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ANTHON L SKANCHY AUTOBIOGRAPHY [ Les boken ]

Av: JOHN A. WIDTSOE



ANTHON LORENZO SKANCHY
AUTOBIOGRAPHY

BISHOP ANTHON L. SKANCHY.

Anthon L. Skanchy
A Brief Autobiographical
the Missionary Labors of a
Valiant Soldier for
Christ
Translated and Edited
by

J O H N A. W 1 D T S O E
1915
REPRINTED 1966

;!

SIXTH WARD MEETINGHOUSE, LOGAN.

FAMILY HISTORY LIBRARY
35 NORTH WEST TEMPLE ST
SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84150

5^

46

TABLE

.£ F

CONTENTS

I. EARLY YEARS
II.

I ACCEPT THE GOSPEL

III.

I GO ON MY FIRST MISSION

IV. MISSIONARY LABORS IN NORDLAND AND FINMARKEN
Vc

AGAIN BEFORE THE COURTS

VI.

HOW I SPfeNT THE WINTER IN NORDLAND

VII. THE LORD SENDS ME MONEY AND MORE FRIENDS
VIII.

I AM RELEASED FROM MY FIRST MISSION

IX.

I LABOR IN AALESUND

X.

I PRESIDE IN CHRtSTIANIA

XI.

THE LAND OF ZION

Xil. MY THIRD MISSION
XIII.

MY FOURTH MISSION

XIV. QUIET YEARS OF HOME SERVICE
XV. MY FIFTIJ MISSION
XVI. THE LAST WORD
XVII.

THE SIXTH MISSION

XVIII. THE END OF THE JOURNEY

INTRODUCTION
The missionary labors of the elders of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would form a most interesting chapter in the history of human endeavor0
Every
experience seems to have fallen to the lot of "Mormon"
missionaries, who have labored under every clime and among
all classes and races,of peopleQ Taken., by a sudden call,
from the home9 workshop, field9 store or office, they
have gone out at their own expense, with no special training in speaking or argument9 to teach to all the world a
system of eternal truth, against which mighty forces have
ever been arrayeda The third generation of this volunteer
army is now carrying the gospel over the face of the
earth, and the vigor of the work is unabated0
The plain9 unstudied sketch herewith presented of a few
of the missionary experiences of an elder who spent a
third of his long, mature life in foreign missionary service can be duplicated by hundreds of the missionaries of
the Church0
Simple and straightforward these sketches
are? yet, between the lines9 may be read every human
emotion, from the highest exaltation of spirit to the
darkest despair0 It would be well if many such missionary
lives could be published for the encouragement of all who
desire to battle fearlessly for righteousness0
Bishop Anthon L c Skanchy died on April 19, 191^-» after
a lingering illness of several years. In the midst of the
pain of this sickness he wrote these sketches, chiefly of
his early mission when he had the privilege of opening the
gospel door in the beautifully majestic land of the midnight sun, and of bringing hundreds into the Church. "He
wrote in his mother tongue, which he loved so well* The
eloquent directness, as well as the severe repression of
feeling, characteristic of the northern people, are on
every pagee

A few weeks before his death, Bishop Skanchy entrusted
his manuscript to me, to do with it as I might see fit„
He hoped that9 somehow, his experiences might strengthen
the testimonies of others0 The missionary instinct was
strong within him0 I have rendered it freely into English, and, while in so doing it has lost its peculiarly
eloquent flavor, I hope it has not wholly lost its power
for goodo I should greatly love to fulfil the wish of the
noble author of these sketches, who was the instrument in
the hands of God of bringing to the family to which I
belong, and to me, the priceless gift of an understanding
of the gospel.
That thousands of such strong men as was Anthon L 0
Skanchy could and do find a life•s satisfaction in the
gospel, in spite of the hardships and contempt they must
endure, is a strong testimony of the inherent vitality of
the message of the Prophet Joseph Smith0

ANTHON Le SKANCHY
A BRIEF AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE
MISSIONARY LABORS OF A VALIANT
SOLDIER FOR CHRIST
Translated and Edited by John A. Widtsoe

If any of my friends should interest themselves in
reading parts of my life's history, of my missions especi~
ally in the northern parts of Norway, they may do so in
this short report, and they may depend upon it that what
is here written is the truth.

I.

EARLY YEARS

I, Anthon Lo Skanchy, was born in Trondhjem, Norway,
September 17, 1839? the seventh child of Elling Lornsen
Skanchy and Mina Ansjon. My father was a sea=faring man 3
well known, and much sought after as a pilot in northern
Norway.
He, as many other sea-faring men of that day,
became addicted to strong drink, and consequently9 though
he earned well, there was poverty in the home. My dear
mother was compelled to work both day and night to l^eep
the children, who numbered seven in all.
From the time I was eight years old, I had to work and
earn something for the family. Ify boyhood was spent by
the water, where the great fjord comes in from the ocean.
The shore was low and level, and great sand-spits ran out
into the water. There the water ebbed and flowed every
six and one half hours, through a distance of eight or ten
feet. When the water was low, we could go out to the
sand-spits into the fjord, and there I used to fish with
one hundred hooks on my line, baited with sand worms. The
line was left on the sand, with the end secured, and after
fifteen hours, the water again was low and the lines lay
in the dry sand with the fish that had been caught by the

hooks. The fish thus caught furnished some means to the
support of :the family. As I grew a little older I was
employed by a fisherman, who owned his own boat, and with
him learned how to fish. I also worked between times in
the rope factory, where I later became apprenticed and
learned the trade well.
The school naturally was neglected, and I was there only
once in a while. When I was thirteen years old I began,
however, to see the necessity of taking proper hold of my
schooling, and determined to use my whole time in the
attempt to win back what I had lost. My mother could not
earn all the necessaries of life for me and herself, and
during this period I learned to know the gnawings of hunger
and the effects of hunger upon my system. A young school
boy as I was could not grow and develop without proper and
sufficient food. Those days I can never forget. My mother
had a little house of three rooms, built on rented ground.
In a little garden around the house she raised potatoes
with which to pay the larger part of the rent on the land.
Because of broken health and the weakness of my aged
father, he had been compelled to quit the sea-faring life,
and had journeyed to his oldest son who lived far up in
Nordland. There my father resided until his death.
I gave all my time to schooling during three years. I
was determined to win back what I had lost, and my interest
was centered on the school, and as a result I made good
progress.
Among other things I was taught the Lutheran
religion, and we had regular lessons in the history of the
Bible, and explanations of the events and doctrines found
in both the Old and the New Testaments. These books on
Bible history we were obliged to learn by heart, and I
learned my lessons well. This became a good foundation for
me in the practice and preaching of my dear religion of the
future and, through this knowledge of the Bible, I learned
to understand a little of the Lord's dealings with the
children of men, which became a great blessing and relief
to me in the mission field and at home.

After three years of school work I was confirmed, with
a very good grade, in the Lutheran church. I had worked
now and then in the rope walks and had become greatly
interested in this work. I then apprenticed myself to a
rope factory, the owner of which was T. H. Berg. I was
permitted to remain at home with my mother, and received
about $1.12 a week for my support in return for my
service. This was pretty good, and occasionally I earned
something extra between times. As I remained at home it
was possible for me to have a little more liberty than I
would have had, had I remained with the other apprentices
in the household of the master.
Since I had now left the school, in which I had been so
intensely interested, I became possessed of a kind of
melancholy which led me to seek the Lord and to study
religion more closely. I went for help to the Lutheran
priest who had confirmed me 3 and he loaned me several
books on religion and other books containing much useful
information, in which I interested myself for some time.
Nevertheless, I found no satisfaction as a result of my
reading; in fact, I hardly knew what I was reading.
One Sunday, in the summer of I860, I went to the church
located a short distance beyond the city. A little valley
lies by the side of the main road. I went into this
valley, under some trees3 and bent upon my knees and
prayed to the Lord with a loud voice. Immediately came a
moment of great exaltation, but followed quickly by a
voice which spoke to me in a contemptuous tone:
"What is wrong with you? What do you want? You come
here and bend upon your knees as a child; you, who have
learned your profession so well; you, who have so many
friends, and have so much honor and respect! Are you not
ashamed?"
Under the influence of this voice I began to feel
almost ashamed of myself, and of what I was doing.

Presently, however, I broke through the mist, and was
given power to rebuke the evil spirits and to compel them
to draw back. Then a great joy rested upon my soul. I
prayed for light. From that time on, I felt as free as a
bird in the air.
In the fall of i860, I finished my apprenticeship. In
accordance with the contract, I received my last year's
pay, $1^; a suit of new black clothes; new shoes; a silk
velvet hat of the best kind, and, in the evening, a splendid dinner. It was customary at the end of the apprenticeship to do a piece of work as a proof that the
business had been thoroughly learned.
I was required to
make a long rope, used by ships in measuring the number of
knots traveled per hour. I made such a rope, and it was
accepted as very good by the shipping committee. After my
apprenticeship was over I was offered work in the same
factory, but with the difference that I was to receive the
pay of a master workman. In those days there was great
traffic in rope, because wire cables had not yet been
introduced, and there was much building and travel of
ships in the city of Trondhjem.
lie

I ACCEPT THE GOSPEL

My uncle Cornelius and his wife, who owned a house in
the city, a short time before had been baptized into the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, by the
brothers Dorius, who where the first missionaries in..the
northern part of Norway. I visited this aunt and presented her with a clothes line which I had made. My aunt was
a well spoken lady, very fervent in her faith, and she
immediately began to bombard me with "Mormonism." In
fact, she lent me a lot of tracts and Scandinavian Stars
for me to read. These I began to read, and compared what
I read with the Bible.
I had my own room in our home and spent all my spare
time in the study of the Bible and the "Mormon" " books.

