Potmarge Leeuwarden

The First Mormon Missionary to Friesland:
Anne Wiegers van der Woude

Janet Sjaarda Sheeres

While boatload after boatload of emigrants left Europe in the 1800s sailing westward to America, one Frisian, Anne Wiegers van der Woude, swam against the tide and headed back to the Netherlands in the spring of 1861. What motivated Anne to undertake such an arduous journey again once he had safely settled in his new homeland? Religion. For Van der Woude had converted to Mormonism, journeyed to Zion (Utah) in 1853 and owing to his knowledge of the Dutch language had been commissioned to return to his native land as a missionary.
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Born in Franeker on 12 July 1812, Anne was one of eleven children of Wieger Pieters van der Woude and Catharine Gerrits. As a young lad he sailed with his father to many far away places and learned several foreign languages, including English. Later he commanded his own ship; his grave­stone reads, "Capt. A. W. Vanderwood." On 16 April 1843 he married Dokkum-born Siebregtje Zwart in Leeuwarden and from then on made that city his homeport. Their four children were born in Leeuwarden, the last one in 1849.

Mormon missionaries
Sometime between 1849 and 1852 Anne moved his family to Cardiff, Wales to engage in ship brokering. Wales and England had flourishing LDS (Latter Day Saints, short for Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, also known as Mormons) congregations at the time with head­quarters in Liverpool. Mormons were followers of Joseph Smith, an American who claimed to have been visited by God and Jesus in the spring of 1820 when he was fourteen years old. In 1823 he again received a vision, this time by an angel he named Moroni, who revealed to him where he could find two golden plates on which was written the history of the church of Jesus as it had unfolded in the New World. With the help of friends, Smith published the Book of Mormon in 1836 and on 6 April that year he founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Although Smith, who claimed to be a prophet, attracted many followers, he also attracted many antagonists, and several times had to move his followers to avoid bloodshed. When Smith was assassinated in 1846 in Carthage, Illinois, one of the Council of Twelve Apostles, Brigham Young, took over the leadership and led the group to Utah in order there to build Zion and usher in the rule of Christ on earth. From its very beginning the movement had sent missionaries around the world. Of these, the missionaries to England, Wales and Scandinavia were most successful.

First 'Hollanders' in Utah
While in Wales .Anne converted to Mormonism and was baptized on 30 October 1852 by Elder George Taylor. Because the Mormons believed that the Territory of Utah in the United States was the place where Mormons from all over the world should begin to build Zion and await Jesus' imminent return, Anne and his family also joined this mass migration to Utah. They were part of three ships filled with Mormons that began their journey on 23 January 1853 from Liverpool and arrived in New Orleans on the 26th of March. By April the party had made its way inland to Keokuk, Iowa, and traveled with a wagon train across the plains and mountains to Utah, where Anne built a home on the Weber River near Ogden. In the 17 May, 1853 issue of the Sheboygan Nieuwsbode, a Dutch language - Wisconsin-based - newspaper for Dutch immigrants, the correspondent from Keokuk, wrote: Sinds 14 dagen zijn er aan de noord-zijde der stad circa 300 Mormons in bivouac, die weldra door nog meerdere (ca. 3.000) gevolgd zullen worden en, na aankomst der laatste, met een week of drie allen naar Salt Lake zullen optrekken (...) Zoo ik verneem, zijn eenige Hollanders alhier woonachtig, voornemens met de Mormons naar Salt Lake op te trekken. He does not list these Hollanders who are contemplating joining the Mormons to Utah; however, Attenberg, an amateur Iowa historian, made a study of this group, listing all of them from the records of the three ships. Among them was one Dutch family from Cardiff. Wales - the Van der Woudes. On the ship's manifest Anne was listed as master mariner. Unless there are some undocumented Dutch who preceded the Van der Woudes, this Frisian family is the first recorded Dutch Mormon family in Utah. The correspondent, John M. Huyskamp, who owned a small shoe factory in Keokuk, wrote in the 24 May 1853 issue of the Nieuwsbode: Wij hadden voor eenige dagen het genoegen met een geloofwaardigen Hollander, de heer v.d. W. in kermis te geraken, die de Mormone zowel in Engeland als hier, zeer nauwkeurig heeft gade geslagen, terwijl hij met meer dan drie honderd heiligen de reis van Liverpool naar Nieuw Orleans heeft gamaakt. While Huyskamp's words about van der Woude are positive, the remainder of the article about the Mormons is negative. He accuses the leaders of misleading their followers, presenting Utah as a paradise and not telling them about the hardships ahead. Huyskamp accuses the Mormons of trying to convert the many Dutch people living in the area so that they could become Dutch speaking missionaries. And, he bewails the fact that thev also played cards, sang, and danced until late in the evening. If van der Woude had any regrets about converting to Mormonism and wanted to leave the group gracefully, this would have been the perfect time and place. He could easily have settled among the Dutch in Iowa. There had been less than three months' time ""Between his baptism and emigration ~ Perhaps he was still in the first flush of enthusiasm about his newfound faith, because in spite of all that was said and written about his fellow travelers, he continued with them to Utah. When Anne settled in Ogden, far away from his native land and people, he could not have foreseen what an historic part he would yet play in bringing other Hollanders to Utah.

