Caleb:
This a cool story of your ancestors. It is long and you'll probably skip a lot of it. But, it is pretty good and I'm not sure if I've ever told you the story. Here goes...
He commenced quoting the prophecies of the Old Testament. He first quoted part of the third chapter of Malachi; and he quoted also the fourth or last chapter of the same prophecy, though with a little variation from the way it reads in our Bibles. Instead of quoting the first verse as it reads in our books, he quoted it thus:
For behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly shall burn as stubble; for they that come shall burn them, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
And again, he quoted the fifth verse thus: Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
He also quoted the next verse differently: And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming.
For behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly shall burn as stubble; for they that come shall burn them, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
And again, he quoted the fifth verse thus: Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
He also quoted the next verse differently: And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming.
Here is one line of your ancestors:
1) You
2) Me and Mom
3) Hyrum Dennis Gibbons and Kathy Follett
4) Hyrum Ray Gibbons and Amy Schiess
5) Hyrum Gibbons and Claudia Zina Johnson
6) Elmar Olaussen Johnson and Jensine Kristine Nielsen
7) Olaus Johansen Johnson Buen and Karen Andersdatter Norvik
Elmar had a brother named Ole (Oley) Martinús Olaussen Johnson Buen. Here is an abbreviated history of Olaus and Karen's (and Oley's) conversion...
Oley's father, Olaus Johnson, was an ardent reader and student. He read the Bible over and over again and urged his children to read it for themselves. Oley did, but his mind was full of questions. Why were we not baptized like the Savior was? Why were there no prophets? What about the laying on of hands, the Gift of the Holy Ghost, Tithing, Authority and resurrection?
The Bible was read and the State religion, (Lutheran) taught in the schools. The School Master was stern and severe and ruled with a rod. Oley wanted to know and whenever he asked a question which the school master could not answer he was whipped. This happened so often that his father, who did not believe in whipping children, went to the school master and told him the boy was not to be whipped again.
Oley's grandfather "Anders Olsen" died when Oley was between six and seven years old. Funeral time lasted a week. It was a time of a "Family-get-together". It was a sad and yet a happy occasion. the family got together to reminisce, to talk of the past and the present and make plans for the future. There was always good things to eat and Oley remembered with joy, all the days of his life, the kind Uncle Peder who always sat next to him at the table. Peder was a big boy with long arms that could reach everywhere and he kept Oley's plate filled with the nicest things to eat and his glass was always filled with milk. It is wonderful to have an uncle who is thoughtful of a little boy.
Oley's grandmother, Pauline Pedersen Olsen, wife or Anders Olsen, lived for more than ninety years. She resided in Saltvik. Her children were Ole, Marie, Lorentz, Karen (Oley's mother), Andreas, Peder, and Arnt Andersen. These boys were sea men as well as farmers. They had a fishing vessel and a yacht of their own. These were intriguing to Oley. He loved the sea and he liked to listen to the tales of the sea told by these uncles of his. Peder and Arnt had a playful young nanny goat which Oley liked to play with, and it was a great day for him when he could visit in Saltvik with grandmother Pauline and Peder and Arnt.
Oley learned the shoemaker trade from his father. It was an interesting occupation, but he always longed to go out to sea. He and his friend Marenseus Lovey Sands, used to watch the ships on the sea and talk of times when they could sail away on ships of their own.
The time came when Oley went to sea on a fishing craft. He became an expert fisherman and was very clever in harpooning the whale. At last he was called to serve in the King's navy. He was very happy for this assignment. He sailed the Arctic ocean from Kristiania ( Oslo) to the North Cape and then to Kirkenes, on the Russian border. He sailed on the North Sea and on the Baltic Sea. He loved to gaze across the rugged beauty of his Fatherland as the ships sailed along the coast. He loved the Islands, the shell strewn sand, the fjords, and the stern grandeur of the mountains .
There are two hundred thousand and nineteen Islands of the coast of Norway, and it takes clever seamen to sail the waters of the North. Lone trees are rooted in the huge rocks that overhang the sea. Oley thought of them as sentinels guarding the coast of his native land. He loved the firs and pines of the Northern woods and the caves along the shore. From other seamen he learned the legends and tales told by the men who sailed the seven seas and he learned the songs that seamen sang.
At one time Oley was in a terrific storm on the North Sea. The men were swung back and forth on the decks like so many parcels. High above them the Mast-head lantern gleamed whitely in a circle of the paler light it sent out into the darkness. There was pounding, tossing and buffetings such as no one can describe. The rocking and roaring about in the old pine trees in the Northern woods was nothing compared to this. It seemed absolutely certain that the next downward plunge would surely send them to the bottom. Whenever the ship rose, shuddering and straining in every beam, he felt it must be for the last time, and then once more they would begin to sink, down, down, till it seemed impossible for the ship to ever again climb out of such a watery hollow.
The noise grew to be so great that even the men's shrillest shouts could scarcely be heard above the sloshing and pounding, the thud and crash of the waves breaking over and about them and the wind howled and tore at the masts till it seemed that they must break in two .
