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NORWAY – TIMELINE FOR DEAN PETERSON AND HIS FAMILY (txt)

Av: Erlend D Peterson



NORWAY – TIMELINE FOR DEAN PETERSON AND HIS FAMILY


May 8, 1913 -Dean Andrew Peterson born in Mount Pleasant, Sanpete County, Utah, to Andrew Lysander and Lettie Phipps Peterson.


October,1933 Six weeks into the fall quarter at BYU I [DAP] was called to serve a mission in Norway. President Milton H. Knudsen of Snow College was called to preside over the Norwegian Mission and had suggested my name to the First Presidency.


November 17, 1933 My [DAP] testimonial was held Friday, November 17. After a wonderful experience of being taught by President Heber J. Grant and general authorities in the Mission Home, we traveled by train to New York, by boat (S.S. Manhattan) to Hamburg, Germany, and by train from there to Oslo.


December 1933 Our first Sunday in church was interesting, but four of us (Elders Carl F. Johansen, Winslow Swensen, Granville Barlow, Wendell Christensen, and DAP) couldn't understand a word and wondered if we would ever be able to handle the language--especially after listening to Branch President Einar Strand speak. Church was at Osterhausgate 27.


I [DAP] was assigned to labor in Oslo as President Gunderson's companion. (Who was the mission president who later proceeded DAP as mission president.)


April 1934 After four months I [DAP] was transferred to the West Coast to labor in Haugesund. . I conducted a district conference in Stavanger and had to speak 7 times in 3 days in Norwegian.


October 1934 Six months I [DAP] was called to be District President of the Bergen District


October 1935 I was transferred to Oslo to be Mission Secretary the last 9 months of my mission, where I learned to love and really appreciate President and Sister Knudsen and their family.


July 12, 1936 I [DAP} arrived home from my mission July 12, 1936, after touring briefly in Sweden, Denmark, Holland, France, England, and New York with my companion, Elder Clarence Christensen.


PETERSON FAMILY VISIT TO OSLO, NORWAY IN AUGUST 1954


August 1954 The family and I left Iran in August, 1954, and flew to Copenhagen, Denmark, and Oslo, Norway. We went to Church at Osterhausgate 27 and after the opening exercises were over, I was called on to bear my testimony in Norwegian. After I sat down, Brother Einar Strand, who was the Oslo Branch President when I was on my mission, arose and reminisced about the time I was a missionary in Norway and bore his testimony. Many others did likewise and we had a very good reunion. We enjoyed our stay in Oslo and the children enjoyed all the sightseeing and the good food--especially the shrimp.


DEAN PETERSON AND LYLE PETERSON CALL TO PRESIDE OVER THE NORWAY OSLO MISSION


May 1966 I was called to go to Norway to preside over the Norwegian Mission for three years. We were called to the Church Office Building and interviewed by Elders Joseph Fielding Smith, Harold B. Lee, and Boyd K. Packer. After the greetings, Elder Smith asked us if we were called to preside over a mission would we accept the call. We answered in the affirmative and were then told that our call was to Norway.


August 12, 1966 We went as a family to give the program in sacrament meeting at the Norwegian branch in Salt Lake City. President and Sister Richard Petersen and President and Sister Sherman Gowans, who were former mission presidents were also in attendance. Erling Magnusen served as interpreter for the family but I spoke in Norwegian. It was an interesting prelude to our next three years in Norway. Our girls sang the Norwegian National Anthem in Norwegian and really surprised and pleased everyone at the meeting. Lyle was presented with a beautiful bouquet by a Norwegian girl in Norwegian costume. After the meeting, we took the family to dinner at the Pagoda and Lyle and I checked in at the Missionary Home on Main Street and North Temple for five days.


September 5, 1966 We left the Sorensens and flew to Oslo, Norway. We were met at the airport by President and Sister Joseph Gunderson, Tom and Rita Jean, and Elder Steen, Mission Secretary, and other members. We were taken to the Mission Home at Drammensvein 96G where we enjoyed a good visit and a delicious meal prepared by Sister Johanna Nordtvedt, mission home cook. The missionaries staying at the Mission Home were Elders Steen, Bailey, Thompson, and Sister Sullivan, Carruth, and Hansen (Sister Turid Hansen was a translator who had been converted in Kristiansand.)


