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Get My Servant, Canute Peterson

In December 1853, Canute Peterson was serving as a missionary in his native land of Norway. Under the direction of his mission president he set sail with nearly seventy saints in a little vessel captained by a man named Thoresen. Upon arriving in Copenhagen they were shown to a rented hall for their accomodations. Elder Peterson learned that he was to return to Christiania, his field of labor, but since the harbor was closed to shipping because of ice, he would have to walk hundreds of miles through deep snow across Sweden—a most discouraging idea. “The thoughts of this journey made me feel very low-spirited indeed,” he said. “and I went down to the hall where the Saints were staying to try to cheer up.”

About nine o’clock that evening he felt a heavy hand strike him on the shoulder from behind. He turned around and, to his great surprise, it was Captain Thoresen. “’Why, Captain Thoreson, are you here!’ I said.”

Captain Thoresen explained, “I came for you; I want you to go back to Norway with me, and right away with the returning train to Roskilla. I have a cab outside now waiting for us.”

Elder Peterson was overjoyed at the prospect of not having to walk and he quickly gathered his things and went with the captain. As they journeyed, Captain Toresen explained why he was there.

“The next morning after you and your company had left me at Holmbeck,” he said. “I was lying in my berth, and drawing the curtain aside, I looked out into the cabin: to my great astonishment, I saw a very fine-looking man standing before me. He was dressed in white, and is clothes were of peculiar fashion. He called me by name and said: ‘Go to Copenhagen and get my servant, Canute Peterson, and take him back with you to Norway.’ He then disappeared. Coming on deck, my brother, the mate, noticing that I was nervous and pale asked what had happened. I told him what I had seen, and the command of my strange visitor. ‘Pshaw! that was only a dream,’ answered my brother. ‘We have no time for that; if you go to Copenhagen, it means that we must remain here longer; we will get frozen in, and then we will have to stay here all winter and lose more than we have made. No, we must hurry and buy up our cargo, and get out of this firth right away.’

The Captain continued,

“We tried to buy up our cargo that day but were unsuccessful. When I retired that night, I could not help wondering whether that person would again appear to me or not. “The next
morning when I awoke, it was broad daylight, and I hastened to dress myself. While sitting on the edge of the berth to put on my stockings, I looked up and there stood before me that same person. He raised his hand, and pointing to me, said: ‘Captain Thoreson, if you do not go to Copenhagen and get my servant, Canute Peterson, to go back with you to Norway, you will surely be wrecked and lose your life.’ Then he vanished. “I hastened on deck, and again related to my brother the strange circumstance. “‘Well,’ said he, ‘perhaps you had better go to Copenhagen and get Peterson.'” Then it was agreed that he should load up the vessel as soon as possible. and sail out to open sea, and I was to go to Copenhagen to get you.

With that explanation, Captain Thoresen and Elder Peterson arrived in Holmbeck and arranged for a boat to take them out to the ship. Once onboard, they continued sailing toward Norway, staying in sight of the shore. At one point, the winds turned contrary and were driving them dangerously close to shore. Elder Canute Peterson continued the narrative.

“We soon found that we were in great danger of being dashed to pieces. Realizing our extreme danger, I went down into the cabin and tried to offer up a word of prayer. I came up on deck and still our position was very perilous. After a few moments, I returned to pray again, and this time my prayer was answered. When I came on deck, the Captain, being fully aware that I had been praying, said: “This time your prayer was heard, for see, the wind is coming from the shore.” A very favorable breeze now helped us to pass this dangerous point, and we sailed on toward our destination without further danger or delay. When everything became pleasant the Captain said: “Now I can see where the danger was, and, I think, where my grave would have been, if I had disobeyed.”

Source:

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/memories/KWJC-WRV