Oley had no sleep for forty eight hours and when the storm began to cease he clung to a pole at the center of the ship and he was quite sure he went to sleep with his eyes opened.
The ocean became calm, stars shone clear and big, like snow crystals sprinkled across the dark. The moon came out and flooded the world with mellow light.
It was February of 1878. The ship was returning from the North Cape. They would reach the Trondhjem Harbor by noon on the sixth. Oley was off duty. He was going to his quarters to rest. As he climbed upon his bunk he saw a book and some pamphlets in a hold of the ship. Curiosity urged him to pull them out. It was a Book of Mormon and some tracts, which had been left by a missionary. He commenced reading. He read, and read and was unaware of' the hours passing by. When the breakfast bell rang on the morning of the sixth he was still reading. His eyes were not tired, for his hungry soul was being fed. In the tracts were the answers to his questions. In the Book of Mormon was the Gospel of Jesus Christ. .
There is a God - a true and living God. The Father of us all. Jesus is His Son. There are Prophets on the earth and all of the offices that the Savior had in His Church are in the Church today. There is Revelation. God does speak to His children.
Oley's soul was filled to overflowing. There were no words to express his joy. He stayed on his knees for a long time and then he stood up. He couldn't say what was in his heart, but he knew the Lord understood. They reached the Trondhjem harbor and Oley, with his bag in his hand and the precious book and the tracts in the pocket of his overcoat, landed in the port. He walked the streets of Trondhjem for some time, thinking, thinking .
He overheard someone talking of a baptismal service to be held in a cove near the sea. He followed and applied for baptism. They asked him who had preached the Gospel to him. He said, "No one" . He then produced the Book of Mormon and the tracts and said, "I have read them and I know they are true." He was baptized and returned to his home on the Island of Yttereon. On the way out he found that there was a great deal of excitement among the people because of some Mormon Elders who were on the Island and he learned they were to be driven off. He didn't know what to do. He was a Mormon. Maybe he shouldn't tell anyone, but how was he going to explain the wet clothing he carried in his bag? What would his parents think and what would they do? He was hungry and he needed sleep. He wouldn't tell them until the next day. He hid his wet clothing and his book before he entered the house.
He had been to sea for over three months and he found a warm welcome awaiting him at home. It was good to be there with those whom he loved. A good meal had been prepared and happiness filled the hearts of all as they gathered around the table. He felt a joy that night that he had never felt before. He wanted to share the wonderful thing he had with those he loved but he didn't dare. They talked of many things. One after the other went to bed, but he and his parents talked on and on. Both were avoiding something. At last they found out what it was. His Father and mother told him that they had been baptized on Christmas Eve and the ultimatum had been given them that they must renounce Mormonism and adhere to the Lutheran Religion, or get off the Island.
The landlord, the district sheriff and the village priest were at the head of the mob who were out to see that orders were fully executed.
The Bible was read and the State religion, (Lutheran) taught in the schools. The School Master was stern and severe and ruled with a rod. Oley wanted to know and whenever he asked a question which the school master could not answer he was whipped. This happened so often that his father, who did not believe in whipping children, went to the school master and told him the boy was not to be whipped again.
Oley's grandfather "Anders Olsen" died when Oley was between six and seven years old. Funeral time lasted a week. It was a time of a "Family-get-together". It was a sad and yet a happy occasion. the family got together to reminisce, to talk of the past and the present and make plans for the future. There was always good things to eat and Oley remembered with joy, all the days of his life, the kind Uncle Peder who always sat next to him at the table. Peder was a big boy with long arms that could reach everywhere and he kept Oley's plate filled with the nicest things to eat and his glass was always filled with milk. It is wonderful to have an uncle who is thoughtful of a little boy.
Oley's grandmother, Pauline Pedersen Olsen, wife or Anders Olsen, lived for more than ninety years. She resided in Saltvik. Her children were Ole, Marie, Lorentz, Karen (Oley's mother), Andreas, Peder, and Arnt Andersen. These boys were sea men as well as farmers. They had a fishing vessel and a yacht of their own. These were intriguing to Oley. He loved the sea and he liked to listen to the tales of the sea told by these uncles of his. Peder and Arnt had a playful young nanny goat which Oley liked to play with, and it was a great day for him when he could visit in Saltvik with grandmother Pauline and Peder and Arnt.
Oley learned the shoemaker trade from his father. It was an interesting occupation, but he always longed to go out to sea. He and his friend Marenseus Lovey Sands, used to watch the ships on the sea and talk of times when they could sail away on ships of their own.
The time came when Oley went to sea on a fishing craft. He became an expert fisherman and was very clever in harpooning the whale. At last he was called to serve in the King's navy. He was very happy for this assignment. He sailed the Arctic ocean from Kristiania ( Oslo) to the North Cape and then to Kirkenes, on the Russian border. He sailed on the North Sea and on the Baltic Sea. He loved to gaze across the rugged beauty of his Fatherland as the ships sailed along the coast. He loved the Islands, the shell strewn sand, the fjords, and the stern grandeur of the mountains .
