{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_49588/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_49588","id":"gutenberg_49588","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/49588","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Biographies","Category: History - Modern (1750+)","Category: History - Religious","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Category: Travel Writing","Denmark -- Description and travel","Latter Day Saint churches -- Missions -- Denmark","Latter Day Saint churches -- Missions -- Sweden","Snow, Erastus Fairbanks, 1818-1888 -- Correspondence","Sweden -- Description and travel"],"text":"ONE YEAR IN SCANDINAVIA:\n\nRESULTS OF THE GOSPEL IN DENMARK AND SWEDEN--SKETCHES AND OBSERVATIONS\nON THE COUNTRY AND PEOPLE--REMARKABLE EVENTS--LATE PERSECUTIONS AND\nPRESENT ASPECT OF AFFAIRS.\n\n* * * * *\n\nBY ERASTUS SNOW,\n\nONE OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY\nSAINTS.\n\nPRICE THREEPENCE.\n\nLIVERPOOL:\n\nPUBLISHED BY F. D. RICHARDS, 15, WILTON STREET.\n\n1851.\n\n* * * * *\n\nLIVERPOOL: PRINTED BY R. JAMES, SOUTH CASTLE STREET.\n\n* * * * *\n\n\n\nCONTENTS.\n\nExtract of a Letter from Erastus Snow to the First Presidency. August\n17th, 1850\n\nExtract from the Private Journal of E. Snow.\n\nLetter to Z. Snow, Esq., of Canton, Ohio. February 14th, 1851\n\nLetter to President Brigham Young. Liverpool, July 10th, 1851\n\nExtract of a Letter from Elder Forssgren. July 1st, 1851\n\nExtract from Elder Snow's Reply. Rock Ferry, July 11th, 1851\n\nDENMARK--General Observations on the Country and People.\n\nSWEDEN--General Observations on the state of the Country, politically\nand religiously--Visions, Marvellous Occurrences and Events--Present\nProspects, &c.\n\nPOETRY.--Wife, Children, and Friends.\n\n\n\nINTRODUCTION.\n\nThe author was born in the State of Vermont, November 9th, 1818; first\nbelieved the fulness of the Gospel in the spring of 1832; first saw the\nProphet Joseph Smith in December, 1835, in Kirtland, Ohio, which was\nthen head quarters of the Church, was ordained one of the Seventies the\nfollowing spring, and has been engaged in the ministry ever since; was\nwith the Saints through their persecutions in Missouri and Illinois;\nwas in prison with the Prophets, Joseph and Hyrum, in Missouri; carried\nthe chain for surveying the first town lots of Nauvoo; was one of the\ntwo Latter-day Saints who first entered Salt Lake Valley; has crossed\nthe back-bone of the American continent four times, and travelled,\nprobably, not less than eighty thousand miles on that continent, but\nnever, until this mission, left his native shore, or was absent from\nhis family more than one year at a time. And during a period of over\ntwelve years, in which he has had a family, he has at no one time been\npermitted to remain with them so long as one year with the single\nexception of one year and twenty-nine days in the Salt Lake city, prior\nto this mission. Robbed and plundered in common with his brethren, he\ntransplanted his family through poverty and deep affliction to that\nresting place. The first year spent in surmounting the difficulties of\na new country, and while collecting materials for building, the voice\nof inspiration cried, \"To the nations, oh! ye elders of Israel.\" His\ndestination was Denmark; to be accompanied by brother P. O. Hanson, a\nnative of Copenhagen, who had been mysteriously led by the Spirit to\nAmerica, in search of the Kingdom of God, and found it in time to sup\nwith the Saints their cup of afflictions, and accompany them to the\nmountains. Thursday, of the same week in which the mission was first\nintimated, was fixed for starting, though subsequent circumstances\ncaused a little longer delay. The parting is left to conjecture. God be\nthanked for a family that amid the overflowing emotions of the heart\nnever say \"don't go.\" The journey over the plains, four hundred miles\nof mud, through Missouri; the trip through the States, crossing the\nAtlantic, visit in England, voyage from Hull to Copenhagen, the first\nscenes in Denmark, are all to some extent known to the English Saints,\nand however many associations of interest they might awaken, the writer\nhas no design here to recapitulate them.\n\nThe pressure of business and haste with which these items have been\nthrown together, is the only apology for the use made of the following\nextracts of private letters, which were never intended for publication.\n\n\n\nONE YEAR IN SCANDINAVIA.\n\n\n\nEXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM ERASTUS SNOW.\n\n_Copenhagen, Denmark, August_ 17_th_, 1850.\n\nTO THE FIRST PRESIDENCY OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY\nSAINTS; GREETING:\n\nBeloved Brethren,--Knowing your anxiety, and your prayers and unceasing\ndiligence for Zion at home, and for the welfare of the cause of God in\nall the world, I take great pleasure in writing to you at this time,\nto communicate to you a statement of the condition and prospect of\naffairs in this part of the vineyard, in which it has pleased God and\nmy brethren to assign my labours for a season. * * * * *\n\nBy the advice and consent of those of the Twelve who were in England,\nI concluded to take with me Elder George P. Dykes--he having preached\nbefore to the Norwegians in Illinois, and having a little knowledge of\ntheir language as well as manners and customs. I thought, if the Lord\nopened the way, to send him into that country, to open the door of the\ngospel among them.\n\nThe spirit of the Lord seemed to lead me to this city, to commence my\nlabors. From my first appointment my mind rested upon Copenhagen, as\nthe best place in all Scandinavia to commence the work, and every thing\nhas since strengthened my convictions. It is the capital of Denmark,\nand was, at one time, the capital of the united kingdoms of Denmark,\nNorway, and Sweden. It is a beautiful city, strongly fortified,\nnumbering about 140,000 inhabitants, and is by far the largest and most\ninfluential town in the kingdom; and from its central position, on the\neast side of the Island of Zealand, within sixteen miles of the Swedish\nshore, it affords an easy communication by steamboat to the principal\nplaces of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. It is the seat of learning for\nall the north of Europe; and, I might add, of priestcraft, infidelity,\nand politics; and in my opinion, it possesses more of the spirit of\nfreedom than any other place in this part of the world notwithstanding.\n\nAfter the separation of Sweden, Norway still continued under the Danish\ngovernment until the fall of Napoleon, and then the Allied Powers, as\na sort of punishment upon Denmark for her alliance with France, gave\nNorway to the king of Sweden; since which time Norway, though nominally\nsubject to the Swedish king, has had her domestic legislature, and\nenjoyed a greater degree of political freedom than either of the other\ntwo countries.\n\nThe government of Denmark, until recently, was an absolute monarchy.\nThe king and his ministry both made and executed the law, and the\nLutheran clergy had the superintendence and control of all the primary\nschools, and public instruction of the country, with the exception\nof certain special privileges granted to the Jews, and to foreign\nmechanics who had been invited into the country. But no foreigner\nwas permitted to attempt to proselyte from the \"Evangelical Lutheran\nChurch,\" or preach against her doctrines, on pain of being expelled\nfrom the country, which has been enforced against several foreign\nmissionaries within the last ten or fifteen years; and would have been\nagainst us, in all probability, if we had come a little sooner. Mr.\nPeter C. Monster, the Baptist reformer, introduced immersion, and now\nhis followers number in Denmark about three hundred and sixty. At first\nhe was fined, afterwards imprisoned, and when he had served out one\nterm in prison, he would preach until the priests would cause him to be\narrested and imprisoned again; and so continued until he was imprisoned\nsix times, and three years in all. Meanwhile French philosophy,\ninfidelity, and republican principles have been increasing in this city\nand throughout the country, until about the time of the late revolution\nin France, the death of the old king of Denmark afforded the Danish\npeople an opportunity to reform their government.