October 10, 1963, I called Janet Lynne on a full-time mission and set her apart with the assistance of Elder LeGrand Stuart Vorkink, who was second counselor in the mission presidency. She was assigned to labor in Oslo with Sister Ruth Johnson as her first companion.


October 15, 1966 I called Erlend on a one-year mission and set him apart. He was assigned to labor in Halden to be a companion to Elder Neldon Maxfield. It was somewhat frustrating for him since he had recently filled a mission in the Eastern States and had been a mission leader. He had to start over as a junior companion and also learn a new language. He had a message, but lacked the language for it. However, he soon learned the language and had a good mission in Norway. Erlend concluded his mission and traveled home in August 1967.


August 1969 The mission concluded and the Peterson family returned to Utah.


DEAN PETERSON CALLED TO SERVE ON THE GENERAL SUNDAY SCHOOL SCHOOL BOARD AND TOOK A GROUP TO NORWAY


February 1967 I [DAP] was called to the General Board of the Deseret Sunday School Union and served in that capacity under the leadership of President David Lawrence McKay from February 11, 1967 to April 18, 1967.


DEAN PETERSON CALL TO BE THE FIRST REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE TO NORWAY


May, 1972 I [DAP] was called to be a Regional Representative of the Council of the Twelve and a Mission Representative of the Council of the Twelve and the First Council of Seventy with assignment to Norway. On Sunday, May 25, I was set apart by Elder Boyd K. Packer in his office in the Church Office Building in Salt Lake City. In the blessing, Elder Packer promised me health, language facility, travel without undue weariness, success in my labors, and the return to my Heavenly Father in due time with all my family. I soon had the St. George Region also added to my assignment.




ERLEND DEAN PETERSON'S ACTIVITES WITH NORWAY


November 1940 I was given the name of "Erlend." DAP served as Bergen branch president during his mission and one of his councilors was Erling Magnusen. Shortly before I was born, dad received a letter for Erling saying he had named his first son, Dean, after my father. My parents were considering the names of “Robert” or “Steven” for my name. However, in asking their parents, one liked the name of Robert and the others like the name of Steven. My parents first thought of naming me “Erling,” but they had just read the book Kristin Lavransdatter written by Nobel laureate Sigrid Underset. The other key person was “Erlend.” They decided to name me Erlend, rather than Erling.


Growing up - My father’s mission to Norway had a very pronounced effect on them. As I grew up my father frequently refereed to Norway and his love for Norway. As soon as I was old enough to bless the food, my father taught me to bless the food using the tradition Norway blessing:
I Jesu navn går vi til bords,
Og spiser, drikker på ditt ord
Deg, Gud, til ære, oss til gavn
Så får vi mat i Jesu navn.
Amen.
My father also taught us some traditional folk songs, such as “Per Spellman.” We frequently sang them.
I grew up with a deep love for Norway.


Oct 1954 EDP visited Oslo, Norway with this family for a week. We stayed in the Hotel Centennial. The highlight of the visit was going to Church with dad to the Oslo Branch at Osterhausgate 27. When we walked in there were so many members who remembered my father that we were 20 minutes late starting the Fast and Testimony meeting. After Sacrament Branch President Einar Strand called on my father to speak before he turned the meeting over to bear testimonies. It was the first I heard my father speak in Norwegian. I was amazed at how well my father did and how the members responded to his talk.


October 15, 1963 Having served a mission in the Eastern States, I accompanied my family to Norway. Not having discussed this in advance, my father extended a call for me to serve a one-year mission. I was first assigned to Halden with Elder Maxfield. After two months my father telephoned and said, “I know this isn’t what you would prefer, but I would like to transfer you to Oslo to work with the new English speaking branch. Dad said that he was going to keep me as a junior companion and give me senior companions who hadn’t had a baptism. My father gave me a charge to see that each of my companions had a baptism before they went home. I was successful for 3 of the 4 companions I had.


