Repent, therefore, all ye ends of the earth, for the great day of the Lord is at hand; the sword of justice of the Eternal God will soon fall upon you except ye repent. Repent, O, ye kings and queens of the earth, for the day of the Lord’s controversy with the nations has come; and thrones shall be rent asunder, and there shall be no safety for you, unless you repent. Let the Lords and nobles and all those in high places repent for calamity shall come from all quarters like a whirlwind; fear and terror shall encompass you round about, and there shall be not a place of refuge for you in the day of the Lord’s fierce vengeance upon Babylon. Woe unto you ye rich men, who trade and traffic among the nations, and who have heaped up gold and silver as the dust, for except you repent, your riches shall be despoiled, your trade and traffic shall cease, and ye shall howl for the miseries that shall come upon you: repent therefore, and gather up your riches, and flee out from among the nations and carry your gold and silver with you unto the place of the name of the Lord of hosts, the Mount Zion, and make use of your riches as the Lord shall direct to beautify the place of the Lord’s sanctuary, otherwise ye shall perish with your riches.

Let all the bishops, and clergy and priests of every denomination repent and cease to preach false doctrines, and let them be baptized and come into the Church of Christ, and seek no more to fight against the Lord’s work, but unless they do this, the Lord shall visit them in swift judgment and they shall perish quickly out of the earth; for they are the ones that have corrupted the earth with their false, vain, foolish and powerless doctrines; they are the ones who have blinded the eyes and hardened the hearts against the Lord’s great and last message; therefore except they repent, there is in reserve for them a heavier judgment and they shall gnaw their tongues for pain.

Repent all ye inhabitants of the earth, lest the Lord shall smite you with the rod of His mouth and with the breath of His lips consume you as stubble. Let all Israel repent, and turn unto the Lord, for the time of the fulfilling of the covenant made with your fathers, is at hand – the time when all things are to be restored that have been spoken by the mouth of all the Holy Prophets since the world began – the time when the kingdom is to be restored to Israel, and the Lord God of their fathers is to reign over them in power, glory, might, majesty and in great glory from henceforth and forever more.

Again, the present age, have angels restored the gospel: Again, have they committed the keys of the Apostleships? Again, have they opened some of the events of the past, present and future?

The Book of Mormon contains the everlasting gospel in all its fullness; and it has been revealed to the inhabitants of our earth by an angel; it was by an angel that the apostleship and priesthood were again restored; it was by an angel that men were called and ordained by the Holy Ministry, and empowered to preach, baptize and administer all the ordinances of the everlasting gospel, contained in the Book of Mormon; therefore, let all people rejoice for the gospel is once more restored to the earth; let the nations be glad that after to many years and generations of darkness, a Christian, Christ’s Church has again been organized upon our dark and benighted globe: let songs of praise and thanksgiving ascend up before God, among all nations, that glad tidings of great joy have once more been sent down from heaven – that inspired apostles and prophets have once more been sent to preach, baptize, and show unto man the way of salvation.

Never was there a work more clearly predicted than the great and marvelous work for the restitution of Israel; and never had mankind more prophetic evidences in confirmation of a revelation, than they have for the Book of Mormon.

None of the books of the Old or New Testament were prophesied of before they were revealed, whereas this great revelation of the lat days has been clearly predicted by many of the inspired writers. In this respect, the Book of Mormon is confirmed by testimony to this generation, such a no other prophets could bring forward to establish their books in the day that they were given.

In this situation the records of Moroni leave them, the fifth century of the Christian era, and much in the same situation, with some exceptions, the Europeans found them after a lapse of another thousand years.

O, who can contemplate the disgusting deformity. The dark features, the filthy habits, the idleness, the cruelty, the nakedness, the poverty, the misery, the sufferings, the ignorance of the descendants of this once favored branch of the royal blood of Abraham and Joseph, and not weep for very anguish, while his bosom yearns, and fountains, the depths of his inmost soul, are stirred and moved within him!

Reader, all these things have come upon them on account of the abuses, the consequent decline and final loss of the keys and powers of the science of Theology. But comfort your heart, their redemption is at the door. If we except murder, there is scarcely a more damning sign on the earth than the prostitution of female virtue or chastity at the shrine or pleasure or brutal lust, or that promiscuous and lawless intercourse which chills and corrodes the heart, perverts and destroys the pure affections, cankers and destroys, as it were, the well-springs, the fountains or issues of life.

A man who obeys the ordinances of God, and is without blemish or deformity, who has sound health and mature age, and enjoys liberty and access to the elements of life, is designed to be the head of a woman, a father, and a guide of the weaker sex and of those of tender age, to mansions of eternal life and salvation.

A woman under similar circumstances is designed to be the glory of some man in the Lord, to be led and governed by him as her head to honor, obey, love, serve, comfort and help him in all things, to be a happy wife, a faithful and affectionate mother, devoting her life to the joys, cares, and duties of her domestic sphere.

The overthrow of those ancient races is a type of that which now awaits the nations called Christian in other words the great whore of all the earth, for her sins have reached unto heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.

Where is the nation called Christian that does not permit prostitution, fornication and adultery with all their defacing, demoralizing, degenerating and corroding effects, with all their tendencies to disease and crime, to heave and corrode society?

Since I got united with the true plan of salvation which is Mormonism, I got spiritual minded and I got a great desire to know something. I was not satisfied with faith alone, I wanted to know as well as believe scriptures. They say it impossible to please God without faith, and it takes a living faith to bring about the work that God requires as a good Church member.

As soon as I got acquainted with the gospel, I got at once acquainted with the two great powers, the Power of God and the power of Satan. Good and evil were made known to me at once. Good and evil are placed before all, in one way or another, so we can choose which one of the two, we use our free agency.

I feel in love with God from my early manhood, I truly love Him above all things and I have great respect for Him. He has extended His grace and mercy to me, He has given me great faith and knowledge of the true Gospel in which I rejoice exceedingly.

My aim in life has been to raise a family and be independent, to have prosperity, to accumulate means so I could raise a more respectable family and get the children educated and send them on Missions and help them in all things, to earn any kind of trade they may prefer.

I always loved agriculture, and liked to see things grow, and get things around me that would increase and multiply. I never was satisfied just from hand to mouth. My ambition always was to prosper and to get out of poverty which looked me like slavery. I think we should help one another to get out of that slavery that will put an end to our joy and happiness and satisfaction.

I greatly believe in being faithful to our Holy covenants which we have made in the house of the Lord. To honor the Holy marriage system, we should be full of love for humanity especially to our own family. We should be all means be united as one. I do not believe in separation. That is not the order of God except for adultery. Hate is from the evil one and love is from God and is the man thing to happiness. We must not have any hard feelings for any one, we must love all and forgive all in order to be good saints.

When we run against opposition and disappointments, then let us go to God in prayer and ask for help when the evil one lays snares at our feet. We must understand that everything serves then for good that love the Lord.

I will say like Job, what I had feared all my life, I had to go through. Poverty is my enemy and I will always try to better my conditions in life and would very much like it if I could help others. It is more blessed to give than to take.

All these disappointments and trials and oppositions come, to us, helping to let us see what we are about, what we will do if we will learn our duties and love God under all circumstances.

A Review

I feel that I should again remind all my children and all my grandchildren and great grandchildren, and to all the posterity in coming ages, as long as there is any generation of time, which promises I have received of a Patriarch that my name shall be held in honor of them all for my faithfulness.

I have received strong testimonies through the gift of the Holy Ghost, by the gift of healing, by the gift of prophecy, by the gift of discernment. I have received an answer to my prayers and many different times I have received the Spirit of revelation for my own guidance. I have seen a few miracles, and above all I have received a visit from God.

Let me tell how that came to pass. I was herding sheep on the Canadian prairie and I was given a chance to work myself into the sheep business with Mr. Harvey from Lethbridge. It was a chance which I had been looking for. I was very much pleased to have that chance. Before I would sign a contract I went to seek the Lord in very humble prayer asking Him if that was the right thing for me. I was all alone on the prairie herding sheep. I kneeled down in all humility and asked God to make known to me if that was His will that I should go into the sheep business. I spoke to God as I would speak to my earthly father. In my prayer I asked God to speak to me and I would obey.

