Early Life
C.C.A. Christensen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark and studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. On September 26, 1850 he joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Copenhagen. He was baptized by George P. Dykes. Christensen subsequently served as a missionary in his native Denmark.
He also served as a missionary in Norway begning in the fall of 1853. While in Norway Christensen was the first Mormon missionary to go to Christiania (now Oslo). While in Christiana Christensen taught the gospel to Danquart Anthon Weggeland, who was another prominent early Utah artist. During his time as a missionary in Norway Christensen was twice put in prison due to government officials not liking teaching by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
At the end of his service in Norway Christensen set off for Utah, going first to England, in 1857. He had met Elsie Scheel Haarby while serving in Norway, and he and Elsie married in Liverpool, England. They had planned to wait until reaching Utah to get married but leaders felt the trip would be easier if engaged couples got married before starting the journey. and they sailed for America on the Westmoreland. After reaching New York, they traveled by railroad to Iowa City, Iowa, the end of the line, and from there set out for Utah, traveling with the Christian Christiansen handcart company.
Read more about this topic: Carl Christian Anton Christensen
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