Born in the Ogden 3rd Ward I attended Sunday School and Aaronic Priesthood meetings in that Ward. Most of the time the only one of my family who attended these meetings. Was a boy scout in 3rd Ward Troop #7 in 1915-1916 was one of the boys who went on first trip over old Mormon trail, traveling by wagon through Weber Canyon to Henifer Utah and then walking to Salt Lake City. Served a four-year apprenticeship for machinist in the Southern Pacific R.R. Shops in Ogden. Sent by this co. to Dunsmuir Calif. While here with wife Estella and first son Robert Alvin (age 3) we organized the Shasta City Sunday School, I being the presiding Elder. While there we fed and housed many missionaries. At one time we spent all of our money to feed a group of Elders and the next morning we found the exact amount of money spent was again in the family purse. We moved back to Ogden the next year where our second son Stanley Oborn was born. During my wife’s stay in the Dee Hospital, she had the privilege of visiting the Spirit World and talking with several of her dead relatives.
The latter part of May 1926 I was visited by my wife’s sisters husband, Ivan Chard. Ivan had been dead about one month and I had been earnestly praying many times for the welfare of his wife and family. I was awakened one night while we were living at 3140 Porter Ave. Ogden, UT. I arose from my bed to answer a knock at the side door of our home I felt the cool air about my body as I walked through the house. I opened the door and there saw Ivan standing suit very neat and orderly his shoes were well polished. His dress resembled that of a protestant minister, his collar being turned backwards and the open part of his coat below his neck was covered with black pleated silk. He wore a small metal ornament that lay against this silk and being supported by a very small chain around his neck. I never asked him what this represented but my understanding was quickened so that I knew it signified his priesthood. I asked how things were on the other side and how he was. He said he was fine and that everything was very much the same as it was on earth and that he was having quite a time to convert some of the people there. He asked how his wife and family were. I told him they were fine and that they were now living with her Mother and Father. He said he wanted to see them and turned and walked toward the street. I watched him go and he disappeared from my sight when he was about 100 ft. away. I returned to my bed and went back to sleep. The next morning I was afraid to tell anyone not even my wife.
Some three days later I told my wife Estella and her Mother and Father. It made me very happy to have them believe me. This vision was so real to me I have not forgotten even one small detail though it has been nearly twenty years ago.
My church duties have been varied nearly all of my twenties and early thirties I worked in the Presidencies of my Elders Quorums.
I was the Branch clerk at Vallejo Calif. At the same time teaching the Gospel Doctrine class in the Sunday School. In Vallejo (1929) I worked as a machinist in the U.S. Navy Yard at Mare Island.
Moving to Oakland Calif. (1930) we lived in the Oakland Ward. Our stake president was Pres. Arid W. McDonald who was the first Bishop of the First Ward in the San Francisco Stake Oakland Ward. I was Pres. Of the 1st Quorum of Elders when the Oakland Stake was organized.
During the great depression of 1930 to 32 I had a hard time to earn enough to feed my family. However when I wasn’t able to work the Lord provided for us and I spent my time going to school studying Mechanical Engineering.
My work was centered in mechanical lines building a great Steam Electric power plant in San Francisco, many regular machinist jobs. I built two experimental Diesel Engines and worked five years as a factory maintenance man in a wire-cloth Factory. All the time I studied Engineering in my spare time.
In 1937 I was made a member of my Seventies Quorum Presidency and a few months later the Pacific Manifolding Book Co. hired me and sent us to Los Angeles Calif. to learn all about their Printing equipment.
We moved from Oakland to Los Angeles in October 1937 coming by automobile.
My church work was resumed one month after arriving here as Supt. of the Vermont Ward Sunday School then part of the old Los Angeles Stake. For a year and a half I held this position and then was made the Ward Work Director. During the next three years we organized canning projects and found work for about 18 ward men and women.
I preached nearly every Sunday night for a few minutes in Sacrament meeting to try and convince the members they should put away enough food to last them at least one year.
During my life I have always had a keen interest in boys welfare and training programs. For three years 1939 to 1942 I was the Explorer leader in the YMMIA. I am now back in boys work teaching the Teacher’s Quorum and acting as the Explorer leader again. I believe that when a boy becomes bad it is the fault of his leaders.