Just as soon as I raised up from my prayer I heard a voice, the most wonderful voice I thought I as so familiar with that voice. It penetrated my whole soul. It went through all my body and penetrated me all over, so wonderful was it that it surpasses all understanding in mortality.

I now asked who was talking to me, and I was answered at once. The power of the Holy Ghost was poured out upon me in the most wonderful force testifying to me like this, “It is the voice of God you have heard and you have been in the presence of God, you have heard, and heard Him speaking to you.”

These are the words of God, “Marinus, my son, I don’t want you to go into the sheep business now, I want you to go on a Mission.”

That was the word of the Lord to me directly. .This is not a dream, but in reality true. It happened in the fall of 1907 on a very nice clear day.

In the spring of 1908 I went on my Mission.

This summer I again took the job for Mr. George Murray Whitlay.

This summer it is so dry that the people turn the stock into the dry burnt up grain fields and use it for feed in the summer.

O! what a comfort it is in this dreary world, to be loved and cared for by all powerful, warm hearted and lovely friends.

Children:

This is the first part of my family. The next part will be shown on the next page.

This is the second part of my family.

Children:

This makes the last part of my 18 big family, 16 living children.

Now all my children are grown up to manhood and womanhood and I am now in my seventy’s getting along in years and all my children are in the States so naturally the parents would rather be where their children are located.

I, the last time left Canada agreeable with my wife and I happened to enter the border unlawfully. I stayed in Utah in Salt Lake City for two years, in that time I was working for the Church on the coal yard – 7 South and 4 West, under the Welfare Plan. I was in a law suite with the U.S. officers of emigration and I lost out, and they deported me back to Canada, the second day of November. U.S. paid my expenses to Canada, to Cardston.

So now I am back in Canada where I in fact belong according to the naturalization. This makes it 45 years since I first came to Alberta. Cardston district is where I got located.

I did not lose anything by going to Salt Lake City, Utah, for I had a good job there and when I got back here, I by good friendship, got my rights back and my Old Age Pension again without any trouble. So after all I have been very lucky. The Lord has extended his wonderful goodness and mercy to me.

I am now located in the Lethbridge Ward and stake of Zion. I spent the first winter in an apartment house, and in the spring I took a job herding sheep, for Mr. George W. Murray Whitlay and spent that summer successfully herding sheep in the locality of Bow Island, Alberta.

When I had started to work of Mr. Murray, it had been so dry for years, ponds and lakes and grass was drying up, and complaint was uttered that we needed rain, and again we needed rain. Every time they mentioned that we needed rain I said that we would have to send for some.

I in secret exercised all the power and faith I was in possession of. I asked the Almighty God to let it rain in time so the whole of Alberta was blessed with rain. He did let it rain. Alberta had that year the best green crop that had ever been seen in the country.

I had never seen such wonderful crops on dry land – 45-55 an acre.

This is the summary of my father’s family.

Children:

I by the hand of the Lord became a church member, and by His providence we all became Church members in 1883. I emigrated that year and by the hand of the Lord, we all were in Zion in about three years’ time, and emigrated from Aalborg conference Denmark.

For the Gospel’s sake we got located here in Spring City, San Pete County, Utah in 1886.

In few years we saw it was necessary for us to find a good place to make homes. As the head of the Church had urged the newcomers to go out and be independent, to work in to get a home of their own, I by the hand of the Lord went to Alberta, Canada in 1896, and a year later the whole family came to Canada in order to better our condition to make homes for us all and help to build up Zion.

We got located at a little town named Aetna, where we prospered and where our parents died. This in conclusion is the end of my father’s history.

I started to walk it, from Great Falls and when I came to Browning it got cold and began to snow, and when I reached Canada I went as fast as I possibly could, on account of the cold weather and I was nearly frozen half to death. O, I was so chilled and cold that I surely appreciated the good woolen socks I had on, from Great Falls which my good jail boss game me the day I left his jail.

I had a good time in it, I had all I could eat and good bed to sleep in. I sold that for two and a half so I had a little spending money to go to Canada walking. I did not walk much for some good customers came along and took me up.

Now I am in Canada again, and glad to visit my relatives, exceptionally so my old father which was sick and over a hundred years old and ready to die. I got a job to help to take care of him the rest of his days.

While I stayed there the Canadian emigration officer came after me for stealing into Canada this time, so I told him the U.S.A. refused to have me because I was a Canadian. I sent to Ottawa for my naturalization papers to prove that I was a Canadian, and after that I had not a bit of trouble and got my right back to Canada.

I got my wish fulfilled to see my beloved father live till he was a hundred and four years old. I often told him when he was in his seventy’s and eighty’s and ninety’s that I believed he would live till he got a hundred years old on account of his very faithfulness. For fifty years he was a good Church member, and he began to pay his tithing at once. He borrowed the first ten crowns to pay his first tithing with, and he kept paying his tithing till his death.

I was in Salt Lake City at the time and I could see that I would have to get out. I knew I could get a job in Canada herding sheep, so I started to walk 800 miles, but I expected to receive some help on the road. Whenever I started to walk any place on the road, I always asked the Lord for a ride to help me out, and I have never been disappointed. Whenever I started out from Salt Lake City nearly without any money, I have been lucky to get rides and when I ran out of money, I have been offered to buy me something to eat. Wherever I have gone out without any money, the Lord has surely and truly helped me out.

When I came to the Canadian line this time, I came walking, and that did not look good to the Canadian officers. They did not believe that I was a Canadian, so they turned me back to the States and told me that they could no nothing for me except put me in jail, and they did put me in jail and held me there for four months, expecting Canada to take me back, as I was a citizen of Canada. At first I was locked in with some thieves in a basement. I told the officer that place did not agree with me, I had rheumatics, so I was put in a better place. The officer said he would put me upstairs with good people, the boot-legers. So I got up there among that wicked set, but I enjoyed my time very much as I am a scripture student. I wrote a Ready Reference of the Standard Books of the Church. I spent the time and wrote different copies of the Ready References, and enjoyed my work very much.

I as held in the jail in the summer months, and when I as let out, it was in October and I was not prepared for cool weather, as I had left Salt Lake City with light clothes on. I asked the Lord for a pair of woolen socks before I was let out. They day I was released, the boss came with a good pair of woolen socks and said to take them for I would need them now.

My son George and I had very good luck the first day on the road. We got to Duchane the first night, so we did not have to go to jail in Heber City the first night.

We went to the Stake clerk and showed the letter of introduction from the Utah State Commissioner, and told him that we were dead broke and had no money to pay for a place to stay over night, so I asked him if he could find us a place to stay or tell us where to find a place to stay. He did not know of any place, at last he showed us over to a man where he was located, to our surprise, it was the jailer. He opened the jail door and let us in beside a thief who had stolen a car. Of course there was a wall between us. So we went to jail in Duchane the first night.

In the morning the thief got his breakfast, but my son and I who had done nothing to go to jail for, only we had no money, he turned us out and gave us no breakfast.

Now that was a Mormon town. The next morning I had good luck again and found the Stake President. We were well treated by him, had all we could eat and a good bed to sleep in at night.

He took us around and showed us the land which we had come to see. He was a fine stake president. He gave us all the accommodation and information about the land business, and gave us a chance to inspect what we had come to find out. When we had got everything done, we got back to the city of Duchane, and went to the city marshall for a place to sleep as we were now ready to go back to Sale Lake City when the night was over. He opened the jail again and let us in for the last night in Duchane jail, and in the morning let us out with no breakfast.

I told George that we would now test the town out. We went over to one of the stores and I told them we had no money but we were hungry and needed something to eat. The first store we went to turned us out and we were mistreated with cruelty. He told us he did not want to feed tramps. At the next store we went to, I told my business and he treated us with kindness and gave us a loaf of bread and a piece of good cheese.

We then went to the outside of the town and found an old log. We sat down on that old log and divided the loaf and cheese, and asked the blessing on it. When we were through eating, we went in among some trees and had our prayers, and thanked God for His kindness to us and asked Him to bring us back to Salt Lake City in safety.

We now started walking again on the road, with faith that someone would come along and pick us up. As we waked along, cars passed us, some of them with empty seats, they just passed us like lightning. They wouldn’t stop. We walked in the hot summer day, at last a car came with a big load of skins. I stopped him and told him that we had been walking all day and had nothing to eat. He told us he was an Israelite, and he would take us right to Salt Lake City, he said when we got at the first stop, he would get us something to eat.

