MADS CHRISTENSEN*S AUTOGRAPH ALBUM” When H. P, Madsen came home fron prisos, Mr. Pleasant turned out the brace band co veleeme him, A Mozzon bishop aad polygamtet, he had been convicted on a fedevel charge of “unlawful cobabicetion" and sentenced to seeve 108 days in the Utah Fesiteatiary. That was fn 1898, when federal mazchals, emmed with punitive legislation aad crusading zeal, avarmed Utah territory to hunt co-hebe, tf, Plossant, a stroughold of Scandinavian Mormans, nee many of its eo-habs go underground, But spotters, generally spostates, ware busy sad the arrests ware becening more mmereus, Speaking of the general situation, Isase Sovensen of Mandoa noted in 1686 that "oo many had went to prison that it eoond as if it had beceue more popelar, and there was not co mech excitement then 8 person was arrested, . . A aan," be said, “vould rather euffer thoa have his feuily brought before these courts to testify ond often asked indecent questioas. To . the praice of the Heroes, thoy stood 4¢ én nearly ali cases bravely, a few recented, but their nunbezs were enell.” Zo Me, Plengmet, Madson was a heros he had steed bde pricon teat. The "covhebs" were "Priseneze for Conscience’ Seka," the phrase taao like @ regvaia through their Letters, journsle, ead mneive, The Dana Anéces Joasen, himself oue ef those prisosers for @ time, used it for the eitle of hie aamuscript Met of names of those who had bean inpriconsd in the Utah, Yuma, end Detroit Peaitentiarles fron 1884 to 1892. Compiled feon prison files aad private jouruala, the 883 nases include 216, neatly one fourth, thet are recognizably Scandinavian, ucnortaliciag the charge, “paper by De. Williem Mulder, University of Uteh, reed at a meeting of the Uteh Acadeay of Science, Agts, and Letters fa Logan, 1963;the judge, the fine, and the prisen santesce--rithal a most curious Book of Martyrs. Ten years ago I was given a furtive Jook at ac in the L.D.S. Chuxch Historian's Office, Long enough to make the count and note esse nanee. Ona of these "Prisoners for Conscience’ Sake" was Made Christensen, Danish carpenter, who in 1857, at 32 yeara of age, had joined the Mormons end with his wife Maren Johanne Jensen, crossed the Atlantic that year in the Hesemoroland, and che plains in Chrietion Christdansen's handcart company. He fled Jchnsten's druy tn the "nove Scuth," warking hie way back fron Amoviean Fork to Salt Lake City and thence to Yormington; dm 1864 he drwve a “chucch teaa” eo the Missouri River fer poor exigranta; and fron 1683 to 1885 he answered 4 church call to colenize Arizona, In WEL, at 56, he kad "yielded cbedtence te the higher law of earriage," as bis pious blogeapher puts it, and worried Hanna N, Christiansen eo hie plural wife. Seven years later, in Febrecry 1888, be was arrested and convicted fer unlawful cohabitation, entering the Utah Penitentiary within @ few days after Bishop Madsen had left it oo triumphantly, and cerved seven months, Neds Christensen moved to Idaho in the 1890's to Carden Geork, March Valley, in Bannock County. He becone a Patriarch, and died June 14, 1934, at Robin, full of years and honor, ond justified of hia Bolyganous asrriags: soa of that unien, born the year Made was in prison, was Parlay A. Chrdotenson, the beloved "2.4." Professor of English emsritus at Beighan Young Ustvoroity, vho has acquainted several genavatious of students with Shakespeare, Milton, and Matthey Arnold, and whose books All in a Teacher's Dey and Of 9 Husber of Things everyone with @ stake in the bunanities owes i¢ to himself to read. ie da fron P, 4, that I learned thet Hede Christensen, 3éke so many of his fellows, kept am autograph album during hie term in prison, a miccorof the sentimante which brought him there and sustained kim during his weezy mouths. He began £t om Fobsuary 12, 1858: Go 1gtle book thy distined cours purcue, Colect monoriais of the Juct and true, And call on evry frond, far of, or near, For a tokea ef reasnbrans dear. ‘there aze 87 “memorials of che just and tree” addressed to Mads by his fellev prisoners, 2 pretty complete roll call ef the Mormon inmates. ‘Frenscvibed, the extries run ¢o thirteen typeecript pages, single space, teo many to reproduce here, But they afford a rich sampling of bunor and Axony, of Mormon doctrine and sentineat, of history and biography, and even 6 kind of postey. ‘The spebiteg io frequently charmingly phonetic, for these Maraon Sazmero aad artisans wore moa of Little learatag. Many of then vere ianigrante, who es adults had to Leara Raglish, a Language dear to them, for it ves the language of the restored Cospel, perhaps even the Adamle tonguew-cartaialy geod enough for the Book of Mormon-eand they had begun to leam dt is the old country es a religices exercise, Bat the albun's inseriptioas are as quaist os the colonial records of Mew Ragland towmsbips kept by elarks who wrete as they pronounced. "You are confined for doing the vorks of Abrahan," wrote Willian Willie of Hendon, “whon God by himself evare Saying, Susely blessing I wih] bless you, and mltipiying I will multiply chee.” ‘the figure, "the works of Abrchem,” is uneering, It stateo the rationcle of polygeny succinctly ond colerfully, in Old Teotanent imagery, Plursi marriage was “coleotial marriage," ordained of heaven, practiced by the old patriarch Abechon, 43 doctrine, polygauy assured the Mormons thay were providing corthly homes among the tightesus for pre-existent spirits uke otherwise were condomed to be bern tate usgedly eavirements, A aans feuily here would be his in the world to come. If ho desired eternal inezesce, a