\n\nThe heir to the throne was kept at bay until a constitution or \"ground\nlaw\" was agreed upon, signed, and proclaimed, June 5, 1849. This\nsecures to the people a \"Rigsdagen\" or legislature, to be elected\nby the people; and quite as much POLITICAL FREEDOM as is enjoyed in\nEngland. The press is sufficiently free and untrammelled for all\npurposes for which we wish to use it; and while it protects and\nsupports the Lutheran Church as the State Church, it secures to the\ncitizens the right to dissent and organize other societies; but the\nrights and privileges of such societies are to be defined by law. The\nold laws are to be enforced until the legislature shall organize the\ndifferent departments of government, and provide all the necessary laws\nand regulations for carrying into effect the new constitution.\n\nLutheranism is protected by similar laws in Norway and Sweden. Not\nlong ago some Methodists were expelled from Sweden, and quite recently\nsome Baptists near Gottenburgh were arrested and sentenced to leave\nthe country; and an appeal was taken to the king, and petitions sent\nin against the decision; and quite a war is going on in the Swedish\npapers about it; and I pray that it may be increased, until Norway and\nSweden shall follow the example of Denmark. I feel quite willing that\nthe Lord should use the Methodists and Baptists to prepare the way for\nthe fulness of the gospel; for their systems are less exceptionable to\nthe wicked, and they have more sympathy to sustain them. How truly can\nwe behold in these things, as in every other move among the nations,\nthe fulfilment of the words of Jesus in the Book of Mormon, that \"when\nthese things shall come forth among the Gentiles, the work of the\nFather shall commence among the nations, in PREPARING THE WAY for the\nrestoration of thee, O House of Israel.\"\n\nWe landed here, June 14. The first legislature elected under the\nnew constitution was in session. They adjourned in July to meet\nagain in October. The first session was occupied with the political\nand financial affairs, and they adjourned without providing the\nlaws necessary for carrying into execution the provisions of the\nconstitution relative to religious societies. There is a number of\npriests in the legislature, and they will stave off any action on\nthe subject as long as they can. Among other important reforms that\nwill be much in our favor, is the abolition of the odious internal\npassport system. Formerly their own citizens were liable to arrest and\nimprisonment, if they were caught even for one night beyond the limits\nof their own town or parish without a passport. This continual renewing\nof passports, signing and countersigning them by the police officers at\nevery stopping place, and the inconvenience and expense attending it,\nhas always been a source of great annoyance to those who wish to travel.\n\nWe have not been able as yet either to preach in Danish, or write for\nthe press; and we have thought it wisdom not to create much excitement\nuntil we are fully organized, and speak the language better. Elder\nHanson is now engaged in translating some extracts from our works,\nwhich I intend for the press. I intend, if the Lord will, soon to\npublish in Danish, a short history of the rise and progress of the\nChurch, and its faith and doctrines. He had previously translated a\nfew EXTRACTS from the Doctrine and Covenants, such as I thought wise\nfor the benefit of the believers; also REVISED SOME CHOICE PASSAGES in\nthe Book of Mormon. Brother Hanson had been so long in America, that\nhe had become very dull in his native tongue; and having no Bible or\nany other Danish book with him in America, as might have been expected,\nhis translation of the Book of Mormon was very imperfect, and will\nnecessarily have to be thoroughly revised before it goes to press.\n\nLast Monday, the 12th of August, we began to baptize, and baptized\nfifteen the first night, and eleven more during the week, making\ntwenty-six in all. The greater part of these are from Mr. Monster's\nfollowers, and the best he had; and many more of them are believing,\nwhile the rest of them are full of wrath and indignation. Mr. M.\nhimself, who received us at first, and opened the way for us to form\nacquaintances with his people, now stands as it were upon a pinnacle,\nundecided whether to forsake his people or the truth; still he will not\nturn against us and those who have left him; his influence is exerted\nfor good, and I still hope and pray that he may follow. Among those who\nare baptized are Germans, Swedes, and Danes--all, however, understand\nthe Danish. They are well-grounded in the work and firm--We had with\nus one copy of Elder O. Hyde's German work, which we kept moving among\nthe Dutch, and when we found any that could read English, we gave them\nEnglish books; and to the Danes we read Brother Hanson's translation\nof the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants, &c. We have operated\nonly in private, and in small family meetings; but we have now arrived\nat the time when we shall no longer seek retirement but notoriety. We\nhope soon to find a large public place, and we thank God that the seed\nhas sprung up, and has deep root; so that if we are banished from the\ncountry, the work will spread.\n\nThe Lord has visited these believers with many visions, and dreams, and\nmanifestations of the Holy Spirit, and some have told us that they had\nseen us in visions before we came. They have drawn out of us by their\nfaith, every thing pertaining to the gathering, the redemption of the\ndead, &c., and drink it in as an ox drinketh up water.\n\nI hope before long to have many of them scattered over the country,\npreaching the word. If the Lord permit, I shall endeavor to get the\nBook of Mormon published in the course of the fall and winter. I have\nnot much means towards it as yet, but have the promise of backers in\nEngland, so that I trust the way will open for publishing by the time\nit can be properly revised, and I can know that it appears in Danish\nin its own native simplicity and truth. The literature of the great\nuniversity of Copenhagen has long taken the lead in this north country,\nso that works published in Danish may be read and understood by a large\nportion of the Swedes; and as for Norway, although they have their\nrustic dialects, yet the Danish is the public language of the State.\n\nI should like to know your minds about the Book of Doctrine and\nCovenants, whether, if the Lord should raise up much people in this\ncountry, and the way should be opened before us, it would be advisable\nto attempt to translate and publish it entire, or publish from time to\ntime, such portions of it as circumstances shall seem to require. What\nlittle I have seen and learned, convinces me of this fact, that it is\nno easy matter to translate them with all the force and spirit with\nwhich those revelations are written in English. The English is much the\nrichest language, and the IDIOM of the two are ENTIRELY DIFFERENT.\n\nAs far as my experience and observation extend, the Danes are a kind\nand hospitable people, especially the middle and lower classes;\nand a higher tone of morality pervading them, than exists in the\ncorresponding classes in England and America; and if I mistake not my\nfeelings, the Lord has many people among them.\n\nBrother John Forssgren accompanied us to this place and stopped a few\ndays with us, and then we blessed him and sent him on his way. The Lord\nis with him, he is full of faith and the Holy Ghost. From here to the\nhome of his childhood where his relatives are, is about six hundred\nmiles in a north east direction up the Baltic.\n\nAll that we have heard from the Valley since we left, was your General\nEpistle of April 12, which was brought from the Valley to the Bluffs\nby Mr. Livingston, and from there to Liverpool by Elder Pratt, a proof\nsheet of which was forwarded to me in a letter, which I received July\n27, and after perusing it, forwarded it to brother Forssgren. It was a\nprecious morsel to us all.\n\nAs to the signs of the times and the aspect of affairs among the\nnations of Europe, dark forebodings of the future seem to pervade all\nhearts, and the heads of the nations seem to be conscious that they are\nsteering the ship of State in DANGEROUS SEAS. Denmark is at present\nthe point of the greatest interest. The Dukedoms of Holstein and\nSleswick, which are mostly German, have been in a state of REVOLT ever\nsince the death of the old king. The new government has been unable\nto compel their submission. Several severe battles have been fought,\nand both parties still seem to be more and more desperate. On the 23rd\nand 24th July, a battle was fought in Sleswick, in which out of about\n30,000 engaged on EACH SIDE, they sustained a loss of about 4000 EACH,\naccording to their acknowledgments; but as the official reports have\nbeen kept from the public, it is generally believed that the loss was\nmuch greater. Over 3000 wounded were brought to this city, and all the\nhospitals had the appearance of slaughter-houses and the surgeons,\nbutchers.