We arrived at that hotel about eleven o’clock at night, and some cars that had passed us on the road were there. Some of them teased the Jew for taking us up, and said that he sure would be saved for taking us up, and feeding us too. The Jew answered them, “Yes, these men have been walking all day without anything to eat and they have got to be taken care of, they have got to have something to eat and I will give it to them.”

The Jew took us into the restaurant and ordered the waiter to give us all we could eat, and he would pay for it. Next time that he came back, we were still hungry so we got our plates fill up and we ate it all. The good hearted Jew told him to give us more for we had to all we could eat, and we did.

About one o’clock we were ready to start and go with the Jew right to Salt Lake City. We got there at about half past two at night. We received a very good experience, thanks be to God.

This year I had to go under a heavy operation for rupture, and went through it successfully, but I never got my full strength back again. I was taken to the Salt Lake County Hospital for the operation. That put an end to the misery I had been in for years. Under the circumstances I had been placed in I had a very hard struggle to bring up that big family, under a hard depression of later years, but I never lost courage and good faith in God.

My Patriarchal blessing said that I shall have joy in my children when I get old. I always rejoiced in my children and I loved my family next to God.

After the first world war a depression came on so that employment was very scarce. Millions were out of work in the United States. In Salt Lake City alone they were 12,000 strong, out of work, before the plan of relief was invented by the government.

At that time I went back to Canada again in order to get a job so I would not have to go begging for support, for to get work was impossible in U.S.A. for years.

I am now getting along in years and through an accident and an operation I never got my strength back again, so I in reality am not able to do heavy work.

I never could get my family to stay and be contented in Canada, therefore I had to go different times to the States on that account.

While I was in the States one time, they advertised for chances in the Uinta Basin and I went to Utah State Capital Building and got a letter from Utah State Commissioner in introduction or recommendation to the Stake President of Duchane Stake to show to me a piece of ground or farmland in that locality.

As I got ready to make the trip one of my boys said that he would like to go with me to se the country. I told him that if he thought he could stand the trip I would be pleased to take him along. We had no money, no car and now a way to get there except walk it. I had faith to ask the Lord for a ride on the road to bring us down there and back again.

We were again blessed with another nice little son, born the 20 of June. He only lived until about two years old. We named him Alma Julian. We happened to be at Kaysville Ward at the time of his death so he was buried at Kaysville cemetery.

This boy was named after a French man, the best I ever got acquainted with. He told me his parents died when he was a youth and when he grew up he joined the Mormon Church and when he had been a church member a number of years his mother appeared to him in the Spirit and had a conversation with him. Forty years after that she came again and gave him a visit in his house and talked with him for two hours. His wife asked him who he was talking to. He answered that he was talking to his mother, and to come and see. His wife came from another room but she could not see anyone but could hear them talking.

His mother told him that he would have to talk French to her for she could not understand the American language. She talked with her son for two hours and gave lots of encouragement and that he must always look at the bright side of things. She showed him into the Spirit world and showed him a lot of things.

That same man told me he bought a house and that there was an especially nice rose bush that would not bear flowers. He did all he could to make it bear its roses, at last he gave it up and intended to destroy it.

Before he did that he went and prayed to God to bless the rose bush, and cause it to bring roses. The Lord accepted his prayer, and roses came.

That same French man told me that when he paid his tithing and fast offerings, he could ask the Lord for anything he wanted, and he would get it.

The story about his mother coming to him in the Spirit twice, 40 years between time, he bore witness to me that it was not a dream, but was in reality true.

This was the most remarkable man I had ever met. He was full of faith and good wishes. He was what I call a good Latter-Day Saint.

I understand according to the plan of God that children are the greatest blessing bestowed on mortal man.

I loved my own home and farm, and its equipment, but the real equipment in a home is children. The scriptures say that blessed in the man that has his house full of them. I understand that everything served them for good that love the Lord.

This appointment comes many ways but the Gospel brings no disappointments. The Lord is true to His promises.

We belonged to the Miller Stake in 1921. At this time we were blessed with another baby son. He was born alive but did not live but a little after birth. He was named after his grandfather, Hans Christian, born 25 of April. He was brought to the Salt Lake Cemetery and buried there. This was the first death in our family. We must say like Job, ‘The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away and honor and glory be to the name of the Lord. Some live till old, and some are taken away young.’ I always look at the bright side of things, and believe there is a certain time set for us all.

I broke up entirely in Burley so I left and went to Salt Lake City and got employment on the U.L. Co. Salt Lake street car line, on the section work. That went all right as long as it lasted.

Here we received another increase in the family, the fourth one, a daughter this time, named Helen Anita, born September 11.

I had a hard struggle to make a living, for extra expenses all the time were coming on. When I got strong again so that I could think to stand to work, with something in the U.S.

In order to take better care of the family I decided to go back to the States again, so the little children and the wife could be better taken care of.

I got a job on the Amalgamated Sugar Company in Burley Idaho. The war was on now. Everything was dear. For one winter I was feeding beets, another season I had another easier job. I also worked for a big feeding company at Burley, by the Sugar Factory.

It is now 1917 and we are given another big snow, born the 20 of June. I gave him the best name of which I could think Daniel Harkness.

I, for a while was making good money, four dollars a day, but in wartime, things were risen high. Those wages only lasted in fall of the year.

I now got a job working for the D. & Riogrande Railroad shops, in a welding shop. I rented a house in the city and we went along fine for a while. That was in the west side of the city, the fifth ward, Pioneer stake.

My job there on the floor shop was a disagreeable one. I was fireman and had to stand against that welding fire all day, and be overheated and be sent outside for something and then cool off.

The fifth of Feb. we were blessed with a fine little son. We gave him a good name of George Wilson. He was a wonderful baby when a week old, he smiled at me when he was lying in his cradle. I looked him right in the face.

I at last took sick with pneumonia and had to go to the St. Mark Hospital for a long time. When I was turned out I was not over my sickness and never got my strength back, so I was now in a poor fix. I was just unable to work, and no way to make a living.

My folks invited me to come back to Canada.

I went back to Canada, the wife brought out little son with her, and came later on. Now is the time I needed my good home and farm I gave Katherine, and I went empty handed. I simply now had to start over again and herd sheep again as I had no place to be and no job. My good wife went with me for a little while to the sheep camp, on the Canadian prairie which was not a good place for a woman, but she did not like to be alone.

My people were well located in Aetna. They had good homes and farms, and I had my new wife only empty handed. It surely was a hard thing to go through. I rented a house in Aetna and stayed a while and along came our second son, on Sept. 29, 1912. Albert Tex was his name.

There was not much going on in Aetna, I did the best I could after the circumstance but to get Annie satisfied in Canada was more than I could do. Of course I thought more of my wife than I did of Canada.

We left Esbjerg on a steamer to Hull, then on the train across England to Liverpool, and got on the steam ship Canada back to Montreal, then took the train to Toronto and arrived in Salt Lake City, and was kindly received by my wife which I did not know at the first glance at her at the depot. Being away for two years it surely was a change, and an overwhelming joy to me to find my beloved wife faithful and true. Now the next step was to go through the temple and be married for time and all eternity, which took place May 24 and the greatest blessings there could be pronounced upon us.

If such be your aspirations, remember that this present probation is the world of preparation for joys eternal. This is the place where family organization is first formed for eternity, and where the kindred sympathies, relationships and affections take root, spring forth, shoot upward, bud, blossom and bear fruit to ripen and mature in eternal ages.

I lost my record book concerning my Mission so this is only a little sketch of the two years’ Mission.

Once I was invited to visit a Lutheran Minister. I took the invitation with joy and went to his house. He came with his Bible and quoted chapter after chapter, and verse after verse, and at first would not let me answer a word. I was sitting there looking him right in the face. He took about an hour and a half, and at last he said that if I could give an answer to all his questions, then he would give me the chance to speak and he would listen to me as I had listened to him.

I thanked him and I raised up to speak and the power of the Holy Spirit was poured out on me to the most wonderful degree.