Being a family man with a keen interest there we have done many lovely things as a family gone many nice places as pals with our two sons. I have worked in almost every organization of our church even having the Trail Builder Boys in Primary. Worked in scout work as councilman always teaching in some class and loving the work as a teacher.
At present I am Foreman of the Machine Shop doing all the Engineering for the company in the way of drafting and mechanical drawings. Having one boy in the service of our country and the other son an Explorer.
YMMIA President for one year when my work prevented me from continuing but I love the work with the boys even better.
I love music and play the saxophone.
I was born Monday morning 2nd day of June, at my Mother and Father’s home 578 W. 21st Street Ogden, Weber, Utah. I was the fifth child of my parents, two girls and two boys before me. My sister Eva born 25th of March 1892, my brother Arthur Wilford born 6th of January 1894, a stillborn sister born 28th of August 1896, my brother Walter Nephi born 7th of July 1899, a stillborn brother born 16th of December 1906 and my younger brother Luis Jensen born 14th of November 1908.
My father had built a fine sturdy home at this place soon after he and mother were married and moved there in the spring of 1890. Father had bought and erected a three legged steel tower windmill for pumping water into a huge tank which was set on an upper floor in the barn and above the cow stables. This running water supply made it possible for Mother to have a nice lawn and a large flower garden.
I remember how nice it was to have this water while all our neighbors had to hand pump all their water.
Mother and I grew very close to each other and when my sister went to work it fell my lot to help Mother with the house work while my brother Walter, three years older, did the outside chores.
We always kept a cow in the barn and the end of our long yard, which was known as the cow yard to all of us. There was a log manger in the southeast corner of this yard under a tall cottonwood tree. Walter and I liked to play there when the cow was finished eating. It was my job to lead our cow to a large tub of water filled at a faucet up close by the house. I wondered how it was possible for a cow to drink a whole tub of water at one time.
Our home was about a block from the Weber River, which ran south beyond a large grove of trees. This grove made it nice as it was always full of birds and small animals for small boys to enjoy. However when I was about seven years old the old river changed its course and one by one it washed out all the trees. It was great fun to see these big trees crash and splash into the river and float away. This condition continued until the water was just across the street from us. At this time the City Fathers became alarmed that it would wash away the City sewer pipe that lay across the street from our home. At this early date I was very much interested in mechanical things and spent every minute I could watching the big steam powered pile driver lift a great hammer up to the top of two wall oiled skid poles and then let it fall onto the top of long poles and drive them into the ground.
It was during these workings that I came close to a bad injury or possible end of my life. The men working to stop the river had to have a supply of poles so other men with teams of horses would cut large trees a block or so up our street and drag them down to the pile driver. Those trees still had their limbs on which were cut away and used as a fill to build a dike behind the driven piles. I was a very busy little boy so had to be with all the operations and had a lot of fun riding on the upper limbs of these trees as they were dragged into position. This went very well until one tree turned over and threw me under the trunk and the limbs that supported the tree. I was rolled over and over my clothes were torn and all in all I was in bad shape when the men with the teams heard my screaming and pulled me out. I was sure my life would be crushed out of me and remembered all the good things I had intended to do but never found time for.
My brother, Walter, and I were very close during our childhood. We designed and built most of our toys. Our home was at a turn in the road which enclosed our lot between the Denver and Rio Grand Rail Road main line on the North, the Weber River across the street to our South, the road turned around our lot in back of our barn to the West where the road went up over the grade and across the tracks to 20th street.
Living so close to the Rail Road and the river gave Walter and I many ideas about toys which we built for ourselves. I remember some of the small boats we built and pulled up and down the river with a string attached to the end of a fish pole.
A Patriarchical Blessing
Given by K. H. Brown on the head of Mikkel Sorensen born 31 March 1869 in Bodle Aarhus County Denmark.
Brother Mikkel, in the name of Jesus Christ, and by the power of the Holy Priesthood, I give unto you a Father’s and Patriarch’s blessing that will be a guide and comfort to you while here on earth and if you will hearken to your Parents advise and keep the commandments of the Lord then your guardian angel will protect you in your youth and when temptation comes before you I bless you with strength to overcome all obstacles and your guardian angel will protect you and death will not come to you until you have fulfilled the mission you were put here on earth to do. You were chosen in the council in Heaven and you have a big mission here on earth to do and be a trustworthy missionary on this earth and you are one of Joseph’s heir, of Ephraim’s lineage and you are chosen to be a member of the Holy Priesthood and its blessings.