I soon borrowed more gospel literature and studied it,
with the Bible, both day and night, and prayed to God for
aid and guidance in the investigation. The testimony that
I had the truth came to me more strongly, until, as it
were, I became transformed both in body and spirit through
the saving message of the gospel.
In those days, many kinds of spirits made themselves
known, but this had no influence upon me, for I had seen
even the evil one in the days that I attended school.
This may sound peculiar, but I have, in truth, seen with
my material eyes, evil spirits in different appearances,
and under such varying conditions that I am absolutely'
convinced of their existence among us. Both good and evil
spirits are among us even here in the valleys of the
mountains.
I am ever grateful to the Lord that he has
permitted me to see and hear such things$ as they have
been of great use to me in my life's journey.
When I
investigated the gospel I established an unspeakable faith
in the apostle's counsel that the Saints should seek after
spiritual gifts.
I have the same faith and conviction
today.
I reflected much upon the message that had come to me,
without saying much to any one. There was a missionary in
Trondhjem, Thomasen, by name, from Christiania, a well
informed and talented man; also another named John Dahle,
from Bergen.
These missionaries conducted meetings among
the Saints, but I did not visit their meetings, for I was
very retiring in my disposition. Meanwhile my oldest
sister, Mrs. Martha Hagen, had investigated the gospel and
was baptized. Shortly afterward I also became so strongly
convinced of the truth of "Mormonism" that I went to Elder
Thomasen and asked to be baptized. In the evening of the
l6th of January, 186l, I was baptized at Trondhjem, under
a most pleasant influence.
After my baptism, I presented myself at one of the
meetings of the Saints.
It was the first time that I had

attended. Some of the faithful old sisters doubted my
sincerity, since I had not before attended their meetings;
moreover, it was looked upon as a wonder that a young man,
like myself, could face the persecution sure to follow the
acceptance of a religion so despised as was "Mormonism."
At that time there were few young men in the Church. Itwas soon proposed that I be ordained an elder. I felt,
however, that I was not possessed of the power and information to receive so high a calling, and I asked that the
ordination be postponed for some time. In a later meeting
it was suggested again that I should be ordained to the
priesthood, and I was then ordained an elder in the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Immediately afterwards I was called to assist the missionaries.
Trondhjem, at that time, was. notoriously the headquarters of "Mormon" persecution. The authorities had gone to
the extreme. They had arrested and severely punished some
of our sisters because they had left the legal church of
the land and had accepted "Mormonism," and had been baptized into this new Church. Among the sisters so punished
were Marit Greslie and Mrs. Olsen, two sisters, who later
came to Logan and were married to respectable men; also
Lena Christensen who later came to Salt Lake City. These
sisters were imprisoned and sentenced to five days' imprisonment with a diet of only bread and water. I was also
called to the court house at the trial and had to answer
many questions put to me by the chief of police. Several
of the questions were of such a nature that I did not feel
under any obligation to answer them, which did not bring
the chief into the best of humor. As a result, the police
chief promised me that he should not forget me. He was
very bitter in his feelings towards the Saints.
"Mormonism" from that time on, became my guiding star.
With great interest I accepted the call to help in bearing
testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel, and in visiting the Saints in the city and its surroundings. All this
time I continued my work in the rope factory, owned by

Mr. Berg, under whom I served my apprenticeship. He was a
religious man, a dissenter who had some time before left
the Lutheran church and now belonged to a local sect.
While my master and I walked up and down the rope walk
together spinning hemp, "Mormonism" became the ' theme of
the day, during weeks and months. By this time I had
acquired many of the principles of the gospel as taught in
the tracts of Orson Pratt and Parley P. Pratt, and I was
enabled thereby to continue day after day our interesting
discussion.
After I had joined the Church, since it was very difficult to rent a house where meetings could be held, the
missionaries secured the largest room in my mother's
house. The missionaries lived there, and conducted their
meetings there for several, years. Many times the house
was bombarded by mobs, and my mother had to go and talk to
the people in order to disperse them* After a year or so,
the persecution quieted somewhat and life became more
peaceful. The missionaries had, as it were, a home with
my mother, and many enjoyable meetings were held, in my
mother's house.
After a time my mother also made herself acquainted
with the gospel, and developed a faith in it, but was not
baptized. On many occasions, during the persecutions she
went out in her garden and preached "Mormonism" to the
restless crowd of people standing in the street and around
the house. She was well acquainted with the Bible, and at
once, when an editor was present in the crowd, he wrote
down the principles that she declared to the crowd, and
printed them in his paper as the remarkable speech of an
old woman.
She had a good singing voice and went often
to the houses of our neighbors where she sang songs from
our hymn book. The missionaries remained in my mother's
house, and loved her, during many years, even after I
returned from my first mission to Nordland and Finmarken
in the northern part of Norway.

Several were baptized at Trondhjem. Several changes
occurred among the missionaries, and at one time we were
in charge of a local elder, who gave us good counsel and
guidance. Later we received as our missionary, Hans A.
Hansen from Christiansand, who was sent to Trondhjem to
care for the new branch there. This man later became my
counselor in the bishopric of the sixth ward of Logan.
I secured frequently at this time leave of absence from
the factory for a week or two at a time, in order to
accompany the missionaries on their visits to the surrounding districts, such as Stordalen, Indhered, Seldo,
Borseskogen. In this manner I learned to know something
of the different conditions that a "Mormon" elder has to
meet. Often, though he had money, we could not secure the
privilege of buying food, or a place in which to sleep,
simply because we were "Mormons." Nevertheless, we were
of good faith, though we were many times utterly exhausted
by the long distances that we had to cover on foot, without proper food. These experiences were of a kind to give
us greater preparation for our important work as messengers carrying the glad tidings of the gospel to the
people. We felt much interested in our labors, especially
since we had the joy of seeing some of the fruits of them.
Thus passed the first two years of my membership in the
Church.

III.

I GO ON MY FIRST MISSION

Early in the spring of I863 I was called to be present
at the conference to be held in Christiania. I resigned,
immediately, my place in the rope factory.
According
to law, six weeks' notice had to be given when a person
resigned from steady employment; but if I was to reach
the conference on time, I had to leave at once, for at
that time there was no railroad between Christiania and
Trondhjem. I was, therefore, obliged to tell the owner of

the factory that I had to leave in one week0 This was a
hard nut for him to cracky especially since he had the law"
on his sidee I told him that I was going to the conference9 law or no law, and that I was going to be there on
time0 He finally gave in to my request9 and even offered
to meet me in the morning of my departure to bid me goodby3 and promised to send an apprentice to carry my satchel
to the city limits0
On the morning of my departure 9 the master came9
according to his agreementB and brought with him an old
school teacher,, connected with the church9 as I supposed
for the purpose of driving "Mormonism" out of me 0 Their
plan did not materialize? our discussions were carried on
in a friendly way, and at last they bade me goodbye and
gave me their best wishes for my future0 The apprentice
came and carried my satchel through the city0 Thus I left
my native city,, to begin the many years of missionary
serviceo
A Swedish rope~mak©r was also on his way to Christiania
and we ? therefore9 traveled together0 We traveled on
foot9 along the country roads 9 the 350 miles that separate"
Trondhjem from Christiania0 This was early in the month
of March0 The roads were difficult to travel for there
was much snow0 Moreover9 neither of us knew the conditions and short cuts of the roads0 We had snow shoes
along with us, which madfe our journey more rapid in places
where they could be usedo On we traveled9 day after day^
along the valleys9 over the hills9 now in heavy drifted
snow, now where the road was bare from the heavy windsa
In the course of our journey9 we finally had to climb
Dovre mountain, the highest divide in Norway0 The mountain side was covered with drifted snow9 and it was
exceedingly difficult to walk there„ One evening we
reached the station known as Grievestuen, the first station north of Dovre mountain, and spent the night there on
nearly the highest point of the mountain* This is far

above the tree line, and no dwelling houses are found so
far up on the mountain. The next day we crossed the mountain, for the first time for me, though it was not "to be
my lasto That day we undertook, as usual, almost too much
of a day's journey9 for we traveled almost fourteen miles
through the heavy drifted snow, to the second station from
the one in which we had spent the nighta Darkness overtook us* The road was filled with drifted snowp and in
our worn-out condition we were in danger of giving up and
remaining in the snow throughout the night<> I had in my
pocket a small bottle of camphor drops of which we took a
drop now and theng This seemed to help us, and at length,
we reached the station0
The next morning we walked ten or twelve miles downward into the beautiful and well-known GuMbrahds 'Valleya
Some days later we reached the beautiful city of Lillehammer, which lies at the end of the great lake of Mjosen0
Ships here take passengers to Eidsvold=, but, when we
arrivedj, the lake was still covered with ice and we had to
continue our foot journey twenty-eight miles farther0 At
last we reached the town of Gjevig? where we journeyed by
ship to Eidsvold9 the railroad terminus, where we boarded
the train immediately, and found ourselves in Christiania
the same &a.ya The long walk wai ended0
On the evening of my arrival, the conference began, in
the large hall in Storgaden0 Elder Rasmus Johansen was
president, and the brothers Dorius were also thereQ I
felt like one who has just escaped from a prison—glad and
happyo We had a good time together. Nearly all of the
missionaries and our local elders were there0 During this
conference I was called to go to Nordland on a mission^
and I received my commission from: President
Rasmus
Johansen* I suppose few of those present knew anything
about Nordland at that time0
Soon after the conference, I began,
tramp of 350 miles, northward, to my

