RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS AND WORKERS AMONG THESE PEOPLE
We have mentioned Reverends Nesse, Graven and Eielsen as pioneers in
laying the foundations for the Church in these settlements. Among
those who gave many years of service in the formative period of church
development should also be mentioned Rev. Carlson, who followed
Graven, who wrought for many years and at last found his resting place
near one of the churches he had so long served. We cannot refrain from
offering, altho a far too inadequate tribute, to one who has given the
years of her life for the brightening and bettering of the lives of
others; one who, altho not a pastor, yet as one pastor's devoted
daughter and equally devoted as the wife of a succeeding pastor, gave
the years of her young womanhood as well as the maturer years of her
life to the service of these people--Mrs. C.T. Olberg, nee Carlson.
For many years as a teacher in the parochial schools and continuously
as a worker in the various activities of the church, especially among
the younger people, and later as the pastor's wife, going in and out
among the people, she has exerted an ennobling, Christianizing
influence which only the angels of God and the far-off shores of
eternity can estimate or measure.
There are many more, both men and women, lay-men and clergy, who have
labored for their Master in this region, whose names I shall not be
able to dwell upon, but whose names and records are in the Book of
Life in Heaven and also written deep in the book of human life touched
by them here on earth. Just to name two or three, there was Rev. Dahl
of Gayville, who has put in a lifetime there. Then among the many
visiting clergymen were Rev. G. Norbeck, Governor Norbeck's father,
and a goodly number of others, lay and clerical preachers.
There were in the earlier years extensive "revivals", generally
promoted by outsiders, often of other denominations, such as these of
the middle eighties and middle nineties. There were other movements by
laymen, both Lutheran and of other denominations. There were bitter
controversies at times between the leaders of these movements,
especially those promoted by men of other denominations than the
Lutheran and the more strict adherents of the local churches. There
were also bitter doctrinal controversies between members or adherents
of the various branches of the Lutheran faith. Of the words said and
the things sometimes done on these occasions none of the participants
would be proud now, and I shall not perpetuate them by repeating what
ought to be forgotten. The word "scorpion" is not just the right
substitute for "Christian brother", but I distinctly recall that it
was thus employed even between Lutherans.
Suffice it to say, there was often narrowness and intolerance on both
sides, both as between denominations and between branches of the
Lutheran Church itself. There was some good in most of these revival
efforts and there were also some features which could justly be
criticised.
There could be no doubt as to the sincerity of most of these
revivalists, but being for the most part men and women of very limited
education, they sometimes lacked balance and developed some vagaries.
There were those who specialized on "Tongues" and on written
revelations performed under spiritual ecstasy. Some had "revelations"
that they should go to Africa to convert the heathen and a few
actually went, soon returning sobered and saddened in their
disappointment that the tongue gift did not enable them to understand,
or to be understood by the natives.
Others advocated communism, baptism by immersion as indispensable to
salvation, etc. In general there was a strong prejudice against any
kind of church organization and to any regularly paid ministry. These
extreme tendencies were, of course, a natural reaction against the
evil in churches where a mechanical organization and the repetition of
dead forms were all that reminded of what should have been a living
spirit.
But to some people then and even now, a religious effort was either of
God or of the devil, and consequently either wholly black or wholly
white.
Then, too, when people believe, as many did and do still, that one's
immortal salvation depends more on his holding a correct intellectual
creed than on the spirit and fruits manifest in his life, it was
inevitable that discussions of mere points of doctrine or creed,
should become so intense at times as to lose wholly, for the time
being, the Christian spirit. However, we shall, in this connection,
give our pioneer fathers and first settlers credit for one great
quality: They had convictions; they knew what they believed and
believed it heart and soul. They did not, as some of this generation
seem to do, doubt their beliefs and half believe their doubts.
In closing this brief outline of the religious activities of these
people, allow me to give a boy's pleasant remembrance and loving
tribute to one of the many traveling lay preachers who came to our
house and also held services around in the neighborhood. John Aalbu
and his good wife had settled near Ash Creek, Union county, in the
sixties, and having retired from active farming in the eighties, they
would drive the distance of 30-40 miles to our settlement on Turkey
Creek several times a year. We children were always glad to see them.
They had a top buggy, which in itself was of interest to us, as there
was as yet no such luxury in our neighborhood. In this buggy, among
other things, was always to be found a good sized tin can of smoking
tobacco, for John and his wife both smoked. This was not considered
as anything peculiar then or as objectionable on the part of the
preacher and his wife, as it might be now. Now it seems that only
women in the highest society may smoke. So amid clouds of the burning
incense they would talk theology, religion, and also give practical
hints on household and farm matters to their hosts, who were
"newcomers." Mrs. Aalbu was a woman of very good mind and keen
intellect. She would often correct a quotation from the Bible when not
quite exact and serve as mentor to her husband when he, in the course
of the service or some ritual, would forget something. It was only in
later years, however, that he became ordained and in going thru the
rituals at the various sacraments and services she was the "better
half" in fact as well as name. This was owing to her splendid memory
as also to her generally keen mind.
We did not see many strangers in those days, and how much these visits
meant to us children as well as our parents! The discussions of fine
theological points were often complicated and lasted far into the
night, but we enjoyed them as well as we enjoyed our visitors. May God
bless them, their work and their memory!
As an illustration of the subtlety of these discussions we might give
a few of the topics: "Which Precedes in Christian Experience,
Repentance or Faith?" "Faith or Works, Order of Precedence and
Relative Worth." "Can a Man of His Own Accord and Strength Repent?"
"Can a Christian in This Life be Wholly Sanctified?" "Free Will or
Predestination?"