Professor Decoo, a Belgian convert to the Church in 1964 (hah! I beat him by two years), is a professor of French in the French and Italian Department of BYU, where he has been since 1999. However, he continues also to work in Belgium, during Spring and Summer terms, at the University of Antwerp, where he is head of the Didascalia Research Center. Most of his academic work is in the area of applied linguistics, but he has also ventured out from there, and he persuaded a major Catholic publisher to publish a book on Mormonism in Dutch.
Wilfried has served in the Church as a branch a district president and served almost continuously as a counselor in the mission presidencies of the Belgium-Antwerp, Netherlands-Amsterdam, and Belgium-Brussels missions from 1975-2002.
You’ll find his perspective on things both different than that of most who say something on this blog and insightful.
I’d like to add that I’ve found all of his Mormon-related articles and reviews to be informative and insightful. Among them are the following (please excuse any errors):
“Response to Bruce Van Orden.” Journal of Mormon History 24(1)(Spring 1998):xix.
“Issues in Writing European History and in Building the Church in Europe: Review of Bruce A. Van Orden. Building Zion:
The Latter-day Saints in Europe.” Journal of Mormon History 23(1)(Spring 1997): 140.
“Feeding the Fleeing Flock: Reflections on the Struggle to Retain Church Members in Europe.” Dialogue 29 (1)(Spring 1996):97-118.
“Mormonism in a European Catholic Region: A Contribution to the Social Psychology of LDS Converts.” BYU Studies 24(1)(1984):61-77.
“The Image of Mormonism in French Literature: Part II.” BYU Studies 16(2)(1976):265.
“The Image of Mormonism in French Literature: Part I.” BYU Studies 14(2)(1974):157.
Thanks Justin, for adding to the references. I think your estimation of them is right.