June 1975 I was called to be a branch president at the Language Training Mission (now the MTC). My first assignment was with the missionaries going to Italy. A year later when the Nordic Countries missionaries were moved from Ricks College to BYU, I was reassigned to the branch for missionaries going to Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, and Finland.


1985 Both Jack Okland of Okland Construction and Leo Jacobsen of Jacobsen Construction established Norwegian heritage scholarship programs as BYU. I became involved with the establishment and managing the programs.


July 1986 Jeff Tanner and I were invited to do a consulting visit to Saudi Arabia. On the return we stopped in Oslo and spent several days sight-seeing and visiting with members. During the visit I also became acquainted with President Hyer, president of the Norway Oslo mission. We corresponded several times during the following year.


October 1987 I attended a BYU 16th stake fireside where Elder Oaks was speaking. Since I was serving a President of the BYU 6th Stake, Colleen and I were invited to go to a reception before the Fireside. I also took my mother since she had become such close friends with the Oaks while my father was serving as President Oaks’ administrative assistant.


We arrived a little early and the only other person in the reception room was Elder Oaks. We had a delightful exchange of greetings. Then Elder Oaks said, “Isn’t is sad about the Norwegian mission president?” I asked him I didn’t know to what he was making reference. Elder Oaks replied that the Mission President had died the day before. Elder Oaks went on to explain that President Hyer got up early and went for his normal run. When he returned to the mission home to get ready to go to Trondheim for a District Conference, he had a heart attack and he died.


I expressed how sorry I was to hear President Hyer had died. I commented that I was in Oslo a year earlier and I met President Hyer. I said we had corresponded several times during the year. Elder Oaks paused, looked deeply into my eyes, and said, “Pete, How long has it been since I called you to be stake president?” I replied, “Two and a half years.” He simply replied, “Oh.” I didn’t know what his “oh” meant, but I felt he had looked into the depths of my soul like only an Apostle can do!


During the following weeks there was a lot of discussion about President Hyer’s death and some people were kind enough to suggest that I would be a good replacement. However, I knew I didn’t know Norwegian very well. I hadn’t ever considered being called as a mission president, so I politely thanked them for their endorsement–but I didn’t give it any further consideration.


Colleen had a medical problem that required her going to the hospital for a couple of days. On the day she could come home I had several meetings during the day, so I arranged to check Colleen out of the hospital late that Thursday afternoon. Just after we arrived home and Colleen got into bed, the telephone rang. It was Elder David B. Haight. After introducing himself, Elder Haight said, “I understand you just brought your wife home from the hospital. Is everything alright with her?” I assured him that it had simply been an infection and she was fine. He then went on to ask if Colleen and I could come to his office and meet with him the next morning at 10:00 am. I told Elder Haight that I would be happy to come, but since my wife just came home from the hospital I felt she shouldn’t come. He commented that he wished she could join me, but he certainly understood.


After concluding the telephone call I went to the bedroom. Colleen asked who had telephoned. I told her it was Elder Haight. She asked what he wanted and I told her he wanted to meet with us. She then asked what the meeting was about. I said, “I don’t know, but he said something that left me a bit puzzled.” Colleen asked what that was. I continued, “Elder Haight said he had permission from the First Presidency to visit with us.” I then continued, “Under what circumstances does an Apostle need permission from the First Presidency to visit with a stake president.” Colleen replied, “I don’t know but I’m going with you to that meeting. I told her I didn’t think it would be wise, but we could see how she felt in the morning.


That was a long night for more than one reason. About 1:00 am Colleen said she was burning up. We took her temperature and it was nearly 105 degrees. For an hour we tried all we could to bring her temperature down. Nothing worked. Finally at 2:00 am, I telephoned our neighbor Ray Maag and asked if he would join me to give Colleen a blessing. We blessed Colleen and by the time we concluded the blessing we could feel her fever break and her temperature quickly returned to normal. At 7:00 am Colleen got up and said she felt she could go with me to the meeting with Elder Haight. We certainly understood the Lord answered our prayers and it was important that Colleen needed to be with me at that meeting.