The time will come when you in God’s Holy Temple will do work for your ancestors that have passed on before you, there you shall feel the inspiration of the Holy Ghost and be a Witness to the endowments, ordinances and the Keys to the new and everlasting gospel.
You shall have wives and a big family that will multiply on earth and in the eternities.
You shall see your children into the third and fourth generation.
You shall live in Palaces have fruit garden and vineyards have herds of cattle. The Lord will raise you up to be a mighty witness to nations. Your testimony shall be like Jared’s brother for your name is written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Your prayers and wishes shall be heard in heaven, you shall prophesy in many tongues and because of your ordinances in heaven you shall have power over all unrighteousness.
Those you bless will be blessed by the Lord.
Your feet shall walk on peaceful roads and you shall be mighty while you live here on this earth.
You shall have wisdom in your council and action and your guardian angel shall watch over you.
You shall live to see Zion bloom and Israel gathered, you shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye on the day when Jesus shall stand on earth.
I seal on you Abraham’s Isaac, and Jacob’s blessings.
I seal thee to come forth on the morning of the first resurrection and to eternal life and the highest degree of celestial kingdom, these blessings I seal upon your head in the name of Jesus Christ, so be it Amen.
Patriarch K. H. Brown
A. R. Sorensen clerk
(translated from Danish)
The Sorensen’s and Jensen’s, my Grandparents
By Alvin M. Sorensen, Amplified from Family Records
My Grandfather, Niels Peters Sorensen (1835) and my Grandmother, Else Bergitte Mikkelsen (1840), were born and raised in the northern tip of Denmark. Niels Peter was born in Farre, Aarhus, which is on a prominent northeastern peninsula of Denmark. Else Bergitte was born in Hammelmark, Skanderburg, just southwest of Aarhus.
This country is the land of the midnight sun. Here, the winters are long and cold, and the summers are short, with the sun never setting during the peak of summer. Denmark is small and has no mountains to block the wind, so the climate does not differ much from area to area. Winds from the North Sea give Denmark a mild, damp climate. The western parts of the country have slightly milder temperatures and get the most rain.
Niels was a miller by trade, born in Farre, Aarhus, Denmark. These people were poor, and their crops meager. They lived in sod huts and ate port, black rye bread, and small potatoes. Wheat flour was unheard of. They spun wool from their own sheep and wove cloth for clothing on hand looms. One stocky, short-legged horse furnished the power for a wooden plow to till the soil.
At age 31, he married Else Bergitte Mikkelsen, age 26, born in Hammelmark, Skanderburg, Denmark. They were married 25 May 1866 in Denmark. They lived in Voel, Skanderup; Novling, Viberg; and Gjern, Skanderup, Denmark, where their children were born.
Thirteen years after their marriage, Niels and Else investigated the gospel and were baptized 1 July 1879, after five of their children were born. They had six children, Soren Michael (1872), Mikkel Michael (1869), our grandfather; Niels Krog (1872), Marie Bodil (1875), Else Margrete (1877/8), and Wilhelm Sorensen (1881/2), all of whom were born in Denmark.
Probably in the 1880’s, the family journeyed across the Atlantic and westward across the American Continent, and settled in Fountain Green, Utah, where many of the other Danish saints came to live. They lived in an adobe house, heated by a fireplace, and with a wooden fence surrounding it, a picket-fence gate leading to the front door. (picture in Stanley Sorensen’s book)
Niels Peter died in Ogden, Weber, 30 March 1920, and Else Bergitte died 27 January 1921, in Fountain Green, San Pete, Utah.
My mother, Johanna Jensen, was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, 28th of November 1868. Her father, Hans Christian Jensen, was a factory engineer in a woolen mill and had charge of the factory machinery and mechanical problems of the plant. In the processing and preparing of the raw wool, they used sulphur, which gave off fumes that were injurious to the health of the workers (these fumes proved to be partly responsible for his death in Utah at age 43, when Mother was about 15).