\n\nConsidered by itself alone, this domestic war might not disturb the\npeace of Europe; but there is a secret at the bottom, which interests\nthe great powers. By a glance at the map, you will see that Denmark's\nstronghold at Elsinore holds the key to the Baltic, and taxes all\nnations who traffic upon her waters. This is an outlet for the Russian\nfleet, and for the commerce of Prussia and other German States, as\nwell as Sweden. The German States, including Prussia, are aiming to\nestablish a FEDERAL UNION, and to build a fleet, that they may be able\nto compete with the great powers of Europe. Sleswick and Holstein are\nessential to that union on account of their harbors upon the North Sea\nfor their fleets. They being Germans, are like minded, and wish to\nthrow off the Danish yoke; in doing which they have the support of all\nGermany. * * * *\n\nSince I commenced writing this letter, the postman has brought me one\nfrom brother J. Forssgren, dated Stockholm, Aug. 13th, of which I will\ngive you a summary. He says he baptized his brother and sister, and one\nor two others at Geffle; and by request translated brother O. Pratt's\npamphlet on the rise and doctrine of the Church; but the printers\nrefused to publish it.\n\nHe next heard of a ship load of farmers about to sail for New York, and\nwent to them, and while they were waiting for the vessel, he preached\nthe gospel to them, and found them a humble people, who were looking\nfor the redemption of Israel, and were going to seek for Zion in\nAmerica.\n\nHe baptized some sixteen or seventeen of the farmers, and many more\nwere believing. He ordained two elders and some teachers, &c., gave\nthem instructions how to watch over and teach the company, and baptize\nothers that should desire it. This he finished on the 7th inst., and\npreached the same evening at 5 o'clock p.m., in the woods just out of\ntown. Having preached there once before, it had been noised abroad, and\nthe grove was full of priests and people; the former, however, together\nwith the marshal, were secreted behind trees and rocks.\n\nHe preached and bore testimony of the word with power, and many were\npricked in their hearts. After he had closed and dismissed, the\nmarshal, with the priests and police, arrested him, variously insulted\nhim, marched him through the town, and proclaimed \"the dipper,\" &c.,\nand arraigned him before the governor of the city, and all the priests.\nHaving an American passport he was sent to Stockholm. The king was not\nat home; neither the American charge-d'affairs. He was had several\ntimes before the courts in Stockholm, and when the American CHARGE came\nhome on the 12th, he, with the judges, police, and all hands, tried\nto persuade him to quit his preaching; but he told them, the will of\nthe Lord should be his will. He adds in a postscript, that they had\nconcluded to send him out of the country; but he had not learned how\nthey would send him. He further adds, that he should preach there by\ninvitation the next eve. I immediately wrote to him, not to leave till\nhe was obliged, and then to ordain such as were worthy, and come to\nDenmark.\n\nDear Brethren, Elders Dykes, Hanson, and myself unitedly greet you and\nthe saints of God, with warm emotions of brotherly love; and we pray\nour Father in heaven, that we may be preserved to rejoice together\nagain in the flesh.\n\nYours truly and affectionately,\n\nERASTUS SNOW.\n\nP. S. Aug. 20.--We have baptized thirty four persons, and more are\nready. A very scurrilous letter about the Mormons, from America, has\njust appeared in a Copenhagen paper translated from a French paper. It\nis the first of the kind that has appeared.\n\nE. S.\n\n\n\nEXTRACT FROM THE PRIVATE JOURNAL OF E. SNOW.\n\nAfter hearing of the arrest and treatment of Brother Forssgren in\nSweden, I wrote to him to come over to Denmark and labour with us. A\nfew days after I felt much anxiety for his safety; and fearing lest\nthe Swedish government should either put him in close confinement, or\nsmuggle him away privately to the United States, we unitedly prayed\nthat he might be delivered and come to us in safety. I went to bed,\nand dreamed of seeing him in water up to his arms, and held by a man\nwhom I understood to be an officer. I thought he was anxious to come\nto where I stood on the shore. The officer seemed waiting for the\ndecision of his superiors, whom I saw with a crowd at a distance. He\nreceived his orders, but I could not understand them. Brother Forssgren\nwas immediately released, and pressed hard through the water to come\nto me; but, before he got out of reach, the officer thrust his hand\nquickly under the water behind, and caught his leg or garment, and\npulled his feet from under him, which dipped his head under water. I\nsaw his perilous situation, but could not render him any assistance.\nAnother man, of a kind expression of countenance, stood near them, to\nwhom Brother Forssgren called with an agonizing voice for help. He went\nand raised his head out of the water, and made the officer let him go.\nHe started again to come to me, and I awoke. September 18th, Brother\nForssgren arrived in Copenhagen and related his story, which explained\nmy dream. It runs as follows:--After being examined and bearing\ntestimony before the authorities, civil and ecclesiastical, in Geffle\nand Stockholm, he was held as a prisoner at large in the latter place,\nnot being permitted to preach or to leave town; but the newspapers\npublished accounts of his doings and sayings, and his whereabouts in\nStockholm, and the result was that many people flocked to see him,\nboth from town and country. He was invited to visit among them, and\nto their mechanic club meetings. Thus he instructed many in private,\nand made many warm friends; and, as some began to desire baptism, the\npolice took him by night and put him on board an American vessel, which\nwas ready to start for New York; paid his passage, and requested the\ncaptain to see that he did not land until he reached New York. But\nElder Forssgren soon won the friendship of the captain; and when they\narrived at Elsinore, where the vessel called to pay toll, the captain\nlanded him on Danish ground. Very soon after landing he was arrested\nby the Danish police, at the instigation of the Swedish consul of that\nplace, and was about to be re-shipped for New York.\n\nHe now ascertained that the Swedish authorities at Stockholm, fearing\nthat he might land in Denmark and recross the sound into another part\nof Sweden, had sent despatches to their consul at Elsinore (the only\nplace where the vessel would stop,) describing him and the vessel,\nand directing the consul to see that he was shipped to New York. He\nproduced his American passport, and claimed the protection of the Hon.\nWalter Forward, American minister to Denmark, who had just landed in\nthat place from Copenhagen.\n\nMy previous interviews had won the friendship of Mr. Forward, who\nquickly came to his assistance, and effected his release, repudiating\nthe aspersions of his enemies, and accompanied him to Copenhagen, where\nhe arrived in good health, full of joy and the Holy Ghost, having been\nabsent from us about three months.\n\n* * * * *\n\nThe following extract from a private letter, which found its way into\nthe \"Frontier Guardian,\" contains some further particulars.\n\n\n\nLETTER TO Z. SNOW, ESQ., OF CANTON, OHIO.\n\n196 _Norgesgade, Copenhagen, Denmark_, _February_ 14_th_, 1851.\n\nBrother Zerubable,--I have received, through Elder Pratt, the letters\nyou sent him to be forwarded to me; and was very thankful for them, and\nperhaps you have expected an answer before now, but I have deferred\nwriting as long as I thought I could in safety and have my letters\nreach you before you start for the Valley; and you will be able to\ncarry a report of me up to this date, in case the letters which I sent\nby mail fail to reach my family. I was very much pleased at the good\nspirit which was breathed in your letters, and particularly that you\nwere so decided about going to that peaceful home of Saints early in\nthe spring.