There are two hundred thousand and nineteen Islands of the coast of Norway, and it takes clever seamen to sail the waters of the North. Lone trees are rooted in the huge rocks that overhang the sea. Oley thought of them as sentinels guarding the coast of his native land. He loved the firs and pines of the Northern woods and the caves along the shore. From other seamen he learned the legends and tales told by the men who sailed the seven seas and he learned the songs that seamen sang.
At one time Oley was in a terrific storm on the North Sea. The men were swung back and forth on the decks like so many parcels. High above them the Mast-head lantern gleamed whitely in a circle of the paler light it sent out into the darkness. There was pounding, tossing and buffetings such as no one can describe. The rocking and roaring about in the old pine trees in the Northern woods was nothing compared to this. It seemed absolutely certain that the next downward plunge would surely send them to the bottom. Whenever the ship rose, shuddering and straining in every beam, he felt it must be for the last time, and then once more they would begin to sink, down, down, till it seemed impossible for the ship to ever again climb out of such a watery hollow.
The noise grew to be so great that even the men's shrillest shouts could scarcely be heard above the sloshing and pounding, the thud and crash of the waves breaking over and about them and the wind howled and tore at the masts till it seemed that they must break in two .
Oley had no sleep for forty eight hours and when the storm began to cease he clung to a pole at the center of the ship and he was quite sure he went to sleep with his eyes opened.
The ocean became calm, stars shone clear and big, like snow crystals sprinkled across the dark. The moon came out and flooded the world with mellow light.
It was February of 1878. The ship was returning from the North Cape. They would reach the Trondhjem Harbor by noon on the sixth. Oley was off duty. He was going to his quarters to rest. As he climbed upon his bunk he saw a book and some pamphlets in a hold of the ship. Curiosity urged him to pull them out. It was a Book of Mormon and some tracts, which had been left by a missionary. He commenced reading. He read, and read and was unaware of' the hours passing by. When the breakfast bell rang on the morning of the sixth he was still reading. His eyes were not tired, for his hungry soul was being fed. In the tracts were the answers to his questions. In the Book of Mormon was the Gospel of Jesus Christ. .
There is a God - a true and living God. The Father of us all. Jesus is His Son. There are Prophets on the earth and all of the offices that the Savior had in His Church are in the Church today. There is Revelation. God does speak to His children.
Oley's soul was filled to overflowing. There were no words to express his joy. He stayed on his knees for a long time and then he stood up. He couldn't say what was in his heart, but he knew the Lord understood. They reached the Trondhjem harbor and Oley, with his bag in his hand and the precious book and the tracts in the pocket of his overcoat, landed in the port. He walked the streets of Trondhjem for some time, thinking, thinking .
He overheard someone talking of a baptismal service to be held in a cove near the sea. He followed and applied for baptism. They asked him who had preached the Gospel to him. He said, "No one" . He then produced the Book of Mormon and the tracts and said, "I have read them and I know they are true." He was baptized and returned to his home on the Island of Yttereon. On the way out he found that there was a great deal of excitement among the people because of some Mormon Elders who were on the Island and he learned they were to be driven off. He didn't know what to do. He was a Mormon. Maybe he shouldn't tell anyone, but how was he going to explain the wet clothing he carried in his bag? What would his parents think and what would they do? He was hungry and he needed sleep. He wouldn't tell them until the next day. He hid his wet clothing and his book before he entered the house.
He had been to sea for over three months and he found a warm welcome awaiting him at home. It was good to be there with those whom he loved. A good meal had been prepared and happiness filled the hearts of all as they gathered around the table. He felt a joy that night that he had never felt before. He wanted to share the wonderful thing he had with those he loved but he didn't dare. They talked of many things. One after the other went to bed, but he and his parents talked on and on. Both were avoiding something. At last they found out what it was. His Father and mother told him that they had been baptized on Christmas Eve and the ultimatum had been given them that they must renounce Mormonism and adhere to the Lutheran Religion, or get off the Island.
The landlord, the district sheriff and the village priest were at the head of the mob who were out to see that orders were fully executed.
Johns, Peter and Lorentz departed for Trondhjem and arranged for a building plot. The home where all of the children had been born--the home they loved and cherished was torn down and the material, together with all other personal properties, were placed on a fishing yacht, belonging to an uncle living in Mosviken, and taken to Trondhjem.
Their destination was reached in safety, and at once they began building their new home .
With the help of missionaries they built a home suitable as a gathering place for the Saints. The upper story was constructed to accommodate visiting Elders. Also, on this floor was a large room used as a chapel for holding religious gatherings. Besides the family home and the shoe shop, which were on the first floor, there was room for others who fled religious persecution. This was one of the first Missionary homes to be built in the Scandinavian Countries.
What a story. Can you imagine the joy that Olaus and Oley felt when their secret was revealed? It's a miraculous story and I am in awe of our ancestors and their commitment to the gospel.
Anyway, I hope all is well. I love you,
Dad
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