Mother never met her father until she was 5 ½ years old, when she and her parents moved to Aarhus, a smaller but more industrial city of Denmark, where he could work at his profession, and they could live near Mother’s Grandmother, Mariane Pedersen, who was them married to her second husband, an very wealthy man of the city. [Alvin’s step-grandfather, perhaps another husband, was Nephi Johnson, 1833-1919, a pioneer of 1848 and second husband of Grandmother Jensen.] Later, when Mother had passed her 21st birthday, she married my father, Mikkel Michael Sorensen, 4 December 1889 in the Manti Temple.
Mother’s grandmother was a schoolteacher. And, Mother went to school until she was thirteen years old. At this time, they had a law in Denmark prohibiting anyone to attend public school who was not a member of the Church of State. When mother was baptized into the Mormon (LDS) church in May 1881, she had to stop school, along with her other brothers and sisters. However, Mother’s grandmother, being the teacher, she was able to continue her education at home until Mother came to America.
About a year later, in 1882, the Hans Christian Jensen family immigrated to America to make their home at Fountain Green, San Pete County, Territory of Utah.
The family, at that time, consisted of the following members: Father, Hans Christian Jensen (38), Mother, Bodil Margrethe Jensen (35), and children: Johanna (13), Sophia (7), Josephine (5), Christian (4), and Knud Christian (3 months).
The ships, at that time, were combination sailing and steam ships. The new immigrants traveled under the care and supervision of at least two Mormon Elders. Mother related that trip across the North Sea to England was a very cold one, and the sea tossed the small boat, making it very uncomfortable for the passengers. Upon arriving in New York, they boarded steam trains for the trip west. They arrived at Salt Lake City, Utah, on a rather cold day and were provided lodging in a large barn-like building with great piles of straw to be used for bedding.
There were quite a number of immigrants housed in this building of different nationalities. One young mother attended to other duties. This mother and baby were close friends of the Jensens who had young “Knuey” (Knud) about the same age. Some time later, the young mother could not find her baby, and everyone started a search through the straw. Finally, a very large Swedish sister, who had been sitting on a pile of straw, discovered she was sitting on the baby. This sister was very heavy and had smothered the new baby. All this caused a great commotion among the friends of the young Danish mother, but the presiding elders explained that nothing was intentionally. However, the already ill feeling that was ever-present between the Danish and Swedish families was increased, and though the elders did all they could, bad feelings always existed.
The Jensen family was assigned the Danish settlement of Fountain Green, San Pete County, Utah, where they made their home. Grandfather had some money, and as home furnishings were hard to get in those early days, they were always trying to buy something from their neighbors. Mother was always very close to her father and went with him as he traveled around the settlement with his team and wagon selling pottery.
It was on one of those trips that they took part in an auction of home furnishings. The man selling his goods was one who was having trouble with church authorities, and during the course of the auction, this man laid his temple garments out to be auctioned off. Some of the leading brothers told him he shouldn’t do this, that they were too sacred. The owner became very angry, and while cursing the church and its leaders, he fell dead over top of the luggage he intended leaving town with. This was a very impressive thing to my mother, then a girl of 14 years.
One January 1887, another son was born to them, John Jensen. Early in that year, Grandfather Jensen helped to build the railroad into San Pete County. While engaged in this work in Fountain Green, he met with an accident on the railroad. He had a bad lung condition, affected by the sulphur fumes in the woolen mills of Denmark. He also had a rheumatic condition. He was sick for some months in his home, and then was sent to a hospital in Salt Lake City. Shortly before he died at the hospital, Grandmother Jensen sold a featherbed tick to get money to visit with him.
After Grandfather’s death, the family had a hard time making a living. The older children worked in homes in the settlement, and Grandmother became a temple worker in the Manti Temple. While engaged in doing some endowments for money, Grandmother was doing some Indian names. During the sealing of an Indian lady to her husband, Grandmother was asked to kiss a big dark Indian chief across the alter. She took a look at him and promptly refused. It was shortly after that when it was considered unnecessary to kiss during the marriage ceremony for the dead.
While doing this temple work at the Manti Temple, Grandmother became acquainted with Nephi Johnson, a man who was a polygamist. He offered her marriage and security for her family, so she married him and moved to Mexico. One child, Margaret, was born to this union 13 February 1890. My mother was then a young lady of 20 years. She didn’t approve of this marriage and refused to go with the family. Sophia and the other children went to Mexico.