I answered all his questions and a whole lot more too. I explained the falling away from the true faith, and I explained the necessity of the restoration of all that was lost.

That was one of the most wonderful sermons I ever delivered, I thank God for it through the power of the Holy Ghost.

In conclusion, I enjoyed my Mission very much and when after the two years were up, I together with others were then released honorably, and left for the Promised Land. My Mission President, Andrew Jensen told me, “I release you only from this Mission here in Denmark, when you come back, you are still a Missionary.”

The railroads and the steamboats, with their progressive improvements in speed, safety and convenience, are extending and multiplying the means of travel, of trade, of association and intercommunications between countries whose inhabitants have been comparatively unknown to or estranged from each other.

But, as if even these means were too slow for the Godlike aspirations, the mighty throes of human thought and its struggles for light and expansion, man seizes the lightning, tames and subdues it, and makes it the bearer of his thoughts and dispatches. While these things are in progress by one portion of mankind, another learns to seize and control a sunbeam, in a manner subservient to the progress of the fine arts, and by which means a man performs in a minute the work which a short time since would have employed the most active years of a lifetime.

So it was, there was a family there that first night that became members in a little while, and the man was one of the best tithing and fast offering payers.

I shall relate a little story told of a faithful church member:

One Christmas evening a man and his wife invited two Missionaries for supper. A little before they were ready to eat one more missionary visitor came along, and the wife did not know what to do, for she only cooked sufficient for the two extra. In full faith, she kneeled down in the pantry and asked the Lord to cause that she may have sufficient to feed all that should come and eat at that meal, not knowing that there would be more coming. Just before the table was set two more came along and two more still came along, and now the good sister did not know what to do. She did not like to tell them that she could not feed all that crowd of people. The good sister now decided to invite them all to the table to eat. She did not want to tell any of them to sit behind while the rest were eating. She thought she would give them all she had, and that was all she could do. There was five in the family and only prepared for two extra, and when they began to eat, there still came more in, and now all hope was gone to feed them all, that would be impossible. So she dipped up broth on the table, all they needed, dipped up again and brought on the table and to her astonishing surprise, the pans which she had cooked and prepared, did not get empty.

The number that had eaten at the table was 21. That miracle was told to me by both the man and his wife. Declared absolutely true. That happened in Aalborg conference, Denmark, in Christmas evening.

The missionaries were there before I came. They told me that nobody would hear them and if they go out in the country they couldn’t get a place to stay overnight. I told them it must have changed. When I was before, a young Missionary, I could get a place to stay when ever I wet. I went a long way of where they had not been for many years and some would say, “What is the mater with Mormonism, has it died out. Years ago the Missionaries just come out here and stayed with us over night and we had a very good time. Last year, there were no Missionaries here at all. We thought Mormonism had died out.”

The whole trouble was that there is too little faith in so many Missionaries. I went out and I could get a chance to hold meetings and to stay over night. There had never been a drawback for me. I always could find a place to stay over night and have a good bed to sleep in too.

I got acquainted right here on the Canadian prairie with a good Church member. His family was yet in the Old Country, and he came first to make money to send for the rest of the family. His name was William Harkness, a very fine gentleman who later on became my father-in-law.

When I came to Salt Lake City for spring conference, also on the road to my Mission, I visited Brother Harkness and family who had now come up from the Old Country. I now saw my wife for the first time. We decided to get married in the Salt Lake Temple when I got back from my Mission.

To be sure I had a wife when I got back from my Mission I went to the head of the Church to get the ceremony of marriage performed just before I left on my Mission. The word was sent to the president and the answer was yes. If I would bring the license and the girl they would marry me. I wet and got the license and Miss Annie Harkness. We came to the first president’s office, and John Henry Smith of the First Presidency performed the marriage ceremony according to the law of the land.

That took place a few hours before I left Salt Lake City, the tenth day of April, 1908, to go on my Mission to Denmark.

When we came to Osian, we got on the Steam Ship called Canada, that took us to Liverpool, England. We then took the railroad across England to Hull, there we got on a ship to Copenhagen. I together with the other Missionaries arrived safely all the way coming. Now we were sent out to our different field of labor by the Mission President.

Now I was on my Mission full of faith, hope and charity, and here to bear witness of the true Gospel and plan of Salvation, we have received it freely.

In my prayer I said to the Lord, “Speak to me and I will obey You.”

I was kneeling down on the prairie ground and as soon as I raised up from my prayers, a voice spoke to me like this, “Marinus my son, don’t want you to go into the sheep business now, I want you to go on a Mission.”

O, that wonderful voice penetrated me all through my should from head to toe. I now immediately asked who was talking to me.

All at once the wonderful power of the Holy Ghost was shot forth upon me with the most astonishing force of power, testifying to me this: “You have been in the presence of God and heard His voice. He is it that has been speaking to you. Now this is the word of the Lord to me, and it surpasses all understanding.”

It happened on a very nice clear day in the fall of the year. This is not a dream, but in reality true, every word of it. It is my wonderful experience which will never be forgotten.

After coming out of the hospital, I went to meeting in the Cardston Tabernacle, and Patriarch Anderson called me to go with him into the temple. He said he would give me a blessing by the Spirit, and he did so, and sealed all the former blessings that had been sealed upon me before. I was resealed with made me very happy and full of thanks to God and I rejoice exceedingly in the Spirit at all times, and in His Holy Name forever.

When the call did not come as I had expected it, I took a job again with the sheep.

I had now everything settled what family affairs concern, and I had a desire to work myself into the sheep business, as I had been herding a number of years, and I had studied it, and would like to have a chance to work in to get some of my own.

As I came to work for Harvey from Lethbridge, he wanted an experienced man to go in with him, in the sheep business, and offered me a chance to get a start with sheep. That was just what I was looking for, so I thought to myself that I must inquire of the Lord if that was the right thing to do, if that was His will.

I started in deep humility to pray to my God if that was His will, that I should go in with Mr. Harvey to the sheep business.

I happened to be visiting one of Spring City’s men and being talking to him I was trying to test his faith out, so I said to him, “I guess I made a mistake not bringing my slicker along.”

“What in clear weather like this is today?”

“Yes, but remember this day is a fast day, for praying for rain.”

“O”, he said, “They can pray their eyes out, they will never get rain praying for it.”

I said, “Do not be too sure about it, if you see rain this day you will change your mind.’

“Yes, but that will never happen, to get rain today in this very clear sky.”

So I left him at the time, this was in the first part of the day, and went to secret places different times through the day and I watched up in the air once in a while along in the afternoon. I noticed a little black spot, high up in the sky, so little as a hat and it was growing, and one more came in sight, and another, and they were getting larger all the time and a little while later the whole horizon was covered with big clouds and before night it was raining so heavily that I had never seen anything like it. Now is the time for me to see my friend again.

To my great surprise he was sitting out on his porch and was so soaking wet, he had let the rain soak him purposely. He said that he did not think for a moment when I was there last, that it was going to rain that day. That was the reason he was sitting here and getting wet, for he said he was so surprised and overwhelmed with joy that he was sitting here to celebrate the day, for he did not believe that could happen.

He asked me if I really believed that it was going to rain that day. I said that I was perfectly sure of it. He said that if there is that power in Mormonism, there must be something in it. I did not believe it before.

Now in conclusion of my visit to Mexico.

I took a little walk in the evening before I was ready to leave. As I passed an old Dobehouse, the Spirit told me there was something for me in that house to take with me when I went. I wondered what that could be.

In the morning, as soon as I got up, the Spirit told me that I should get a Patriarchal Blessing before I went. I inquired where I could find a Patriarch, and I was directed over to a big house to a Patriarch. I came and asked for a blessing, he was at present without a script so he showed me to another Patriarch. When I found the place, it was the very place I had seen the night before, an old Dobehouse.

This Patriarch gave me a wonderful blessing. He was full of the Spirit of prophecy. He told me and I would lead many souls to come to Mexico, and I would see a Temple built in Mexico, and I should be working in it for my fathers dead. He also told me that my relatives would follow me to Mexico as they had followed me into the Church and into Utah and into Canada.

Now for my Temple work in Mexico Temple I would receive many revelations for who I should work for. It was wonderful how the Lord wanted to impress on my mind where my future locality would be in Mexico.