We were so anxious to be on time, we arrived at the Church Administration Building an hour ahead of schedule. We sat in the car and waited until it was time to go in. Elder Haight was surprised to see Colleen and he focused the discussion on her–beginning with her health and ending up discovering he and Colleen are distantly related. After about fifteen minutes Elder Haight turned to me and said, “President, you will have to excuse me. I need to be on an airplane for a conference assignment in one hour, so let me just get to the point. Norway needs a new mission president, will you be it?” While during the night I had considered the possibility of being called to be mission president in Norway, when the question was asked I could not hold back my emotions. I burst into tears. I then pulled myself together and I replied, “I would be honored to accept.” Elder Haight explained this was just the screening for the call and the call would come from President Monson the following week. In the mean time we weren’t to share this with anyone else, including our immediate family members.


When we returned to our car we were excited, but yet numb. We couldn’t believe what had just happened. It was beyond anything we had ever considered! We wanted so much to share our call with our children, family and friends–but we couldn’t. However, I decided I better inform my boss, Bob Spencer, which I did on Monday. On Tuesday the telephone call came from President Monson’s secretary asking if Colleen and I could meet with President Monson the following morning at 11:00 am. I told her we could.


Again, we again arrived at the Church Administration Building an hour early, insuring we would be there on time. President Monson came out of his office to meet us and ushered us into his office. He was grinning from ear-to-ear, and so was I. His first comment after sitting down was, “President Peterson, I would counsel you to never play cards–your face would give you away!” President Monson then extended the call to us and we accepted. President Monson went to explain that the only concern his Brethern had in calling me was that we had a young family with six children and that the circumstances in replacing a mission president who had died would require a lot of time with the missionaries. I told President Monson I had a solution for that problem. He asked what it was. I reminded him that my parents had presided over the Norwegian mission twenty-five years earlier and that while my father had died, my mother was in good health. I suggested that she could go with us for the first six months. Mother was familiar with the mission, she knew the language, and she could look after our children. President Monson replied, “I think that is a good idea. Plan on taking her with you!” Then President Monson said, “Now we need you in Norway in eight weeks.” He continued, “I would apologize for the shortness of time, but that is twice the length of time Francis and I received when we were called to preside over the Canada Toronto Mission.” We then sat back and shared stories for an hour. What a special experience!


Following New Years day, the Missionary Department held a mini mission presidents seminar for us and seven other mission presidents going to newly opened missions mid-year. Our first day was spent in SLC in the Missionary Department with several General Authorities speaking to us. Our second day was at the Missionary Training Center in Provo. On the first morning in SLC Elder Russell M. Nelson, who was first-line contact in the Twelve for Europe, said he would set Colleen and me apart that afternoon. He invited us to invite any family who could join us. Unfortunately our children couldn’t come since they were in Orem and we didn’t have a way to get them to Salt Lake in such short notice. However, Colleen’s sisters Myra and Gina did join us–and they recorded our blessings.


Elder Russell M. Nelson, assisted by Elder Russell C. Taylor, set me apart as Mission President and he gave me the following blessing on January 4, 1988:


Beloved brother, Erlend Dean Peterson,


We, thy Brothers, holding the Holy Melchizedek Priesthood, lay our hands upon your head having been commissioned we set you apart and ordain you to the office of Mission President to the Oslo Norway Mission. We confer upon you all of the keys, privileges, and responsibilities of this assignment.
As you hold the hand of your lovely eternal companion, Colleen, please remember that your first responsibility is to her, then to your children, and then to the missionaries who will labor under you in the mission field. It is your responsibility to provide for these missionaries. You are not asked to provide for them financially, but you must provide for them spiritually. You will recognize their needs and prayerfully you will counsel with the Lord in knowing how to best help them solve their own problems. In this way they will become self-reliant and be of greater service to the Lord and themselves.


