| Description |
Hand-written diary of James Miller Christensen (name changed from Jens Moller Christensen). Document contains memoirs from 1846 to 1904 and diary entries from 1904 to 1914. Christensen provides information about his childhood in Denmark, conversion to Mormonism, mission service, emigration to the United States, and overland migration to Utah with the Leonard G. Rice Company in 1867. Later memoirs contain information about his experience with plural marriage and advice he received from Brigham Young regarding the practice of the United Order in Moroni, Utah, and handling business affairs. Throughout the account, he provides information detailing his farming and ranching enterprises. In 1904, Christensen records his travel east to preside over the Scandinavian Mission, and, while en-route, he describes his stops at the Louisiana Fair Exposition and Nauvoo, Illiniois. Thereafter, the bulk of the diary contains information pertaining to the day-to-day affairs of presiding over the Scandinavian Mission. |
| Biographical/Historical Note |
James Miller Christensen was born in Denmark, converted to Mormonism, and migrated to Utah with the Leonard G. Rice Company in 1867. He settled in Moroni, Utah, where he farmed, ranched, practiced polygamy, and participated in a failed attempt at the United Order. By 1893, Christensen and both of his wives had moved to Salt Lake City. He served three missions to Scandinavia and, during the final, presided over the Scandinavian Mission. |
| OCR Text |
Show 13, 1869, Labor all Kind, Various, first Home, built I again went out, got a job of farmer firm Faust & Hanty, & promised work til snowfly, but they failed, never paid up, & the war being compleated, & 1000 of men without work. I returned and after 3 months absence & 900 miles travel came home just even, I then made Adobie Bricks, worked for Farmers, built Houses, freighted having raised a Yoke of Steers from calfes. In the Spring of 71 & 2, worked in the Cottenwood mines in one The Chicago Tunnell I was soaked 7 hours of each shift in Ice Watter rainy from top, having lots of snow above & 100 ft snow tunnell. In the fall of 1868, I bought my first home, a half cellar, it being on a hill one side was incling to the ground, & the other abt 6 ft front to the lot, west. one day a cow ran over & slipt tway with her hind leg, in 1870 I built a 1 room house in 1872 I bought a good Brick house the best in Town. I bought Land, a little at the time as I could pay for it until in 1881 I owned 57 acres of ground farming, meadow & pasture, in different fields In 1879 I rebuilt my House at a cost of over $2000.00 desiring to make a comfortable Home, & it was then the best in town. In 1894 as a result of a desire to try the 14, 1874, 4.6, working principles of the United Order, several of us formed a Company for which I was Superintendent, we done well. but was requested to desolve The Bishop not being in favor of it. at a Meeting in Mt. Pleasant. where President Brigham Young being present, (& having been apointed to speak for a lot of Moroni brethren) I asked Pr. Young as to the adviseability to work in Company without the sanction or in conection with the Bishop, & he told us to go ahead. as a result a Company of 28 or 9 was again formed. J. Jensen was elected Supt. I was elect. Secty. we put in said Company all Lands, Teams, & Farming implements an a fair Cash valuation, we put a price on all Labor, had done by contract all the could be done, each man was responsible for tools intrusted & if lost or misused, paid a portion of loss, we imployed all the surplus labor of town that aplied, at fair wages, we broke up new Round. sent a Company in Canyon, some freighted, selling Grain, Eggs & Butter for the whole. This last being my part, we sent a man C. Jensen with Wagon & 2 Yoke of Cattle to St. George with Babtism font for Temple, pd a full Tithing of all earned & promised. Was very sucsesfull. and |