Let me state this blessing is the second Spiritual Testimony I have received here in Mexico, and when in Canada I received my first Spiritual Testimony about Mexico. So this surpasses Canada although.

This concluded my little Mexican trip with great joy.

As I was herding on the Canadian prairie, I was carried sitting in a wooden seat and brought along in a south direction and was moved over the top of some mountains and there were towns on top of these mountains. I was moved a long way and I saw some fine country.

Whether I was in the body or out of the body I could not tell.

As I was all alone here in the cool disagreeable winters, herding sheep, it was made known to me that Canada was not the only place for me, for I should go to the south of Mexico. That was made known to me by the Holy Spirit.

So now when I am single against I decided to go and see Mexico, and see what chance there was so make another home, in a warm place.

I left Canada and went to Salt Lake City to work, and I went to Mexico and to my surprise I found out that the very country I was brought to from Canada and I saw in a vision is Mexico. Every place I went to visit, was what I had seen before in my fine vision.

I found the best people in Mexico, that I have ever seen. I was here a whole month before I saw one smoke a cigarette. I did not hear people swear either. It was indeed a paradise to me.

When I came here, some took me for a United States Marshal, and warned the people to look for me. I soon changed their attitude when I went right to their conferences and meetings and made myself acquainted with the leaders, the Stake President, and the Bishops. Irvins was the Stake President at that time.

In a few days, some one told me I was a spy. I answered that if I was a spy, I was a spy of God, that I was a true Latter-day Saint, and I had come to investigate what chance there was to make a home in Mexico, as I had lost mine in Canada.

Parties from Canada came to Mexico and intended to buy land to make colonies in Mexico, but revolutionary wars came up for years and that put an end to the colonization of that time.

One of the twelve told in a meeting, that there was 11,000,000 Indians in Mexico that were ready to join the Church as soon as the Church could take care of them.

President Lyman said that the time would come when people would be called to go to Mexico and he urged young people to learn the Spanish language.

There were a lot of good people in Mexico, and a very good climate too, one of the best in the world, and good rich soil. I was told it was one of the easiest places and best chances to make a living.

After I had been there and saw and good soil and the very good climate and the good people, I felt that Mexico was my country. After it was shown to me, and after I had been there, and seen it I must say I loved Mexico.

In all opposition, the Lord blessed us with our last son, born the eleventh day of March. His name is Harvey Antum.

Now Kathrine had for years refused to treat me as a husband, and told me she did not want any more children.

The Spirit told me that the next child she would have, would be a boy that would grow up to be a prophet and prophecy about the second coming of Christ.

When I was on the prairie she wrote to me things were unexpected to her, so I told her she would have a fine boy this time, and so it was.

From then on, she wanted to have me give her notice when I would be coming home, and at last she did not want me home at all. [sentence deleted]

I would take extra fast days and sincerely pray to my God to find out what to do in a case like this. I did take different times two or three days in fasting and praying for my Kathrine. [sentence deleted]

She told me she wanted to live alone the rest of her life. [sentence deleted]

I received by the Holy Spirit a testimony that I should leave her alone, and let her have her chance. I did all there stood in my power to perform my duties to her because I did not want to lose my wife.

She had her free agency and I was rejected of her, so I gave her the home and everything I had to my name, and went off destitute.

[paragraph deleted]

[sentence deleted]. She wanted a divorce. Before I took a divorce I went to Canada just for the purpose of talking with her and see if she really wanted a divorce. I wanted to make up with her if possible, but I was rejected. Then I took a divorce to give her what she asked for.

Now I was only forty years old and I did not expect to spend the rest of my life alone, so before I ever sought for another wife I went from Utah to go back to Canada, to give my wife the last chance if she (was innocent, and) wanted to make up with me. I was still willing, I loved my family, and I did not leave before I had to.

I was rejected again, and she was determined, so the marriage covenant was broken for this life at last, which was much against my will.

I always look at the bright side of things, as the Scripture says. Everything serves them for good that love the Lord.

I was alone for five years, yes, I may say seven years, for I did not live with a woman for that length of time.

With this view of the subject, what man so base, so groveling, so blind to his own interests as to neglect those duties, self-denials, sacrifices which are necessary in order to secure a part in the first resurrection, and a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory in that life which never ends?

I was still herding sheep; between I had to live on the homestead. We now had our own home and would soon have it proved up on the homestead; I intended to herd long enough to get full equipment to the farm. When I had a chance I would come home and see the family.

O, I felt so happy when some of the little children came running to meet me, when they saw me coming home to visit them. O, I was so happy to think I would soon be in a fix so I could stay home all the time, and work the land up, and be with the family and enjoy home life like other men. This is what I came to Canada for, and so far I had made a very good success in getting started to make a home.

We came to Canada with six little children and we got an increase of two more daughters. Everything to make us happy and content. I did rejoice in my children, as that was a gift from God.

I had now been herding sheep a number of years. One year there came a heavy snow storm in harvest time before people had their grain cut and it flattened the grain on the ground deep snow on it. The wind that came from the west and took the snow off was to the east everyday. I felt sorry for the people that had their grain under the snow. I began to be uneasy about it, and I prayed to our God to change the wind from the east to the west so the snow would go off and save the crops.

I put my faith to the test one day, not for curiosity, but to save the grain. I kneeled down in humble prayer, and I, in the name of the Lord did rebuke the wind from the east and commanded it to go to the west until the snow got off.

Just as soon as I was finished praying, the wind came from the west and stayed that way until all the snow was melted off, and the people’s grain was saved.

Let me tell one more little story of my prairie life. I was in the heaviest blizzard and I got lost with two thousand sheep. I lost all the control of them, and they drifted with the heavy storm and drifted into a great big snow drift.

Now nothing could save my life and the sheep but the power of God. So I again used my faith and power, I was in possession of and I in the name of the Lord rebuked the blizzard and commanded the storm to stop immediately long enough to save the sheep and my life, and the Lord accepted the act, and stopped the storm at once.

I now found myself close to a shack with a man in it. I went there was quickly as possible and asked for help to save the sheep, to pull the sheep out of the snow drift. The man had dinner ready and he said for me to come in and eat, for I had been out in the blizzard and I needed it, and after we had eaten he would help me to pull the sheep out of the snow drift. So we did, and we worked hard all the afternoon till dark and had to leave a few head in the drift until then next morning and the man came again and helped to pull the last ones out of the snow drift and we got them all out of the snow drift and did not lose one of them, I was surprised, and as quick as we got all the sheep out and saved, the storm started again.

This year we had an increase in the family, our first Canadian daughter came on the eleventh of May. Her mother wanted her name to be Marienda, and I wanted her name to be Alberta, so she got both of them.

I also started to buy one railroad quarter of land close to my homestead, one of the finest pieces of land in the country north east of Cardston, and neighbor to William Steed and Marsden.

Everything looked good to me now, and I was looking to a good time in the future to prosperity.

I now began to think and hope that Kathrine would get over her opposition against me. I did all I possibly could do to please her.

In one of the times I had to live on the homestead to get proved up.

I was burning old grass off, and the fire got away and I had our oldest son with me, and we had a hard time to fight the fire. The boy told me while we were fighting the fire, that he felt in his heart that if he would go down in the coulee and pray, to the Lord for help we would get the fire out and the boy told me he did that and after he had done it, we got it out. It was a real prairie fire. The boy was about eight years old at the time. The same boy that had the dream It was John, he had great faith in his young days. He had the dream at seven.

I was praying all the time that Kathrine may receive a testimony where her home should be so she could be satisfied in Canada. I did fast and pray continuously that she would be united with me.

All at once the man that was owner of the house we lived in came and wanted to sell it very cheap. He was leaving the country so Kathrine got one of my brothers to come at once and release me a few days and let me come home to buy the house where my family was. My wife told me now she had got a testimony that we should have that house to be our home. Yes she told me she had received a spiritual testimony about it. That was an answer to my prayers.

I was together with you working in a field and I saw a light come from heaven in front of us, down to the ground. The light was very bright, more than the sun. Out of that clear light a man came, shining, and spoke these words, “I am Jesus Christ, I was crucified for the sins of the World.” He showed the wounds in His hands, and in his feet, and in his side, and said, “I have come down here to let you know that Canada is the place for you to go to,” and he spoke to the whole family, and he said that if the boy would be obedient to his father, he would grow up and be big like him.