Hearing there was good work to be had in Ogden, Utah, Father took his new wife, Johanna, and moved there, where he found work in repair shops of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company.
Eventually, Grandmother Jensen came back from Mexico and settled in Mesquite, Nevada. She was the first Relief Society President in Mesquite, Nevada. She remained in this position for 25 years. Her daughter, Sophia Potter, was the first Relief Society President in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Grandparents listed in the Aarhus Conference from 1863-1874.
Bodil Margrethe Andersen, born 27 December 1847, Bromby, Samso, Denmark, Baptized 17 September 1872 in Copenhagen by W. Jensen. Moved from Copenhagen to Aarhus 5 July 1874.
Husband, Johannas Svendsen, born 6 April 1844, Torslev, Fredericksund, Denmark, Baptized 22 February 1873 by P. Jeppesen.
Husband, Hans Christian Jensen, born 6 April 1844, at Oarslev Prasto, Denmark. Died, 8 October 1887. Endowed 19 July 1888.
Johanne Jensen, born 28 November 1863 in Aarhus, Denmark. Father, Jens Christian Jensen, Mother Margrete Jensen. Married to Mikkel Sorensen, baptized 11 May 1881, endowed and sealed to husband, 4 December 1889.
A big puzzle is where my father was born: was it as his wife recorded it at the Manti temple, Oarslav, Praso, Denmark, or was it Torslev, Fredericksund, Denmark, as it is recorded in the Aarhus Denmark records. As this last place is linked up with the Svendsen name, I am inclined to think it could be the birthplace of this other fellow and not [my grandfather].
I think there is some mistake in the data on my mother, Johanna Jensen. Mother always said she was born in Copenhagen and not Aarhus, as stated in the Manti Temple records. The Danish church records say, “your father and mother didn’t move from Copenhagen to Aarhus until my mother was 5 ½ years old.” Also, the Aarhus conference, 1863-1874 says this family moved from Copenhagen to Aarhus 5 July 1874. This was 5 years and 8 months after my mother, Johanna, was born. Also, her father’s name should be spelled Hans and not Jens. My mother also told me that her father’s name and her mother’s maiden name were both Jensen.
All this indicates to me that my grandfather changed his name to Johannas Svendsen before he joined the church. His date of birth and his baptism date show he was 28 years and 10 months of age when he came into the church. He had been married 6 years and had one child, Johanna (my mother). Probably by that time, he was making plans to come to America. My mother, also, told me the reason for changing his identification cards with this man, Johannas Svendsen, was to allow him to get out of the Danish Army so he could bring his family to Utah. He probably migrated from Denmark to America under the name of Johannas Svendsen, which was the reason his right name of Hans Christian Jensen doesn’t appear in the church Historian’s office Emigration lists.
I believe if a search was made for the birth of a person by the name of Hans Christian Jensen, born 6 April 1844, at Oarslev Prasto, Denmark, we could verify this man as my grandfather. Incidentally, I am going to give him a piece of my mind when I have the privilege of meeting him…. The Sorensen family names were brought to this country about 1885, having been gathered by my grandfather, Niels Peter Sorensen. You will note, no work has been done on the Else Bergette Mikkelsen line.
In 1953, Alvin received a letter saying the above-mentioned search was fruitless, but they found in Oster Torslev Parish, Randers County, there was one male born 5 April 1844, Jens Christian Christiansen, a son of Christen Jensen and Karen Svensen.
Alvin says in 1954, told by Aunt Sophia Jensen Potter, his second child, and Johanna Jensen Sorensen, his first child now dead, that their father was born in Denmark to Danish parents, 6 April 1844. His mother passed away while he was a small boy, and his father married again, to a woman who was very unkind to the young man. When he became 14 years old, he ran away from home and joined the Danish Army, where it appears he stayed until he was about thirty-two years old (1876). His name is recorded in the Manti Temple as Jens Christian Jensen on my mother’s index card and as Hans Christian Jensen by his wife, Bodil Margrethe Jensen, and as Johan Christian Jensen by his son, Knud Christian Jensen. We were told by my mother that she was always very close to her father, and after they came to Utah, she made many short business trips with him buying and selling household goods throughout the area.
My Mother’s Father
From Index Card, Manti Temple Records: Jens Christian Jensen
Born 6th April 1844, Torslev, Prasto, Denmark.
