1858-04-26-New York Times-Arrival of Scandinavian Mormons in New York
What they say of Mormonism in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway
- New York Times, 26 April 1858, p. 1, col. 6
A company of ninety Mormons, eighty-one of them from Sweden, Denmark and Norway, and nine from England, arrived at this port on Saturday, on board of the emigrant ship John Bright, Capt. CONNOR. The Scandinavian portion of this company had their rendezvous at Corsoer, in Denmark, where seventy-eight adults and children, from the different conferences or districts of the country over which the Mormons are scattered in small communities, each presided over by an elder, assembled on the 20th of February last, called together by the President of the Mission, Elder GARL VIDERDORG. The Mormons of Europe, previous to the present disturbances in Utah, have been constancy preparing for emigra-tion, and emigrating to Great Salt Lake City. New converts to the faith, as soon as they could collect sufficient means, were in the habit of setting out im-mediately for America. The members of this Scandi-navian company, most of them tradesmen and me-chanics, having converted their property into money with intention of emigrating, heard of the disturbances in Utah last Fall, and at first hesitated whether they should start for the new world or not. It was finally decided that they should come to this country, and make Canada their temporary abiding place until the speck of war in the west should blow over. Accord-ingly they started on the 21st of February, in charge of Elder I. N. IVEBSON, a Dane by birth, from Utah, The company proceeded overland to Hamburg and thence to Bremerhaven, in Germany where they arrived in safety on the 4th of March after a somewhat difficult journey. No resis-tance was offered to them in leaving their father-land. On the 5th of the same month they set out from Bremerhaven for Hull on the steamer Move, but were compelled to return on the 9th on account of a storm and contrary wind on the North Sea. They remained in port until the 12th and then started again. They leached Hull on the 14th, and were safely landed there. On the 15th they left for Liverpool and arrived there at 6 o'clock the same afternoon. On the 18th they went on board of the John Bright and lay in the river until the 22d, on which day they sailed. The voyage was a pleasant one. They had only a few days of stormy weather. At 11 o'clock Satur-day morning they landed at Castle Garden, where they were detained only about an hour, and then went to Walker's Hotel, No. 25 Greenwich-street, where quarters had been provided for them by thei Mormon friends in this City.
Our reporter visited them there last evening. But few of them could speak English, and Miss OLIVIA NEILSON—one of their number—translated what information they had to convey to him concerning themselves and the condition of Mormonism in the Scandinavian countries. The interpreter, who kept house for the Mormon Elders in Copenhagen for two years, said:
"The Captain, as well as the other officers, and, indeed, the whole crew, showed us all possible respect and kindness, and we cannot not feel satisfied with the treatment we have enjoyed. Besides our company, the number of other emigrants amounted to about 640—English, Irish and German.
The company consists of two persons from Norway, seven from Sweden, four from Schleswig, (a German Province belonging to Denmark,) and all the rest from Denmark.
The state of health on board the ship may generally be considered as good. Our company sustained, on the whole journey, three cases of death—two women and one infant."
Among the male portion of the emigrants are a number who have taken a leading part in propagating Mormonism throughout Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Some of them have been several times im-prisoned by the Politie, or Police, in Sweden for baptizing converts to Mormonism.
One of them, LARS JORGENSEN; was imprisoned eight times in Holland and Malma, Sweden. Another, NEILS PAULSEN, said he was in prison in Norway six times for baptizing contrary to the Lutheran creed. "In the German part of Denmark, the province of Schleswig, where Mr. IVERSON had his mission,' said the interpreter, "the Lutheran creed prevails to the exclusion of every other, and the inhabitants who join any other sect, or adopt any other faith, not having the same liberty as the other parts of the Danish States, are persecuted, imprisoned, heavily taxed, and sometimes banished,, as was the case with one person of this small company, Mr. DAVIDSON, who after having been put into prison, and several times being tried before the police, was made to pay fines, and threatened with banishment, and at last forced to sell his little farm at a very small price, and he and his family were glad to join the company of Mr. IVERSON.
