Elder Peder Andersen's miraculous escape from police in Stavanger
Published October 5, 2026 at 5:39 AM
Contributed by
Millennial Star Research
While in Stavanger, Norway, to organize a party of fourteen emigrants for departure, Elder Peder Andersen was arrested by police for preaching and baptizing. He obtained permission to return to the boat to transfer business, accompanied by officers. With the help of one of the ship's mates, he disguised himself in a sailor's jacket and oilskin hat, passed the officer waiting at the gangway, and was hidden in another part of the vessel to escape.
Fuller account of this event (the complete account as preserved in The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, Vol. 42, No. 29, 19 July 1880, p. 460):
Elder Peder Andersen, who has been laboring in Stavanger, was arrested by the police for preaching and baptizing. He was in charge of a company of fourteen emigrants, and had obtained permission to go on board the vessel to attend to some business, accompanied by the officers. Through the kindness of one of the mates of the ship, he was disguised in a sailor's jacket and oilskin hat, and in this way passed the officer who was waiting at the gangway, and was hidden in another part of the vessel, and thus made his escape.
In Their Own Words
“He was on the point of leaving Stavanger for Christiania, with a party of fourteen emigrants, that were going with the July company. Shortly prior to the time when the steamboat was expected to leave he was arrested by the police, on a charge of preaching and baptizing. He obtained permission to return to the boat, accompanied by a couple of officers, to transfer some business to another of the party. While one of the officers stood at the gangway, waiting for Brother Andersen to appear on deck, the latter, by aid of one of the mates, passed him, disguised in a sailor’s jacket and large oilskin hat. He was then hid away in another part of the vessel, and thus escaped. — Millennial Star 42:29”
Sources & References
The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star (Manchester, later Liverpool, England, May 1840–1970), 19 July 1880 (Vol. 42, No. 29). https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_the-latter-day-saints-millennial-star_1880-07-19_42_29 (account extracted verbatim from the issue's Internet Archive OCR text; research confidence: high) Complete account: The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, Vol. 42, No. 29, 19 July 1880, p. 460 https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_the-latter-day-saints-millennial-star_1880-07-19_42_29
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