We bless you with talent to motivate the people. We bless you that you will be able to develop a rapport with the people and church leaders in the area, that every member will be a missionary. Teach them to honor the Lord so that each will stand out as a shining example to those about them. Teach them to continually nourish the spiritual roots of their existence. In this way they will bring joy into their own lives and into the lives of those with whom they come in contact.


Erlend, we bless you at this time with the health and strength that you will need to sustain you throughout your calling. We further bless you that you and your family will be protected during the extensive traveling that you will be required to do in your Heavenly Fathers service.


We bless your children that they will understand the great blessing in being part of this calling. That they will have this opportunity to continue to grow into another generation of excellence.


Andrew is tender and young in age, but we recognize that he is being brought to this country for a great reason. He is being prepared to carry on the work of his grandfather and father in continuing the work of the Lord in this blessed area.


Brother Peterson, you have been trained, brought up and prepared for this calling at this time in your life and we so send you forth with our blessing in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.


January 5, 1988 Our family and mother left for Norway and we returned June 30, 1990. (For details of our mission read my biography about our mission.


August, 1990 I was appointed BYU Dean of Admissions and Records. That returned me to the involvement of the Okland and Jacobsen scholarship and lecture series programs. For 22 years it took me back to Norway on frequent occasions. We brought Norwegian students from Norway to study at BYU and I went to Norway to arrange lectures and with the BYU performing groups.




Guest I have brought from Norway for the Norwegian Lecture and Concert Series


Princess Märtha Louise of Norway
Lecture: April 2006


Her Excellency Tora Aasland, Minister of Research and Higher Education
Lecture: September 2010


Her Excellency Valgerd Svarstad-Haugland, Minister of Culture and Religious Affairs; Member of the Norwegian Parliament, Secretary General (Chairman) of the National Christian Democratic Party, and Former Minister of Children and Family Affairs
Lecture: February 2001
Visit: February 2002 (in conjunction with the SLC Winter Olympics)


His Excellency Einar Steensnæs, Minister of Petroleum and Energy; vice-chair of the Christian-Democrats political party; former member of Parliament; former Minister of Education
Lecture: March 2002


His Excellency Svein Ludvigsen, Minister of Fisheries; Member of Parliament, Vice President of the Upper House of Parliament, Former Chair of Standing Committee on Business and Industry, and Former Mayor of Tromsø
Visit: April 1995
Visit: July 1996
Visit: March 1998
Lecture: September 1998


Chief Justice Carsten Smith, Chief Justice of the Norwegian Supreme Court
Lecture: October 1994
Address: April 1997 (received an honorary degree from BYU-commencement speaker)


His Excellency Dagfinn Høybråten, Member of Parliament, Chair of the Christian Democratic Political Party, Former Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, and Former Minister of Health
Lecture: September 2006


The Honorable Jens Stoltenberg, Member of Parliament; Chair of the Labor Political Party; former Prime Minister
Lecture: September 1998


Proffessor Inge Lønning, Member of Parliament; Professor of Theology; Editor of the Norwegian State Lutheran Theological Journal; and former Rector of Oslo University
Lecture: October 1991
Lecture: March 1996


His Excellency Thorvald Stoltenberg, President of Norwegian Red Cross, Former Norwegian Ambassador to Denmark, Former Foreign Minister and Former U.N. Peace Negotiator to Bosnia
Lecture: October 1996
Lecture: October 2000


Justice Georg Fr. Rieber-Mohn, Supreme Court Justice and Former Attorney General of Norway
Lecture: February 1998


His Excellency Carl I. Hagen, Member of Parliament and Chairman of the Progress Political Party
Lecture: March 1993


His Excellency Gudmund Hernes, Assistant Director of the Fornebu Industrial Park; former Minister of Health; and; former Minister of Education, Research and Church Affairs
Lecture: January 1993


Mr. J. Gerhard Heiberg, Owner of Consulting Firm, Chairman of the Board of the Bank of Norway; Vice President and Member of the International Olympic Committee; and former President and CEO of the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics
Lecture: March 1995
Lecture: March 1997


Professor Francis Sejersted, Professor of History and former Chair of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee
Lecture: May 1992
Address: October 1997 (Forum speaker)