along,
native

my long
city of

Trondhjem. On the return journey, however, I took a somewhat different route, through Osterdalen. On this trip,
also, I had to walk across a great mountain and as I was
not acquainted with the conditions, it was night before I
came down from the mountain, into the nearest village.
The people had all gone to bedG I knocked on the door of
one of the houses. "Who is there?" asked someone. "A
stranger who has come over the mountain," said I. "No, he
can get no entertainment here," said a woman, briskly.
"Hold on," said a man. "A man who has walked over the
mountain alone at this time of night needs rest. I have
been out myself and know what it means." He dressed himself, opened the door, put good food on the table, made my
bed, and said, "Help yourself." This man was one of the
many who has secured, for himself9 a reward.
I came finally to the city of Roros, where many of my
family lived, and to whom I bore my testimony. At last I
reached Trondhjem where I secured work again in the rope
factory9 and where I worked during two weeks, in order to
earn enough to buy a steamer ticket to the place assigned
to me for my missionary labors. At that time, the missionaries were sent out without purse or scrip, and
depended entirely upon the promises of the Lord.

IV.

MISSIONARY LABORS IN NORDLAND AND
' FINMARKEN

The 27th of May, 1863, I took passage with' the steamship Prince Gustaf, and with God's mercy of eternal salva=
tion before me, I bade my dear mother goodby. With joy
in my heart I went out to carry the message of the everlasting covenant, to preach the gospel and to battle for
the cause of truth.
The first island I visited was Degoe. It lies off
Helgeland. There I bore my testimony to the people, and
distributed books and tracts wherever I went. I then
traveled to Harstad, from there to Qvarfjorden where there

was a family who belonged to the Church, and then along
Kadsfjorden where there also was a family belonging to the
Church.
Then came numerous long visits among the many deep
fjords and sounds of which Nordland mainly consists, and
upon the islands, most of which are thickly peopled. I
traveled by boat, sailship or steamship, as opportunity
offered. I tramped from island to island, over mountains
and valleys, visited houses and fishing districts, and had
opportunity to bear my testimony before many people. I
visited nearly all of the inhabited islands, fjords and
sounds in Nordland. There I met many kinds of people,-=
priests and schoolteachers, and many people well versed in
the Bible. The people in Nordland seemed to me to be
better posted on the Bible than in any other place in
Norway. The few Saints whom I found scattered on the different islands were visited, but, soon after I reached
there, two families who belonged to the Church emigrated
to Zion, namely Pollov Israelsen, and Peter Hartvigsen.
My greatest interest and joy was my mission work; this I
can truthfully say.
Nordland begins several miles north of Trondhjem, where
the Atlantic ocean crowds in and follows the Norwegian
coastline northward and washes the old steep rocks of the
shore, until the famous North Cape is reached, a few miles
from the widely known city of Hammerfest. Hundreds of
tourists from various nations visit this place every summer. Here they may see the midnight sun circle around the
horizon, through two long months of summer. After we
leave North Cape the coast line draws north-east and east
to south, until the great Atlantic ocean surrounds Norway's northern, barren and fjord-furrowed coast. This
part of Norway is called Finmarken. The country is here
very barren. No vegetation, excepting grass, is found,
and the population, chiefly Finns and Lapps, live on the
mountains and care for their great herds of reindeer, or,
they live on the islands and fish from season to season.
Fishing, as is well known, is the lifeblood of Norway's

industrial existence. I give these facts because this
great mission field is little known, even now, in our
Church history.
I was called to go on a mission to Nordland, which
includes many cities such as Namsos, Bodo, Harstad, and
Tromso. The last mentioned city lies 875 miles north of
Trondhjem, and Vardo, the most distant of the cities lies
1,400 miles north of Trondhjem. This vast territory was,
therefore, my mission field. In this field only ten souls
belonged to the Church at the time I came there. These
few had been.baptized by Elder Ola Orstend who was ' the
captain of a trading ship, and who later became postmaster
in Cottonwood, Utah*
The people in that part of the land did not always deem
it proper for me to preach "Mormonism" and to administer
the ordinances of the Church.
Consequently during the
time I spent in that country, I was arrested seven times,
carried over land and sea in boats and steamers as a prisoner, tried in various places, and was sentenced to
imprisonment six times. The first time I was given six
days imprisonment with only bread and water for food.
This was in the city of Tromso„ In the prison I had to
mingle with thieves" and murderers.
I was assigned a.
little room in the attic with a tiny window in the.east§
and a hard bed hanging by hinges on the wall so that it
might be dropped down, when it was to be used and lifted
again when not in use, so that there would be some room
for me in which to move about.
A tiny table and a tiny
bench - constituted the furniture.
I had a small piece of
sour, coarse bread, and all the water I desired, every
twenty-four hours.
The cause of my sentence was illegal
religious activity.
When I had earned my freedom, and was let out of the
prison, I began again to bear my testimony among the
people and to distribute books and to hold meetings, and
to baptize those who were converted to the saving message.
The tracts that I distributed found their way to many
of the honest in heart. I heard cat one time of a man far

away in Finmarken. who desired much, to see and speak with,
an elder. He had read" something in some of our books that
had reached him. I had then just come out of prison in
Tromso. I bought a ticket on a steamer to a station known
as Hasvig, on the east side of the great island of Soro.
He who desired to meet an elder of the Church lived in
Ofjorden, west of the island, nearly thirty-five miles
away£ over great mountains and morasses. Since I had
never been in this place, I wondered if I could find my
way to it. The only road was that made by the goats as
they traveled back and forth between the watering and
feeding places. The steamship was to arrive in Hasvig at
two o'clock in the morning.
It was the l6th day of September. I was the only deck passenger on the ship. As the
night went on I became very anxious about the manner of my
reaching my destination, and when all was quiet on board I
went forward on the ship, bowed before the Lord and prayed
tchim, in whose service I was traveling, to guide my
footsteps and to care for me on this particular task. I
became surrounded by a great light and a voice said to me,
"Be of good courage. You are not alone. Whatever is
necessary will be given you." I cannot describe how happy
I felt.
At two o'clock in the morning the steamboat whistled
and we stopped at the station of Hasvig. Tftere was no
landing place there at that time, so the postmaster came
out with a boat to deliver and receive the mail.
I was
the only passenger he brought away. He asked me where I
came from and where I was going. I told him and he
invited me immediately to go with him to his office. He
said, "My housekeeper has always a cup of coffee ready for
me when I am up at night to get the mail." Afterwards he
went down with me to the shore and took me to a freight
boat which was about to travel up the fjord the way I was
going. The postmaster asked those in the Jboat to take me
with them as far as they went, and told me it was best for
me to begin my foot journey at the place the boat would
stop. I continued with the boat to Sorvar, which we
reached at ten o'clock the next forenoon. Great .fishing

districts are located there. I had been up all night, and
I was very tired. A fisherman whom I met asked me to go
with him to his place , and he would make some coffee for
me, for he understood that I was tired.
As my strength returned to me I.began to-bear,my,testis
mony to themc After an hour's time, one of the many who
had gathered to listen to me, invited me to go with him to
his house for dinner, after which he took a boat and rowed
me across the sound. On this journey our time was occupied in explaining questions' which he directed to me. He
was v e r y much interested. After we crossed the sound he
hired a boat and we rowed up to the head of the fjord.
Here we found shelter for the night with a family of Laps.
When they heard where I was going, one of the Lap ..women
said she knew the road well and offered to go with me and
to show me the road over the mountains, about seven miles.
We reached Ofjorden, my destination, early in the
afternoon and was welcomed by the man who had desired to
see a "Mormon" elder. This man, for some time, had held
a position similar to that of probate judge, but had
resigned his position and was now living quietly and was
being cared for by a housekeeper. It was peculiar that
the man who had heard me speak on the island, and who had
rowed me across the sound, had followed me the whole distance. I held a meeting with them and spoke to them the
whole day of my arrival and the day after. My friend the
fisherman returned, at last. The day afterward I baptized
the old probate judge; later his housekeeper was baptized,
and at last the Lap woman who had acted as my guide over
the mountain was baptized. When this had been accomplished the Lap woman guided me back straight over the
mountain, to Hasvig where I had left the steamship early
in the night just a week previously. The vision that I
had had on the deck of the ship that night had been literally fulfilled. Everything that was necessary had been
given me. I felt very grateful to the Lord for his
fatherly care and guidance during the week.

Afterward I visited the huts of the Laps on the shore
and slept one night with them. They received me with much
kindness, invited me to eat with them and desired much to
listen to what I had to tell them. I held a meeting with
them and sang for thems They all felt well, as did I
also.

V.

