Ola Nilsson Liljenquist—
Jacob F. Sorensen gives us this introduction to the gentleman that first brought the message of the restored gospel to the Nicolai Sorensen family—
In 1854, Brother Fjeldsted (now) of Logan and his companion first preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the Nicolai Sorensen family. Soon after that we sold our farm and started for America. We came across the Ocean in the sailing vessel Westmorland in 1857. We landed in Philadelphia and went by rail to Iowa where we purchased a wagon and two teams of oxen to cross the plains to Utah. We arrived in Utah and went to Mill Creek. We built a home on the farm of a friend, a Mr. Jensen whom father had known in Denmark. We went south as Johnston’s Army neared Salt Lake. We stayed at Pond Town [now Salem, in Utah County] near Provo. We were glad to return to our home in Mill Creek.(1)
Ola Nilsson Liljenquist, born 23 September, 1825, at Ignaberga, Christianstad, Sweden.
Baptized 4 September, 1852 by William Anderson. Ordained Teacher three or four weeks afterwards and appointed treasurer and book agent for Copenhagen Conference. Was ordained an Elder by Willard Snow 6 April, 1853. Appointed President of Copenhagen Branch in July, 1853, and appointed President of Copenhagen Conference 6 October, 1853, John van Cott presiding over the mission.
Left Copenhagen with 540 souls on route for Zion in April, 1857. Arrived in Salt Lake City 13 September, 1857. Went with the first company to Echo Canyon. Stayed sixteen days and was called back on account of sickness in the family. Was ordained a Seventy, a member of the 41st Quorum of Seventies 19 January, 1858 by Pres. John Van Cott.
I and wife Christine Jacobsen received endowments in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City in the latter part of March or the beginning of April, 1858 and sealed by Pres. Brigham Young. Took part in the general move south in the spring and summer of 1858 and located in Spanish Fork. Moved from there to Goshen in the spring of 1859. Left Salt Lake City on a mission for Scandinavia 19 September, 1859 and stayed only a day at home after receiving the first notice of such a call. Arrived in Copenhagen in company with John van Cott in the latter part of November and was appointed a traveling minister in all the Mission to carry out President van Cott’s designs and purposes, preaching the Gospel and putting the conferences in order in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. These and a few following years were the glorious days of the Scandinavian Mission. I was the first of those that had embraced the Gospel in those lands to return and testify of Zion, and was of course a marvel and a wonder, since it was generally believed by the people generally that no man could return from that far off country and consequently drew very large meetings wherever I went and the Power of God was upon me and upon the people, and many embraced the Gospel.
I left for my mountain home the 15th of April, 1862 in charge of a company of Saints numbering some 500 souls, and arrived in Salt Lake City the 3rd of September, 1862. Found my family well, only that one was missing of the number. A little girl, Anne, who was ten months old when I left, had died the 9th of November, 1860. I was called to move to Cache Valley where we arrived in October of the same year and was appointed to Hyrum. I married a second wife, Mrs. Ane Petrene Larsene Wilson 15 November, 1862, sealed by Pres. Brigham Young in the Endowment House, Salt Lake City.
In August 1863, I was appointed Bishop in Hyrum to preside over the future destinies of that little place. By invitation of Pres. Brigham Young, I and my two wives had the great privilege of receiving a second anointing in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City 18 August, 1867, Pres. Heber C. Kimball and Daniel H. Wells officiating, Joseph F. Smith, Recorder. I was ordained a High Priest and Bishop under the hands of George Q. Cannon and Brigham Young 7 April 1872, Brigham Young being mouth. I was ordained a Patriarch 22 June, 1873 in Logan under the hands of Pres. Brigham Young, George A. Smith, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, Charles C. Rich, Franklin D. Richards, George F. Cannon, Joseph F. Smith and John W. Young. I married a third wife, Miss Ane Christene Nielsen, 10 August, 1874, and were sealed in the Endowment House, Salt Lake City, 5 May, 1876.
I left for a second mission to Scandinavia and was appointed to preside over the mission. Returned in the summer of 1878. In 1882 I resigned my office as Bishop of the Hyrum Ward, over which I had presided 18-19 years. It had now become a beautiful city, and the largest place in the valley except Logan. My resignation was agreeable with the wishes of Apostle Moses Thatcher and President William B. Preston. At the dedication of the Logan Temple, I and wife Christine Jacobsen Liljenquist were appointed a Mission as workers, the Temple to bear our own expenses. We were present and took part in the ordinances the very first day, 21 May, 1884, and have been there ever since which is today, one year...
Ola Nilson Liljenqvist, born September 23, 1825 in Ignaberga, Malmahus Län, Sweden; baptized by William Andersen; ordained to the Priesthood and called into the local ministry, in which he labored about four and one half years; emigrated to Utah in 1857 and located in Goshen, Utah County; filled a mission to Scandinavia in 1859-1862 being the first of the converts in Scandinavia who returned from Zion to preach in his native land; he labored as traveling Elder in the mission and led a large company of emigrating Saints to Utah; removed to Hyrum, Cache County, where he acted as Bishop for many years; filled a second mission to Scandinavia 1873; appointed a general missionary and Patriarch in all the Stakes of Zion 1890.(2)
- Jacob F. Sorensen, History of Jacob Sorensen, Typed manuscript.
- Anthon H. Lund, Andrew Jenson, J. M. Sjodahl & C. A. F. Orlob, Compilers, Scandinavian Jubilee Album 1850-1900, Salt Lake City, 6 June 1900, page 154.