His Excellency Wegger Chr. Strommen, Ambassador to the United States for the Royal Embassy of Norway
Visit: April 2009


His Excellency Knut Vollebæk, Ambassador to the United States for the Royal Embassy of Norway
Lecture: November 2004


His Excellency Tom Vraalsen, Ambassador to the United States for the Royal Embassy of Norway
Lecture: October 1996
Lecture: November 1997


His Excellency Kjeld Vibe, Norwegian Ambassador to Finland; former Norwegian Ambassador to the United States
Lecture: March 1992


His Excellency Bendik Rugaas, Special Assistant to the Norwegian Ambassador for Norway=s 2005 centennial events in the United States and former Minister of Planning
Lecture: January 2005


Mr. John Bernander, Director of Norwegian National Broadcasting; former CEO and President of a maritime insurance company; former member of Parliament and deputy-leader of the Conservative Political Party
Lecture: October 2002


Rector Lucy Smith, Professor of Law and former rector (president) of Oslo University
Lecture: October 1994


Professor Peter Lødrup, Professor of Law, Former Dean of the Law School, and Acting Supreme Court Justice
Lecture: September 1999


Professor Odd Lovoll, Professor of History
Lecture: February 1996


Professor Guttorm Fløistad, Professor of Philosophy
Lecture: October 1988
Lecture: May 1991
Visit: March 1996


Ms. Jannicke Jaeger, Foreign Ministry ASpeech Writer@ for the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister and Former Norwegian Vice Consul
Visit: October 1996


His Excellency Hans Ola Urstad, Ambassador to Kosovo and former Norwegian Consul General in San Francisco
Lecture: May 1995


His Excellency Dag Mork Ulnes, Ambassador to Columbia; former Member of the Norwegian Foreign Ministry and former Norwegian Consul General in San Francisco
Lecture: November 1994


Mr. Thor Bjarne Bore, Former editor in chief/chief executive officer of Stavanger Aftenblad, President of The Church of Norway
Visit: October 2004
Mr. Harald Stanghelle, Political Editor of Aftenposten
Lecture: March 2001


Mr. Johan Fr. Heyerdahl, Former Executive Director of the Norwegian Federation
Lecture: October 1994


Ms. Else Berit Eikeland, Former Norwegian Vice Consul
Visit: November 1993

Mr. Håkon Dahl, Director of Religious Programs for Norwegian Radio Broadcasting
Visit: February 1991


Ms. Trude Lorentzen, Journalist, and Espen Rasmussen, Photographer
Visit: November 2001


Mrs. Hilde Haaland Kramer, Coordinator of International Education, Royal Norwegian Consulate General, New York
Visit: May 2002


Mr. Knut Djupedal, Director of Emigrant Museum
Visit: October 2007
Visit: October 2008
Visit: September 2009


Kari Jorunn Haaskjold, Teacher of English in Stord, Norway
Visit: March 1999


Sissel Kyrkjebø, Singer
Concert: April 2005


Veslemøy Fluge Berg, Norway, and Audun Kayser, Professor at the Music Conservatory in Bergen, Norway
Concert: September 2008


Lars Anders Tomter, Violist
Concert: March 2001
(Featured soloist with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir CBS Television Program, March 11, 2001)


Mr. Toralv Maurstad, Ibsen Actor
Play: January 2001


Mr. Trond Sæverud, Mr. Einar J. Rottingen, and Mr. Ricardo Odriozola, the Sæverud Trio
Concert: March 1997


Ms. Marit Osnes Aambø, Mezzo-soprano
Concert: September 1996


Mr. Geir Henning Braaten, International Concert Pianist
Concert: October 1994


Mr. Asle Svarverud, Photographer of Norway in Black and White
Exhibit: October 1994


BYU Performance Groups I have taken to Norway


1992 Synthesis - Norway, Sweden, Finland


1996 Folk Dance Ensemble - Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia


1999 Living Legends - Denmark, Norway, Sweden


2001 Ballroom Dance Company - England, Norway, Sweden, Denmark


2005 Wind Symphony - Denmark, Norway, Sweden


2009 Young Ambassadors - Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland


2010 Synthesis - Norway, Denmark


Knight First Class in the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit, H.M. King Harald


1997 Erlend Dean Peterson was knighted Knight First Class in the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit by His Majesty King Harald, along with Stein Eriksen.


