author
Anthon L. (Anthon Lornsen) Skanchy
1839–1914
Born in Norway and later a Utah church leader, he left a vivid first-person account of hardship, conversion, and missionary work in Scandinavia. His memoir offers a close-up view of early Latter-day Saint preaching in the far north, told with plainspoken conviction.
1 Audiobook
Anthon L. Skanchy : a brief autobiographical sketch of the missionary labors of a valiant soldier for Christ
by Anthon L. (Anthon Lornsen) Skanchy
About the author
Born in Trondhjem, Norway, on September 17, 1839, Anthon Lornsen Skanchy wrote about a difficult childhood shaped by poverty and his father's drinking before he embraced the Latter-day Saint faith as a young man. In his autobiographical sketch, he describes that conversion as the turning point of his life and the beginning of years of missionary service.
Skanchy became especially known for his work as a missionary in northern Norway, where he wrote about long journeys, arrests, court appearances, and the challenge of preaching in remote communities. Those experiences form the heart of Anthon L. Skanchy: A Brief Autobiographical Sketch of the Missionary Labors of a Valiant Soldier for Christ, published after his death and translated and edited by John A. Widtsoe.
He later settled in Utah, where he served as a bishop in Logan. Skanchy died on April 19, 1914, and his memoir remains valuable for readers interested in immigrant life, religious conversion, and the everyday courage behind early missionary work.