During the time Mr. IVERSON stayed in Denmark, Mormonism has made considerable progress, not only there, but everywhere in Scandinavia. About 600 persons have been added to the Church, and espeially since the report that the United States was sending troops to Utah was made known to the public, it has created much excitement."
The majority of the emigrants are females. None of the men have more than one wife, and many of them have none. They are generally very intelligent looking. The following are the names of those who compose ELDER IVERSON'S company:
T. N. Iversen, C. A. Madsen, C. V. Madsen, C. O Folkman, Elia Folkman, C. D. Fjeldsted, K. Fjeld-sted, P. I Fjeldsted, Vita I. Fjeldsted, Wiliard Fjeld-sted, I. M. Petersen, P, Jorgensen, Loise J. Jorgen-sen, Marie Jorgensen, Jens Jorgensen, Cicilie Jorgen-sen, Karoline Jorgensen, M. Christensen, Niels Peter-sen, Kirsten Petersen, Ane Petersen, Niels Peter-sen, Marie Petersen, Ane Maria Petersen, Ole Sonne Cecilie Sonne, M. C. Christensen, Stine Christensen, M. C. Gregersen, Ane Andersen, M. Andersen, R. Olsen, P. P. Meilhede, Maren Meilhede, K. Soend-sen, A. Nielsen, Bodii Nielsen, P. Johansen, Kir-sten Johansen, H. Nielsen, N, Nielsen, J. Andersen, Karen Andersen, Maren Andersen, Kirstene Ander-dersen, Anders Andersen, Anthon Andersen, Olivia Nielsen, L. Soendsen, K. M. Petersen, K. Svendsen, Marie Petersen, Christian Peter-sen, Peter Petersen, Joseph Petersen, F. Chris-tensen, H. P. Olsen, H. P. Lund, N. C. Paul-sen, A. P. Oman, N. Edler, L. Jorgensen, J. Larsen, Caroline Larsen, C. Petersen, A. Hansen, Magdalena Hansen, Karen Hansen, H. Knudsen, H C. Davidsen, Ane Davidsen, Ane Davidson, Hans Davidsen, C. Rasmussen, Maria Rasmussen, Matilda Rasmus-sen, Thea. Hastrup, Maria Hastrup.
The progress of Mormonism, the emigrant "Saints" assured us, had been very rapid in the Scandinavian coutries, during the last few years. The following is the
| Country-1856-7 | Conferences | Branches | Elders | Priests | Teachers | Deacons | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denmark | 7 | 60 | 120 | 72 | 60 | 65 | 2,054 |
| Norway | 1 | 6 | 15 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 198 |
| Sweden | 2 | 13 | 21 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 349 |
| Total | 10 | 79 | 156 | 98 | 83 | 83 | 2,592 |
| Dec. 31, 1857 | |||||||
| Denmark | 9 | 106 | 294 | 95 | 90 | 43 | 2,317 |
| Norway | 1 | 11 | 34 | 12 | 14 | 6 | 310 |
| Sweden | 3 | 25 | 73 | 52 | 36 | 24 | 726 |
| Total | 13 | 142 | 401 | 159 | 140 | 73 | 3,353 |
During 1850 and 1857, 2,610 members were baptised; 990 emigrated; 3 new Conferences were organized; 63 new branches were organized.
The Temple offering was in 1856, £4,621 4s. 10d.; in 1857, £518 11s. 11 2/3 d. The Tithing was, in 1856, £16,447 4s. 15d; in 1857, £1,834 3s. 6 1/2 d, making £21,069 3s. 9d., and £2,352 15s. 6 ¼ d., the total offerings for these two years respectively.
The destination of this company of Mormons is some place in the Northwest, the name of which was not revealed to us. There intention is, as soon as may be, to join their comrades in Utah.