The Holy Spirit rested on the boy while telling his remarkable dream. He promised to go with us to Canada every day, and the boy said he asked Him to stay overnight too, and offered Him quilts. He did not need them; he said he could go home in a minute.

It was a long sermon the boy gave of his dream. The last of it was that he saw a Temple in Canada and Jesus stood on the top of that Temple.

This dream was given after I had been staying in bed for a month after the accident to get my shoulder broken.

Before we were ready to go we went to see the Bishop and say good-bye. He was a very fine man. He said, “I will be waiting to fill your wagon with supplies for a year, for you are not fit to go to work. When you come there, be sure you do not try to work, it will take a year or so before you will be able to work. And when you get there you will be among Latter-day Saints so you will get all you need, for you are not fit to go to work.”

When we said good-bye to him he wept so the tears rolled down his cheeks.

I had to have my arm tied up in a sling and that, all the way. We started out, and all the way when we would go over a rough place, I had to hold tight to my arm in the sling.

We had good luck on the road but in Idaho around Marketlack the road had been over flooded and deep water on the road, so we had to go around. There was just one place to go and that was through a piece of meadow, and we got stuck, all the wheels went down to the hubs.

So now we were in for it, and all alone. Some of the family wept, and said we may have to sit here for a week before someone comes along and pulls us up. I said nothing, for a while but was thinking about the boy’s dream and I had strong faith in it.

I now told the folks to get in the wagon and we will be going, and I was on the ground to see the miracle. I spoke to the team as usual when hard pulling was on hand, and away they went, as if nothing had happened. It seemed like the wagon was lifted right up off the soft spot it was down in.

It took us a month to travel form Utah to Canada, and came there the first part of August. When we got there, Kathrine wept and wanted to go back to Utah, but now the horses were too tired to do any more, and we had spent all our money in coming to Canada.

We were very poorly received in the stake. President C.O. Card told me that they didn’t want us to call on the Church for help. That was a fearful order to listen to, I with a broken limb and sick just as soon as I started to go to work. I got so sick I had to go to bed different times on that account. But after a while I got so I could enjoy life. I was now in Canada and had full faith that the Lord would open up the way for us, to prosperity. I was so weak in body but rejoiced in the spirit all the time.

There was another newcomer told me that this is a fine country to live in but there is just one thing that is a draw back.

“What is that,” I asked. He said that “it is the heavy winds there are here.”

I said nothing but thought by myself that if that is the only draw back, I had faith to ask the Lord to stop the heavy winds, if that is a draw back.

One day I wet north of Cardston in a low place on the reservation and knew I was all alone to myself so I went in humble prayer to God to stop that heavy wind and I used all the faith and power I was in possession of and I commanded that wind to stop in the name of the Lord.

He accepted the act, and stopped the wind, so one snow storm after another came and there came so deep snow that the cattle that were going out could get nothing to eat.

President C.O. Card said he was afraid that some of the newcomers are not acquainted with the climate, and cursed the wind. He called the people in a fast day to pray for the wind to come back. I said nothing but the Spirit told me the wind would not come back until He called for an extra fast day.

So the wind did not come back at the first fast day and the cattle in southern Alberta had been going about for a whole month without feed. President C.O. Card called for an extra fast day all over the stake and prayed to God to send the wind back to take the snow off, so the cattle would not starve to death.

The Lord has now showed the people. He stopped the wind and brought it back again to show the people what the wind is good for in Alberta.

In that last fast day, one stood up and spoke in tongue, and the interpretation was given at once. It said the Lord had heard their prayers and would send back the wind and save the cattle. I helped to pray for the wind to come back.

The change in the weather took place at once, in the night. The wind came with such tremendous force that the water was running in all directions the next morning.

She came to the conclusion, if I would go to the head of the Church, the first presidency, if they would tell me that Canada was the place for us, then she would go with me, so I went to the head of the Church, and had a call of Joseph F. Smith to go to Canada.

She still opposed my testimony and accused me for being led of the devil. She told me if I went to Canada, there would be trouble.

Now I had to take my choice. Obey God or my wife. I know I was called of God through His Holy Spirit, and after that by President Joseph F. Smith, and after that a revelation from Jesus Christ in a dream received by our seven year old son.

Next time I visited Spring City, the girl sent word to me that she was keeping the Word of Wisdom and expected to get the promise all right. I visited her and administered to her and promised her, in the name of the Lord, to leave the crutches alone and walk without them. She had been compelled to use them for many years. Now the Lord healed her. She left the crutches alone and did not take them up any more. As the one leg was longer than the other she had to use a walking cane after that. She could even dance on the floor.

Before I left West Jordan, I visited a good friend form the Old Country. It got late before I got ready to go home. A storm came on, and it began to be dark. I wet into a farmhouse and inquired about the road. We were told to follow this fence straight out. We went a little way, all at once the Spirit told me to stop quick and go to the right through the gate. I at once said woe! The wife said, “What is the matter, we were told to go straight out, I go and will soon find out.” There was the gate. And in front of the team was a great deep gravel pit. We were saved from accident.

Now came the time to receive our third son, born on the twentieth of March. We named him Isaac Hans.

Kathrine, my wife, got sick all at once. So fearfully she told me to do something for the pain, it is more than she can stand. I administered to her, and asked her how she felt now. She was not over it yet and I performed the same thing over again and asked her again how she felt. The pain had left one place and went to another place. I administered at once the third time and I asked again how she felt, this time she said that she was now healed and can come up at once and work at anything.

The Spirit told me to lay my hands on all the children one by one to stop the evil spirit to have any more power over the children. I started with the youngest and went to them all. When I came to the oldest, seven year old girl, Katie refused to let my hand come on her head. I held her by one hand while I put the other hand on her head and rebuked the evil spirit away from all the children and away from the house.

I rented a house in Murray for the winter, as I intended to work on the smelter through the winter and go to Canada in the spring.

I moved my hay and everything from West Jordan, and began to work again on the smelter preparing for the Canada journey next year.

I must tell a little more of my experiences from West Jordan. Another time I was trying to cast out an evil spirit. I was fasting and praying for three days and nights. The second day after we had family prayers. I went out side in a secret place to pray, and when I got there I met an evil power. I felt like I met the army of Satan. I said to myself that Satan is here, I am going to pray, and as soon as I started to pray an evil power took hold of me and lifted me from the ground and threw me down like an electric current, and went through me, and held me, so I could not move a finger, nor speak or breathe. I was in the claws of Satan. The miserable feeling is unspeakable. It surpasses all understanding to be under the power of the devil. I held out and at last I was left alone. I finished my prayer and finished my three days of fasting and after that I was visited by the Holy power. Yes, I was filled with the power and filled with the gift of the Holy Ghost. And all things were made known to me, what I wanted to know, that God lives and His Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost, and that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of the true living God, and always will be.

These are some of the most excellent experiences, both of good and evil.

About the time of the dedication of the Salt Lake Temple, all my people came down from Spring City to be at the celebration. I was much pleased to meet them all and see their faithfulness in the Church. The Spirit told me to tell my father that his family will grow up and be leaders among the people, and the Lord will raise up a Patriarch out of his family. The Patriarch has not come yet.

I have seen that fulfilled, five High Priests, two Bishops, one High Councilor. They have all been good workers in the Church, yes, and good Temple workers too, and good citizens and leaders in the community.

Before we were ready to move to Canada, Kathrine wanted to learn to be a midwife. I would have to pay a hundred dollars to let her take the course in Salt Lake City. I gave her the hundred dollars and she got started in her study and graduated and got her diploma.

All at once she got in some kind of a disagreement with a neighbor woman and she wanted to move away from here to another house, and that was much against my will. Here we had everything in good running order. I tried my best to convince her that I was not right to move now, it would bring extra expense and more trouble than we had any idea of. I could not pacify her without renting another house and move. I at last gave in and moved to my great sorrow. On that account, I got my left shoulder broken, off one of my horses, taking it to water. The accident I got by moving has crippled me the rest of my life.

When I was standing among the crowd on the Temple ground, looking at the beautiful building, the Spirit witnessed to me this, “This is the Temple of the Most High God.”

