After becoming members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Swenson family desired to emigrate to Utah to join with the larger body of Saints.
Dan records, “This desire was heightened by the persecution heaped upon us by old and young of the community as soon as it became known that we were Mormons. We were hated and hunted by all. Even the children who formerly had been our playmates would gang up on us, till we feared for our lives if we had to leave the house to do an errand.
One time Orson came running home after dark, all out of breath, dragging a long wire wrapped around his foot. The gang had tried to snare him but he had jerked away from them. Another time Ada and I, being sent on an errand, were confronted with a threatening mob of boys and girls. We were too frightened to run so we faced them, and Ada, in a trembling voice, said “All right if you want to hurt us then go ahead and kill us.” That seemed to set them back and we were permitted to leave without being molested. We felt to give thanks to God for we knew that he had come to our rescue.
It was no wonder that we prayed for a time when we could leave, but with such a big family and no imaginable way of ever saving enough money for the enormous outlay for such a venture, it looked next to impossible that our hopes would ever be realized.
But the Lord works in a mysterious way, for in just two short years we would all be gathered in Zion with the exception of Father, who stayed to fill a two-year mission.”
During the time of waiting to emigrate, the Swenson family worked together and it was not long before the whole family was busily engaged in weaving aprons to sell.
From the start of the weaving enterprise, it fell on Thilda to do most of the selling, and while she sold the aprons she used every opportunity to preach the Gospel to all who would listen. She was able to interest many in “Mormonism” and was instrumental in bringing several families into the church.
During this time they did not have to go hungry anymore but it was not possible to lay much money away for tickets to America.
It was only a short amount of time before the first of the Swenson family had a chance to emigrate. Then over the next few years, the family members emigrated one (or 5) at a time until they were all finally together again in Utah.
Dates of emigration of the Swenson family from Sweden to Utah:
Orson: October 27, 1892
Marie: April 3, 1893
Ada: August 10, 1893
Amy: November 16, 1893
Thida, Dan, Per, Ragnar, and George: August 16, 1894
Helge: October 1894
Swen: October 1896
While Swen waited to emigrate, he was called on a mission to Copenhagen, Denmark to be editor of the mission periodical, Nordstjärnan (The North Star). He served in this capacity for one and a half years until he was released in October 1896 to join the rest of his family in America.
In March 1905, Swen received a call to fill a second mission to Sweden – again to be editor for Nordstjärnan. During this second mission, the Swedish part of the Scandinavian Mission was segregated to form a separate mission, and headquarters were established in Stockholm, Sweden.
While on this mission, Swen also revised The Book of Mormon translation, eliminating as far as possible all grammatical and spelling errors and making the language more truly Swedish than it was in the first translation. This work required countless hours of painstaking effort and was hard on the eyes.
Because of the difficulty experienced by church officials in finding anyone well enough versed in the Swedish language as well as in English, to be able to credibly edit the Star, Swen was required to fill much longer missions than the ordinary. Swen served this mission for more than 3 years and returned to Utah in August 1908.
Now, after a little more than 3 years home, Swen was again summoned by the First Presidency (Joseph F. Smith, Anthon H. Lund, and Charles Penrose) and set apart for a 3rd mission – back to Sweden again. He arrived in Stockholm in December 1911.
There was no time to spare for celebrating Christmas and New Years for his work was cut out for him – that of providing the manuscript to go to the printer for the January 1 issue of the Star. Some of the articles for that number he brought with him, and a poem appeared that he had composed while crossing the ocean.
Dan records: “It was a source of joy and satisfaction to all the subscribers of the Star each time that Father was called to be editor. This was especially true of those who, through many years, were constant readers. There was a reason for this, because he always included many short articles of general interest, interspersed with the doctrinal discourses of leaders of the church (as given in General Conference).
Himself a prolific writer of both prose and poetry, he included many beautiful poems and many articles centering around the ideal home, as well as many philosophical articles on correct and happy modes of life and living. A wealth of good reading from his pen can be found in the 1912 to 1915 volumes of the Star and in earlier volumes representing his missions of 1895-97 and 1905-08.”
While on this mission, in addition to his regular work of editing the Star, he translated the Pearl of Great Price into Swedish, in order that the Swedish members of the church might be able to read it along with the other standard works of the church.
This time he was gone for almost 5 years. He would have stayed even longer but he had to be released because his eyesight was failing.
Dan records: “On this mission Father often longed to be home. He did not always feel well. His left eye started to pain him and the pain increased to where he said it was unbearable. Then one night something snapped and the pain ceased, but he could never see with that eye again. The optic nerve, according to the doctor’s findings, was destroyed.
As time went on his right eye too began to fail and so he was finally released after more than four years of faithful service. He returned home in Utah in January 1916.
At this time, Thilda spent much of her time working in the temple. Swen had never been converted to temple work himself. Besides, his sight kept failing him and he seldom left the house.
About this time (February 1917) Swen received a priesthood blessing. Dan recorded: “I remember so well, leading Father up the steps and into the house where the patriarch was staying. He gave Father a wonderful blessing, but in it were two promises, that to my way of thinking, could not be fulfilled. Father was told that he should yet see the beauties of nature and that he should perform a great work for his ancestors.