Return to Europe
Eight years later on 16 March 1861 he was ordained as Elder, and on April 8, at the 1861 Spring General Conference was set apart as a missionary to the Netherlands. Wilford Woodruff, one of the Council of Twelve Apostles, who later became a church President, laid hands on Anne. Why the long delay before he was ordained as elder? Did the fact that he had not engaged in polygamy, an LDS ordinance at the time, hinder his advancement in the church? Had he been approached before but been reluctant to go? Nevertheless, when the pronounced was made at the 1861 Spring General Conference in Salt Lake City as to who were to serve a missionary term, those called to missionary service had no choice in the matter - the commission was not to be disobeved. During this two-year commitment a missionary's wife and children stayed behind to tend the family farm or business. On 22 April 1861 Anne said goodbye to Siebregtje and the children and left Salt Lake City along with a large contingency of other men also headed for mission assignments in Europe. Traveling east overland they took along many teams of oxen and wagons driven by volunteer young men to provide transportation and necessities for hundreds of needy European immigrant Saints traveling west overland from Iowa to Utah. All missionaries were instructed to keep a daily journal of their activities, and Anne did so as well. From April 22 until Monday the 1st of July when they reached Florence, Nebraska, Anne faithfully recorded the weather, the miles traveled, and where they made camp. In Florence they left the wagon train and took a steamer to St. Joseph, Missouri, and from there they traveled by train to Detroit, then continued on by river to New York. Finally on the 5th of August, 1861, two and a half months after leaving Salt Lake City,Anne arrived in Rotterdam, setting foot again on his native soil. As always, he faithfully recorded each leg of the journey.

German companion
The only contact the Dutch had with Mormon missionaries before Anne's arrival was a brief visit from Apostle Orson Hyde in 1841. Hyde, en route to Jerusalem, arrived in Rotterdam in June 1841. During his short stay he made contact with a Jewish Rabbi explaining his mission. However, the Rabbi did not speak English and Hyde did not speak Dutch, so there was little communication. Between 1841 and Anne's arrival in 1861, the Netherlands was occasionally visited by LDS Elders as they traveled between Great Britain and Germany, Switzerland, and Scandinavia. Anne's companion, German-born Paul A. Schettler, had immigrated to the United States in 1858, converted to Mormonism in New York in 1860 and soon afterwards had migrated to Utah. Schettler had relatives in Zeist among the Moravian Brethren, and being German he was somewhat acquainted with the language and customs of Holland. The two men spent some time in prayer for their mission and then separated; Schettler went to his relatives in Zeist and Van der Woude to Amsterdam. However, Schettler's relatives, upon finding out that he had become a Mormon and intent on converting them, would no longer have anything to do with him so he joined Anne in Amsterdam. In the meantime Anne had looked up two of his sisters living in Amsterdam, and although received by them, was not invited to stay with them. Instead, he and Schettler rented a room in the Reestraat for six guilders per month.

