“About the time of the birth of their fourth child, Ester, a friend of the family took a trip to Stockholm to sell rugs that she had woven. While there she found that there were some men there who had brought a new religion and were preaching it to the people. Some of the people were very upset about it. She came back home all excited telling her friends about it.

It wasn't long until these men, two Mormon Missionaries, came to their community. Peter was very anxious to hear what their religion was about so they were invited to his home. The officers of the law were trying to arrest the missionaries so while they were in the home of Peter Peterson they kept the blinds pulled down and the door locked so no one would know they were there. They hardly dared talk above a whisper. As soon as Peter heard the message of the Restored Gospel he knew it was what he had been searching for and it just seemed to penetrate his whole being.

He accepted it readily and it wasn't long until he applied for baptism. Of course, his faithful wife accepted it also and they were baptized June 21, 1880 by C. H. Monson, a missionary, was confirmed the same day. Peter and Christina were anxious for their friends and brothers and sisters to hear this wonderful message, but it didn't strike a chord with Peter's brothers and they began to ridicule him for paying attention to this religion and became very angry with him. This made Peter and his family very sad, and they began to feel like they would like to go to America and mingle with the saints there. They sold their large estate at a sacrifice and left a beautiful farm and home. It took Peter and Christina Peterson about four years to get their property sold and procure enough money to take them so far. It was sad for Christina as she had been caring for her aged mother and had to put her in a rest home and leave her behind, knowing full well that she would never see her again.

There were quite a large number who, after hearing of the new religion accepted it and prepared to go to America, so on April 1, 1884, Peter and Christina, their six children and the two hired girls, in company with 95 persons left Sweden on a train to Copenhagen, Denmark. On April 4th they boarded a ship "Milo" and sailed across the North Sea to Hull, England where they arrived April 7th. Then they went to Liverpool, England where they joined other Saints and eleven returning missionaries, making a total of 207 souls, and boarded the steamship "Nevada" which set sail for America, April 9, 1884. The Saints traveled third class in the ship.

While crossing the ocean the waves were so high that at times the ship was entirely covered with water. Many of the group were sick. The two hired girls helped to care for the children and the sick. Peter had paid their fare, and for this they were to help with these things on the journey. To add to their discomfort and sorrow, a boy died at sea and had to be buried there. He was strapped to a plank and thrown overboard. It must have been a sad thing to witness and something not easily forgotten.

They arrived at New York on the evening of April 19, 1884. Imagine the joy these people must have experienced when they saw the shore of the Promised Land and the hope they felt in the promises of the gospel. Here they could worship as they pleased with the people of their own faith. Nothing could shake their faith. The next day the immigrants were landed at Castle Garden, New York.

On Monday morning April 21, they left by train westward bound for Utah, arriving in Ogden, Utah April 27th. This group of Saints was then divided into smaller groups. The family of Peter Peterson and others headed for Cache Valley, where they arrived the next day.”

“Peter Peterson and Christina Olson History” n.d., "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch, (www.familysearch.org : accessed 11 August 2023), entry for Pehr Pehrsson (KWZW-NJJ), undocumented family tree, public memory.

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