AGAIN BEFORE THE COURTS

I had a sister five years older than myself who was not
in the Church, but was a private teacher in the family of
Mr. Miller, a merchant in Kovaaen, about one hundred
seventy-five miles south of Tromso. Mrs. Miller was
slightly related to the Skanchys. At one time I had been
kept in prison in Tromso during twenty-one days, waiting
for a session of the court at which I could be tried. At
last I was sent by steamship to Kovaaen, where a court was
to be held.
We left Tromso about ten o'clock in the evening. There
were many passengers on board, especially on the deck. It
was one of the mild, beautiful summer nights of Nordland.
The steward who had my ticket and was supposed to take
care of me desired to have a little fun with the "Mormon"
preacher, but apparently he made a wrong calculation, for
when he attacked me with improper words, I talked back to
him so loudly that the captain on the bridge came running
down to the steward and took him by the coat collar and
put him under arrest, saying that he had no right to make
life disagreeable for a prisoner. The steward remained
under deck as a prisoner during the whole day.
At once, as a result of this episode, I was surrounded
by all the passengers on the deck, and as I stood on one
side of the deck the little ship began to tip. The captain very politely asked me to stand in the middle of the
deck. I felt then that I had a good opportunity to preach
and to answer the questions that might be put to me. The

people again gathered about me, and I stood there and
defended the cause of truth from twelve o'clock at night
until five o'clock in the morning. At that time a lady of
the first class came to me and offered me something to
eat.
This food strengthened my body. Thus, in my life's
experience, I have been occupied a whole night in battling
for the cause of truth.
On this occasion I felt that I
was not alone, but that I was powerfully supported by the
Lord and his influence.
At seven o'clock in the morning we reached our destina=
tion, and two of the civil authorities came on board.
They both greeted me, as I had long been acquainted with
them.
At eight o'clock we reached the place where the
court was to be held. The courthouse was on a little hill
rising abruptly from the fjord.
Mr. Nordrum, the court
clerk, and his deputy went at once into the house which
was occupied as a dwelling house, and where the family
were eating breakfast0
Mr. Nordrum was a liberal-minded
man and he said to Mrs. Miller, "Have you a comfortable
room that we can have, as we have a prisoner along with
us?"
"What?"

said the lady,

"a nice room

for a prisoner?"

"Yes," he answered.
"It is no ordinary prisoner.
is the 'Mormon' preacher, Skanchy."

It

% sister, who was standing by the table, heard this
and almost fainted.
She left the table and went weeping
down to the shore where I was standing, threw her arms
about my neck, kissed me, and cried again.
All this was
done to the great surprise of my fellow passenger, the
lady who so kindly gave me a bite to eat earlier in the
morning.
This lady soon heard that I was her brother.
This also brought tears from the lady, who said, "I would
give a great deal if I had such a brother, for he has been
on the battlefield all night and has won a victory."

All this occurred on Sunday morning.
I was given a
good breakfast in a large, well-furnished room in .the
building.
The court clerk came to my room, greeted me in
a friendly way, and told me that my hearing should be the
first one so that I could be released early.
At eight o'clock Monday morning, I was called into the
court room where I was examined concerning my great crime
against the Norwegian law, namely, that I had freely
preached the doctrines of the Bible and performed the
ordinances of the gospel which should be done only by the
Lutheran priests who were paid for so doing.
The court
clerk, Mr. Nordrum, of whom I have spoken, felt well
towards the "Mormons" and treated them with much respect,
but he was obliged, of course, to do his work in accordance with the laws of the land.
The only judges who were
after us were those who wanted to make a reputation for
themselves by persecuting the "Mormons."
This bitter trial was similar to the many others to
which I had been subjected.
Upon the request of the
court, I bore a long testimony to the truthfulness of
"Mormonism," all of which was written down in the records
of the court.
All of it was read to me again, so that I
might correct it, if I so desired, before it became a permanent part of the court records.
I thought this was not
so bad9 as my testimony had been written into the official
records each time that I had been before the courts. As a
result a great deal of "Mormonism" stands recorded in the
official records of northern Norway, as a testimony
against the unjust persecutions to which the servants of
the Lord have been subjected.
My case now went to a superior officer for his consideration, and I was set free until such time as he might
pronounce judgment upon me.
The day after, the clerk of
the court, Mr. Nordrum, offered to take me on my journey
with him, in a large row boat which belonged to the city.

It would be at least a week before the steamer arrived.
The boat had four men as rowers. The clerk and I sat at
the back of the boat on a comfortable bench, and during
the eight hours of the trip discussed the gospel. We came
during the day to a large island which was densely populated and there, in accordance with my wishes, I was set
on land. On this island I took up my work with much
satisfaction, and continued it from island to island.
I will say here again that my mission work was of
greatest interest and joy to me. When I saw the fruits of
my work, as I took the honest in heart to the water's edge
and there baptized them, I felt that it was the most
glorious work any mortal could perform0 No sacrifice
seemed too great, for I felt as if my whole system was
swallowed up in "Mormonisme"
The experiences which I won by my work in Nordland, the
long journeys by land and water, the sacrifices and the
suffering I had to endure, such as hunger and loss of
sleep, will always remain in my memory, and they were no
doubt for my good.
I learned on this mission great lessons, and the Lord be praised therefor.

Vic

HOW I SPENT THE WINTER IN NORDLAND

I continued my work until late into the fall and early
winter, as long as I could find the people at home. When
winter opened, most'of the able=bodied men voyaged to the
fishing districts and worked there throughout the winter.
Especially did the fishermen gather in the famous fisheries of Lofoten, where thousands of men and boats assembled
each winter while the women, children and the aged
remained home on the islands. At that season so much snow
falls that it is almost impossible to travel from place to
place.
I was in considerable distress, for I hardly knew what
a poor missionary could do during the winter to perform

his duties and to measure up to the responsibilities that
had been placed upon him and be true to his call. This
great problem filled my thoughts. I presented the matter
to Him in whose service I had been called. The result was
that I obtained the testimony that I should go wherever I
could find people and work with them just as far as I
could. Consequently, I started out for the fisheries
where the men gathered for the winter.
First I went to the island of Hatsel, and from there to
a place near Lofoten, in the midst of the wild ocean, and
hired out to one of the fishermen, the owner of a large
boat. There were six of us in the boat, and during the
winter we fished with all our strength in the great
Atlantic Ocean. An old house stood on the shore, at a
point known as Qualnes, in which the fishermen lived during the fishing season. Twelve men, six from our boat and
six from another, lived in the large, one room of the
cabin. Here we cooked and slept; but it went pretty well.
As I was quick, strong-, and endured the -sea without
becoming sick, I felt that I never needed to take a place
inferior to any of the other men. My associates were raw,
uncultured seamen. I thought to myself, "Here is something for me to do." I went out among the great rocks
that littered the coast and had my prayers and communions
with the Lord. Soon I acquired influence over the men and
began to teach them to refrain from their fearful swearing
and cursing, which they continued from morning until evening. They all knew that I was a "Mormon" preacher.
Our
captain was the first to stop swearing; then the others,
and finally they developed a very great respect for me.
Whatever I said, they accepted as being right. In the end
they developed such a love for me that when the fishing
season was ended, and I bade them farewell, tears 'came
into their eyes. This was the first winter of my first
mission, and the first winter that I spent as a fisherman
on the wild ocean.

From the fisheries I sailed to the island of Hatsel
where my winter's captain lived, and visited for a. short
time with him and his family.
I received ray $3^ for the
winter's work, and went joyfully on my way, to continue my
mission over the country.

VIIo

THE LORD SENDS ME MONEY AND MOPE FRIENDS

The second srammer of my mission was used chiefly in
preaching to the fishermen.
I traveled from island to
island, from shore to shore9 over mountains and valleys,
and I won numerous friends.
Many were baptized and more
were left with a testimony.
I was arrested, of course,
and on one occasion was given eight days' solitary confinement with only bread and water to eat. In the fall my
moans had all been consumed, and the snow water ran in and
out of my boots.
I succeeded in borrowing about five
dollars from a friend9 who war. not in the Church, and
that put me in tip-top shape again.
On ray journey I
secured many subscribers for the Scandinavian Star, which
also helped to spread the gospel.
The second winter came, and I received a letter from
Captain Christian Hansen, with whom I had labored the pre*
ceding winter, asking me to report at his home the first
of January, 1865It was about the middle of December
that one of the brethern who took a boat and rowed me into
Gosf jorden, whence I could walk over a mountain, about
fourteen miles, until I would be opposite the island which
was my destination.
The country here was very wild and
open, and had great chasms running through it.
It was
very easy for a. person to become hopelessly lost in a maze
of wonderful natural phenomena.
I bade my good brother
goodby by the ocean side; he gave, me explicit instructions
for my guidance.
I was to go in a straight line southward, and I would reach my destination.
As much snow lay
on the ground, I took a pair of skis and carried my
clothes and books in a satchel on my back.

