Olga Kovářová — Spiritual Witness at First Meeting

In 1975, while searching for spiritual purpose in the atheistic environment of Communist Czechoslovakia, Olga Kovářová was introduced to Otakar Vojkuvka. During their first conversation, Otakar spoke to her about 'eternal laws' and 'philosophy' (the gospel in code). Olga describes a powerful and immediate spiritual manifestation where she felt the 'Spirit of God' testifying that his words were truth. This witness was so profound that she committed to his teachings immediately, despite the danger of joining an illegal group, eventually leading to her baptism in a cold lake in the middle of the night to avoid detection.

Recording note: This account is drawn from Olga Kovářová Campora's own first-person narrative, 'Fruits of Faithfulness: The Saints of Czechoslovakia,' in Women Steadfast in Christ, ed. Dawn Hall Anderson and Marie Cornwall (Deseret Book, 1992), 134–147. That compilation is not freely available online, so no verbatim excerpt is reproduced here; the chapter preserves her telling of the first meeting with Otakar Vojkuvka in her own words.

Fuller account of this event (as retold in Olga Kovářová—Czechoslovakia, Saints Stories (2024)):

Otakar was a small, elderly man, and he smiled as he answered the door. Olga felt an instant connection to him. During the visit, he asked her and her friend if they were happy. “We don’t know,” they replied honestly. ... As Olga learned more, she borrowed a Book of Mormon from Otakar. ... Since her first sacrament meeting at Otakar Vojkůvka’s home, Olga had grown to admire the faith of the older Czechoslovak Saints. Even as her mind was telling her to forget about Christ’s gospel, though, her heart told her it was the truth.