Died 8th Oct 1887, Endowed 19 July 1888.
Married to Bodil Margrethe Jensen
From Danish Branch Records, Aarhus Conference 1863-1874:
Johannes Svendsen, born 6th April 1844, at Torslev, Fredericksund, Denmark
Baptized 22nd Feb 1873 by P. Jeppesen. Married to Bodil Margrethe Andersen.
From Danish Emigration Records, June 1882, Aarhus Conference:
Johannes Svendsen, age 38, born Falkenberg (Denmark or Sweden)
Married to Bodil Margrethe Svendsen.
Children:
Johanne, age 13, Born Hojbjerg
Sophia, age 6, born Aarhus
Josephine, Age 4, born Aarhus
Knud C., Age ½ year, born Aarhus
April 6, 1884, birth date
+ 38 years old
= 1882 immigration date
His Aunt Sophia wrote to Alvin and told him all she knew about their father, Jens. “My father was a soldier in the war in Denmark, and they called my father to go some place in Denmark, and he did not want to go. So, one of his pals (probably a cousin) offered to trade him identification cards… After that, my father was John Svensen, and the other fellow was Hans Christian Jensen. My mother told me that, so I think it is true. We did go by the name of Svensen in Fountain Green, Utah. After that, father passed away, and mother had his temple work done, and all the children sealed to him. She took the right name, Hans Christian Jensen.
Alvin couldn’t find a record of the sealings of this family, though his Aunt Sophia Potter says it was done. His mother, Johanna Jensen, told him before she died that she had refused to go to the temple and be sealed to Nephi Johnson at the time her mother had married him and gone to Mexico.
1956 – In Torslev, Randers parish, found a Jens Christian Jensen, born 5 April 1844, son of Christen Jensen and Karen Sorensen, not Karen Svendsen. Possibility. Alvin says, “My mother, Johanne Jensen was born out of wedlock and never saw her father (Hans Christen Jensen or Jens Christen Jensen) until she was six years old. Mother always said she was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, but all the written records show other places.
1958 – Alvin says, researchers have found Christian Jensen by two researchers, one Jens Christian Jensen, born 5 April 1844, Torslev Randers, son of Christien Jensen and Karen Sorensen. The other one, Jens Christian Christen, son of Christen Jensen and Karen Svensen.
Christian Jensen left home when he was 14 years old (1858), when he was old enough to join the Danish army. He served until 1873 (or 1882), when he and his wife migrated to America. When he joined the church, he took the name of Johannes Svensen in order to keep from being sent back into the army, which could stop him from migrating to Utah with his family. We believe Johannes Svensen was a cousin of his from his mother’s family. As he gives his birthplace as Falkenberg, we think this might be Falkenberg, Sweden, and also the birthplace of his own mother – and, perhaps his cousin, Johannes Svensen.
In order to come to America, he switched names and army cards with Johannes Svendsen, perhaps his cousin. He came to America under this name and lived there under this name until he died in 1887 in a hospital in Salt Lake. He is buried in Fountain Green, San Pete County, Utah. Then, his wife had his temple work done under his real name, Jens Christian Jensen.
First child born out of wedlock, 28 November 1868, Hojbjerg. Marriage came some time after (6 years).
September 1958
Soren Jensen-Marie Pederson of Vivald are not married to each other, and they are not sealed.
Margrethe Elisabeth Pedersen and three of her children are born in Eckenforde, Germany. She married Peder Jensen Kidbak.
January 1959
Had two dates wrong previously. These are the correct dates: Christen Jensen migrated to America in 1882 with his wife and family. We have the immigration records of this family… Christian Jensen died in 1887 and then his wife had his temple work done for him in the Manti temple.
Letter not dated in Alvin Sorensen’s handwriting: “I am more in favor of Jens Christian Jensen, so we will assume that to be his true name…. While in the Danish Army, he married Bodil Margrethe Jensen, a daughter of Anders Jorgen Jensen and Mariane Petersen. In Oster, Torslev Parish, Randers County, Denmark, his birth date is 5th April 1844. His name is here recorded as Jens Christian Christensen. His father, as Christian Jensen, and his mother as Karen Svensen. When he joined the church on 22 Feb 1873, he exchanged names with Johan Svensen so that he could migrate and not be sent back into the Danish army. We think this man, Johan Svensen, was a cousin of his, as his mother’s name was Svensen. Also, he gave his birthplace on the emigration records of June 1882, Aarhus Conference, as Falkenberg. A search was made at three places named Falkenberg in Denmark for Johan Svensen, with no results. We feel his mother and her people came from a small city of Falkenberg on the west coast by Sweden, and likewise, his cousin, Johan Svensen was born there, too, that being the reason for giving Falkenberg as his birth place while going under the name of Svensen.”
