A BRIEF AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH of the MISSIONARY LABORS of a VALIANT SOLDIER FOR CHRIST TRANSLATED AND EDITED BY JOHN A. WIDTSOE 1915 John A. Widtsoe dedication Image of Anthon Skanchy BISHOP ANTHON L. SKANCHY. Born, Trondhjem, Norway, Sept. 17, 1839; died Logan, Utah, April 19, 1914....

A Brief Autobiographical Sketch of the Missionary Labors of a Valiant Soldier for Christ Translated and Edited by JOHN A. WIDTSOE 1915 I. Early Years II. I Accept the Gospel III. I Go on My First Mission IV. Missionary Labors in Nordland and Finmarken V. Again Before the Courts VI. How I Spent the Winter in Nordland VII. The Lord Sends Me Money and More Friends VIII. I Am Released from My First Mission IX. I Labor in Aalesund X. I Preside in Christiania XI. The Land of Zion XII. My Third Mission

The missionary labors of the elders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would form a most interesting chapter in the history of human endeavor. Every experience seems to have fallen to the lot of "Mormon" missionaries, who have labored under every clime and among all classes and races of people. Taken, by a sudden call, from the home, workshop, field, store or office, they have gone out at their own expense, with no special training in speaking or argument, to teach to all the wor

I, Anthon L. Skanchy was born in Trondhjem, Norway, September 17, 1839, the seventh child of Elling Lornsen Skanchy and Mina Ansjon. My father was a sea-faring man, well known, and much sought after as a pilot in northern Norway. He, as many other sea-faring men of that day, became addicted to strong drink, and consequently, though he earned well, there was poverty in the home. My dear mother was compelled to work both day and night to keep the children, who numbered seven in all. From the time

My uncle Cornelius and his wife, who owned a house in the city, a short time before had been baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, by the brothers Dorius, who were the first missionaries in the northern part of Norway. I visited this aunt and presented her with a clothes line which I had made. My aunt was a well spoken lady, very fervent in her faith, and she immediately began to bombard me with "Mormonism." In fact, she lent me a lot of tracts and Scandinavian Stars for

Early in the spring of 1863 I was called to be present at the conference to be held in Christiania. I resigned, immediately, my place in the rope factory. According to law, six weeks' notice had to be given when a person resigned from steady employment; but if I was to reach the conference on time, I had to leave at once, for at that time there was no railroad between Christiania and Trondhjem. I was, therefore, obliged to tell the owner of the factory that I had to leave in one week. This was a

The 27th of May, 1863, I took passage with the steamship Prince Gustaf , and with God's mercy of eternal salvation before me, I bade my dear mother goodbye. With joy in my heart I went out to carry the message of the everlasting covenant, to preach the gospel and to battle for the cause of truth. The first island I visited was Degoe. It lies off Helgeland. There I bore my testimony to the people, and distributed books and tracts wherever I went. I then traveled to Harstad, from there to Qvarfjor

I had a sister five years older than myself who was not in the Church, but was a private teacher in the family of Mr. Miller, a merchant in Kovaaen, about one hundred seventy-five miles south of Tromso. Mrs. Miller was slightly related to the Skanchys. At one time I had been kept in prison in Tromso during twenty-one days, waiting for a session of the court at which I could be tried. At last I was sent by steamship to Kovaaen, where a court was to be held. We left Tromso about ten o'clock in the

I continued my work until late into the fall and early winter, as long as I could find the people at home. When winter opened, most of the able-bodied men voyaged to the fishing districts and worked there throughout the winter. Especially did the fishermen gather in the famous fisheries of Lofoten, where thousands of men and boats assembled each winter while the women, children and the aged remained home on the islands. At that season so much snow falls that it is almost impossible to travel fro

The second summer of my mission was used chiefly in preaching to the fishermen. I traveled from island to island, from shore to shore, over mountains and valleys, and I won numerous friends. Many were baptized and more were left with a testimony. I was arrested, of course, and on one occasion was given eight days' solitary confinement with only bread and water to eat. In the fall my means had all been consumed, and the snow water ran in and out of my boots. I succeeded in borrowing about five do

