1877

When Elder Moses Thatcher, who was first on the list of High Counselors, was
called by President Brigham Young to preside over the Cache Stake.  At the same
time there was appointed bishops for all districts in Logan where only a Teacher or
Elder had been presiding before and each of these bishops were given two counselors
Thus Bishop Ballard was made to preside over the 2nd ward in Logan, and he desired
me for his first counselor, but as I had been sustained as senior member of the High
Council by the conference. President Moses Thatcher came to me and said that I
could have my choice whether I wished to remain with the High Council or I would
comply with the wish of Bishop Ballard and be his first counselor. I answered that
inasmuch as Bishop Ballard and I had always been on the best of terms since the
time when I made my home in that ward, and at all times been on hand to be of such
service to him as I could, I would now be willing to comply with his wishes in that
respect.  I now thought myself released from any further missionary labors outside
of the ward but it was only a few days after the conference when President M. Thatcher
called me and said that he desired me to continue as a home missionary in Cache
Stake, not only among the Scandinavians, but all the people and said he, you may
call any of the Scandinavian brethren to assist you and go with you.  At the same time
he mentioned A. L. Skanchy and John Larsen.  As Brother Fjeldstad and I had labored
together in that capacity for several years I asked that Fjeldstad might still take the
lead as he had done before, which was conceded and thus I performed my mission
in connection with the other duties that were resting upon me, as counselor to the
Bishop, both temporal and spiritual; for we had much responsibility resting upon
us during those years when we were building the tabernacle in Logan and the Temple.
During the winter months we often had to camp in the canyon during the night, while
hauling building material for those buildings, and often we would have traveled from
5 to 10 miles before day light in order to reach home before night but we all felt
happy and cheerful, and would give vent to our feelings by songs and prayer, while
encamped in the canyon and the Lord made our burdens and labors light.

1879 and 1880

When Moses Thatcher was called to be an Apostle, in the quorum of Twelve,
and William B. Preston was appointed president over the Cache Stake of Zion, and
soon after the conference I and three other brethren were called and set apart by the
presidency to work as missionaries during three months in the manner as if we were
sent abroad among people in the world, visiting and speaking to the people in their
respective homes, as well as speaking in public meetings.  We, Elder Robert
Beckstad, who was my partner, commenced our missionary labors in Mendon, and
from there we continued our labors south and east, and then we turned north, following
the settlements on the east side of Cache Valley till we met the other missionaries
in Coveville, and after that time we held meetings jointly in Richmond and in
Lewiston during the holidays and then we continued work again till we had filled our
appointment and visited in all the settlements when we reported to the conference,
which was held in Logan, January 30th, 1881. We had traveled 500 miles, held 143
meetings; administered to 75 sick persons and listened to the testimony of 313
Latter-Day Saints bearing witness to the truth.  That was one of the most interesting
and pleasant as well as agreeable missions that I ever did perform.  The Lord be
praised.

1885

MARCH, 1885

     10th.  I commenced my labors in the Temple in Logan, having been called to
labor there by President Merrill and I labored there till April 23rd, 1887, and
during that time I baptized 23, 769 persons, confirmed by the laying on of hands
3,107 and also assisted in performing other labors belonging to the Holy Ordinances
of the Temple, and that mission was the most blessed and pleasant labors that I
ever have performed; for I felt as though I was nearer Heaven when there.  During
the last winter that I labored there I had to leave my home to go there in the morning
between 3 and 4 o'clock to avoid falling into the hands of certain U.S. officers who
were wanting me as well as many others and it was on that account that President
Merrill released me at the time specified above saying: "Now take care of yourself,
so that they shall not get you into prison, (adding), you have had enough prison in
Norway. " A few weeks after that time I saw it would be more safe for me to get
away, so as to avoid being put in prison and to leave home for a while; and besides
this reason, I had also accumulated a debt of nearly one thousand dollars during the
proceeding three years as I had not had much of a chance to earn anything.
Consequently I took two of my sons, one 13 years old and the other one 15 years old,
with a wagon and two span of horses and set out on the old emigration road most of
the time and traveled about 800 miles east, where I obtained work on a new piece
of railway that was being constructed through what was at that time called the Sand
Hills.  This change of employment was to me indeed very trying, after having
labored so long in the Temple; for while we traveled we camped nearly every night
alone by ourselves and the thought often struck me that our condition might be
compared to the condition of our first parents when they were turned out of the
Garden of Eden into the cold and cheerless world. About Christmas time, my first
wife and a daughter came out to keep house for us and I rented another house where
we lived during the winter and in the spring of that year we moved 200 miles north
and east and labored on a job on what was then called Craton Railroad and Brother
M.D. Hammond had contract on all those railroads. After we got through with
railroad work we would haul freight about 1800 miles west to Washington Territory
and then labored on the R.R. Railroad till the middle of October when I moved with
my family to Farmington, where we lived during the winter. We attended to our
prayers morning and evening wherever we stayed just the same as when we were
home and on Sundays did we have a family meeting and invited or permitted any body
who wished to be present with us to do so and I had often conversations with neighbors
about our faith and doctrines and generally with pleasant results.  I remember one
or two instances where I was requested by men in the camp to hold meeting for them
and explain our belief and doctrines and that I found those same men would show me
as much and even more respect and consideration after that time than before.  I
believe that I am telling the truth in this respect.  I labored on three different
railroads in Washington Territory during that fall season and finally started for home
arriving in Logan in the month of November.  After getting home I generally took
hold and attended to my duties in the ward as counselor to Bishop during the winter
until the spring of 1890, when I moved my family and lived upon my farm (east in
Logan) now the Seventh ward, which I had bought from the C. P. Railroad Company,
as I had sold my home in the 2nd ward, a few months previous to settle up my debts.
I will here state briefly concerning my labors in the 2nd ward from 1868 to 1890
that I had baptized or being present with baptism 234 and assisted by confirmation
260;  I ordained to the Priesthood 120 persons.  I was called to administer to sick
persons 850 times and I will furthermore here state that although I was not called
to labor as a regular missionary after the 1880, yet I was often called to go to other
towns to preach, mostly to the High Priests on Sundays.
The last Sunday in the month of September, 1890, I was voted in to be Bishop
of the Seventh ward in Logan and on November 3rd, same year, ordained and set
apart by Apostle M.W. Merrill and labored in that capacity until the year 1908 when
I was honorably released on May 3, 1908 I was ordained a Patriarch by President
Joseph F. Smith in Logan.