\n\nYour appointment as Judge of the Supreme Court of Utah territory, was\nfrom the Lord, though it came through the President, and will doubtless\nbe a blessing unto you, in a pecuniary point of view; and if you are\nwise in the use of it, may be a blessing unto many thousands. * * * * *\n*\n\nI suppose the Valley news of a general nature you will have obtained\nfrom the papers; probably you will also see my letters in the _Star_,\nand learn a little how we prosper here.\n\nThis is a well fortified and pleasant city. The winter has been\npleasant--but little snow; and about the temperature of New York. I\nhave good health, and plenty of business, warm friends, and plenty of\nenemies.\n\nThis is a perfect priest-ridden and king-ridden people, but many honest\nsouls among them. We have had some persecution in this city, (saying\nnothing of the flood of lies that always follows the truth), such as\nbreaking up our meetings, stoning houses and windows and the like, but\nnot so much here as in some other places in the kingdom.\n\nBrother Dykes, who is now laboring in the province of Jutland, has had\na hard time, and made some hair-breadth escapes from his enemies, but\nhas been greatly blessed notwithstanding, and has baptized over fifty.\n\nBrother John Forssgren, (whose persecution and expulsion from Sweden\nI mentioned in my letter in the _Star_), has fared but little better\nin Denmark. He and a Danish brother was mobbed, and variously\nmaltreated lately in Roskilde, the old capital of Denmark; and after\ntwo days complete uproar in the town, they were expelled by the chief\nauthorities of the town, against all law. Notwithstanding all these\nthings, we rejoice continually in the Lord our God, who blesses our\nlabors and pours out the Holy Ghost upon us and the Saints, with its\ngifts and blessings, visions and dreams, prophecy and healing, casting\nout devils, &c. We have baptized about one hundred and fifteen in this\ncity, and have a good prospect. We are but miserable tools in the\nDanish language, at the best, but the Lord makes weak things become\nstrong unto them who believe.\n\nPray for us continually, that we may do a good work.\n\nI am now very busily engaged with brother Hanson, in translating and\npublishing the Book of Mormon; it is a very laborious and tedious work\nto get it issued clean and pure, according to the simplicity of the\noriginal; and requires the closest attention. I am publishing three\nthousand copies--have only one hundred and sixty-eight pages finished,\nit will take me till May or June. I circulate two hundred by the sheet,\nweekly.\n\nYours, &c.\n\nE. SNOW.\n\n\n\nLETTER TO PRESIDENT BRIGHAM YOUNG\n\n15, _Wilton Street, Liverpool, July_ 10_th_, 1851.\n\nBeloved President,--As I intimated in my letter of last August, I have\nmade an exertion, and through the blessing of God after eight months\nfaithful and unceasing application, have succeeded in the translation\nand publication of the Book of Mormon, in the Danish language; a copy\nof which I hope to have the opportunity of sending you soon.\n\nI have issued an edition of three thousand copies; I should have had it\nstereotyped, and issued a smaller edition first, if I could have found\na stereotype foundry in the kingdom, but Denmark is a little behind the\nage in this as in most other improvements. They are now being thrown\ninto circulation by the brethren, and a bookdealer of Copenhagen.\n\nIn the work of translation, I employed such help, as the Lord furnished\nto my hand, feeling that it was better so to do, than to confide it to\nlearned professors who were not imbued with the spirit of the work. I\nsought the acquaintance of several, but could not feel satisfied in\nspirit to confide the work to either of them. After brother Hanson\nbecame improved in his language, by a few months' practice, I set him\nto re-writing and revising his old translation, and soon a Danish lady,\na teacher of French, German, and English, embraced the faith, whom I\nemployed to assist in the work; but I did not allow it to go to press\nuntil I had become sufficiently acquainted with the language, as I\nbelieved to detect any error in sentiment, and given it a thorough\nreview with them a third time.\n\nI feel that I have done the best I could under the circumstances, and\nthat the Lord has accepted it and will add his blessing. As the Saints\nbegan to peruse its sacred pages, the Holy Ghost descended upon them,\nand bore record of it in a marvellous manner, speaking to some in\ndreams, visions, and divers manifestations, which caused our hearts to\nmagnify the Lord.\n\nIn September, I published a small work, entitled \"The Voice of Truth to\nthe honest in heart,\" containing a sketch of the rise of the Church and\nits doctrines; and in March I published one containing the articles of\nthe Church, and several extracts of revelations, for the instruction\nand government of the Saints, and also a small collection of some of\nour best hymns, put into Danish, and adapted to the tunes used in Zion.\nThese little publications were a great help to us, and a source of much\njoy to the Saints.\n\nThose who have laboured as you have for many years in a cold world to\npreach the word of life, can easier imagine than I can describe the\nsensations of our bosoms on hearing the Songs of Zion in a foreign\ntongue, and the Saints relate their dreams and visions, and pray\nfor Zion and the Presidency, and the travelling Elders and Saints\nthroughout the earth.\n\nOn the 15th September, 1850, we duly organized \"Jesu Christi Kirke af\nsidste dages Helege\" in Denmark, consisting of fifty members. We had\nbeen baptizing and confirming from the 12th of August, but had operated\nprivately in small family gatherings, for I felt constrained to refrain\nfrom any attempt at public meetings.\n\nWe now presented our organization and sketch of our faith, before the\n\"Cultus-minister\" and board of magistrates, and obtained permission to\nprocure a place of worship and hold meetings, but he informed us that\nwe might meet obstruction from the police.\n\nElder John E. Forssgren being banished from Sweden, arrived in\nCopenhagen on the 18th September. Soon after this elder Dykes was\nappointed to commence labour in Aalborg, in the province of Jutland,\nwhere he soon established a branch of the Church. I thought to send\nbrother Forssgren to the island of Bornholm, which formerly belonged\nto Sweden, and has a dialect nearly allied to the Swedish; but he was\npositively refused a pass to that or any other province. The reason\nassigned by the president of the police department was, that he had\ntaken upon himself, at the request of the Swedish government, to see\nto it, that Forssgren did not make his escape into Sweden. He has\nconsequently remained in and about Copenhagen ever since, and has been\na great help to me, for he was soon able to make himself understood\nby the Danes, as well or better than myself; besides, there were many\nnative Swedes in Copenhagen, many of whom are now numbered among our\nbest members.\n\nDuring the winter a bill relating to dissenting religious parties, with\nvery liberal provisions, was introduced into the legislature, but met\nwith such powerful opposition from the bishops and their clergy in all\nparts of the state, that it was finally ruled out.\n\nWhile this was pending many of the papers were teeming with\nmisrepresentations about \"Mormoniterne,\" and the chief bishop published\na pamphlet against the bill, in which he detailed the usual catalogue\nof transatlantic lies about the Saints, and thought it the duty of\ngovernments to \"protect the people against this dangerous sect.\"\nSeveral marvelous cases of healing, and other manifestations of the\npower of God, together with the weekly distribution of 200 copies of\na sheet of the Book of Mormon, contributed also greatly to exasperate\nthem, and arouse the demon of persecution, which came upon us almost\nsimultaneously, in every place where we were sowing seed.\n\nIn Aalborg, where the Saints had secured a popular hall, the chief\nofficer of police suppressed their meetings; and elder Dykes was mobbed\nin a neighbouring town, where he had begun to baptize, and narrowly\nescaped with his life. In Roskilde, where brothers Forssgren and Aagren\nhad secured a hall and commenced preaching, they were mobbed, beaten,\narrested, and banished from the town by the chief officers of police,\nwhile those that were known to have received them, paid the penalty\nwith the loss of windows and the like.