echoed in their conclusion: ‘The Lord is the master of the unlikely, and he expects the impossible.’ I do not think a sentence could be constructed to capture this story better through the lives of courageous and faithful Latter-day Saint men and women. It is most probable that readers will not be disappointed.” — \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/gregkofford.com\/collections\/fred-e-woods\"\u003eFred E. Woods\u003c\/a\u003e, coauthor and coeditor of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/gregkofford.com\/products\/latter-day-saint-image-in-the-british-mind\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Latter-day Saint Image in the British Mind\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/gregkofford.com\/products\/life-and-adventures-of-eli-wiggill\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Life and Adventures of Eli Wiggill: South African 1820 Settler, Wesleyan Missionary, and Latter-day Saint\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“For much of the twentieth century, communist regimes across Central and Eastern Europe restricted religious freedom, leaving Latter-day Saints behind the Iron Curtain isolated in their struggles. Yet long before and immediately following the fall of the Berlin Wall, ordinary believers accomplished what seemed impossible. \u003cem\u003eThe Unlikely and the Impossible\u003c\/em\u003e presents the inspiring history of 'supporting Saints,' the unsung men and women whose dedication, resilience, and faith kept the Church alive and positioned it for rapid growth. From early forerunners enduring systemic opposition to local leaders and foreign diplomats navigating Cold War politics, this volume highlights diverse European and North American perspectives. \u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(230, 230, 230);\"\u003eThrough original archival research and personal accounts, editors Matthew K. Heiss and James A. Miller uncover a powerful story of personal sacrifice, courage, and divine design in the expansion of the restored gospel\u003c\/span\u003e.” — \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/gregkofford.com\/collections\/reid-l-neilson\"\u003eDr. Reid L. Neilson\u003c\/a\u003e, former Assistant Church Historian and Recorder and Managing Director of the Church History Department, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eAbout the Editors:\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/gregkofford.com\/collections\/matthew-k-heiss\"\u003eMatthew K. Heiss\u003c\/a\u003e is an independent historian and retired archivist for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He received an MA in Religious Studies from the University of Virginia and a BA in Humanities from Brigham Young University. Heiss helped pioneer the Church History Department’s efforts to collect and preserve global Latter-day Saint history, especially in former communist Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Heiss served as a missionary in Germany. He currently serves as an executive secretary to the Middle East\/Africa North Area Presidency.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/gregkofford.com\/collections\/james-a-miller\"\u003eJames A. Miller\u003c\/a\u003e works as a historian and archivist for the Church History Department, where he helps supervise archival acquisitions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Africa, Eurasia, Europe, and the Middle East. He received an MA in History from Indiana State University and a BA in International Relations and Russian from Brigham Young University. He has presented on multiple conferences on Latter-day Saint history in Central and Eastern Europe and was an early contributor to the Church’s online \u003cem\u003eGlobal Histories\u003c\/em\u003e project. Miller served as a missionary in Ukraine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eMore Information:\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e417 pages\u003cbr\u003eISBN 978-1-58958-841-7 (paperback)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Greg Kofford Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":45991839039659,"sku":null,"price":34.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0266\/2257\/files\/HeissMiller_UnlikelyAndImpossible_416ac3d4-2fbc-4901-90d6-7223d9675b33.jpg?v=1790284039"}],"url":"https:\/\/gregkofford.com\/collections\/matthew-k-heiss.oembed","provider":"Greg Kofford Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}