"I was somewhat cross with you when you called," said Henrik. "I don"t want you to think that I am rude, especially to strangers."
"I was not the least offended," smiled the other.
"I"m glad to hear it. Now I want you to tell me something about America.
I"ve never been there, though I expect to go some day. I have some friends and a good many relatives over there. From what part do you come?"
"I am from Wyoming."
"That"s away out west, isn"t it?"
"Yes."
"Two uncles of mine live in Minnesota, but that"s a long way from Wyoming. Where are you staying here, for the night?"
"I am a traveling minister of the gospel and I stay wherever there is an opportunity."
"Then you"ll stay with me tonight. I am not much on religion, but if you will mix a little information about America with your preaching, I shall be pleased to listen to you."
These conditions were easily agreed to. So, after a good supper, the two young men seated themselves comfortably by the shaded lamp on the library table. The missionary spread out his book of views and explained each of the pictures. He told of the great stretch of arid land in western America, of the ranches, of the high mountains, of the fertile valleys made fruitful by irrigation, and of the wonders of the great Salt Lake.
"This is the Temple."
"Yes; and what is that for?"
The purposes of temples were explained.
"You say you baptize for the dead?" enquired Henrik, "How is that?"
"Well, as I was telling you when I called on you some time ago--"
"Pardon me, but I must confess that I did not pay enough attention to what you said to remember. I was thinking about those quarreling tenants of mine. Tell me again."
The other smiled good-naturedly, and did as he was asked. Henrik listened this time, and was indeed interested, asking a good many questions.
"Now, about the Temple," continued the missionary--"we believe that every soul that has ever lived on the earth, that is living now, or that will ever live must have the privilege of hearing this gospel of Jesus Christ. There is only one name given under heaven by which men may be saved, and every creature must hear that name. Now, the great majority of the human race has never heard the gospel; in fact, will not hear it in this life."
"Where, then, can they hear it?"
"In the great spirit world. Christ, when He was put to death went and preached to the spirits in prison--those who were disobedient in the days of Noah and were destroyed in the flood; and no doubt the saving power of Christ has been proclaimed in that spirit world ever since.
Among those who hear, many will believe. They have faith, they repent of their sins, but they can not be baptized in water for the remission of their sins."
"No; of course not."
"And yet Christ definitely said that unless a man is born again of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of G.o.d. What is to be done?"
The listener, leaning over the table, merely shook his head.
"Paul speaks in I Cor. 15:29 of some who were baptized for the dead--and that is a correct principle. The living may be baptized for the dead, so that those who have left this world may receive the gospel in the spirit world and have the birth of the water done for them vicariously by someone in the flesh."
"This is strange doctrine."
"Temples are used for these baptisms. The Latter-day Saints are busy tracing back as far as possible their lines of ancestry, and then they are going into their temples--for they have already four of them--and are doing this work for their dead. In this way is being fulfilled Malachi"s prediction that Elijah the Prophet should come before the great and dreadful day of the Lord, "and He shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers," lest the Lord come and smite the earth with a curse. You will find this in the last chapter of the Old Testament."
The lamp burned late into the night as these two men sat by it talking; and the conversation was not, as one of them had planned, for the most part about the land of America and its material opportunities.
XII.
"Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple."--_Luke 14:33._
"I cannot understand him," Frue Bogstad was saying. "His actions are so strange."
"It"s simply wicked of him," added Froken Selma Bogstad. "He is bringing the whole family into disrepute."
The mother did not reply, but turned her face thoughtfully away from the angry daughter.
"The boy is completely carried away with this American religion,"
continued the girl, pacing nervously back and forth in the room. "Pastor Tonset called to see him the other day, and you ought to have heard them! The pastor, as our friend, came to advise him; but do you think Henrik would take any advice? Why, he even argued with the pastor, saying that he could prove the truth of this religion from the Scriptures."
"Has he talked to you about it?"
"Yes; and he wanted me to accompany him to Osterhausgaden where these people hold meetings. I told him definitely and forcibly that I didn"t want him to mention religion to me."
"He seems to be in such deep earnest."
"And that"s the pity of it. It does no good to talk to him. He takes it for granted that he should be persecuted. I believe he is ready to give up everything for this creed that has him in its grasp."
A violent ringing of the bell brought Selma to the door. It was Henrik, who had forgotten his latch key. He hung up his hat, wiped the perspiration from his face, for it was a warm evening; then he said cheerily:
"Spring is coming; I feel it in the air. I"ll be glad to get out to Nordal--there is so much to do this summer--"
"Young man," interrupted the sister, "we have been talking about you."
"About my wickedness, I suppose."
"About your foolishness. It isn"t very pleasant for us--what you"re doing."
"What am I doing? That which is unkind to you, mother?" He placed his arms lovingly around her shoulders, but she sat without replying, her face in her handkerchief. He turned to Selma.
"What have I done?" he asked. "Do I drink? Do I gamble? Do I steal? Do I lie? Do I profane? Do I treat any of you unkindly? Am I disrespectful to my mother or my sister?"
"You a.s.sociate with a people known everywhere as the sc.u.m of the earth,"
snapped the sister, as she stood in front of him. "You are disgracing us--the whole Bogstad family--you--but what"s the use of talking to you."
"Not a bit of use that way, dear sister. Suppose you answer some of my questions. You accuse, but never bring proof. You would rather believe uninformed people than me. You accept hearsay, but will not listen to the truth I wish to tell you. I have asked you to point out some of the bad things taught by the Latter-day Saints, but so far you have never tried. I have invited you to go with me--"