\n\nIn Hersholm, where they next commenced, they fared but little better.\nIn Copenhagen, our hall and the streets about it were thronged by a\ngreat crowd of journeymen, apprentices, sailors, &c., led on by the\ntheological students, who turned our meetings into a \"pow wow,\" dealing\nout all manner of threats and abuses, until we were finally obliged to\ncease our public meetings, while the police refused interference in our\nbehalf.\n\nSome private houses where we had small gatherings next became the\nobject of vengeance. Near the same time also evil spirits attacked some\npersons in the Church, and manifested their power in many strange ways,\nand it took sometime to entirely subdue them, all of which afforded\nlessons of wisdom and experience to the young Saints. They also made\nan angry demonstration upon brother Forssgren and myself, in our room\nat night, somewhat similar to that upon elders Hyde and Kimball, in\nPreston. My eyes were open to behold them, and through humble prayer\nwe obtained power to withstand them and rebuke them from our presence\nand room. It seemed, indeed, as though the powers of earth and hell\nwere combined to crush the work of the Lord in that land, but through\nmuch prayer and fasting we received strength, and the clouds began to\ndisperse. We sent a deputation to the king with a memorial, a Book of\nMormon, and my pamphlet. I shortly after heard of the Book of Mormon\nin the possession of the queen dowager (who is reputedly pious, and a\nlover of the Bible), who, as her \"maids\" reported, was so wrought upon\nby the presentation, and tale of the book, that excitement and alarm\nspread through her palace, and she was unable to leave her room for\nseveral days.\n\nWe were afterwards informed through the \"Cultus-minister,\" who has\nthe superintendence of all school and church affairs, that the\ngovernment was disposed to allow us our regular course, and interpose\nno obstacles. After this, the police officer in Aalborg, by order of\nthe \"Cultus-minister,\" restored to the Saints their privileges, and we\nbegan also to enjoy peace and quietness in our meetings at Copenhagen.\nBranches were organized in Hals and Hersholm, and the Saints generally\nincreased in number, faith, and joy, in the Holy Ghost.\n\nBefore the adjournment of the legislature, a law passed in a\nmodified form, sustaining religious freedom, and abrogating the old\nlaw which denied the rights of matrimony, and all other civil and\nsocial privileges to native subjects, unless sprinkled, educated,\nand confirmed in the Lutheran church. Yet there is nothing in the\nconstitution or laws that guarantees us that _protection_ in our\nworship, and in the exercise of our religious rights, which is afforded\nby the laws of England and America.\n\nI now feel that \"the shell is broken\" in old Scandinavia, and the work\nof the Lord will advance. Probably an earlier mission to that country\nwould have proved a failure.\n\nThough to you and others they might have seemed trifling, yet upon\nme the cares, anxieties, and pressure of circumstances attending the\nmission have weighed heavily. In the midst of them I have frequently\nbeen visited with encouraging dreams, in which I often saw brother\nJoseph Smith, yourself, or president Kimball, and received instructive\nlessons. In the midst of the exciting scenes of the winter, I saw\nmyself and brethren navigating a dangerous stream, on a fishing\nexcursion. Our vessel had neither steam nor sails, yet (by what power\nwas not perceivable) it was slowly but steadily advancing against a\nrapid current, and we were drawing in fish.\n\nIn the spring three Icelanders who had embraced the faith in Copenhagen\nreturned to their native land, with the Book of Mormon and pamphlets,\ntwo of whom I ordained and commanded them to labour among their people,\nas the Lord opened their way, to read, pray, teach, baptize, translate,\n&c., and one of them to return to me in the fall. They were mechanics,\nand the Spirit rested copiously upon them.\n\nThe total number baptized, including those baptized by elder Forssgren\nin Sweden, is about three hundred. The number of elders, priests,\nteachers, and deacons, ordained in branches, and travelling, is about\ntwenty-five.\n\nTowards the close of May I appointed brother Hanson and five others in\npairs, supplied with books and pamphlets, to open new fields of labour:\ntwo to south Jutland, two to Bornholm, and two Swedes to that part of\nSweden lying immediately across the Sound from Copenhagen. These last\nwere instructed to go among their friends, circulate tracts, read,\ntalk, pray, and baptize, secretly if they could, in a manner to attract\nthe least possible attention from the priests.\n\nThe winter in Denmark was mild. Little snow, but much rain, and\nexceedingly thick foggy weather; this coupled with my anxieties\nand close application to the Book of Mormon, and my other duties,\nconsiderably impaired my health. Leaving the presidency with brother\nForssgren, I resolved to join my brethren in conference at London, and\nrest and recruit myself a little season, by a change of labours and\nscenery.\n\nI came by steamboat to Wismar, in Germany, and from thence to London;\npassing through the states of Mecklinburgh-Schwerin, Hanover, Belgium,\nand part of Prussia, by railway, and crossed the channel from Ostend\nto Dover. On my way I called upon a pious German nobleman, on the\nElbe, with whom I had corresponded, and to whom I had sent a \"Voice\nof Warning.\" He welcomed me to his family; and said he had begun to\ntranslate the Voice of Warning into German. His interest or curiosity\nbecame sufficiently excited to induce him, in a few days, to follow\nme to London; but when he learned that we did not believe in standing\nstill to be killed, only when we were compelled so to do, he turned\nback with many _pious regrets_, thinking it utterly impossible to\nreconcile \"Mormonism\" with his favourite doctrines of peace and\nnon-resistance.\n\nWe had an interesting and profitable time in London. Elders Taylor,\nL. Snow, and F. D. Richards, were present, and the American elders\ngenerally. The great Crystal Palace and its collected products of a\nworld's industry, was the great theme of London, not to say of Europe\nand America. Since the June conference in London I have attended\nconference in Manchester and Preston, and spent about ten days with\nelder Joseph W. Johnson, in the Preston and Clitheroe conferences,\nwhere he is doing a good work, reviving the dead in those old\nconferences. He wished me to remember him affectionately to you.\n\nOn the arrival of the \"Fifth General Epistle,\" I forwarded it to\nDenmark, to be translated and published. I have the \"Voice of Warning,\"\nand portions of the \"Doctrine and Covenants\" in process of translation.\nI expect to return in a few days, and I hope to be able before another\nspring to establish a monthly periodical, and publish some works also\nfor circulation in the Swedish language. I should do violence to my\nfeelings to close this epistle without expressing the gratitude of\nmy heart for the deep interest of, and efficient aid afforded me by\npresidents O. Pratt, F. D. Richards, and others. Here I would say, a\nword about the labours of brother Richards, and the grace of God that\nabounds upon him since the departure of elder Pratt, but with you it\ncan add nothing, his works will speak for themselves. He honors his\nstation, and feels its responsibility. I love him, and so do all the\nSaints.\n\nPlease present my affectionate remembrances to my beloved family when\nopportunity affords, and accept assurances of the same for yourself and\nfamily. \"When shall we all meet again?\" Echo answers--\"When.\"\n\nMay the choice blessings of Israel's God rest upon you and all his\npeople; and may a liberal share of that Spirit that is upon you be my\nportion, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.\n\nI remain your fellow-labourer in the kingdom of God,\n\nERASTUS SNOW.\n\nTo B. Young, President of the Church of Jesus Christ, of Latter-day\nSaints, in all the world.\n\n\n\nEXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM ELDER FORSSGREN.\n\n_Copenhagen, July_ 1_st_, 1851.