1.) Barbara Jensine Dorthea Olsen
     Married October 30, 1853 in Copenhagen, Denmark
     Died August 19, 1900
     They had 10 children
          John Christian Larsen (1855 - 1943)
          Marie Larsen (1857 - 1892)
          Brigham Lewis Larsen (1859 - 1919)
          Jacob Peter Larsen (1860 - 1936)
          Julia Christina Larsen (1862 - 1864)
          Joseph Abraham Larsen (1864 - 1873)
          Erastus Snow Larsen (1867 - 1902)
          Anna Margretta Larsen (1870 - 1870)
          Hyrum Christopher Larsen (1872 - 1953)
          Barbara Dorthie Larsen (1875 - 1902)

1880 CENSUS

NAME
RELATION
MARITAL STATUS
GENDER
RACE
AGE
BIRTHPLACE
OCCUPATION
FATHER'S BIRTHPLACE
MOTHER'S BIRTHPLACE

Christian LARSON
Self
M
Male
W
49
DEN
Labr
DEN
DEN

Barbaria S. LARSON
Wife
M
Female
W
47
DEN
Keep House
DEN
NOR

Jacob P. LARSON
Son
S
Male
W
20
Utah
DEN
DEN

Erastus S. LARSON
Son
S
Male
W
13
Utah
DEN
DEN

Hyrum C. LARSON
Son
S
Male
W
8
Utah
DEN
DEN

Barbaria LARSON
Dau
S
Female
W
4
Utah
DEN
DEN



Census Place: Logan, Cache, Utah
Family History Library Film: 1255335
NA Film Numbr: T9-1335
Page Number: 122B



2.) Eingeborg Laurence (or Louise) Ellefsen
     Born in Norway
     Married June 12, 1857 in Salt Lake City, Utah
     She was blind
     She died September 26, 1905
     They had 4 children
          Elias Severene Larsen (1859 - 1941)
          Mary Larsen (1861 - 1891)
          Anna Louise Larsen (1863 - 1943)
          Anna Margretta Larsen (1863 - 1865)

3.) Inger Margretta Peterson Ellefsen
     Born in Norway
     Married December 9, 1963 in the Endowment House (Salt Lake City, Utah)
     She was the widow of Christian Ellefsen.  He drowned in the North Sea. He was a 
        brother to wife #2 (Eingeborg)and it was she who arranged for Inger to come to 
        America to be Christian J. Larsen's 3rd wife. (She had two sons by her first 
        husband.)They had 5 more children.  All 7 were sealed to Christian John Larsen.
     She died August 19, 1910
          Ellef Ellefsen (1859 - 1862)
          Alf Martin Ellefsen (1861 - 1862)
          Magdalene Larsen (1864 - 1865)
          David Ellef Larsen (1867 - 1940)
          Almartin Larsen (1868 - 1961)
          Joseph Franklin Larsen (1874 - 1900)
          Alexander Willard Larsen (1877 - 1959)

4.) Augusta Matilda Jensen Anderson
     Married September 18, 1912 (They were not sealed.  She was sealed to her first 
        husband, Mr. Anderson)
     Christian J. Larsen was 81 years old at the time and she did not treat him well.

(His second wife was 12 years older than the first wife and his third wife was 3 years
younger than the first wife.)
 

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