Erastus Snow — Spiritual Gift of Language in Denmark
Published August 30, 2026 at 11:38 PM
In 1850, Erastus Snow arrived in Copenhagen to open the Scandinavian Mission without knowing the Danish language. He recorded that through the power of the Holy Ghost and intense prayer, he was granted a remarkable facility to learn and speak the language with speed that surpassed natural ability. This gift allowed him to baptize the first converts, including Peter O. Hansen, and organize the mission within a few months of his arrival.
In Their Own Words
“When I went to Denmark, I could not speak the first word of their language, or know the first letter of their alphabet. I was to all intents and purposes a barbarian to them, and they were barbarians to me. I went there because I was sent, with an intention to do the best I knew how, as the Spirit of the Lord might direct me. You may ask if I received the gift of tongues, that I could begin and speak to them in their own language by the power of the Holy Ghost without studying. I answer, Yes, when it pleased the Lord to give it to me; and when it did not, I remained silent. I did not have any special anxiety to preach to them in their own tongue anymore than the Lord wanted to have me do.”
— Erastus Snow, Journal of Discourses 7:125
Sources & References
Autobiography of Erastus Snow (1875); Andrew Jenson, LDS Biographical Encyclopedia (research confidence: high) Full first-person account: The Work of God, Etc., by Erastus Snow (Journal of Discourses 7:125-131) https://jod.mrm.org/7/125/
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