Within five .minutes after starting, the air became
filled with snow, so that I could not discover which was
south or north.
To go back was impossible for no one
lived by the fjord; the boat had gone back, and I stood
alone in the .solitary, mountainous wilderness.
However,
this did not frighten me, for I felt that I was directed
by the Lord.
I turned about to get the direction I had
taken in the beginning, and then sighted ahead, as best
I could, in the same direction to some bush or other
natural object. This I repeated, over and over again, and
in that fashion I traveled the whole fourteen miles in the
midst of a terrific snow-storm. The snow was so soft that
my skis sank down in it until I was in the snow almost up
to my knees, and I could hardly see the end of my skis, as
I brought them out of the snow.
Naturally, my progress
was slow.
Night came and darkness overtook me, but for me there
was light, nevertheless.
At nine; o'clock that night I
reached the shore.
It was joy to take the skis from my
feet and walk on the sand among the great rocks.
I saw a
house on the shore about a mile away. I went in there and
asked for lodging. I was so overcome by weakness from the
hard journey of the day that I could -scarcely speak.
The
man in the house, however, understood what troubled me,
and placed me in a chair by the warm stove; then he took
my boots from off my feet, and brought me from the cellar
a bowl of home-made malt beer. After I had become warmed,
he asked me bo sit up to the table and eat. I did this in
a great hurry.
This poor fisherman's home was the only house on this
side of the island.
After I had eaten, the wife made the
beds.
She put clean sheets and pillow slips over a good
straw matress covered with an old boat sail in the corner
of the one room in the house.
After prayers, it seemed
that they knew who 1 was.
I was then made to sleep in
their own bed, whi.ie they slept on the straw bed made in
the corner.

The next morning we had a modest breakfast, and the man
rowed me across the sound to the next island, and would not
take the slightest pay for what he had done. I then walked
across this island and found a man to ferry me across the
next sound. For this service the ferryman demanded twentyfive cents.
This was the last money that I had.
I gave
him the money and he set me ashore on a sand ridge that
jutted out from, the island into the water.
He immediately
rowed back to his own island. There I stood, alone, penni~
less and in a strange place. With, a heavy heart I gathered
up my satchel and my coat and looked around for my direc=
tionse There, as I looked, by my side and on the sand, lay
a little pile of money in silver and copper coins, totaling
nearly a dollar.
I was so affected by this unexpected relief that I sat down on a stone and wept for gratitude.
I wondered-how this money had been left9 and came to the
conclusion that some fishermen had probably been selling
fish among the neighboring islands and had placed the money
that, they received, as is very common, in the bailing dipper of the boat; on their way back they had forgotten that
the money was in the bailing dipper, and in bailing out the
boat had thrown the money accidentally on the sand=ridge on
which I had landed.
However 9 it had happened *
It was
another testimony to me that there is One high above us,
who sees and knows ail things. He knew, no doubt, that I
had paid out my last money9 and therefore guided my boat
that 1 landed where this money had been lost. I was grateful to the Lord.
I continued my journey from island to island, and at
last reached the island of Hasel, where I was received
warmly by Captain Christian Hansen and his wife. This time
he offered me a much better position in the fishery than I
had the previous winter. I was to be with him during Janu=
ary, February and March. He was to furnish the fishing apparatus and my provisions, and we were to divide equally
the products of my labor.
I agreed to this and we sailed,
away.

We lived this winter also in the old log house, and all
went fairly well.
When the fishing season was ended, and
the account was to be settled, I found that my share was
about fifty dollars.
I paid my debts and continued my
journeys again.

VIII.

I AM RELEASED FROM MY FIRST MISSION

At last I came to the town Vardo in Finmarken, the most
distant city in my field, where I remained a few weeks.
While there I went out on the ocean and fished.
Instead
of nets, hooks and lines were used. The whole ocean was
so filled with fish that it seemed as if it were a great
pot in which fish were boiled. It was a common experience
that heavily weighted fish lines could not get past the
mass of fish.
On this trip I was arrested for preaching the gospel of
Christ and brought by steamer to the city of Hammerfest,
where sentence wa^ pronounced on me; and from there, in
another steamer to Tromso where I spent ten days in prison
on a diet of bread and water. I learned many things from
these seasons of imprisonment. I was a young man, healthy
and strong, accustomed to moving quickly in my work, and I
found that this diet of bread and water did not agree with
me; especially as I was given a tiny piece of sour, heavy
dry9 coarse bread, about the size of half of my hand,
every twenty-four hours. As the days went by in prison, I
must confess that I became very hungry and that it caused
sleeplessness.
1 was able to sleep about two hours each
night, and would awake weak and tired. I dreamed usually that I was feasting on an abundance of things to eat
and drink and then would suddenly awake hungry and weak,
dizziness and headache overmastering me. I lay on my hard
bed hoping for the arrival of day because I could then
divert my thoughts a little better.
These seasons of imprisonment tired me severely.
None can fully understand
it unless he has experienced it himself. It brought to my

mind the words of the Prophet Isaiah, "It shall even be as
when a hungry man dreameth, and behold, he eateth; but he
waketh, and his soul is empty? or as when a thirsty man
dreameth, and behold, he drinketh, but he waketh, and,
behold, he is faint, and his soul has appetite: So shall
the multitude of the nations be that fight against Mount
Zion." I thought to myself that he who spoke those words
had undoubtedly had experience in it.
Daring the month of July, in I865, the third summer of
my labors in Nordland, I received my release from this
mission, from Elder George M0 Brown9 who then presided
over the Norway conference. I wrote to all the Saints in
Nordland's branch to meet in the historical place Bjarkoe
at a stated time. All of the Saints came to the meeting,
as also strangers. My sister In the flesh, Amelia, came
therep also, and was baptized* We partook of the sacra=
me.ut together, and for three or four days we had a most
enjoyable time. At last, then, I bade farewell to my
brethren, sisters, and friends, and to Nordland with its
many islands, fjords and great and beautiful mountains,
forming a landscape so brilliantly equipped that it does
not stand second to any that I have seen. The impressions
which became stamped upon ray mind during ray mission up
among the people of northern Norway, in the days of my
youth, will never, I believe, leave me, for one might
learn more up there than can be learned in a university.
Before I leave this extensive and valuable mission
field, I will add my modest judgment of this great and
beautiful country, with fjords and sounds, islands and
high mountains covered with leafy trees, reaching down to
the shore, with the background of high cliffs and barren
mountains, covered with patches of trees and moss, where
the Laps watch their great herds grazing in the small
mountain valleys. All about, are every kind of feathered
life, representing the birds of the ocean, among which the
eider duck Is a. prominent feature. It seems as if Nature
has here made attempt after attempt to invite wealth and
beauty to the children of men. Three months throughout

the year the midnight sun shines; the great ocean teems
with measureless wealth of food for man. Wherever one
turns there is something attractive to behold. Not only
is the eye pleased, but the spiritual intelligence is
touched as well. To me it was as if, in this rugged
nature, a new world of inspiration and introspection came
from God, who from the beginning had organized the whole
land. No wonder that thousands visit summer after summer
this land of the midnight sun, this wonderland.
I took passage homeward in a steamer under Capt. J, Se
Green, a. friend of mine, and a member of the Church. I
was very grateful to the Lord for his fatherly care and
protection over me during my honest labors both on land
and -sea; and though I felt myself a very humble and imperfect messenger of the great and noble work, I also felt
that the Lord was satisfied with my work, and that the
honor belonged to him. At last I reached Trondhjem and
had the joy to greet my dear mother again, together with
my brethren, sisters and friends. I remained a few days
with the missionaries9 who still roomed in ray mother's
house, and held several meetings. Then I bade my mother
farewell again, and began my long walk to Christiania, and
again had the opportunity of walking over the Dovre mountain alone * I reached Christiania in due season, about
two and a half years after I set out on my mission.

IX.

I LABOR IN AALESUND

I was retained as a missionary, but was now at liberty
to go wherever I wanted. I said goodby, and journeyed on
to Guldbrands valley where I thought there would be a good
field for work, as the whole valley is thickly populated.
From there I went to Roms valley and at last reached
Aalesund. In this city I found a sister whom I had baptized in Nordland and who was now married to Mr. Myre, a
bookkeeper. As I was the first elder who had visited this
town, I was greatly persecuted by the minister, ' Mr. Buck,

and by the police who were on my track every day. Nevertheless, I won friends there and after a time baptized Mr.
Myre.
Just at this time Elder Christian Folkman, and the
Saints who were in Trondhjem, invited me to spend the
Christmas season there9 and sent me traveling money so
that I could buy my steamship ticket. I was in my native
city by Christmas and had a most interesting time.
Early in January, I returned by steamer to Aalesund, to
continue my work. When I arrived I had only twelve cents,
which was just enough to pay the man who rowed me from the
steamship and placed me on land in the city. I secured
lodgings in the house of a master shoemaker, Nielsen, who
owned a large three-story house. The police chief soon
came and ordered me to leave the-city, but when I told him
I was paying for my support, and that I knew something
about the Norwegian law and his authority9 and that it did
not extend so far as to drive me out of the city, he left
me alone, but commanded his force to keep a very close
watch over me.
Then came the priest of the city, the Mr. Buck formerly
mentioned, in company with one of the local merchants, and
gave me considerable more such information, that if I conducted any meetings, the doors of the prison were ready to
close behind me. A few days afterward I went to call on
the priest, but he saw me come and instructed his house=
keeper to tell me that he was not at home. When I asked
if the pastor was at home, she said, "No, he is away." As
I knew that he was at home at that time, I warned the lady
she should not tell an untruth to one of the Lord's servants. She took my words to heart and told her folks what
had happened. It so happened that this lady was of very
prominent parents, and they immediately took their daughter home. Two days later, one of the merchants greeted
me, and told me that this story of the pastor's untruthfulness had spread over the city to the shame of the