1977 – This man Svensen was a good friend who let grandfather use his registration card and his name got to get out of Denmark and the Danish army. He was married, with 5 children and wanted to move to Utah and the church, so this is how he went about it. Even the church records in Denmark had his name, Svensen, and so did the emigration records. They all lived in Fountain Green under this name until grandfather got injured in a railroad wreck and died in a hospital in Salt Lake City.
Grandmother Jensen took all her children to the Manti temple where they were all sealed to him, using his right name. I can’t understand why the children gave their father different names. It could be he was called Hans by his friends when he was living under Johan. My mother, who was Johanne, called him Jens, when the Danish records proved was his real name. Grandmother knew his right name, that is the American version, which was Jens Christian Jensen.
His father was Christian Jensen, and his mother was Karen Sorensen. This was back in the days when they were making the change in the children’s [last name instead of using patronymics]. Before his father’s day, the son always took his father’s given name. In this case, it was Jens Christensen, so the son was Jensen or Christian Jensen. Now, when grandfather came along, they were using this same system, and his name was recorded as Jens Christian Christiansen in the Danish records. That is why it took so long to run him down. The birthdays and places were the same, only we called him Jensen, and they recorded it as Christiansen. The same thing was true with Grandmother Jensen. Her father was Anders Jorgen Jensen. She took the name, Jensen, and the records used her father’s first name and called her Bodil Margrethe Andersen. They both got caught in the middle of the change period and came out with two last names.
Mount
Ogden Stake of Zion
Ogden, Utah, February 2, 1926
A
Blessing, Given by Thomas
A. Shreeve, Patriarch,
Upon the
Head of Alvin M. Sorensen
Son of Michael Sorensen and Johanna (Jensen)
Born June 2, 1902, Ogden Utah
Brother Alvin M. Sorensen
In accordance with thy request and in the authority of the Holy Priesthood, I lay my hands upon your head and give unto thee a Patriarchal Blessing, that you may know the mind and will of the Lord concerning thyself, for he has accepted of you, your desires and labors, and will reward thee for thy faithfulness in the Eternal World, and he gave you the privilege of coming to earth in this dispensation to receive the blessings of the New and Everlasting Covenant. You are of the seed of Abraham, the lineage of Joseph, and heir to the gifts and blessings of the everlasting covenant, and as you grow in years and experience so will these blessings come unto you until you have received every gift that will take you back into the presence of your Heavenly Father.
I bless you with the Spirit of Wisdom and an understanding of the principles of eternal salvation, that you shall ever know the path of duty and safety and have the courage to walk therein. And you shall see and understand these things as they have been revealed through the prophets of the Living God. For the visions of thy mind shall be opened, and the spirit of inspiration and prophecy will rest upon you, and you will become a mighty worker in the cause of the Lord, and fill responsible positions among thy brethren in the Holy Priesthood.
Honor thy priesthood in thyself and in they brethren, and the Lord will honor you in their midst, for you will labor much in the work of the Lord, and many will rejoice in thy ministrations, for you will have the discernment of spirits, with the gift of healing the sick and the afflicted by the laying on of the hands and in the power of the Holy Priesthood, and the Lord will work many mighty miracles by thy hand.
And I bless you that you may become a father in Israel, with a companion a daughter of Zion, and be blessed with a posterity that shall endure to the end of time. And never lack a man or woman to stand before the Lord forever.
I bless you that you may have peace and comfort in thy habitation blessed with the temporal and spiritual blessings of life, to feed thy family, give to the poor and needy, and assist in the building up of the Kingdom of God. And through thy faithfulness you will see the hand of the Lord made manifest in your life for he will not leave thee nor forsake thee all thy days.
And I bless you with life, health, and strength in thy body that you may live and enjoy thy life among the people of the Lord. Be brave in doing what is right and he will give unto thee a testimony of the Living Christ that shall be an anchor to thy soul forever.
