My 3rd Great Grandfather- Andres "Andrew" Christian Nielson (AC) was born on the 23rd of March 1840 in Mojen, Ugilt, Hjerring, Denmark. His father Niels Pederson was a well to do farmer, he was born at the same place having inherited the homestead from his father named Peder Nielson. His mother Anne Magretha Anderson was born in Hestrup, Hjorring, Denmark, February 11th, 181 and married his father in 1839.
His parents were very religious and belonged to the Lutheran Church and he was educated. When he was 10, his mother died and his father remarried. Andrew remembered about his teenage years- "My health was generally good. I never had a serious sickness or hurt in any accident. I was of a lively disposition and soon to excel in all kinds of sports, hence took part in many things, which I knew was displeasing in the sight of God. In 1859 I hired out to a man by the name of Maller Anders in Berglium. My salary for this was 40 Bigsdealter equal to $10.00. Out of this I had to buy my clothing, my dancing tickets and all my spending money."
When AC was a young man, he became interested in religion. He met the LDS missionaries. This is what he recalled, "The Mormon Elders also were working in the neighborhood and until then I had never entertained any doubt to the Lutherian Church not being the true church. I went to the meetings of the different sect. Only the Mormons of whom I had heard so many bad reports about that I actually prayed to the Lord to save me from ever being connected with them. But I listened to the different preachers, I became convinced that I need to live a better life and hence I began earnestly to pray that I might have forgivement of my sins and as I was reading and studying my bible I soon came to the conclusion that the Lutheran Church was not the true church of Christ. I was inclined towards the Baptist, but continuing in praying I also found that they were also not of the true followers of Christ. I was very much worked up in my mind. At length a feeling came to me that I ought not to condemn the Mormons before I had heard them, but go and hear them I would not. No, not for anything.
"But a feeling kept working within me that I must know what their doctrine was, so I sent and got a Book of Mormon. I thought by reading it I should soon satisfy myself, actually I believed then that it was a fraud. As soon as I read the title, “the Testimony of the Witnesses” I felt I had something important to deal with, for it is either the truth or the greatest fraud ever known. I prayed, I pondered, I read and in spite of myself, I believed against my own will. I could not help myself. I want ed to make it falsehood, but I could not. This was in the spring of 1860. I worked hard in the daytime for generally 14 hours and in the night by a piece of tallow candle I read and prayed sometimes I had no sleep. It was, I think, in the latter part of May 1860 I had about finished the Book of Mormon. I knelt beside my bed as I had done almost every night and sometimes repeated several times in the night. As I was earnestly praying I asked God to in some way make it known to me whether the words of Mormon and Moroni, I had been reading, was the truth or not. I had not prayed very long when I heard a voice as coming through the roof above my head speaking distinctly not very loud, but more penetrating than anything that I had ever experiences until this day and it went through every fiber in my body. This is about the words I heard: “This book you have read is the word of God and contains the true everlasting Gospel and has been translated by the Power of God to the salvation of all who receive it, and damnation to all who reject it.”
Now, what more could I ask. I had asked and I had received. But from that time my real struggle commences. To accept meant to turn all my friends, my enemies. My flesh was weak but my spirit was willing and I yielded to the flesh and for to conquer the good spirit that had worked on me, I went to many extremes in sin, though I will say that I never did any great crimes, but I could not pray any longer and my mind became darkened. I was in misery only when I was with my wicked crowd. In this way I kept on probably three weeks or a month, then in my lonely hours at night I felt that I was damned and that there could be no forgiveness for me. The Lutherian Doctrine was that when a man is damned he is damned forever. One night as I was reflecting upon my condition – that was in the latter part of June – I came to the conclusion that something must be done, for I could not live in that state of mind. Consequently after a long struggle, I at last got to praying, earnestly seeking to find out if my lot must be in hell forever. Now I prayed, I know not how long, but before I realized I had the following vision: I seemed to me I died, though in leaving mortality I felt myself exactly the same. I seemed to have the same body and senses and everything as before. I was taken in charge by a person and was led before a Tribunal where my fate should be made known to me. While I was thus led away I felt as sure as I lived my lot would be in Hell for my whole course of mortal life stood plain before me and as we approached the Tribunal a person with authority from God sat there and only with the waving of his right hand motioning to the left and my doom was sealed. I saw others coming and going, some to the right and some to the left. My eyes followed those that went to the right and away in the distance I could see a beautiful city with towers glistening in the sun where those destined that went to the right. I was led off to the left for some distance and there was a prison prepared for me and it was right into the solid earth. There I was left. The door was closed, there was not way of escape, but what darkness – I stretched out my hand and I could feel it. It will be impossible for me to describe my condition while there.
The Savior says there shall be weeping and nashing of teeth. That was certainly fulfilled in my case. I felt my punishment was just. I had rejected and not obeyed the voice that had spoken to me. Oh, that those that shall read this will take heed and avoid not coming to such a place. Well, after I had suffered the remorse of the damned for some time my prison door was opened and my guide told me I had suffered enough and I had the privilege of going and joining the crowd that went to the right, but as I strove to join them I found myself partly lying on my bed. Now then, that was enough. I could then say goodbye to my former friends, parents and all and could then go and be baptized into the Mormon Church and I did go and I can testify that after I had hands laid on me for the reception of the Holy Ghost that I did believe it."
And AC did just that. He was baptized and wanted to preach the good word of God. He endured trials and mobs to teach the people of Denmark.
No comments:
Post a Comment