1999 Erlend, Colleen and Andrew went to Norway and had a special audience with His Majesty King Harald of Norway.


2002 EDP hosted a special private reception for H.M. King Harald during the SLC Winter Olympics at the Norway House in Park City.


Utah Proclamation to Recognized Norway’s 100 Years of Independence


2005 Norway Centennial Celebration Program


Prelude Music Terry Lamoreaux
Welcome and Recognition of Guests Erlend D. Peterson
American National Anthem and Norwegian National Anthem
Conductor: Merrill Jenson
Accompanist: Terry Lamoreaux
Invocation John Langeland
Reading of the Governor’s Declaration to Norway, Kevin Knight
Director of Boards and Commissions
Tribute to Norway Elder Ronald T. Halverson
Member of the Quorum of the Seventy
Remarks Lars Erik Johansen
Honorary Consul for Norway in Utah
Musical Numbers International Children’s Choir
Director: Dr. Kathy Sorensen
Accompanist: Sheryl Laukat
Speech His Excellency Bendik Rugaas
Special Assistant to the Norwegian Ambassador for Norway's 2005 Centennial Events in the United States and Former Minister of Planning
Benediction Per Haugen
Postlude Music Terry Lamoreaux


Distinguished Guests


Special Assistant to the Norwegian Ambassador for Norway's 2005 Centennial Events in the United States and Former Minister of Planning
His Excellency Bendik Rugaas
The Governor’s Office
Kevin Knight, Director of Boards and Commissions
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Elder Ronald T. Halverson, Member of the Quorum of the Seventy
Honorary Consul for Norway in Utah
Lars Erik Johansen
Former Honorary Consuls for Norway in Utah
John Langeland and John Okland
Knighted by the King of Norway
John Langeland, Stein Eriksen, and Erlend D. Peterson
Former LDS Mission Presidents to Norway
Sherman Gowans, John Langeland, Per Haugen, Richard Broberg, Erlend D. Peterson, and Ronald T.Halverson
Family Members with Norwegian Heritage
Robert Sanders, Great-great-grandson of Ellen Sanders Kimball; Allen Gerritsen, Grandson of Torleif Knaphus; and George Durham, Grandson of Elder John A. Widtsoe


Organizing Committee


Erlend D. Peterson, State Representative of Nordmanns Forbundet: The Norse Federation
Alice Bradway, President of the Local Sons of Norway Lodge
Berit Price, Chair of 2005 May 17th Constitution Day Celebration in Salt Lake City
Armand Johansen, Chair of Norwegian Immigrant and Missionary Reunion Group




January 2005 Hosted a special Centennial Celebration service for Norway’s 100 year anniversary as an independent country at the Temple Square Special Assemble Building.


May 1, 2005 Hosted Sissel Kyrkjebø for a concert at BYU and a performance with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir “Music and the Spoken Word.”