pastor himself. Sometime after I had left Aalesund, I
heard that this minister, Mr. Buck, had hung himself, for
what reason I did not learn.
Then came the superior priest of the district and
pressed upon my landlord that he must drive me out of the
house, and not give home or habitation to false prophets.
Mr. Nielsen, who had learned something of the gospel, bore
testimony in my behalf, and then everything went wrong. I
was not present, but the two must have had a serious time
together.
In a few days came a letter from the superior priest to
Mr. Nielsen insisting that as Nielsen was a respected man
in the community, in order to maintain his good name he
must not any longer give me lodging. Mr. Nielsen was now
in a tight place, and he presented the matter to me. He
did not want to turn me out, yet he desired to favor the
chief priest of the district. In fact, so overcome was he
that he cried. An evening or two later he received
another letter from the pastor which was even more
insistent.
The morning after the receipt of the second letter, I
placed the whole matter before the Lord, and received my
inspiration that if I would call on the priest he would
acknowledge the correctness of every principle that I
might present to him. Filled with joy, I walked to his
home some two miles beyond the edge of the city. I was
courteously invited into the office of the great man. We
had first a conversation concerning the Bible; then, concerning the relation of "Mormonism" to Biblical doctrines.
Questions were directed to me, and I replied in the spirit
of truth that was present; and he acknowledged the correctness of every principle that I advocated. For ., two,
hours we were together in friendly conversation. The
battle was won; and from that time on he was especially
kind and helpful to our missionaries who followed me. The
same day Mr. Nielsen was informed by letter from the

priest that he could give me lodging as long as he liked,
and the priest further stated that he had had a conversation with Mr. Skanchy which convinced him that he had been
mistaken in his opposition, but excused himself by saying
that it was the duty of his profession to oppose those who
believed in any other religion than that supported by the
state.
Even after this, I had a pretty hard time in Aalesund;
but after several members had been brought into the Church
the work became somewhat easier. Among others who were
baptized at this time was Mrs. Soneva Torgesen, the wife
of a friendly ship captain. This woman was a true daughter of Israel, and did much good. She had two small
children whom I blessed. The boy was instructed by his
mother and is a faithful, elder in the Church today.
In the spring of I867, at a conference held in
Christiania, C e C. A. Christ en sen, .-who had' ^.arrived ..'from
Utah, was assigned to preside in Norway. I bade farewell
to Aalesund and began my journey up the valley of the
Roms, over Dovre mountain again, and then down Guldbrands
valley until I reached the little town of Lillehammer,
where we had a sister in the gospel, Ellen Buckwald, who
was employed in the household of a Mr. Revers, a friend of
our people. To this house the elders were invited when=
ever they came to the city, and were treated there in the
very best manner. I had many conversations concerning the
gospel with this educated man. The family did not want to
part with Ellen, for she taught the children of the household "Mormonism," and used to pray, even, for Brigham
Young as a leader of Israel.
I finally again came to Christiania, and in the conference then held was released from my second mission by the
outgoing president.

X0

I PRESIDE IN CHRISTIANIA

Elder C. C. A. Christensen then took over the guidance
of the Saints in Norway. I was called to act as the president of the Christiania branch which at that time had
about 600 members. Upon the receipt of this call I felt
my unworthiness in a very great degree. There were many
in the congregation who had accepted the gospel long
before I had, many of them older and more intelligent men
and women, but I prayed to my God for wisdom and intelligence to be able to guide this great body of people.
These prayers were heard and the Lord blessed me mightily.
I gained the love and respect of the Saints and with the
fatherly guidance of our respected President, C. C. A.
Christensen, I got along very well. Many persons were
converted and baptized into the Church both in Christiania
and throughout the branches in the country as a result of
the visits of President Christensen to the differentbranches and the meetings he held everywhere with the
people.
As the children of the Saints in Christainia were often
persecuted in school by the other children, because their
parents were "Mormons," I decided to try to stop this
unnecessary and improper persecution. I went to the chief
of police, one of our friends, and counseled with him as
to what we would best do. He advised us to petition the
school board, the chairman of which was Bishop Arup, for
the privilege of establishing a school of our own, and he
suggested further that we secure a number of well known
names to this petition and offered to be the first to sign
it. We delivered this petition to the bishop who was a
very courteous man. After a couple of weeks the petition
was granted, on the condition that an officer of the
school board should inspect the school once a year to make
sure that we were giving the right training 'and maintaining proper discipline. Moreover, in our school,' the
children should not be obliged to study the state religion
or the history of the Bible. We thought this a very great
concession.

I wag then appointed to take charge of this schools,
with Sister Christina Qsterbeek as assistant. The children were each to pay a little 9 B.B they could obtain the
means9 for the expense of books9 and other supplies. This
wae a fairly successful experiment0 The officers of the
school board alao seemed satisfied with our work* I was
permitted occasionally to make mission journeys into the
district surrounding Christiania0 Soma of these journeys9
taken in the winter, were very difficult0
In the summer of 186? 9 I was sent to visit the town of
Kongsberg and Numme valley9 where I had been before.
From the city of Drammenj the road leads through a great
forest, and then over a high mountain,. When I reached the
top of the mountain the sun was setting in the west behind
me j, and the shadow of the mountain was thrown miles and
miles over the forest below the mountain and covered the
whole city of Kongsberg0 The magnificent beauty and vastness of this sunset from the mountain top worked upon my
feelings and I sought a plaee under a small hill where9
with enthusiasm in my heart, 1 kneeled before the Lord and
opened my heart to him0 I played especially that he would
lead my footsteps? guide me on my way? and help me find a
place to stay that night9 for I had only a few cents left0
At the close of my prayer©9 it ieemed to me that I was
surrounded by a holy influence0
I then began my descent of the mountain0 It was already
dark when I crossed the bridge over the river that flows
near the eity0 Where was I to go? The houses of the city
are built v e r y near to each other0 When I reached the
firit biockp I turned to the right and walked around itQ
Then I crossed the street and began on the next block0 At
last9 I thought;, "Here is the place where I would better
go in and knock*ri
But the answer of the Spirit was
ir
f
immediately Noo' I continued to walk to the right around
the blocks and after a while I thought9 s'Now I will knock
on the next door0?f But again the voice whispered9 n No e "
I continued circling the blocks until I reached the eighth
blocko As I approached the middle of this block a voice

whispered to me 9 "Here you are to enter*" I knocked on
the doorB and a hearty, "Come in" was the answer0 I
stepped into the room and saw a man and his wife sitting
by a table9 playing dominos0 I noticed that they looked
at each other and smiled0 -'Can I obtain lodging here
tonight?" I saido "Ies9" said the man and painted to a
door that led into a little bedroom, in which were a
tables a candlestick ready to be lightedB a bed9 a wash
bowl and other furniture0 The lady came in and lighted
the candle and asked me if I did not want something to
eat* I was very hungry and could have eaten a good hearty
iupper? but I told har? if she pleased? a little bowl .of
bread and milk would be sufficient0
Next morning at six o'clocks I heard the man move about
in the house» As I learned later9 he worked in the
national rifle factory9 and had to be at work quite early
In the morningo After he had gone? the lady came into my
room9 placed a chair in front of the bed? and placed upon
it a tray with food0 When she lefts I got up and ate this
light breakfast with- great appetite0 At eight o:clock the
man came back for his breakfast9 and I was called in and
placed at the table0 There was a little pause0
They
looked at each other? and I asked if "they would permit me
to bless the food* The man said? "That is what we are
waiting forQ" I blessed the food9 and we began to eat0
Then a very peculiar conversation ensued0 "You have not
been here before?" "No 3 " -1Who brought you here last
night?"
^No one©" "Are you not a ;Mormon7 elder?"
"Yeio" "Did you notice anything when you came in here
last night?"
"Yes0" "What was it you noticed?" "I
noticed that you looked at your wife and smiled and she
smiled back8
He then told me the story0 Just before I knocked on
the doorP they both heard distinctly a voice which said,
"Here comes a servant of the Lord9 who desires lodging for
the nighta Take good care of him0" He continued, "The
bed in which you slept last night has not been used during
the last six years© The last person before you who slept

there was a 'Mormon' elder to whom the room was rented out
for a year. When he left, mos^ of the people he baptized
sold out and went to Utah. No 'Mormon* has been here
it
since.
I said to him, "I suppose then you
teachings of 'Mormonism.'"

know very well the

He said, "Yes; I believe that what is called 'Mormonism' is the message from God above. I am not baptized,
and if I should go with you alone this evening to be baptized it would be known in the factory tomorrowf for those
in charge there call upon their god from morning till
evening, and he can reveal to those who pray to him just
as our God revealed to us who would knock on our -'door
last night. Then I would receive my 'walking papers' at
once. Should I be baptizedf and then lose my position, my
savings would possibly take me and my family to Zion, but
I have here at home an old father and mother who cannot
help themselves and I have not means enough to take them
with me.
Perhaps my faith is not strong enough, or I
should leave them in the hands of the Lord, for he provides for us all, but I cannot bear the thought of bidding
them fareweZL and leaving them alone." These were his
words.
I had a splendid mission journey through the Numme
valley. I met many good and honest people. As far as I
know, no missionary has been there since that day.

XI.