Baptizes at Broek
On the 21st of August, Anne left Schettler in Amsterdam and headed for Friesland, arriving in Workum the following day. Here he found one of his sisters who received him warmly. The next day he preached in Workum. In his report back to Utah, Anne wrote, this preaching caused much excitement in that city. The meeting was very crowded. Some preacher opposed and tried to prevent our speaking. 1 was very busy there. Apparently Van der Woude could hold his own against the Reformed pastors: he wrote. On the 28th I had a long conversation with a preacher who tried to prove his doctrines to be true by the Scriptures and to prove our doctrines to be false by the Scriptures, but he did not succeed. He was ashamed and could not say a word and finally left the meeting. On 29 August Anne arrived in Leeuwarden where his family greeted him warmly. Besides preaching the Mormon gospel to family, friends and neighbors, Mormon missionaries were also encouraged to attend the services of other religious groups and ask for permission to address them. One such group in Leeuwarden, a Baptist organization founded by Rev. Jan de Liefde, was named Tot Heil des Volks. Anne reported on attending this meeting. I went to their meeting and found that although they blessed their children, they did not baptize them but still were in opposition to the Mormons on the ground of polygamy and other matters, so that I could not do any good. In another report to Utah, he wrote: On the 31st I left Leeuwarden for Dokkum, and was among my (wife's) relatives spearheading Mormonism up to the 18th of September, when 1 preached in Metske Tabes Kooistra's barn, which was very crowded with people. There were about two hundred people in the barn and although there were some against, most were in favor of my preaching. They were very glad to hear me, and wanted me to preach again next Sunday in another barn near Broek by Akkerwoude. The following Sunday, the 22nd he preached in the shop of Eelke Tabes Kooistra. This opened the way, and I baptized one man and two women. There are many honest-hearted people in this country who are seeking after the truth, but owing to the prevalence of false reports concerning Mormonism and the Mormons, it is difficult to make much progress.

Stick to traditions
The one man and two women Anne baptized were his brother Gerrit Wiegers van der Woude, Gerrit's wife Baudina Potgieter, and Elizabeth Monsma, wife of Derk Wolters. Other relatives were not so eager to accept Anne's message. In his journal he recorded that his family was, (n)ot united, but mostly divided by our beliefs. I visited my family and had to endure much arguing concerning the Gospel which they did not understand. My brother Hendrik and wife were very cool. They had heard about me and kept their distance. In fact, Wietske (Bates Kalsbeek), the wife of Hendrik made some ugly remarks about my beliefs. He visited old acquaintances and frequented the markets in order to make contacts. He left tracts wherever he could and wherever they were accepted. He also went to several churches, but was refused the opportunity to speak. From Dokkum he returned to Leeuwarden on 5 October and visited several more acquaintances, as well as a furniture maker named Sybren van Dijk. This last visit proved to be successful. Sybren van Dijk was receptive and would eventually convert and be baptized by Anne. By the 15th of October, after only six weeks in Friesland, Anne headed back to Amsterdam. His only converts in Friesland were the three people he baptized. Elder Schettler, working in Amsterdam had not fared much better. He reported in the Millennial Star: The national character of the Dutch is to stick to the traditions of their fathers more than other nations, and this spirit is manifested in all their customs. According to an entry Anne made in his journal on 22 October 1861, polygamy was another big stumbling block, as were the numerous anti-Mormon pamphlets and newspaper articles. The book by W. H. Kirberger, History of the Origins and Adventures of the Mormons, (Amsterdam, 1855) also added to their negative image.

Sickness and disputes
For the next twelve months, Anne worked mostly in Amsterdam, while also making a few side trips to other places. Although the winter of 1861-1862 had been mild, Anne suffered from sore throats and fever, often unable to speak. His physical condition deteriorated when during the summer months of 1862 he suffered from an illness with resulted in high fevers and much spitting up of blood. From the symptoms he described in his journal, he was most likely suffering from tuberculosis. In his sick and weakened state, he was taken care of by his newly formed brothers and sisters in the faith, not his blood relatives even though he had two sisters living in Amsterdam. He ate many of his meals at the homes of the new converts. Every now and then he received a British Five-pound note from the LDS church in Liverpool, which helped to pay for his board at some establishment. Sickness was not the only setback to Anne's work. The summer of 1862 was marked by much quarrelling among the Saints, which sometimes turned into spiteful gossip. Brother Hendrik van Streeter, one of the leaders of the Amsterdam church, grew more and more critical of Anne and his ministry. Anne and Schettler also began to have differences of opinions that hindered their mission efforts. In order to settle some of the disputes, Anne wrote to church authorities for advice and in September 1862 Schettler was transferred to Basel, Switzerland, leaving Anne on his own in Holland. By October of 1862 there were fifteen baptized converts who together organized a small congregation in Amsterdam.