When we went in at the first door it was repeated like this, “You are now entering into the Temple of the Most High God.”

There was a guide for every room. We wet through and he explained the purposes of every room and scenery in the Temple.

After the dedicatory prayer was offered, President Woodruff spoke. Among things he spoke, was this, “The most of the people here at this dedication will be in Jackson County Temple dedication.”

The power of the Holy Spirit was felt all the way through.

When we were let out, I heard the finest music I ever listened to, come right from the Temple. The Church had no music there, it must of come from Heaven.

In those days the Spirit of the Lord was enjoyed to a great extent.

One day I passed a house where a sick man was in a miserable condition. The doctors had given him up to die. He had also been administered to without any relief. As I passed the house the Spirit said to me, “Stop and go in to that man that is sick and raise him up.” I stopped at once, went into the little house and talked a little while with the man and his wife. They never had any children, on account of his sickness. He was in a fearful condition. He showed me a cup; he told me he filled that cup every day with matter out of his body. He was not just in bed all the time, he was so bent over he was not able to straighten up at all.

The first question I asked him was if he had faith to be healed. He answered yes, but he had been administered to by the Bishopric and others but when he could smell tobacco in front of him, he had no faith in them to be healed.

I asked him if he would like me to administer to him, I did not use tobacco. He thanked me, but he had no oil. I told him that the Lord can heal without the oil.

I now asked them, the sick man and his wife, to unite with me and we would ask the Lord to heal him.

After we had prayed I laid my hands on his head, and was assisted by the Holy Spirit which dictated to me what to say.

I rebuked the sickness in the name of the Lord and promised him to be healed immediately. “You don’t need your cup anymore and you will go to meeting tomorrow.” It was on a Saturday, this occurred. “And after that you will go right out and visit your friends, just as soon as I take my hands off you, you will straighten up.”

As soon as I took my hands off him, he straightened himself at once, and reached his hand to me and wanted to thank me for he was healed at once. I told him that the Lord had done that and to thank Him, and give Him the honor and glory.

A few days after this happened, I visited him again, and he told me that it was just as I had told him, so it went and he got healed at once, and he did not need the cup any more.

He lived up in Parley’s Canyon and lived on his homestead all summer. His wife got sick and wanted me to administer to her too. I did and again was assisted by the Spirit. As she never had a living child on account of her sick husband, I promised her that she would be healed and have a child that would grow.

I have seen it fulfilled, in the fall of the year. The same man came down from Parley’s Canyon and he took sick again, and called on me to come and administer to him again. This time I felt the Spirit, but not to heal him. He told me I was doing my duty to the man, whether he lived or die is nothing to me, and to be satisfied. He died a little after.

I visited Spring City where my folks were located and one of my brother’s wife had a sister that was crippled and walked on two crutches. She was plagued with Infantile Paralysis; one leg was longer than the other. The Spirit told me to send word to that girl that if she would keep the Word of Wisdom, she may be healed.

It was made known to me at last, where the right place was for us. The Holy Spirit made it plain to me that we should go to Canada.

In two years I paid up in Murray, and paid for everything I got for the farm, equipment, horses, cows, implements, pigs and chickens. I together with my wife worked hard to accomplish all that in two years. We surely worked hard. We were not only blessed into better conditions but were blessed with an increase in the family and received our third daughter, her name is Lillie Rachel, born the twenty-sixth of March.

On account of my sickness and opposition it brought me to the debt of humility and I exercised more faith and repentance, and I was indeed blessed of the Lord.

I went to Emery County to see if there was any chance to make homes. I came back and could see no chance for me there. The rest went there too and could see no chance to make a start, so they too came back to Spring City.

Now our second daughter arrived to us on the second day of September, Annie Caroline.

I came to the conclusion that I must go back to the Smelter and see if I can be saving up and be prepared to go out somewhere to make a home. So I exercised great faith and prayed much in secret besides in family prayers.

I got a job again and got sick of the poison smoke. Our first son came to us in Spring City on the twenty-fifth of April 1889. We named him John Marinus. As I got sick of the smelter smoke I had to quit it, and I got in debt in place of making money. Before we left Murray our second son came, on the twenty-seventh of March, his name is Francklyn.

In the fall of the year our first daughter was born on the tenth of October. Everything went fine in Manti, only work was scarce and not a desirable place for me.

I was acquainted with a family in Spring City. I went there to visit them and I got a job by a small farmer by the name of Andrew Olsen. I intended to save and be prepared to find a place for all my father’s family when they came from the Old Country. I intended for us all to be prepared to go somewhere to take up a Homestead and be independent.

The leaders of the Church urged the newcomers to do that.

Three of my brothers, Jens, Karl, and Peter went for half price, that was now enjoyable for me to have so many of the family come from the Old Country to help to get the rest gathered in.

When I was working for Adwood in the fall of the year the Brick Yard ran down, so I took a job at once at the Smelters. That was where I was working when I sent the money to Denmark to emigrate the three brothers and the girl, which I now together with her laid plans to get married.

In the fall of the year, I went to my bishop and asked for a recommendation to go to the Temple to get married. He said, “You will have to have a recommend for the girl too, and you have got to be ordained an Elder first.”

I was ordained an Elder by President Harper, of the Elder’s Quorum of South Cottonwood.

We went and got married on the eleventh of December, in the Logan Temple, and went back to Murray where I was working at the time. My mother-in-law came to visit us. She was located in Manti, San Pete County.

As I walked from the railroad depot, up to the Old Tithing Office, where Hotel Utah now stands, I looked to the left and saw the beautiful building under construction.

I did not know what kind of house it could be, all at once the Holy Spirit came over me, testifying to me that this is The Temple of your God. That was the first inspiration I received in America.

I am now alone. I have nobody to talk to, and have to learn to talk to learn another language, the American ways and customs. I had to begin as it were with A B C and learn everything. I now had to find me a job to work.

I drifted down to Emery County and got my first job with the D. & R. Grand Railroad on the section. I was lucky at last, I came to a Danish foreman, and everything went fine, I was working among Americans so now I had a chance to begin to learn to talk American. I stayed there the first part of the summer. It was a lonely thing for me, as I had been used to my good meetings all the time.

I only got $1.75 a day and I was thinking I would like to have more wages, and be in a place where I could go to meeting again.

So I told my good boss, “I think I’d better go to Salt Lake City and see if I can make a little more money.” Mr. Mikelsen did not want me to quit, he said “We are well pleased with you here, and my wife’s sister is here, you had better stay and take care of her.” This was a very nice invitation and it was a very fine family and a fine young girl.

But I did not feel to stay so I went to Salt Lake City. That was on the celebration of the 24 of July. I wet up on the mountain to what is called Ensign Peak. I also slept up there in the night. At the time I did not know that spot was set apart as an historical monument, an ensign to the world, by Brigham Young and the Pioneers.

The next job I got was south of Salt Lake City, in Murray, by Hank Adwood, on the Brick Yard. I worked there the rest of the summer, and he was well pleased with me, in so much that he asked me one day, “Have you got a girl, if not, I will give you one of my daughters.”

That was a fine Mormon family like the first place I refused to take the opportunity to get a good wife.

I must ask the Lord now and be sure to find out what is the best thing to do. I made a covenant with the Lord when I first got acquainted with the Holy Spirit, if He would give me that Spirit, I would be obedient to Him. On my Mission I was obedient to the Missionaries, not to make too much friendship with the girls while on my Mission, just be friendly and shake hands with them. No sparking was allowed. I was obedient, but I noticed a little cute girl had her eye on me but I said nothing.

I left the Old Country without being engaged to anyone. I am now in Utah and I ask sincerely to my God who will be the right one for me to take as a wife. “If you will let me know I will obey you.”

My faith was put to the test to the very last day. We held a meeting before we started. They told me they had now given up all hope to get the money. And if I still believed I would come to go, and I answered yes.

When the meeting was let out, a member of the Church came and told my parents, that it was too bad their son will be held back when now he is ready to go. They wanted to emigrate too, but they were willing to let us have the money and them wait if we could pay it back by the next emigration. My parents promised to pay it back to that time as they could see their way to get it at that time.

I did not know where the money would come from, but I believe the Spirit, and I got the money and was not disappointed. I was now ready to say bye-bye to all my father’s family. Their names will be found on this page.