THE LAND OF ZION

In the spring of 1868, through the help of President
C. C0 A. Christensen, I succeeded in borrowing enough
means to emigrate to Zion. I had then been in the Church
a little more than seven years, the first two of which had
been devoted in part, and the last five wholly, to missionary service.
I married at this time,. Anna Christina
Krogero, an assistant'', in the- mission...office,; wh6 wa~S"a

widow with four children. After bidding farewell to the
many Saints in Christiania9 we traveled to Copenhagen and
thence to Liverpool, where we boarded the sailship, John
Brightm which has carried many of our people across the
ocean. After a voyage of six weeks, mostly in the face of
a strong9 headwind, we reached New York on the 15th of
Julyf 18689 during a spell of very warm weather. There
were over 700 immigrants in our company.
We spent a few days in New York and were then sent
westward by railway. The terminus of the railway was
Laramie, which left about 600 miles to Salt Lake City. At
Laramie there was a company from Utah with horses and
mules to conduct the immigrants onward. We were organized
into companies, with Hector C. Haight as captain, and we
began our journey over the plains along the banks of the
Sweetwater.
We reached Salt Lake City the first week in September,
1868, after a six weeks' march from Laramie over the dry
and warm plains, immersed in a cloud of dust from morning
until night. The children and the weak mothers were
allowed to ride in the wagons, while all the men were
obliged to walk the whole distance in dust by day, and
keep watch against the Indians at night. We were ; pretty
well supplied with meat^ flour, fruit and other food for
our journey over the plains. When we camped in the evening, we cooked our food, and made our bread.
All -went
fairly well.
At last we came to Emigration Canyon, and had our first
glimpse of Salt Lake City. We were glad and grateful to
our Heavenly Father for his fatherly care of us during our
journey. On arriving at the Tithing yard, in Salt Lake
City, our captain was released. I pitched our little tent
and remained there during eleven days awaiting an opportunity to go to Cache Valley where I had some Norwegian
friends of earlier days.
That fall, the grasshoppers visited Cache Valley, and
all the crops were destroyed, so that there was not enough

food to supply the needs of the people.
As I was responsible for a family I took my blanket on my shoulder and
walked over the mountains to Salt Lake Valley in search of
work that would bring me a little money with which to buy
bread stufff--the greatest need of my family at the time.
There was just then a call for "Mormon" boys to go out and
do section work on the Union Pacific Railway. I worked at
this until the October Conference at Salt Lake City, which
I felt I must attend. I was given free fare to Salt Lake
City, upon my promise to return, as the railroad company
wanted the "Mormons" to continue the work on the road.
When the railroad was laid to Corinne, Box Elder County,
we were laid off, and I went home to Logan the following
night.
I rented a small log house, in the Logan Fifth ward,
and bggan to work at once in the canyon, cutting timber.
In this work I continued for five years. I took out logs
for the house of Apostle Ezra T. Benson, in exchange for
which I obtained the city lot on which I later built my
residence. I filled a contract to deliver to the Utah
Northern Railroad two thousand ties. Then I contracted to
deliver to Brother Micklesen the timber for the grist mill
in Logan, now known as the Central Mills. For this last
contract I received six hundred pounds of flour. I also
contracted with Alexander Allen of Newton and received as
pay twenty gallons of molasses. I was now well off. I
could have bread, with molasses, and this indeed, was my
steady diet while I worked in the mountains. Nevertheless, this work was very hard. Between times, I helped in
the hay harvest, and thus earned some wheat and, in fact,
I took hold of whatever work offered itself.
In the fall of 1873, we began to build the Logan tabernacle. Brother Charles 0. Card was called to act as the
superintendent and he called me to assist him. It was my
special work to keep accounts and to collect donations
with which to pay the workmen. I measured and weighed
rocks, sand, and other materials of construction, 'brought

in for the building, and paid the workers in beef, vegetables, and the variety of things donated. Many ..beeves
were brought in as donations, so we tanned the hides, and
began to manufacture shoes. Thus came the Tabernacle Shoe
Shop and Meat Shop in one building, which we called, Our
Meat Market and Our Shoe.;Shop... I labored nearly six years
in this capacity. In 1879, I was ordained a High Priest
and set apart as a member of the Cache Stake High Council0

XII,

MY THIRD MISSION

In 1879? when the Logan tabernacle was completed, and
we were at work on the Logan temple, I was called, at the
October conference, to go on a mission to Scandinavia. I
left Logan in November, 1879, and reached Liverpool,
December 12. We had a rough voyage across the ocean. I
*was sent to Frederickstad, for a short time, then to my
native city, Trondhjem, in Norway. Elder Ellingsen, of
Lehi, was there when I arrived, but in a couple of months
he was released to return to his home. I then remained
there alone to represent the gospel of the everlasting
covenant, but I harbored only gratitude to my Hjeavenly
Father. I organized a choir, held meetings and preached
the gospel with all my might. Many were won to the truth.
Those who did not enter the Church, through baptism, are
good friends to our people, and respect "Mormonism" with
its doctrines and principles of salvation. Among many
others, I had the honor to baptize, as a member of the
Church, Anna C. Widtsoe. Her son, John, I had the joy to
baptize after the family arrived in Utah. Our meeting
place, at that time, was on what was known as Mollenberg,
in a house belonging to Johnson who later settled in
Logan.
The branch over which I presided expended far into
Northern Norway. I went frequently to the northern city
of Namsos, where I rented a hall and had large meetings.
Many were also brought into the Church in that place.

I made many friends in Namos, and among the more influen1
Lal9 a Mr. Salvesen. He belonged to the aristocracy of
the city, but became friendly to me and the cause I represented, until he even offered me one of his large halls
for our gatherings, in case the priest should attempt, to
banish, me.
Mr. Sa.Jvesen, with his two sons, came to our
meetings.
Once when the hall was crammed full, he stood
up before the congregation and testified to the truth of
what I had said. So much to his honor!
I went from house to house and offered books and writings.
I did not find much to eat, but I was well satisfied and when I sold a few books I could buy myself a
little bread before I returned to my little room.
And a
little bread with fresh water tasted really good!
By the early spring, I had baptized, in Nfcmsos, among
others, Brother Hassing and his family, who are yet living
in Salt Lake City.,
Before I left Namsos, I organized a
Relief Society so that the good sisters could conduct
meetings when I left.
In the spring of 1880, I was called to attend the conference in Christiania. After the conference, I tried to
find some of the brethren and sisters of Christiania whom
I knew so well in earlier days.
Some I found, and many
had moved away to the distant valleys of Norway.
I
decided to find, if I could, the family of Gunder Johnson.
To do this, I was obliged, again, to walk the full length
of southern Norway, over the Dovre mountain and down
Guldbrands valley and up and down other valleys.
I found
at last Gunder Johnson with his family. I found that they
had had no opportunities for schooling, nor for meetings,
for several years, but they had our books and the
Scandinavian Star, which had been read and reread until
the books were almost worn out.
They lived, as the gospel
demanded.
I remained with these friends about two weeks,
held meetings, and baptized all who would embrace the
doctrines taught by me.

Daring this visit, in Guldbrands valley, I had very
great success.
The whole community took sides with me,
until the priest came and broke up my crowded, meetings,
and warned the people against following teachers of false
doctrines! This priest, Mr. Hailing, was well respected
and beloved : of the people.
He edited a magazine called
Rich and Poor.
He was good to the poor.
He lived only
four miles from where I held, my meetings, and I stayed
with a friend near his home.
One day I called on this minister to discuss things
with him, but his feelings were so bitter that he showed
me the door several times, and at last took my hat and
cane and threw them out.
As I left the house, he spoke
bitter, hard words to me.
Half a year later I came there
again.
The priest had then become the chairman of the
county court.
One of his duties was to keep the country
roads in good condition.
This brought him in quite close
contact with the people who all worked on the roads.
I
was told that on one occasion when he was supervising a.
body of road workers, while they were all..at lunch,,one of.
the men, a frgend of mine, curious to know what the priest
would say^ said, "I should like to know what became of
that tramp 'Morraon' preacher that we had here a half year
ago." The priest immediately took up the conversation and
said, "That man was no tramp.
We were both angry when we
left each other, but I would give much now if I could have
that man in conversation again."
This was his testimony
that day, before a large gathering of people.
I have now
performed the endowment ordinances for him in the temple3
and I look upon him as a good man, although he did all he
could to work against me and my beloved religion.
When I had been in the mission field something over
three years, I was released.
I reached my home in Logan
late in the jfear, 1881 •
Upon my return from my third mission, I was called, in
1882, to take charge of a district of the Logan First

ward, as Presiding priest.
After the Logan temple was
dedicated, this district was made a ward, and I was
ordained to be bishop of the Logan Sixth ward, on June 6,
1884, The many duties pertaining to this calling occupied
my time very completely for several years.

