came to Christiania, and in the conference then held was released from my second mission by the outgoing president.

X. I PRESIDE IN CHRISTIANIA.

Elder C. C. A. Christensen then took over the guidance of the Saints in Norway. I was called to act as the president of the Christiania branch which at that time had about 600 members. Upon the receipt of this call I felt my unworthiness in a very great degree. There were many in the congregation who had accepted the gospel long before I had, many of them older and more intelligent men and women, but I prayed to my God for wisdom and intelligence to be able to guide this great body of people. These prayers were heard and the Lord blessed me mightily. I gained the love and respect of the Saints and with the fatherly guidance of our respected President, C. C. A. Christensen, I got along very well. Many persons were converted and baptized into the Church both in Christiania and throughout the branches in the country as a result of the visits of President Christensen to the different branches and the meetings he held everywhere with the people.

As the children of the Saints in Christiania were often persecuted in school by the other children, because their parents were "Mormons," I decided to try to stop this unnecessary and improper persecution. I went to the chief of police, one of our friends, and counseled with him as to what we would best do. He advised us to petition the school board, the chairman of which was Bishop Arup, for the privilege of establishing a school of our own, and he suggested further that we secure a number of well known names to this petition and offered to be the first to sign it. We delivered this petition to the bishop who was a very courteous man. After a couple of weeks the petition was granted, on the condition that an officer of the school board should inspect the school once a year to make sure that we were giving the right training and maintaining proper discipline. Moreover, in our school, the children should not be obliged to study the state religion or the history of the Bible. We thought this a very great concession.

I was then appointed to take charge of this school, with Sister Christina Osterbeck as assistant. The children were each to pay a little, as they could obtain the means, for the expense of books, and other supplies. This was a fairly successful experiment. The officers of the school board also seemed satisfied with our work. I was permitted occasionally to make mission journeys into the district surrounding Christiania. Some of these journeys, taken in the winter, were very difficult.

In the summer of 1867, I was sent to visit the town of Kongsberg and Numme valley, where I had been before. From the city of Drammen, the road leads through a great forest, and then over a high mountain. When I reached the top of the mountain the sun was setting in the west behind me, and the shadow of the mountain was thrown miles and miles over the forest below the mountain and covered the whole city of Kongsberg. The magnificent beauty and vastness of this sunset from the mountain top worked upon my feelings and I sought a place under a small hill where, with enthusiasm in my heart, I kneeled before the Lord and opened my heart to him. I prayed especially that he would lead my footsteps, guide me on my way, and help me find a place to stay that night, for I had only a few cents left. At the close of my prayers, it seemed to me that I was surrounded by a holy influence.

I then began my descent of the mountain. It was already dark when I crossed the bridge over the river that flows near the city. Where was I to go? The houses of the city are built very near to each other. When I reached the first block, I turned to the right and walked around it. Then I crossed the street and began on the next block. At last, I thought, "Here is the place where I would better go in and knock." But the answer of the Spirit was immediately "No." I continued to walk to the right around the blocks and after a while I thought, "Now I will knock on the next door." But again the voice whispered, "No." I continued circling the blocks until I reached the eighth block. As I approached the middle of this block a voice whispered to me, "Here you are to enter." I knocked on the door, and a hearty, "Come in" was the answer. I stepped into the room and saw a man and his wife sitting by a table, playing dominos. I noticed that they looked at each other and smiled. "Can I obtain lodging here tonight?" I said. "Yes," said the man and pointed to a door that led into a little bedroom, in which were a table, a candlestick ready to be lighted, a bed, a wash bowl and other furniture. The lady came in and lighted the candle and asked me if I did not want something to eat. I was very hungry and could have eaten a good hearty supper, but I told her, if she pleased, a little bowl of bread and milk would be sufficient.

Next morning at six o'clock, I heard the man move about in the house. As I learned later, he worked in the national rifle factory, and had to be at work quite early in the morning. After he had gone, the lady came into my room, placed a chair in front of the bed, and placed upon it a tray with food. When she left, I got up and ate this light breakfast with great appetite. At eight o'clock the man came back for his breakfast, and I was called in and placed at the table. There was a little pause. They looked at each other, and I asked if they would permit me to bless the food. The man said, "That is what we are waiting for." I blessed the food, and we began to eat. Then a very peculiar conversation ensued. "You have not been here before?" "No." "Who brought you here last night?" "No one." "Are you not a 'Mormon' elder?" "Yes." "Did you notice anything when you came in here last night?" "Yes." "What was it you noticed?" "I noticed that you looked at your wife and smiled and she smiled back."

He then told me the story. Just before I knocked on the door, they both heard distinctly a voice which said, "Here comes a servant of the Lord, who desires lodging for the night. Take good care of him." He continued, "The bed in which you slept last night has not been used during the last six years. The last person before you who slept there was a 'Mormon' elder to whom the room was rented out for a year. When he left, most of the people he had baptized sold out and went to Utah. No 'Mormon' has been here since."

I said to him, "I suppose then you know very well the teachings of 'Mormonism.'"

He said, "Yes; I believe that what is called 'Mormonism' is the message from God above. I am not baptized, and if I should go with you alone this evening to be baptized it would be known in the factory tomorrow, for those in charge there call upon their god from morning till evening, and he can reveal to those who pray to him just as our God revealed to us who would knock on our door last night. Then I would receive my 'walking papers' at once. Should I be baptized, and then lose my position, my savings would possibly take me and my family to Zion, but I have here at home an old father and mother who cannot help themselves and I have not means enough to take them with me. Perhaps my faith is not strong enough, or I should leave them in the hands of the Lord, for he provides for us all, but I cannot bear the thought of bidding them farewell and leaving them alone." These were his words.

I had a splendid mission journey through the Numme valley. I met many good and honest people. As far as I know, no missionary has been there since that day.

MISSION HOUSE OF THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS, AT COPENHAGEN, DENMARK.