At last I came to the town Vardo in Finmarken, the most distant city in my field, where I remained a few weeks. While there I went out on the ocean and fished. Instead of nets, hooks and lines were used. The whole ocean was so filled with fish that it seemed as if it were a great pot in which fish were boiled. It was a common experience that heavily weighted fish lines could not get past the mass of fish. On this trip I was arrested for preaching the gospel of Christ and brought by steamer to th

I was retained as a missionary, but was now at liberty to go wherever I wanted. I said goodbye, and journeyed on to Guldbrands valley where I thought there would be a good field for work, as the whole valley is thickly populated. From there I went to Roms valley and at last reached Aalesund. In this city I found a sister whom I had baptized in Nordland and who was now married to Mr. Myre, a bookkeeper. As I was the first elder who had visited this town, I was greatly persecuted by the minister,

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. Th

In the spring of 1868, through the help of President C. C. A. Christensen, I succeeded in borrowing enough means to emigrate to Zion. I had then been in the Church a little more than seven years, the first two of which had been devoted in part, and the last five wholly, to missionary service. I married at this time, Anna Christina Krogero, an assistant in the mission office, who was a widow with four children. After bidding farewell to the many Saints in Christiania, we traveled to Copenhagen an

In 1879, when the Logan tabernacle was completed, and we were at work on the Logan temple, I was called, at the October conference, to go on a mission to Scandinavia. I left Logan in November, 1879, and reached Liverpool, December 12. We had a rough voyage across the ocean. I was sent to Frederickstad, for a short time, then to my native city, Trondhjem, in Norway. Elder Ellingsen, of Lehi, was there when I arrived, but in a couple of months he was released to return to his home. I then remained

On October 11, 1886, I left Logan for another mission to Scandinavia. Upon my arrival in Copenhagen I was assigned to labor in Norway. I acted first as a traveling elder, and in that capacity visited nearly the whole of Norway. Later I presided, again, at Christiania. My mission was filled with active labors, and I believe much good was accomplished. In the year, 1888, while I presided over the Christiania Conference, many were baptized into the Church. Among them was Brother Koldstad who afterw

From 1889, the time of his return from his fourth mission, to 1901, when he went on his fifth mission. Bishop Skanchy remained in Logan, Utah, in pursuit of his duties as Bishop of the Logan Sixth Ward. Under his direction, the ward prospered; the poor were well cared for; and a good spirit pervaded all the organizations of the ward. During this period, also, the longest in his life without foreign missionary service, Bishop Skanchy built up his material interests. The lumber business which he h

In 1901, I was called by Presidents Lorenzo Snow, George Q. Cannon, and Joseph F. Smith to take charge of the Scandinavian Mission, which then included Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. I was set apart in the Salt Lake Temple, April 2, by President C. D. Fjeldsted, and I was especially commissioned to buy and erect for the Church, mission houses in these three Scandinavian countries. I presented to the First Presidency the necessity of having C. D. Fjeldsted accompany me as he was well acquainted wit

I do not care to write more, as most of my friends are acquainted with the work that has been done in the mission field. What I have done here at home has gratified me; and the people here know my whole life. Now I am on the sick list. I have forgotten to take care of myself in my desire to care for others. The Lord be honored and praised from now to eternity and forever. Amen. The Lord be merciful with us all and forgive our weaknesses and imperfections....

After Bishop Skanchy had returned from his labors as President of the Scandinavian mission, he entered again upon his duties in the bishopric of the Logan Sixth Ward. He rallied the people to his support, and he laid the cornerstone of a new ward chapel, one of the handsomest in the Church. This house is now completed. On January 23, 1910, after twenty-five years of service, Bishop Skanchy was honorably released from his position as bishop of the Logan Sixth ward. A little later he closed out su

Soon after Bishop Skanchy returned from his last trip to Norway, he was seized with his last illness. The evil preyed steadily upon him, but his strong body and iron constitution could not be broken at once. It took years for the disease to undermine his strength and reach the vital processes of his system. During his long illness, he composed the sketch now presented. From page to page it bears the marks of the physical sufferings which he endured. Had he been in good health, he would have told