Anthon L. Skanchy, VIII–X

Anthon L. Skanchy A Brief Autobiographical Sketch of the Missionary Labors of a Valiant Soldier for Christ

TRANSLATED AND EDITED BY DR. JOHN A. WIDTSOE

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 was 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 imprison- ment. 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, dry, 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 sleep- lessness. I was able to sleep about two hours each night, and

would awake weak and tired. I dreamed usually that I was feast- ing on an abundance of things to eat and drink and then would suddenly awake hungry and weak, dizziness and headache over- mastering me. I lay on my hard bed hoping for the arrival of day because I could then divert my thoughts a little better. These sea- sons of imprisonment tired me severely. None can fully under- stand 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 Avords had undoubtedly had experience in it.

418 IMPROVEMENT ERA During the month of July, in 1865, the third summer of my labors in Nordland, I received my release from this mission, from Elder George M. Brown, 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. Mysister in the flesh, Amelia, came there, also, and was baptized. Wepartook of the sacrament 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 bril- liantly equipped that it does not stand second to any that I have seen. The impressions which became stamped upon my mind dur- ing my 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 Cw 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 thous- ands visit summer after summer this land of the midnight sun, this wonderland. I took passage homeward in a steamer under Capt. J. S. 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 davs with the mis- sionaries, who still roomed in my 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

LATTER-DAY SAINTS' MISSION HOUSE, CHRISTIANIA, NORWAY

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 Guld- brands 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 min- ister, 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 there, and sent me traveling money so that I could buy my steam- ship 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 con- tinue my work. When I arrived I had only twelve cents, which was just enough to pay the man who fowed me from the steamship

INTERIOR OF THE ASSEMBLY HALL, LATTER-DAY SAINTS' MISSION HOUSE, CHRISTIANIA, NORWAY

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 authority, 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 men- tioned, incompany with one of the local merchants, and told me considerable more such information, that if I conducted any meet- ings, 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 housekeeper 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 prom- inent 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 hun<y himself, for what reason I did not learn.

ANTHON L. SKANCHY 421

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. Ni hen insisting that as Nielsen was a respected man in the com- munity, 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 re- ceived another letter from the pastor which was even more in- sistent. 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 jov, T walked to his home some two miles beyond the edge of the citv. 1 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 ad- vocated. For two hours we were together in friendly conversa- tion. The battle was won and from that time on he was espe- ;

cially 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 sup- ported 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 1867, at a conference held in Christjania, C. C. A. Christensen, 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

422 IMPROVEMENT ERA again, and then down Gnldbrands 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 whenever they came to the city, and were treated there in the very best manner. I had many conversations concerning the gos-

pel with this educated man. The family did not want to part with Kllen, 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 presi- dent.

X. 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 intelli- gent 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 Christiania and throughout the branches in the country in as a result of the visits of President Christensen to the different branches and the meetings he held everywhere with the people. As the children of the Saints in Christiania were often perse- cuted 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 ad- vised 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 delh^red 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 re- ligion or the history of the Bible. We thought this a very ^crreat '

concession.

ANTHON L. SKANCHY 423

I was then appointed to take charge of this school, with Sister Christina Osterbeck as assistant. The children were each to pay a little, as they could obtain the means, for the expense of books, and other supplies. This was a fairly successful experiment. The officers of the school board also seemed satisfied with our work. I was permitted occasionally to make mission journeys into the district surrounding Christiania. Some of these journeys, taken in the winter, were very difficult. In the summer of 1867, I was sent to visit the town of Kongs- berg and Numme valley, where I had been before. From the city of Drammen, 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, and the shadow of the mountain was thrown miles and miles over the forest below the mountain and covered the whole city of Kongsberg. The mag- nificent beauty and vastness of this sunset from the mountain top worked upon my feelings and I sought a place under a small hill where, with enthusiasm in my heart, I kneeled before the Lord and opened my heart to him. I prayed especially, that he would lead my footsteps, guide me on my way, and help me find a place to stay that night, for I had only a few cents left. At the close of my prayers, it seemed to me that I was surrounded by a holy influence. I then began my descent of the mountain. It was already dark when I crossed the bridge over the river that flows near the city. Where was I to go? The houses of the city are built very near to each other. When I reached the first block, I turned to the right and walked around it. Then I crossed the street and began on the next block. At last, I thought, "Here is the place where I would better go in and knock." But the answer of the Spirit was immediately "No." I continued to walk to the right around the blocks and after a while I thought, "Now I will knock on the next door." But again the voice whispered, "No." I continued circling the blocks until I reached the eighth block. As I approached the middle of this block a voice whispered to me, "Here you are to enter." I knocked on the door, and a hearty, "Come in" was the answer. I stepped into the room and saw a

man and his wife sitting by a table, playing dominos. I noticed that they looked at each other and smiled. "Can I obtain lodging here tonight?" I said. "Yes," said the man and pointed to a door that led into a little bedroom, in which were a table, a candlestick ready to be lighted, a bed, a wash bowl and other furniture. 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 supper, but I told her, if she pleased, a little bowl of bread and milk would be sufficient. Next morning at six o'clock, I heard the man move about in

424 IMPROVEMENT ERA the house. As I learned later, he worked in the national rifle factory, and had to he at work quite early in the morning. After he had gone, the lady came into my room, placed a chair in front of the bed, and placed upon it a tray with food. When she left, I got up and ate this light breakfast with great appetite. At eight o'clock the man came back for his breakfast, and I was called in and placed at the table. There was a little pause. 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 for." I blessed the food, and we began to eat. Then a very peculiar con- versation ensued. "You have not been here before?" "No." "Who brought you here last night?" "No one." "Are you not a 'Mormon' elder?" "Yes." "Did you notice anything when you came in here last night?" "Yes." "What was it you noticed?" "I noticed that you looked at your wife and smiled and she smiled back." He then told me the story. Just before I knocked on the door, they both heard distinctly a voice which said, "Here comes a servant of the Lord, who desires lodging for the night. Take good care of him." 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, most of the people he had baptized sold out and went to Utah. No 'Mormon' has been here since." I said to him, "I suppose then you know very well the teach- ings of 'Mormonism.' " 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 tomorrow, for those in charge there call upon their god frorn 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 baptized, and then lose my position my savings would possibly take me and my familv 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 rrv 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 farewell and leaving them alone." These were his words. T had a splendid mission journey through the Numme vallev I met many good and honest people. As far as I know, no mis- sionary has been there since that day.