A GREAT MISSIONAERY FOR THE LORD

A GREAT MISSIONAERY FOR THE LORD,

Carl Oscar Johnson

In 1897, Carl Oscar Johnson had already been on one mission, was now on his second mission, and would later go on a third. His first mission comprised several months of travel and proselyting in Sweden soon after he joined the church in April of 1888 in Almunge, Sweden when he was 23 years old. Not long after, in 1891, he emigrated to America . His destination, of course, was Salt Lake City. He arrived in Salt Lake where he eventually earned his living as a skimmer in the Murray Smelter. He married Emma Olsen, and had two children, Wilford and Ebba by the year 1897.

That year, Carl was called to another mission in Sweden. It is probable that he hated to leave his wife and children, but he did have a very strong testimony of the gospel of Christ, and he must have felt a tremendous desire and sense of duty, as he accepted another mission call – to Sweden, the country of his people.

While in Sweden, he preached and converted. At one meeting, there was a young sister in the audience named Gerda Hansen. She was impressed with the “older” (15 years older than her) missionary’s preaching.

Carl stayed on that mission for 2 years then returned to Murray. Shortly thereafter, he was to experience the passing of his young wife. In the meantime, a story of Gerda, told in her own history, unfolded. She came to America under unusual circumstances. Eventually she traveled to Salt Lake, met the widower, Carl O. Johnson, and married him. While still living in Murray, they had two children.

Bothe Carl and Gerda were from the Swedish countryside – and Carl especially longed to farm, so he eventually took advantage of an opportunity to buy farm ground in the area near Shelley, Idaho. They lived in town, while he farmed the farm outside of town. Many of their ancestors can still point out the house they lived in during those years. After about 25 years in Shelley, they built a house on the farm and moved the family there.

In 1912, Carl again was called to travel to Sweden to convert people. At this point, besides Wilford and Ebba who were teenage children of his first marriage, there was Gerda, age 10, Allen, age 8, Twins Edwin and Edith, age four, and Ruth age 2 at home. Carl’s wife Gerda was left at home to run the farm, the home, and take care of the children while Carl fulfilled his call from the Lord. This was a great sacrifice for both Carl and Gerda, who had already given up family, friends, and country for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Carl’s missionary efforts did not end when he got back from Sweden in 1914. He continued to preach and convert in his own community throughout his life. A story has been handed down that he encouraged one friend for 15 years before the man decided to be baptized. Another type of missionary work Carl actively pursued was temple work for his ancestors. When he was 71, he spent a winter in Salt Lake doing temple work for his progenitors. When the Idaho Falls Temple was dedicated, he and Gerda moved to Idaho Falls in order to be near the temple where they could continue to do the saving ordinances for their families until Carl died two or three years later when he was 81. Gerda continue with the work as long as her health permitted.

It is likely that every missionary wonders about the fruit of his/her efforts. “Did they stay active?” “What happened to them?” Carl did stay in contact with some of his converts for awhile, but a broader picture of what he accomplished can be told by his ancestors.

One hundred years after Carl left from America to his second mission in Sweden (his first from America), his granddaughter received a call from a woman in California asking if she was related to a Carl Oscar Johnson. The reply of yes brought an excited explanation that she was of a family of strong LDS People who had settled in the state of Washington. Her ancestors had come to American after being converted to the gospel by Carl Oscar Johnson in 1898. There followed a happy and exuberant exchange of information about both families. Of course the vital link was the affection and love for a missionary 100 years passed by Carl’s ancestors, and the ancestors of those who were converted by Carl. Carl has remained a hero and part of their family legends.

Fortunately, Carl left some journal materials about his missions. The granddaughter had tried to translate the journals, and had laboriously completed a two month section when we was young. Now, after raising her children, she had begun to try to translate again, but realized the project was almost impossible. To her great joy, the Washington Swedish family was interested in the journals. She sent them copies. Following is a translation of several months of journal material from Carl’s mission in 1898 when he baptized the strong Swedish family who eventually settled in Washington. This translation is courtesy of Robert Safsten, an ancestor of the original converts. Carl’s writings are not flowery and sentimental, but they reveal a spiritual giant who was a very dedicated, hard working missionary who’s efforts were completely directed toward bringing souls unto Christ. Also included is a letter and explanation written by the translator, expressing his feelings about “Elder Johnson”.

In closing, let it be remembered that not only did Carl complete three Swedish missions with results now far and wide, and not only did he pay for research on his ancestry that resulted in hundreds of souls having saving ordinances performed for them, but Carl left a living legacy in his own descendants. There are hundreds of Carl Oscar and Gerda Theresia Hanson Johnson family members, the majority of whom faithfully serve the Lord because of their testimonies of the truthfulness of the gospel Carl promoted throughout his life.
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LETTER FROM ROBERT G. SAFSTEN in the state of Washington

(Robert G. Safsten translated parts of the Mission Journal of Carl Oscar Johnson that will appear on this blog.)

Robert G. Safsten

May 9, 1997]

Dear Sister Christensen,

Enclosed is a copy of the translation of the second half of your grandfather’s missionary diary. I hope I have done it justice, and can assure you that it was a pleasure to read and translate.

I was particularly impressed by his dedication and energy, and the strength of his testimony came through on every page. It also was very clear that the people in the communities he entered were impressed with him and that he quickly gained their confidence and personal friendship,. This was true of both those who accepted and those who did not accept the Gospel.

C.O. Johnson was truly a fearless champion of the Restoration, and it is easy to see why my grandparents and the others from the Liden area who emigrated to the United States loved and admired him.

Very sincerely,

Robert G. Stafsten

TRANSLATION

The translation mentioned above will appear in another post.