I now say good-bye to my Land of birth, where I spent my childhood days, and spent my twenty years of the beginning of my life.

I thank God of all my life for His kindness and many blessings I have received in Denmark. I say good-bye to all my good friends in the Mission field and good-bye to all my relatives and friends.

I now emigrate for the gospel’s sake. I now say good-bye to my father’s family:

Father: Hans Christian Jensen
Mother: Caroline Masine Andresen
And Children:
Anders Christian – dead
Jens Andreas
Johan Marinus
Karl Christian
Andrew Christian
Hans Peter
Johanna Kathrine
Christian
Otte Magnus – dead

Good-bye, all my beloved brothers and sisters. We will meet again in Zion, in Utah, in America. Good-bye, so long until we meet again.

I shall tell about my emigration from Denmark to America:

I left Copenhagen the first part of April, arrived at Liverpool and went on the steamship, Nevada, April 11th we sailed from Liverpool England with 352 Saints including 13 returned Missionaries under the direction of David McKay. The company arrived at New York, April 22, and at Salt Lake City, April 30.

I, Johan Marines Jensen was raised of goodly parents. They were of the poorer working class. They were very honest and upright according to the tradition we were raised in the Lutheran Church.

I go as far back as I can remember. I was waiting for my father to come home with my first pair of wooden shoes.

I remember we moved from the place I was born. My father was a small contractor, a rock man, cutting rocks for paving streets and cutting small rocks for use for government roads.

I started to go to school when I was eight, in Scare, Song, where we lived at that time. I stayed in the school until I was eleven. Then I was taken out of school and was hired to herd cows in the summertime, and was put back into school in the wintertime. I kept that job for three years. I herded about fifteen cows and kept their stables clean.

That gave me great joy, and satisfaction, but I wanted more evidence so that I may be sure that power was from God. I must pray to receive more light so I would know for sure what I was doing.

I appointed a secret place I wanted to go to, after the day’s work was done. I went and when I got there I met the opposite power, I was so surprised. That power stopped me from praying, testified to me that Joseph Smith was a false Prophet, and if I wanted to join Mormonism, I would have him to fight with, proving to me I met the power of Satan.

O, I now felt the most terrible miserable feeling, until I found another place to go and pray after the day’s work was done.

I now prayed and was answered with the wonderful power of the Holy Spirit like at first. I was told that I now had received evidence and had been under the influence of the two powers, the power of God and the power of the devil or Satan, you can now take your choice of which one you obey.

If you obey God and accept the true gospel, Mormonism, you will save yourself and your relatives; but if you reject Mormonism, you will be condemned together with your relatives, if you reject it.
Now I got all the evidences and information I wanted, I now went and both me and a Bible and began to study and I got the standard books of the Church and I got so interested in learning now.

I am changed now, and I am so converted to Mormonism, and I am now a scripture student and have been born again. In a month’s time or so, I was ready for Baptism. With the greatest of pleasure, I received the first spirit of Mormonism as soon as I heard it.

When the Elders laid their hands upon my head for the gift of the Holy Ghost, I felt a power from their hands like an electrical current go through my soul. So now I have been baptized both by water and by the Holy Spirit, and I now stand as a witness for God, that Mormonism is true, and the only true Church of Jesus Christ.

I went and visited my parents and made known to them that I now was a Church member, a true Mormon. I visited them often and explained the difference of the Lutheran Church and the Mormon Church.

In the fall of the year I went to the first Aalborg Conference and enjoyed myself to listen to the speakers. President C.D. Felted told a little story which I shall relate.

He says that we hold conferences to hear the reports of the Missionaries in different places. The devil does the same thing. He has Missionaries too, who give reports. One after the other they come and give their report, how many nations he had struck up to war…One tells how many ships he caused to be sunk, the other how many railroad collisions he caused to be and each one gave in his report of destruction.

At last a little fellow came and said he had not done much, all he had done was to sneak in and make trouble in the families, make trouble between man and wife and in the family circle. When the president heard that report, he was so well pleased he said “You have done more than all the rest combined.” The devil made that report very commendable. That suited him first class.

My parents heard Mormonism from their young days but did not believe it. They had a neighbor Mormon that immigrated to Utah, and promised to pay the fare for my parents, if they would accept the true gospel. They rejected it at the time. When I presented it to them it was the same, they did not believe it at first, and I worked hard with them before I could get faith and repentance into their hearts. I took a job by my father, worked at the same job as he did just for the purpose to get him converted. At last he came close to the point. He said he may accept it but he would never pay tithing or quit tobacco. I told him these two things would hold him out.

While I worked with him I asked for some of my money to pay tithing. That was a hard thing for him to do. He said to give him the money and help let him pay his debt, and not give it to the Mormons. I explained to him how to get out of debt. The promise of God is that if we will pay the tithing which belongs to God, he will open the way to better prosperity.

It is to prove our faith if we will believe God and obey Him, He will bless us more abundantly and fulfill his promises.

And tobacco is not good for man that is the word of the Lord. My beloved father at last got so converted, that he quit his tobacco before he was baptized. He got so converted to the law of tithing that he borrowed the first ten crowns and paid in tithing and he kept it up for fifty years until his death, to pay his honest tithing all the time.

As I went along through the winter, the Spirit told me when I got the last one of my brothers in the Church, then I will go to Utah, Emigrate.

I told my parents I was going to Emigrate in the spring, when I get the last one in the church then my time was up.

“Where will you get the money from?” I told them if they would try to borrow the money, then the Lord would do the rest. So I began to prepare for to get ready to go to Zion.

My oldest brother was baptized the fourth of March, and that was the last one, so now I was soon ready to leave.

They were well pleased with my work where I was herding cows, but when I came back to school I again had to be punished for not being able to learn anything. Different times the teacher told me, “You are as ignorant as the child born last night.” They were miserable days for me again that time.

When I was fifteen years old I was hired to another farmer where I could get more wages. I was herding cows. I had a name for each cow; I was herding them among the green fields. When one of them could try to go in the grain I called her name, and if it did not turn at once, I went after her with my whip, I had no dog. I had them trained pretty well. I could run fast, so I could punish every one of them, until they learned to obey me.

I now said good-bye to my first job, and in the spring I began my second job.

I, Johan Marines Jensen was raised of goodly parents. They were of the poorer working class. They were very honest and upright according to the tradition we were raised in the Lutheran Church.

I go as far back as I can remember. I was waiting for my father to come home with my first pair of wooden shoes.

I remember we moved from the place I was born. My father was a small contractor, a rock man, cutting rocks for paving streets and cutting small rocks for use for government roads.

I started to go to school when I was eight, in Scare, Song, where we lived at that time. I stayed in the school until I was eleven. Then I was taken out of school and was hired to herd cows in the summertime, and was put back into school in the wintertime. I kept that job for three years. I herded about fifteen cows and kept their stables clean.

In the fall of the year, I went and hired myself out to a big Dairy farm, by the name of Bangs, in Fade Song, near the Ossian on the east.

I was now sixteen years old and was doing a man’s job, driving teams and what so ever was required. I began to enjoy life among the youth of my own age. I must go back to my miserable school days and say a few more words about it. The custom of the Lutheran Church is to start school when eight and to be confirmed when fourteen, and then one can stay out of school. The confirmation is done by the Priest. The baptism is done when the child is a few weeks old.

As I was told by my school teacher many times, “You are as ignorant as the child that was born last night.” He also told me I did not know anything. He did not know what the matter with me was. He said that I had a good head on me but I just could not learn anything. I had my mind set that if I could get out of this I would never open a book any more. I got confirmed and I never opened a book of any kind again, until I first heard the Mormon Missionaries from Utah. I got a chance to find out what Mormonism is.

When I was 14 years old, and was confirmed in the Lutheran Church, the last counsel and warning I received from the Priest together with the class I was among was, “Now you are turned loose to yourself, and whatever you do, look out for the Mormons, and have nothing to do with that false religion, for they are a very bad set of people.”

When I came to Bangs, there was a Mormon. He wet to a meeting on Sunday, he asked me if I wanted to go with him to hear the Mormons. I answered, “Yes, I’ll go with you, I have never been to a Mormon meeting before.” This was a very enjoyable time for me.