Productive converts
Returning to Friesland in October 1862, Anne tried again to establish relationships with his family, who were by now openly hostile to him. The husband of Sister Elizabeth Monsma, (as well as a husband of another woman who had wished to be baptized was not allowed to by her husband), were very angry with him for leading their wives astray. With no support or foreseeable opportunities for ministry in Friesland, Anne left again to spend the winter in Amsterdam. His only prospect for conversion in Friesland had been Sybren van Dijk and the two men began corresponding. To Anne's delight, Sybren decided to become Mormon and on Monday, 18 May Anne hastily left Amsterdam with the steamboat to Harlingen, to baptize Van Dijk the next day in a Leeuwarden canal named Potmarge. On Wednesday, the 20th he laid hands on Brother Van Dijk and ordained him to office of Elder in the Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints. Sybren's baptism in the Netherlands Mission was No 24.
Van Dijk's conversion may well have been the survival of Dutch Mormonism. He translated Parley Pratt's book, Voice of Warning from German lo Dutch in 1866. In 1869 he and his family followed the Saints to Utah, where he married a second wife in 1875. He returned twice to the Netherlands to serve as Mission President from 1871 to 1874, and again from 1880 to 1882. Besides Sybren, Anne had one more convert who in turn was instrumental in converting a number of people - Timothy Mets. Anne met Mets at the home of Mets' father-in-law, Johannes Huisman, in Rotterdam. The Huismans and Mets were members of remnants of a religious sect called New Lighters (Zwijndrechtse Nieuwlichters). These people shared some of the same theology as the Mormons and Mets was able to persuade their leader, Willem Heijstek, that Zion was to be found in Utah. A year after Anne returned to Utah, Tim Mets followed with approximately thirty converts. He, like van Dijk, also turned to polygamy and married a second wife soon after arriving in Utah.

Meager contribution
Many of this group would later recant and keep to themselves without joining the LDS church. One of the reasons might have been the fact that due to the economic crisis the LDS church initiated a new law called the United Order. In it the church demanded that the saints place all their goods, their time and talents at the absolute disposal of the local order. Even their lands were to be deeded over to the church. Although the history of the United Order was brief- from 1874 tot 1878 -and was obeyed mostly by Scandinavians, It seems that the Dutch had no liking for this kind of thing, as can be seen in letters they wrote from Utah to Henry Hospers in Northwest Iowa in 1876. (see William Mulder, The Mormon Migration from Scandinavia, Minneapolis, 1985). With his two-year's mission work completed, Anne made preparations to return to Utah. The sum total of baptisms during his mission endeavor was twenty-one. And although the hierarchy in Utah commanded that all converts should gather with the faithful in Utah, Anne was able to persuade only two women - Susanna Meyers -aad-Cornelia Agus- to accompany him to Zion. Even his own brother, Gerrit and wife Baudina. chose to stay in Friesland. Gerrit passed away in 1886 at age 69 and Baudina in 1883 at age 66. Their three daughters married husbands with the last names of Hoekstra, Wijnsma, and Gasma. There is no record of these names in the early membership records of the LDS church in the Netherlands. Did Gerrit and Baudina relent under pressure of relatives and friends and leave the LDS? None of Anne's other relatives joined the movement. On 5 June 1863, Anne boarded the S.S. Amazon, along with 895 fellow Mormons from various parts of Europe. Compared to that number, Holland's contribution of two Saints, seems meager indeed.

Love for freedom
Back in Utah for only one year, Anne moved his family to Malad, Idaho, where he became the first settler in that town. He built the first combination store, telegraph office, and courthouse in southeastern Idaho. This house was also used as a stage coach stop on the overland stage route to Butte, Montana. After Siebregtje died sometime in 1872 in Malad, Vanderwood (he had Americanized his name by that time) married Catharine Jones Evans, a native of Wales; they had six more children. He died on August 7, 1892, in Malad. Although the family remained Mormon, it is worth noting that Anne himself moved away from the center of it. Did he feel uncomfortable with the strict application of Mormonism? Did he move himself out of view of the church's hierarchy so he would not be picked for another mission? Unlike van Dijk who served two terms as missionary to the Netherlands, it seems that once was enough for Vanderwood. Also, he may have sensed difficulties ahead with Timothy Mets' arrival in 1864 with a large group of New Lighters. Then too, Brigham Young's unrivaled dictatorship of the valley may have irked him. Brigham is reported to have said, 'The Lord has given me these valleys and to those whom I choose to have occupy them." Brigham's word was law. Perhaps, Anne's Frisian love for freedom was greater than his love for the Saints and led him to find a place away from Zion.

Janet Sjaarda Sheeres is verbonden aan de
Calvin University te Grand Rapids
Michigan, USA.

uit: "Fryslan" JG10 (2004) No2