various nations of the earth to proclaim the Gospel message, without hope of earthly reward. The sole reason for their doing so was that they had been called by those whom they regarded as the Lord's earthly representatives to so labor, and because they regarded the Gospel as so priceless that they were anxious to have its benefits extended to all humanity. He, too, appreciated the Gospel, and his love for his fellows would have enabled him to find joy in laboring as a missionary, but, alas! he could never hope to engage in that labor because of his physical disabilities. But here was a labor which had for its object the same purpose, in which in point of ability he measured up to the full stature of the best of his fellows; and who should say that the work done in behalf of the dead is not just as important as that done for the living? He had never engaged in anything that so increased his self respect and made him feel that he was of some consequence in the world as this work in the Temple, and he regretted when necessity compelled him to abandon this labor which had such a savor of heaven about it and "come down to earth," figuratively speaking, by seeking such employment as he could engage in to earn the meagre necessaries of his subsistence.

Niels and his home

A considerable period passed afterward with little to relieve the monotony of his existence, during which, however, he again succeeded in accumulating something. In the meantime the Temple at Manti had been completed and ordinance work was being performed therein.

It happened that an old gentleman named Nielsen with whom Niels had years before, (while he was a resident of Salt Lake City,) been somewhat acquainted, had located at Manti while the Temple was in course of construction, and indulged in the hope of spending his declining years in laboring therein for the benefit of his dead kindred. Before being able or ready so to do, however, he had been stricken with sickness, and, at the solicitation of a daughter who was living in Salt Lake City, and who was the wife of a Catholic, had come up to reside with her and be nursed back to health. Instead of recovering, however, he continued to grow worse until his life was despaired of. During his illness he worried constantly over the fact that the work in the Temple which his heart had been so set upon performing for his dead kindred had never been done, and there now seemed no hope of his doing it, for he felt that he must soon die. In his emergency he thought about Niels as a friend whose services he might enlist, and induced his daughter to send for him to come and listen to her father's dying request. Niels came, and found his old friend almost in the throes of death. Being asked if he would do the work in the Temple which his friend had neglected, he consented without hesitancy, to pacify the dying man, and wrote down at his dictation the names of about seventy of his dead relatives, in whose behalf he wished the work performed. He was told that a certain sister living in Manti had promised to perform the work for the females, and could be relied upon to do so, and that it would only be necessary for him to see that she did it, and to do himself the work for the males.

After receiving the promise from Niels that he would attend to the matter, the old gentleman seemed satisfied, and soon died in peace. Niels then realized, as he had not done before, the responsibility that rested upon him, in consequence of his promise. He had never made a promise even to a person who was well without faithfully fulfilling it, and his promise made to a dying man seemed doubly binding. He must fulfill that if he never lived to do anything else. With this impressed upon his mind he soon journeyed to Manti and called upon the sister who had promised his dead friend to serve in the Temple for the female relatives. He found her so ill that there was little hope of her ever being able to keep her promise, and so he conscientiously applied himself to the task of fulfilling completely the commission assigned him. He hired sisters to do the work for the female dead, and he spent ten weeks in the Manti Temple, in constant labor for the male dead kindred of his friend Nielsen, and felt satisfaction in having done all that duty and honor could require of him in the matter.

CHAPTER VII.

COMPLETION OF SALT LAKE TEMPLE—HIS WORK THEREIN—SISTER CORRADI INSPIRED TO APPLY TO HIM—DEVOTED WORK FOR HER KINDRED—HIS SEVERE AFFLICTIONS—SAVING WORK FOR 2200—GRACEFUL OLD AGE.

Niels looked forward with fond anticipation to the completion of the Salt Lake Temple. He felt that now, that he had found his true vocation, he would like to devote all the time to Temple work that his health and means would permit, and he could do this to much better advantage in his home city than if he had to travel a long distance to reach a Temple, and then make special arrangements for his board and lodging. He commenced his labors three weeks after the Temple opened for ordinance work. He not only found great comfort and satisfaction in the work, (which he scrupulously devoted his time to whenever able to do so,) but, through the acquaintances he formed there, he obtained a considerable amount of employment in the sewing line, especially in the making of temple clothing, at which he became quite an expert. He was not able to work continuously; indeed, he had many spells of illness that confined him to the house and occasionally to his bed for days and weeks at a time, but he has long been known as one of the most earnest and devoted workers in the Temple. When he had officiated for all his dead kindred and friends concerning whom he had sufficiently definite information, he found others who were anxious to have him officiate for their dead kindred on the usual terms when men are so employed, (seventy-five cents per day,) and he so labored whenever able to do so. He has, however, officiated gratuitously for hundreds of people at the instance of friends or relatives who were unable to pay therefor. A case in point was that of a poor Scandinavian sister who died a few years since in this city. She left a list of fifty dead relatives for whom she had been unable to officiate, and he took up the work for the males and hunted up women acquaintances who were willing to officiate for the females.