JOHNSON, CAR OSCAR'S MISSION JOURNAL-pages 44-51

Translation of Carl Oscar Johnson’s Mission Journal – pages 44-51

Robert G. Safsten wrote the following as a prelude to his translation:

Elder Carl O. Johnson was a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Sweden, and served in the Sundsvall area in the winter 1898-1899. He often seemed to work alone, though from time to time his most regular companion was Elder John Anderson. During that time he spent a great deal of time in and around Liden, a village on the Indals River about 30 miles from Sundsvall, Vasternorland, Sweden, near the Gulf of Botnie. There he held numerous public meetings, often in the homes of certain families, some of which eventually joined the Church. Among those families were the Oslin, Selander, Larson and Linde families who later moved to Whatcom County, Washington State.

In the following translation I have added some punctuation (periods, commas, etc.) to make sentences more understandable. I have also used a free, rather than strictly literal translation in some places to make the spirit and intention of the diarist more clear in the English version. In all this I have tried to keep as close to the original structure as possible and that, naturally, has resulted in a narrative that is sometimes stilted and not particularly good English. To make the narrative more understandable, I have converted Swedish distances into American equivalents. (1 Swedish mile equals about 6.1 American miles.) Where it seemed to be important to explain parts of the text, I have included such explanations in brackets []. For easier reference I have included diary page numbers in the translation text in parentheses (). I apologize in advance for any errors, i.e. typos, spelling or translation flaws.

Carl Oscar Johnson’s Mission Journal – pages 44-51

(page 44)

Monday, the 19th [Dec. 1898] I left my friends in Gnarp and went [literally, walked] early in the morning with the intention of coming to Sundsvall and that went quite fast. I became very tired after the thirty-four miles [5 ½ Swedish miles] long trip. I found the brethren at home and ate some food and became strengthened.

On Tuesday we were invited by Sister Engberg for breakfast where after I visited a couple of other places. All were preparing for Christmas and there was nothing extra to do other than prepare ourselves for Christmas in the best manner but it [our Christmas] was nevertheless very simple. But the people in general were in constant commotion. I was home quite a lot during those days and did some tracting and whatever could be done. On Christmas Eve I received a present from brother John H. Anderson, a very nice album which was a very welcome gift (page 45) for which I felt very thankful. On Christmas Eve we ate with Sister Lind who had prepared a good meal for us and we had a happy evening. The weather is the most the most beautiful a person could wish for.

On Christmas Day we had a meeting in the forenoon at 11 o’clock and some members were present to which we bore our testimonies. The rest of the day we were with Hoglunds and had a very good time.

The day after Christmas [Annandagen] I was home in my room until afternoon when we were invited to Sister Klara Schader for the evening. We were there from 4 to 2:30 at night and had an enjoyable evening. The next day Brother Bohman and I visited Sister Engberg after which we went home and in the evening we walked to Hoglunds and we were there no more than 10 minutes before Carl Johanson and his wife came from Gnarpbruk for a visit. We were there together and had supper. (page 46) We then went home and those people stayed with us at the meeting room.

On Wednesday the 28th we had an enjoyable time at home playing music and singing, and in the evening at 7 o’clock we had a meeting which was very interesting even though there were not many present. After the service we had a baptismal service where the before named Carl Johanson with his wife, Klara, were presented and I performed the baptism. Everything went well and I and everyone felt very good and ratified for what had been done. We walked home and slept the remainder of the night and in the morning arose again strengthened by the night’s sleep. We administered the laying on of hands and welcomed these, our brethren, into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And they felt very happy and blessed [that] we were together and had song and joy.

(page 47)

The following day they bid us farewell [literally, took their farewell of us] and traveled home, and brothers Anderson and Alstrom went up to Harnosand to help with Sister Lundqvists funeral. Br. Bohman and I walked out in turn to Gangviken and had a meeting there in the Good Templars hall, which [meeting] was good and well-attended, and to everyone’s satisfaction. We slept at Engstroms overnight. Afterwards we walked back to Sundsvall again and I was quite lame.

New Years’s Day the 1st of January 1899. We had our regular meetings, but very few visited [the meeting]. In the evening we were a Kubikenborg and visited Swedes and had music and song after which we went home.

Monday, the second, we were home during the day, and in the evening we were invited to Ortviken where some of the brethren had planned a good night.

(page 48)

We had a very enjoyable evening.

Tuesday, the 3rd. I bid farewell of Br. Bohman and walked a tour to Liden. It was very bad weather, but I struggled until I came to Lars Hogelin [at] Ostloning and slept there over night. The following day I went to [the village] Liden and stayed with Garfvare Hagstrom overnight after which on the next day, which was Twelfth Night, I went to Westana and came to J. T. Nordlund where I was welcomed and expected. [Apparently, Elder Johnson had been to Liden before and had made some acquaintances. The first part of the diary is not available to us, and therefore, details are not known] And I then heard what measures and steps the Friforsamling [a local church] had taken to hinder my work, namely, to expel the named [Nordlund] family because they had sheltered me, but they felt themselves fortunate and happy in this condition because they knew that they had done nothing wrong that could exclude them from the Lord.

(page 49-51)

On Twelfth Night I had a meeting at the Olof Nilsons and many listened with profound attention, and I spoke about the first principles of the Gospel as well as the organization of the Church and God’s love for his children. And the people wanted several more meetings.

I spent the night at Nordlunds and we had it very good and I helped him a little with wood the next day, and so we had a visit by Linde [Theodor?] from Langliden. In the afternoon a committee consisting of 3 prominent men from the Brodraforening [The United (Moravian) Brethren] whose purpose was to deal with Nordlund, but they had a difficult task because they [the Nordlunds}] had done nothing bad. They quickly found out that I was there which caused them to come in where I was, but I walked away, and they visited a meeting which I had (page 50) at the schoolhouse that same evening and one of them was very interested. I and Hordlund’s daughter, Klara, were at the Alfvar family and played and sang for them awhile after which I had a good meeting the same evening and many people were present. The next day, which was Sunday, I had 2 meetings there at the school or the same place and there were so many people that they did not have enough room in the hall, but they were in the [other] rooms, also, and the power of the lord was enjoyed in rich measure so it appears that many shall accept the truth around there.

Between these [two] meetings I was with Berman in the forenoon and was there until time for the next meeting and spoke [with him][. I slept there with the Johan Ostlunds for 2 nights.

Monday the 9th. I was again invited to the Bermans and had a long conversation with them. (page 51). After that I called on a couple of places on the way to Korsamon, and I didn’t arrive before 6 o’clock at night, and already people had begun to come to the meeting. And at 7 o’clock two rooms were filled with listeners. After the meeting’s conclusion there was a man who came to me and wished that I should come to Garkvisle and hold a meeting for which I promised to come after one week.

On Tuesday I left Selanders and went to Oda which was a new place for me. A friend to me, Aug. Hammarstrom rower me across the [Indals] river and followed with me there, and told me on the way that he was almost ready to be baptized for he was now convinced of the truth. I estimate that there were over one hundred persons at that meeting. However, I sense that it is hard to break the ice at this place, but I had a meeting next evening, also, and it begins to be somewhat better.