\n\nBeloved brother Snow,--Having received news from you through brother\nDykes, I take pleasure in addressing you a few lines concerning myself\nand the church here universally. In the Copenhagen branch peace and\nunion prevail. * * * Brother Dykes, in company with brother Jensen,\nfrom Aalborg, arrived here this morning in the steamer Juno. * * The\nlittle ship Zion, of Aalborg, has stood through a dreadful storm in\nthe last eight or nine days, which you may hear of through the papers\nbefore you get this. On Sunday, the 22nd, Elder Jensen and his brethren\nof the priesthood, came to the conclusion to go and baptize at a public\nplace by the sea shore, which caused a great gathering of great and\nsmall, aged, middle aged, and young. To these, brothers Larsen and\nJensen bore testimony of the truth, according to the spirit of the\nBook of Mormon, and warned the people to flee from the church of the\ndevil, and let them know those priests they had in those high steepled\ntemples, were Gentiles, &c.\n\nThe ungodly became enraged, seized one of the brethren, and took him\nbefore the high priest; the whole body of the mob gathered round his\nhouse, to see what he would say and do. The priest with horror and\naffright cried out, \"away with him.\" Some took shelter in brother\nOlson's house, but on the way were stoned, knocked into the gutters,\nand clothes torn off some. The mob then proceeded to the place of the\nSaints' worship, and began a havoc on the house, all the windows went\nin as with a blow, and doors torn down. Sister Petersen, who resided in\nthe small room, escaped through a window with a babe in her arms. * *\n* The police and soldiers of the city guard were ordered out to quell\nthe tumult, but all their efforts were in vain, till the artillery\nof heaven was moved upon. Sharp thunder and lightning and a shocking\nshower of rain came down upon them, which caused the mob to disperse\nfor the night. Next day they began with more strength; all the windows\nof the Saints' houses were stoned to pieces; some of the women taken\nand dealt with in a brutal manner. Since the commencement of the\nuproar, all the Saints have been more or less roughly handled. Elder\nJensen's manufacturing establishment has been threatened, but it stands\ngood yet. The Saints' house of worship was unroofed, and part of the\nwalls torn down.\n\nFor nine days has the town been in a dreadful tumult,--the police\nquarrelled among themselves, the citizens with each other, and the\nlower classes fighting among themselves. * * * * * *\n\nBrother Dykes arrived there yesterday, but was immediately taken and\nsent on board the steamer out of the way, that none of the Saints could\nsee him. Brother Jensen made his escape on board a boat, unknown to his\nenemies. * * * He will now be with us for a short time, he is full of\njoy in the Holy Ghost. He will probably seek to talk with the king, to\nseek protection for the Saints in Aalborg. * * *\n\nNo news from those brethren lately sent out on missions. We hope to\nhear from you soon.\n\nYour ever humble servant, and brother in the new and everlasting\ncovenant,\n\nJ. E. FORSSGREN.\n\nP.S.--Last week eight were baptized, and the work is taking root among\nthe better quality of people.\n\n\n\nAN EXTRACT FROM ELDER SNOW'S REPLY.\n\n_Rock Ferry, July_ 11_th_, 1851.\n\nBeloved brother,--Yours of the first instant is received. * * * I\nsincerely sympathize with the Saints in Aalborg in their trials, and\npray that the grace of God may be sufficient for them. I doubt not that\nwhat they did was with the purest motive; and I have faith in God, that\nhe is able to overrule all for good in the end, and hope that it may\ncontribute to arouse and combine the energies of the right minded in\nfavour of truth and freedom.\n\nI hope the scenes growing out of that public baptism, and the imprudent\nsayings of the brethren on that occasion, however painful the results,\nmay serve as a lesson of wisdom and experience for all Saints in that\nland from henceforth.\n\nWhere a cold indifference prevails, a little _healthy excitement_ to\narouse the public mind to investigation may be profitable, provided it\ncan be controlled, and the _truth kept before the people_. But Denmark\nis not England nor America--religious liberty is not grounded in the\nhearts of the people. They are under the influence of their priests and\nattached to their religion--once their feelings outraged, the voice of\ntruth or reason cannot be heard. While a little fire kindled upon the\nhearth, in a cold day, is very convenient, all will admit the folly\nof firing the house, by which the inmates might be consumed or left\nhouseless in mid winter.\n\nCounsel the Saints in Aalborg to continue their little meetings for\nprayer and exhortation, if they can, without excitement: and if you\ncan, you had better send them an Elder, not known there, to encourage\nand minister among them until I come, which I trust will not be long.\n\n\n\nDENMARK\n\nGENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE COUNTRY AND PEOPLE.\n\nDenmark Proper is but a small state, including the peninsula of Jutland\nand the islands of the Cattegat, and those of the southern and western\nparts of the Baltic, to which is attached the dukedoms of Sleswick,\nHolstein, Oldenburg and Lauenburg, the most of whose inhabitants use\nthe German language. Her foreign dependencies, like those of Great\nBritain, are far more extensive than her home dominions. These have\ntheir peculiar dialects, and use the Danish language only in part,\nchiefly in public affairs and business transactions, and even her\nhome provinces and islands have great dialectic peculiarities, to a\nconsiderable extent unintelligible to each other. But the literature\nof Copenhagen is the regular and standard language, if in truth it can\nbe said to have a standard. But the language, like the people, is so\nsurrounded and intermixed with others, that changes and improvements\nare very considerable, and its laws quite unsettled.\n\nIn the State of Norway, the Danish language is spoken and written\ngenerally and taught in her schools. And although they maintain their\nrustic dialects, it is doubted if the old Norsk language has been used\nin printing since the days of the Reformation.\n\nIceland, probably, possesses quite as many associations of interest\nto the Danes as any other of their foreign dependencies. In my\ninterviews with Professor Repp, he frequently took occasion to refer,\nwith apparent pride and satisfaction, to his _native_ Iceland, as the\nnursery of literature and keeper of the Danish records, during the\nbarbarous and demoralizing wars that swept over Scandinavia. They\nstill maintain their own literature, and have a translation of the\nScriptures, but as their priests are educated in Copenhagen, and their\nmerchants mostly Danish, the national religion, policy and impress of\nDenmark is stamped upon them as upon her other provinces. At present,\nwith a territory larger than Denmark Proper, Iceland only numbers about\nsixty thousand inhabitants.\n\nDenmark Proper is about in the latitude of Scotland, and has a climate\nsomewhat similar. Unlike the cold mountainous regions of Norway and\nSweden, it lies low, and by being to such an extent surrounded by\nwater and interspersed with small lakes, preserves an equilibrium of\ntemperature beyond what its latitude might otherwise indicate. Though\nit is sometimes visited with heavy falls of snow, and the severity of\nwinter has congealed the salt water of the Belts and the sound, so that\nteams have crossed the ice between Denmark and Sweden. The islands,\nparticularly Zealand and Fuen, the two largest, are rich and in a high\nstate of cultivation. The country generally is poorly supplied with\nhighways, and I sometimes found myself wandering from house to house\nand from village to village, through bye roads and footpaths, crossing\nsluiceways on a plank or pole, and at wet seasons, when the country was\nnearly half covered with water, obliged to wade through mud and water,\nor take a serpentine route through fields.\n\nThe country people, generally, live in small villages, miserable\nhouses, with thatched roofs and clay floors, and are generally filthy\nand uncouth in their habits. In the large towns a degree of order and\nneatness is exhibited, and urbanity of manners, such as is common to\nEnglish towns. Nearly every village, however insignificant, has its\nChurch, and priest to receive their tithings, and attend to their\nspiritual wants. With regard to improvements, the Danes are sadly\ndeficient in means or enterprise, probably both. They have but one\npiece of railroad, sixteen miles in length, from Copenhagen to a\nneighbouring town. The capital itself is still lighted with the old\noil lamps, and the fire companies haul their hose and water on sheds\nwith tubs and barrels. A telegraph is unknown in the country. The navy\nyard and fixtures, fortifications, public buildings, walks and gardens,\nof Copenhagen, would be a credit to any town or nation. The priests\nare often to be seen in the streets with their black gowns and white\nruffles.