XIII,

MY FOURTH MISSION

On October 11, 1886, I left Logan for another mission
to Scandinavia.
Upon my arrival in Copenhagen I was
assigned to labor in Norway. I acted first as a traveling
elder, and in that capacity visited nearly the whole of
Norway.
Later I presided, again, at Christiania. My
mission was filled with active labors, and I believe much
good was accomplished.
In the year, 1888, while I presided over the Christiania Conference, many were baptized into the Church.
Among them was Brother Koldstad who afterwards became
superintendent of the Christiania Sunday School. His wife
seemed to be against the gospel, but. the Lord, who knows
the hearts of the children of men, made manifest to her
when she humbled herself in prayer, that "Mormonism" is a.
saving message sent by God from the heavens. It came
about in this manner.
% mission was nearly ended, I had been away more than
three years, and had been released to return home. I
Spent the last days before leaving Christiania in bidding
goodbye to the Saints.
One evening I took the train from
the little village of Lien, where I had been visiting.
That evening there was to be an important council meeting
in Christiania, at which I was to transfer the presidency
of the conference to Elder 0. H. Berg, of Provo, now
bishop of the Provo Fourth ward.
While the cars were
rapidly moving towards Christiania, I sat in one of the
compartments thinking of the business of the evening.
Suddenly a voice came to me, telling me to go out to

Granlund, where Brother Koldstad resided, for a woman
there had fasted and prayed to the Lord that Elder Skanchy
might visit her, and she desired to accept the gospel in
which she had faith. In my simplicity, I believed the
voice to be an imagination of my soul, and for about five
minutes tried to convince myself that such, was the case.
I had very little time, because I had to be in Christiania
before our council meeting began, in order to get things
in order to deliver into new hands, and the place the
voice told me to go was in an opposite direction from the
meetinghduse.
I felt that the Lord knew that my service
was in his cause, and that the council meeting was in his
service. Soon, however, the message came again, this time
in a tremendous voice, that I must go to Koldstad's home,
for a woman there had fasted and prayed to the Lord that I
might corae.
The voice was so commanding that I arose to
my feet, in the car, and I threw my right arm into the
air, and said, "Yes, Lord, I will go." As soon as I
reached the Christiania station, I proceeded there. With
Brother Koldstad I found Sister Koldstad. I told her that
I had received a message to meet there.
I felt greatly
touched by the Spirit. She told me that she had fasted
and prayed that I would come to her home before I went
away.
She told me further that she believed all that I
had taught, and if I thought her worthy, she would like to
be baptized before I left Christiania. She was determined
that I should baptize her the day following.
Thus the
Lord dictates in his own way to his children.
This revelation from our Heavenly Father was a very great testimony
to me9 and may be pleasing to all who believe in spiritual
manifestations.
Many years after, when we were all in
Zion, I called on Sister Anna C e Widtsoe and her sister
Lina Gaarden, and we visited Sister Koldstad In her home,
Salt Lake City, during one of the annual conferences.
Sister Koldstad, then and there, explained to them the
manner of her conversion, and that I had come to her in
answer to prayer.

XIVo

THE QUIET YEARS OF HOME SERVICE

From 18899 the time of his return from his fourth
mission, to 1 9 d , when he went on his fifth mission,
Bishop Skanchy remained in Logan, Utah, in pursuit of his
duties as Bishop of the Logan Sixth Ward. Under his
direction, the ward prospered; the poor were well cared
for; and a good spj.rlt pervaded all the organizations of
the ward.
During this period, also, the longest in his life without foreign missionary service, Bishop Skanchy built up
his material interests. The lumber business which he had
organized, flourished under his care. Though he had
sacrificed many years in spiritual service, they were
fully made up to him in a material way, during the periods
that he could give himself to his business interests.
He
was always a good provider for his families,—they had
comfortable homes, and the comforts of the day. His personal gifts and charities to people in Utah and in the old
countries, have not been recorded, but they were large.
Bishop Skanchy loved the poor and afflicted, and to their
belief he gave unstintingly of his time, means and
sympathy.

XV.

MY FIFTH MISSION

In 1901, I was called by Presidents Lorenzo Snow,
George Qe Cannon, and Joseph F. Smith to take charge of
the Scandinavian Mission, which then included Denmark,
Sweden, and Norway. I was set apart in the Salt Lake
Temple, April 2, by President Ce D. Fjeldsted, and I was
especially commissioned to buy and erect for the Church,
mission houses in these three Scandinavian countries. I
presented to the First Presidency the necessity of having
Ce Do Fjeldsted accompany me as he was well acquainted
with Denmark.
This was permitted. We had a pleasant
voyage across the dcean.

In Copenhagen we bought the place where our mission
house is now erected. President Fjeldsted was called
home again and I remained to arrange the matter. I laid
the foundation of the Copenhagen mission house and dedicated the place together with the corner stone the 2nd of
March, 1901. The house itself was dedicated on the
fourth of July, 5-901.
Tne next mission house was built the year afterwards
on the same ground that the old mission house had stood
on in Christiania.
The old house had been built of poor
materials and was in a dangerous condition. We therefore
took it down and sold the material by auction.
I then
contracted with architects and builders and the house was
erected and finally dedicated the 24th of July, 1902,
after a great celebration. The dedicatory prayer was
offered by President Francis M. Lyman.
When these two countries had obtained their splendid
houses, we turned our attention to Sweden. I went to
Stockholm but found great difficulties confronting me
there, since the Swedish law does not permit strangers
to buy building lots.
We were obliged, therefore, to
secure agents to act for us.
We bought, at last, a
building lot in a very public place, in an excellent district.
There we built a large four-story building, so
arranged as to make it a worthy and most beautiful place
for presenting the gospel.
Several smaller rooms in the
building can be rented out, thus providing a small
income.
This mission house was dedicated the second of
October, 1904, President Heber J. Grant offering the
dedicatory prayer. Thus, my mission time was lengthened
out so that I could remain until this house had been
dedicated.
That I had my hands full on this mission, I suppose
everyone will understand.
My work appeared to be satisfactory to the Presidency of the Church, and as for
myself, I trusted that I could complete this responsible

work with satisfaction to my own soul.
For the success:
that was achieved I will continue to give gratitude to my
Father in Heaven. I owe to him all the praise and honor.
At the time that we erected our mission houses in these
countries, we contracted with a stone cutter, by the name
of Peterson, for an assembly room and a room for the
elders, in a dwelling house which he was erecting in
Frederickshavn, Denmark. We also bought a house in Borups
Street, "in the city of Aarhus, Denmark, in which we constructed a baptismal font.
Elder Adam Peterson, who was
on a mission at that time, had great influence among the
people of Aarhus, and won many friends, which all helped.
While I had charge of the Scandinavian Mission, Sister
Anna C* Widtsoe and her sister Lina Gaarden, were ealled
on a mission to Norway and remained there for about four
years.
These two sisters traveled over Norway, from the
extreme north to the extreme south, and spared neither
time nor money in order to bring before the people the
gospel. They won honor and friends everywhere for the
cause of truth. They bore a great testimony to the world,
which we hope will in time bear fruit.
Brother E0 Je Christiansen was also called on a mission
again, at this time, and was chosen president over the
conference in Copenhagen.
He was born there, acquainted
with the conditions, and had the language of Copenhagen
under complete control.
He gathered many friends for the
gospel cause.

XVI.

THE LAST WORD

I do not care to write more, as most of my friends are
acquainted with the work that has been done in the mission
field.
What I have done here at home has gratified me;
and the people here know my whole life.
Now I am on ±he
sick list.
I have forgotten to take care of myself in my
desire to care for others.
The Lord be honored and

praised from now to eternity and forever. Amen. The Lord
be merciful with us all and forgive our weaknesses and
imperfections.

XVII.

THE SIXTH MISSION

After Bishop Skanchy had returned from his labors as
President of the Scandinavian mission, he entered again
upon his duties in the bishopric of the Logan Sixth Ward.
He rallied the people to his support, and he laid the cornerstone of a new ward chapel, one of the handsomest in
the Church. This house is now completed.
On January 23, 1910, after twenty-five years of service, Bishop Skanchy wasj honorably released from his position as bishop of the Logan Sixth ward. A little later he
closed out such of his business interests as required his
daily active supervision.
On July 11, 1910, he went again to Norway, with his
wife and younger children, to spend some time in gathering
genealogical information for his temple work. They may be
called his sixth mission, for he went with the authority
of a missionary, and did much good while away.
True to his love for the city of his birth, Trondhjera,
he took with him a large and expensive copy of Munkacsy's
painting of Christ before Pilate, executed by Dan Weggeland, of Salt Lake City, which he presented to the branch,
and which now adorns the meeting hall in Trondhjem.
He returned Vto Zion,- June"22",.'71911;" never" again to
leave it in the flesh.

XVIII.

THE END OF THE JOURNEY

Soon after Bishop Skanchy returned from his last trip
to Norway, he was seized with his last illness. The evil

preyed steadily upon him9 but his strong body and iron
constitution could not b© broken at once©
It took yearg
for the disease to undermine h±B strength and. reach the
vital processes of his sytem0
During his long illnessg he composed the sketah now
presented*,
From page to page it bears the marks of the
physical sufferings which he endured0 Had he been in gbod
health o he would have told more of the marvelous experiences of his long missionary life0
Perhaps9 however9 in
good health? he would not have undertaken the work at alio
While withdrawn from active life by this lingering illness, he also reviewed his own poems9 his favorite songs3
and the word of God that he loved0
Bishop Skanchy9 like all who live in close communion
with spiritual things, was much of a poets a lover of the
fine arts9 painting and sculpture, and an ardent worshiper
of all natural beauty0
In his last days9 though .filled
with physical pain9 he found the leisure for the contemplation of the things of the spirit he loved so well,
which he had been denied in hin active life0
Ever did his thoughts go back to the land of the midnight suns, in which he was born? where the gospel message
found him9 and where 9 in the full strength of his youth 9
he fought valiantly for the cause of truth, and won hundreds 9 yea9 thouiands9 to the cause of eternal trutho
On Sunday9 April 19, 191**9 in his 75th year, his spirit
returned to the God he had served so well 0 On the following Wednesday, .he was buried from the beautiful chapel he
had builto
Many wept at his grave 9 especially those who
were poor in spirit or worldly goods 9 and whom this noble
man had loved and helped and raised up 5 and brought Into
the glorious light of truth0



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