Utah Governor’s Proclamation


Utah Proclamation to Recognize Norway’s
100 Years of Independence



Jon M. Huntsman Jr.
Governor
Declaration


Whereas, on 7 June 1905 Norway unilaterally dissolved her ninety-one-year union with Sweden and became an independent country, and is therefore celebrating its centennial of independence this year; and
Whereas, Norway and Norwegians have significantly contributed to society at large, and to Utah, through such notable people as playwright Henrik Ibsen, explorer Roald Amundsen, expressionist painter Edvard Munch, composer Edvard Grieg, and Nobel Prize-winning novelist Sigrid Undset; and
Whereas, Norwegian immigrants to Utah include such luminaries as Ellen Sanders Kimball (Aagaata Sondra Yestensdatter) from Telemark, wife of Heber C. Kimball and one of the first three women to enter the Salt Lake Valley with Brigham Young in 1847; Canute [Knud] Peterson from Hardanger, frontiersman and leader among the Scandinavian settlers in central Utah; John Andreas Widtsoe from the Island of Frøya, scientist, president of two Utah universities and a Mormon apostle; Torleif Knaphus from Vats (near Haugesund), artist and sculptor of the Mormon handcart statue on Temple Square; Anne Kirstine Mauritzen from Brekke, mother of Reed Smoot (United States Senator from Utah and long-term Mormon apostle); Alf Engen from Mjondallen, who put Utah on the international ski map and was selected by the Salt Lake Tribune as the Utah Athlete of the Century; Johanus Okland from Stord, founder of Okland Construction Company; Stein Eriksen from Oslo, who was a pioneer in Utah’s skiing and hotel industry; and John Langeland, owner of Bergen Distribution Company; and
Whereas, Norwegian businesses such as Okland Construction, Engh Florists, Dyno Nobel Inc., Stein Eriksen Lodge, the Scandia Kaffe House, and the Scandinavia Shop, and have and do contribute to Utah’ s industry; and
Whereas, Utah has organizations that promote and recognize Norway’s ties to Utah, such as the Alf Engen Ski Museum Foundation, the Royal Norwegian Consulate, the Sons of Norway, Nordmanns-Forbundet, and the Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Studies; and
Whereas, Utahns with Norwegian heritage such as Jack Okland and Leo Jacobsen have established programs to bring Norwegian students to study in Utah and to bring Norwegian government, education, and business leaders to visit Utah and give lectures at Utah universities; and
Whereas, Norwegians contributed to the success of the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympics, with Norwegian athletes winning 24 medals; and
Whereas, 60,567 Utahns declared their Norwegian heritage in the 2000 United States Census; and
Whereas, His Majesty King Harald of Norway, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon, Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Her Royal Highness Princess Martha Louise, former Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, and two current members of the Norwegian government—Valgerd Svarstad-Haugland, Minister of Culture and Church Affairs; Svein Ludvigsen, Minister of Fisheries; and His Excellency Knut Vollebæk, Norway’s Ambassador to the United States, have made visits to Utah; and
Whereas, His Majesty King Olav and His Majesty King Harald have conferred knighthood on three Utahns—John Langeland, Stein Eriksen, and Erlend D. Peterson for their contributions and service to Norway;
Now Therefore, I, Jon M. Huntsman, Jr., Governor of the State of Utah, hereby declare on this 14th day of January 2005, that the people of Utah and I congratulate and pay tribute to His Majesty King Harald of Norway; to His Excellency Kjell Magne Bondevik, Prime Minister of Norway; to His Excellency Knut Vollebæk, Norway’s Ambassador to the United States; and to the people of Norway for their manifold achievements as we join with them in celebrating Norway’s one hundred years as an independent country.
Jon Huntsman, Jr.
Governor





Hosted Princess Märtha Louise of Norway


April 5-7, 2006 Hosted Princess Märtha Louise on a book tour to Utah and Brigham Young University

Princess Märtha Louise is the oldest child of King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway. She was born on 22 September 1971, nearly two years before her brother, Crown Prince Haakon. She was named after her grandmother, Crown Princess Märtha, wife of King Olav V, and her great-great-grandmother, Queen Louise, mother of King Haakon VII and daughter of Carl XV of Sweden.


Last October, 2005, Princess Märtha Louise launched her newly published children's book, “Why Kings & Queens Don't Wear Crowns” (Skandisk, Inc., 2005). The book tells the touching story of little Prince Olav, who came to Norway from Denmark in 1905 with his parents, King Haakon and Queen Maud, and why the Norwegian royalty don't wear crowns.


Princess Märtha Louise gave up Her Royal Highness title when she married a commoner, Mr. Ari Behn, on May 24, 2002. Princess Märtha Louise and her husband have two daughters, Maud Angelica Behn born 29 April 2003 and Leah Isadora Behn born 8 April 2005.


Accompanying Princess Märtha Louise:
Secretary, Mari Sørli
Palace Security, Rune Lereng
Mr. and Mrs. Mike Sevig (Else)