\n\nTheir texts, sermons, worship, &c., defined by law, are uniform\nthroughout the country, and repeated yearly. Their rites are similar\nto those of the Church of England. There is a universal observance of\nthe numerous holydays and festivals common in catholic countries, but\nthe sabbath is lightly esteemed. Sunday evening is usually selected\nfor balls, and other amusements, and that is the time the theatres are\nthronged. The priests are by no means so pious out of church as to\nprevent their mingling freely in those amusements.\n\nChurchgoing is in late years getting much out of fashion, except on\nextraordinary occasions. It is no uncommon things in their popular\nchurches, to see only eight or ten persons, but the priest is paid and\nrequired by law to perform services if there are two present.\n\nI was very strongly impressed on an occasion of the congregation of a\npriest in \"Frue Kirke,\" a splendid edifice, the pride of Copenhagen,\npatronised by the royal family.\n\nAt the east end, overlooking the altar, stands a marble statue,\nrepresenting Jesus in the act of preaching, while on either side of\nthe body of the church, at equal distances, stand the Twelve Apostles,\neach holding an appropriate insignia; for instance, Peter holding three\nkeys, Matthew his pen and scroll, &c. These are all in marble, and were\ncut in Rome. Above these in the walls are the carved representations of\nyoung angels, with wings, while another larger one stands before the\naltar, holding a marble basin of water, for the sprinkling of infants.\nWhile the chief Bishop, surrounded by his clergy, in sacerdotal robes,\nwas engaged in the services of the occasion, I asked myself these\nquestions; If these were living figures, what would be their language\nto these men and this assembly? were they to give utterance to the\ndoctrines they taught while living, how long would they be permitted to\ngrace this building? I reflected that by the influence of these clergy,\nand at the instigation of this Bishop, was P. C. Monster repeatedly\nimprisoned for preaching to this people that they must follow Jesus\ndown into the water and be baptized. This was the Bishop that thought\nit the duty of government to protect the people from this \"dangerous\nsect\"--the Latter-day Saints. These are the men, who, while they allow\nthe people to have access to the Bible, put a padlock upon it and\npocket the key. I exclaimed in my heart at the scene before me, surely\nthe great mother of abominations, with her numerous progeny of the\nprotestant family, after their fathers martyred Jesus and his apostles,\ntransgressed his laws, changed his ordinances, broke his everlasting\ncovenant, and drove the last vestige of his kingdom from the earth,\nhave now placed their statues in her temples to grace her triumph.\n\nI will here remark that there are a few honorable exceptions among the\nDanish clergy, whose voices have been heard in favour of religious\nfreedom, and reformation among the people. Although there are a few\npersons that have a zeal for the Scriptures, and their diffusion among\nthe people, yet the most of the Danish clergy discourage the use of\nthem, by the masses, and under a cloak of charity, they long ago\nshrewdly procured the passage of a law giving a charitable institution,\nwhich they control, called \"Veisenhuuset,\" the exclusive right of\npublishing, importing, or selling the scriptures, in any shape or\nform, in the Danish language. The result is, that we sometimes may\nhunt whole neighbourhoods over and not find a copy of the Scriptures,\nexcept, perhaps, in church, or with the priest. The novelty of a new\nreligion in the country, the excitability of the people, the control\nof the priests, over churches and school-houses; the fear of violence\nand damage, that deters men from leasing us houses; the restrictions\nof law upon street preaching and promiscuous assemblages; the spleen\nand jealousy of a well organized national police, are all no small\nobstacles in the way of getting truth before the people.\n\n\n\nSWEDEN\n\nGENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE STATE OF THE COUNTRY POLITICALLY\nAND RELIGIOUSLY--VISIONS, MARVELLOUS OCCURRENCES AND EVENTS--PRESENT\nPROSPECTS, &c.\n\nAlthough the ancient races of Scandinavia have become somewhat\nintermixed, and a strong analogy exists between the Danish and Swedish\nlanguages, and one country is more or less subject to the influence\nof the other, yet the state of society in Sweden and spirit of the\npeople are, in many respects, quite different from that of Denmark.\nAt present there is much less freedom, both political and religious,\na wider difference between the toiling millions and the nobility\nand gentry, and more extreme cases of degradation. Until recently\ntheir laws have been inimical to emigration, and the influence of\nthe Lutheran religion and policy of the government, have tended to\nperpetuate the evils rather than remove them. Yet with the masses, a\nmuch stronger religious feeling appears to exist than in Denmark, and a\nmuch more general diffusion and perusal of the Scriptures; and in the\nabsence of that encouragement which they have a right to expect from\nthe Lutheran clergy that swarm the country, the labouring classes who\nfeel religiously inclined, have formed their little associations for\ninvestigating the Scriptures and edifying each other therein.\n\nA few years since a man, by the name of Johnson, made considerable stir\nin the country, and taught quite extensively the prophecies that relate\nto the last days, the second advent, gathering, Zion in America, &c.;\nand although he did not baptize or organize a church in opposition to\nLutheranism, yet he became very obnoxious to the clergy, and after\nbeing subjected to many of their stratagems and to imprisonment, he\nfinally emigrated with a portion of his friends to Illinois, where he\nwas killed not long since. But the spirit of the latter-day movements\nand events, which he infused among his countrymen, did not entirely\nleave or die with him. It is said that in one town there are as many\nas a thousand, and many in other places, who entertain his notions and\nlook for important events.\n\nIt is also asserted that in 1846, (if my memory serves as to time)\nwas published in the papers, in three different parts of the kingdom\non the same day, a remarkable occurrence, said to have transpired\nthe preceding night, viz., the illumination of a church in the three\ndifferent places, and in them the sound of delightful music, singing\nof Zion and the work of the Lord on the earth, when the churches were\nknown to be closed and to possess no earthly means of illumination. I\nhave seen it, but am sorry that I am unable to furnish at this time a\ntranslation of the sketch of the song said to have been sung in each of\nthe three churches, and heard by many persons.\n\nIn 1842 commenced in Sweden, what the Swedish papers call \"Praedeke\nSygdom,\" (the disease of preaching) a strange manifestation of a spirit\nupon sundry illiterate persons, otherwise perfectly healthy, by which\nthey acted very curiously, preaching and prophesying marvelous things,\nand crying _repentance unto the people_. Nor was it confined to men,\nbut women also and even babes, under the same influence, opened their\nmouths, and testified marvelous things, to the great astonishment of\nmany. And when the excitement could not be hushed by the priests, the\ndoctors were called to their aid, who decided it a sort of monomania,\nand thereafter every person, so soon as they manifested any of the\nabove symptoms, were immediately confined in hospitals or lunatic\nasylums, and no one allowed to see them until they were cured of their\npreaching.\n\nDuring the last year or two, the Swedish papers report several cases\nagain of the \"Praedeke Sygdom\" in different places, but the doctors are\npushed forward to nip the spirit in the bud. The doctors were ordered\nto examine brother Forssgren for the same purpose, but his American\npassport and general appearance admonished them to take another course.