This blessing I seal upon you with every other that will be for thy good through thy faithfulness and integrity until you are brought back into the presence of your Heavenly Father.
This blessing I seal upon you and you up unto Eternal Life, to come forth in the morning of the first resurrection, a savior among thy kindred and friends.
This I do in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen
Approved.
(signed)
Thomas A. Shreeve
Oakland, California
April 15, 1934
A Blessing given by Norman Burritt Phillips, Patriarch on the head of Alvin M. Sorensen, son of Michael Sorensen and Johanna Jensen, born June 2, 1902 at Ogden, Utah:
Dear Brother Sorensen: In the name of Jesus Christ, and by the authority of the Holy Priesthood, I humbly lay my hands on your head and seal upon you a blessing. This will comfort your heart, for it will tell you the Lord’s will to you, so cheer up and let your heart rejoice, for thou hast been faithful to the covenants you have made and the Lord will bless you for this. If you will continue to do your duty, He will testify to your mind that you are on the road to eternal life. That you have put your shoulder to the wheel and are helping to roll the kingdom of God on, so be contented and know that your Lord approves of you, for you have been faithful in a few things and he will make you master over greater things. The blessings of the Lord are to those who work in His kingdom, for it is by works with faith that you accomplish the things required of you, and if you are obedient to the authorities placed over you in the church and do what you know is your duty it will bring you to that state where the Lord can place confidence in you and when you reach that stage then great things will be required of you as you will become a great man in the church, and many things will be required of you, for the greater the faith, greater is the work that will be required. All these things will cause your heart to rejoice, for you shall receive testimonies that you are doing the Lord’s will. I seal all these blessings on you on condition of your faithfulness and I also seal upon you the former blessings placed on your head and all this thru your faithfulness in the gospel. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen
(signed) Norman Burritt Phillips
Patriarch
My Prayer is Answered.
One night during the month of March 1958, I dreamed or I would like to think I was inspired of the Holy Ghost, in that I received, the answer to a question that had given me a great deal of discomfort and distress of mind.
A few weeks before, the Presidency of the Los Angeles Temple had made some changes in the presentation of the Holy Endowment ceremonies. I with some of the other persons who are set apart Temple workers in that temple felt with the new changes that some of the spirituality of the presentation had been lost and that by eliminating some of the personal functions or duties which we had been doing, we were not being used to our full abilities and in this way we had some important duties and privileges taken away from us.
I had studied many of the church books in my library and had tried hard to reason the question to my own satisfactions but did not find the answer.
Some time during the night after my prayers, I had fallen asleep with this question deep on my mind. “What is the Holy Endowment and what is its true purpose.” This answer came to me and was repeated over and over to me until I had it well in my mind.
These are the words that came to me. “The Holy Endowment is the will of the Lord, demonstrated to the Elite of the Church that they might live eternally in the Realm of God.”
Note – The Elite of the church are those who are found eligible to enter the Temple.
I told some of my friends at the Temple of this dream and they said this answer had come direct to me thorough the Holy Ghost.
Alvin M. Sorensen
1880 W. 92nd St.
Los Angeles Calif.
Nov. 10th 1958
A Genealogical Dream
One night in April 1972 I had a dream that was so real to me that I haven’t forgotten even the least detail of it, though it came to me nearly a year ago.
I found myself standing on a hill about thirty feet above a large flat place, where I could see about two hundred people gathered together all standing talking with each other and having a very good time. I recognized a number of them, some were my father’s people and some were of mother’s family. I stood there looking down a hillside at them for a few minutes, when a young lady, very pretty, climbed up the hill to me. She smiled and I said “Hello Mother”. She just smiled and said, “I am not your mother, I am your cousin.”
My mother had been dead for a long time, but there was something about this lady that looked very much like my mother’s picture when she was first married.
The next morning, I went into the room where I keep all my genealogy and photographic equipment and found an old picture Mother had given me of a cousin of hers and her husband all dressed up in their wedding clothes. This lady was the same one who had visited me the night before.
She is the granddaughter of my mother’s grandmother by a 2nd marriage. We have a lot of photographs of these people, but no written record of names and birthplaces.
Sincerely,
Alvin M. Sorensen