How could he ever behold the beauties of nature when so many eye specialists had examined his eyes but had not been able to extend any hope? And how would he perform a great work for his ancestors when, up to this late date, he had not evinced any great interest in temple work?
True, he had been to the temple and received his own endowment (which was necessary before going on a mission), and his wife had been sealed to him on 20 March 1905, prior to going on his second mission. But in the intervening years he had done little or no work in the temple. I tried to reason that perhaps it meant that he should again see the beauties of nature with his spiritual eyes, but as to the work for his ancestors, I could find no answer.
However in 1918, a Dr. Stauffer, who was considered the best eye doctor in the city, thought that a cataract on Father’s right eye might be removed, but he hesitated to operate in as much as the sight of the left eye was entirely gone. Father decided to risk the operation, and judge of his joy and thankfulness when the bandages were removed and he could again behold the beauties of nature as well as ever, just as the patriarch had promised. It was with unspeakable gratitude that he went from the darkness of night into the light of day.”
Again, a writer for the Star was needed in Stockholm so Swen was called on his 4th mission in June 1919. Though he would have preferred to spend his remaining days at home, he heeded the call.
Upon his arrival in Stockholm, he received a hearty and enthusiastic welcome from his many friends and felt right at home in his swivel chair by the same old desk. He went to work but soon began to realize that it was too much for his one eye. His sight began to fail him and after six months he had to be released. He managed to make the journey home unassisted, arriving early in February 1920.
“After returning from this last mission, and while still able to see enough to get around, Father started to work in the Salt Lake Temple. He became very enthusiastic about the work and eager to get all the work done for the male members on our record. Mother had completed the work for the women years before. I recall visiting one time when Father could hardly see any more and he brought out his record book, pointed with pride to the result of his labors and said, “Now I have only two more days to go and then the work is all completed.”
While doing this work in the temple he would go to the early morning session, which in those days did not get finished till after noon. Then without stopping for a bite to eat he would go through for another name and get home at the close of day. He performed a great work for his ancestors as the patriarch had promised.”
Swen Swenson & Bothilda Pehsrdotter family Front: Ada, Thilda, George, Swen, Amy Back: Dan, Orson, Marie, Helge, Ragnar
About Thilda, Dan recorded: “During all these years, while Father was away, Mother carried the responsibility of maintaining the home. She was always a faithful and willing worker in the Relief Society throughout the years. With her busy, little hands she produced and unbelievable amount of lovely hand work. She crocheted and knitted beautiful bedspreads and table covers and made dozens of pieced quilts of intricate patterns. Each one of her children and many of the grandchildren received presents of one or more of those quilts. She loved to open her trunk and bring out her many quilts and quilt tops to show to them when they came home to visit.
Somehow she managed to make ends meet and even stood ready to lend monetary aid to any one of her children when in need. She was blessed with good health most of the time and, because of indomitable courage, if she felt ill no one knew about it. It was no easy task, and when during the last two years of Father’s life he was totally blind, it was a great comfort to both parents to have Ada nearby.”
“Father was not bedfast many days before his death. He was fully conscious until his last breath. His wife and all but tow of his children were at his bedside and he turned to each in turn and gave a blessing and a word of farewell. He died 21 August 1925 at the age of 75.
A wish that he expressed in a beautiful poem which he wrote (published in the 15 July issue of Nordstjärnan of 1912) was fulfilled. He died in the midst of his loved ones and was laid to rest in the land of Zion. I want to end this sketch by copying the last verse of the poem that Father wrote:
När vår stund är kommen, när vår natt är nära,
Låt oss vara hemma då hos våra kära!
Låt oss då där hemma invid Saltsjöns strander.
För oss sist till Hvila då bland våra fränder.
translated, the thought runs something as follows:
When my task is finished, and when death is nearest,
Let me then be home with those whom I love dearest.
Let me end my journey where my loved ones tarry,
Near the shore in Salt Lake, let me there be buried. “
After telling the kids this story about Swen, this is the conversation that I had with Landon.
Landon: “Heavenly Father must really like him.”
Me: “Why?”
Landon: “Because he gave him lots of things to do.”
Thilda lingered on for nearly two years after Swen’s death. She endured a lot of suffering but, as usual, she did not complain. Ada waited on her till the last and was there with Marie and Dan when Thilda passed away on May 30, 1927 at the age of 79.
Dan wrote this tribute of his mother: “No mother ever lived who was more loyal to her husband and family and to the gospel, than our mother. She loved her children above everything and often said “My children are my riches,” and so it hurt her deeply if any one of them, intentionally or otherwise, were unkind to her.
It is to be hoped that the children and grandchildren of Swen and Thilda Pehrson Swenson, through generations to come, when reading this brief account of the lives of this couple, may resolve to so live to be an honor to their memory.”
I have loved learning more about my Swenson ancestors and Swedish heritage. I feel incredibly blessed to have these amazing examples as my ancestors and I hope to carry on their legacy.