\nOne of those families consisting of seven persons, including two small\nchildren, resolved at all hazards to make their way to America, and\nactually travelled on foot several hundred miles, from the upper part\nof Sweden to Gottenburg, where they arrived too late for a passage last\nfall, and they made their way to Copenhagen and came immediately to our\nmeetings, and received the Gospel with great joy, and have proved to be\nan excellent spirited family.\n\nA strong dissatisfaction exists in Sweden with regard to reigning\ninstitutions, religious and political, and the opposition is\nstrengthening itself daily, and becoming more thoroughly organized\nfor efficient action. It has its seat in Stockholm, and extends\nits influence throughout the country, chiefly among the mechanic\nassociations, and farming interests. Elder Forssgren found warm friends\namong the leaders of this party. The king is favorably disposed towards\nthe popular wants, while the majority of the nobility and clergy seem\nstruggling to maintain their power and influence. While measures for\nreform and extension of liberty, which had been submitted by the king,\nwere under discussion before the legislature last winter (which finally\nfailed) insurrectionary movements were set on foot in Stockholm, and\nlarge quantities of troops from a distance were called to maintain\norder, till the close of the legislature. One of the reform leaders\nwriting to brother Forssgren in March, congratulates us on the liberty\nwe enjoy in Denmark, and the success of our mission there, and says,\n\"no such good has yet come over poor Sweden;\" but, he adds, \"we still\nlabor in hopes, and are doubling our diligence.\" The same writer says\nthat (using the documents furnished him by ourselves) he had published\nseveral articles refuting the newspaper charges against the Mormons.\n\nA recent letter from elder Forssgren's father, brings news of a\nnewspaper war between the two parties, in which the defender of reform\nprinciples animadverts severely upon the priests for their tyranny\nand oppression of people who had no confidence in their doctrines,\nand he fails not to charge home upon them with effect, the expulsion\nof \"Mormoniten Forssgren,\" without judge or jury. I shall continue to\nwatch with deep interest every movement in Sweden, until the yolk is\nbroken, the fetters burst, and Israel that is pent up in those north\ncountries goes free. I cannot feel satisfied to close this brief review\nof Sweden without treating my readers to a sketch of the vision of\nCharles XI, king of Sweden, which I find in the Danish over his seal\nand signature, attested by five officers of state, who were with him on\nthe occasion. Being ill, and of an unusually melancholy frame of mind,\nhe raised himself in bed, about twelve o'clock at night, and on looking\ntowards the window that commanded a view of the legislative hall, saw\na light in the hall. The officer in attendance assured him it was only\nthe reflection of the moon's rays upon the windows. Partly pacified\nwith this explanation, he turned himself in bed to seek repose, but\nbeing troubled in spirit, he shortly looked and saw the light again.\nHe then demanded of another officer, who that moment called to inquire\nafter his health, if a fire had not broken out in the legislative\nhall. This man offered the same solution of the light as the first,\nbut on gathering his garment around him, and going to the window, the\nking not only saw more distinctly a light, but also the appearances of\npersonages in the hall, whereupon he called immediately for the master\nof the watch, with the keys, and accompanied him and four others to the\nhall. The king directed him to open the door, but by this time fear had\nseized upon him and all the others, so that each in turn refused to\nopen the door, and besought the king to excuse them from the task. At\ntheir words the king himself began to fear, but renewing his courage he\nseized the keys and said, they that fear God have nothing in the world\nto fear, perhaps the gracious Lord will reveal us something, will you\nfollow me? they trembling answered, yes.\n\nAs the king opened the door he drew back with terror, but strengthening\nhis resolution he entered and saw a large table surrounded by sixteen\ngrave looking men, with large books before them, and a young king\nstanding at their head, at the motion of whose head they all smote hard\nupon their books. As he turned himself he saw blocks with instruments\nfor beheading, and executioners, and at the motion of the young king\nthe grave men smote upon their books, and the executioners began the\nwork of beheading. Those beheaded were all young noblemen. The blood\nflowed down the floor. So real did it appear, that the king examined\nhimself to see if the blood did not cleave to him. As he looked beyond\nthe table at the right of the young king, he saw a throne, partly\nupset, and a man about forty years of age, whom he took to be the\npremier, standing near it. \"I approached the door,\" continued the\nnarrative, \"and exclaimed, gracious lord, when shall these things be?\nI received no answer. Again I cried, Lord, when shall these things be?\nI received no answer, but the young king motioned with his head, while\nthe others smote hard upon their books. I cried the third time loudly,\ngracious God, when shall all this take place? The young king then\nreplied, not in your day, but in the sixth reign from yours, and that\nking shall be as you see me to be, then shall be a time of trouble, and\nthe throne well nigh cast down, but it shall be established after the\nshedding of much blood. He shall sustain and strengthen it, (pointing\nto the man by the throne), and after shall Sweden experience great\nprosperity and blessings, such as she has never enjoyed.\" Further\nparticulars were explained to the king which I do not here give, but\nthe above is the substance, and then the vision vanished, and the king\nand his men found themselves alone in the hall, with light in hand, and\nall appeared in its natural state. Whether true or false, the vision\nis not without its influence upon Sweden. The present incumbent is the\nsixth prince from Charles XI.\n\n\n\nPOETRY.\n\nHad the author of the following lines known the calling and mission of\nthe Latter-day Saints, he would have, most unquestionably, represented\nthem in his song; as it is, we offer it to our readers, assuring them\nthat we often appropriate it to our own use.\n\nWIFE, CHILDREN, AND FRIENDS.\n\n  When the black letter'd list to the gods was presented--\n     A list of what Fate for each mortal intends:\n  At the long string of ills a kind angel relented,\n     And slipp'd in three blessings--wife, children, and friends!\n  In vain surly Pluto declared he was cheated,\n     For Justice divine could not compass her ends:\n  The scheme of man's folly, he said, was defeated,\n     For earth became heav'n with wife, children, and friends!\n\n  If the stock of our bliss is in strangers' hands vested,\n     The fund ill secured oft in bankruptcy ends;\n  But the heart issues bills that are never protested,\n     When drawn on the firm of wife, children, and friends!\n  The soldier, whose deeds live immortal in story,\n     Whom duty to far distant latitudes sends,\n  With transports would barter whole ages of glory,\n     For one happy hour with wife, children, and friends!\n\n  But valor still glows in life's waning embers;\n     The death-wounded tar, who his colours defends,\n  Drops a tear of regret as he dying remembers\n     How blest was his home with wife, children, and friends!\n  Though the spice-breathing gales o'er his caravan hovers,\n     While 'round him the fragrance of Arabia descends,\n  Yet the merchant still thinks on the woodbine that covers\n     The bow'r where he sat with wife, children, and friends.\n\n  The dayspring of youth still unclouded by sorrow,\n     Alone on itself for enjoyment depends;\n  But dreary's the twilight of age when it borrows\n     No warmth from the smiles of wife, children, and friends!\n  Let the breath of renown ever freshen and nourish\n     The Laurel that o'er _his_ fair favourite bends;\n  O'er _me_ wave the Willow, and long may it flourish,\n     Bedew'd with the tears of wife, children, and friends!","title":"One year in Scandinavia : $b results of the gospel in Denmark and Sweden; sketches and observations on the country and people; remarkable events; late persecutions and present aspect of affairs","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":11450}