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This brief autobiography of Hans Olsen Magleby was written while he was in the Drammen jail in Norway, where he was serving as a missionary for the LDS church. He was imprisoned as was the custom of the time for publicly teaching religion. The narrative is followed by a diary kept at intervals between 1856 and 1875.

Born in a village called Drago on the Island of Amager, Denmark, on 14 April 1835, Hans was raised by an uncle and aunt who were childless. These kind people brought him up in the doctrine of the Lutheran church and he was confirmed "by a Priest, Tim, according to the law of the land." He later was apprenticed to a master carpenter and remained five years, "until required to go in the service of the King."

In 1855 Hans became engaged to a Swedish girl named Caroline Svendsen. They met LDS elders and were both baptized on 24 October 1855. On 30 December of that year he records that "I untied or loosened the bond between me and Caroline." He earlier wrote that some of his younger brothers and sisters were "born deaf and dumb," and states that he visited one of these sisters "in the institute" and later attended her confirmation.

He was made a Deacon in the LDS priesthood on 7 January 1856, a Priest the following July, and an Elder on September 8. At this time he was assigned to labor in Amager "both in temporal and spiritual matters."

From August 1856 to August 1875 he kept a regular diary, writing almost daily at first--usually of church-related instances. Among those he recorded his job in hearing Elder E. T. Benson and and Elder Key when he went to Copenhagen for meetings shortly after becoming an Elder in the church.

In November of that year he received "with joy" a call to go on a mission to Norway with "Brothers Lund and Berthelsen." At that time it was against the law to hold meetings for the purpose of religious teaching, and Hans soon found himself in the Drammen jail. After trial he was sentenced to a fine of ten crowns and five days on bread and water--a mild sentence, since this was his first offense. A Brother Dorius was fined 50 crowns and given ten days on bread and water for his sixth offense. Such experiences were repeated often since the LDS Elders were bidden to carry their message to all. Hans proudly records the bearing of his testimony to the jailer.

He writes of much renewing of covenants, many occasions of rebaptism, an occasional excommunication, a debate here and there with other citizens. Once a priest from another church "finally...went off ashamed" after a confrontation on religious beliefs. Hans also records his own efforts to repent from "weaknesses" and to renew his religious covenants through rebaptism, fasting, and prayer.

The three Elders traveled widely across Norway, sometimes walking the whole night aiding the penitent, and repenting themselves as they "argued the gospel" from town to town.

On Sunday, 10 January 1858 Hans had the harrowing experience of trying to save Ole Nielson and his wife, Ingeborg, when they fell through the ice following a church service in Rorvig. He was able to save Ingeborg, but "Ole was lost. His time was over here." Ingeborg was left to "support six children who lived, and she would soon have the seventh."

His mission continued in the normal pattern of his time until March 1859 when he arrived home in Denmark to greet his family and announce his departure for America with what he called "the immigration list."

On Sunday, 8 May he and Mary were married aboard ship with five other couples in a joint ceremony at "about 360 miles from New York." His mention of their courtship is negligible, but he writes a fervent prayer for their future life together.

He gives an interesting, if brief, account of a sail ship in storm and hails the sighting of land on 12 May on which day their ship was anchored in New York and "we each paid $14.00 for the trip over the Continent."

Leaving Albany, New York, by railroad three days later, they reached Quincy, Illinois and sailed to Hannibal and St. Joseph where they boarded a steamer and sailed the Missouri River until they reached Florence on 25 May. On 2 June a meeting of the soon-to-be handcart company was held and Hans was called to be the first Captain for the Scandinavians.

There follows an account of the handcart journey in diary form--a fascinating story quite uniquely told. He describes their purchase of provisions, their visits from soldiers and from Indians, (and makes note of their singing and praying and dying; and at last their arrival in Zion on Sunday, 4 September when they were greeted by "many thousands" from the city, and "music was played until 9 o'clock at night." For all of this he gives thanks in a special prayer recorded at close of day.

He seemed jubilant that John Taylor and Franklin D. Richards had met them with fresh provisions and cattle a few days prior to their triumphant entry, and he recorded that many other drove out from the valley to meet them, naming Brothers H. P. Lund and Madsen. On the day of their arrival two apostles came to bring them into the city, but first spoke to them: "Apostle Benson spoke to us in English, and Erastus Snow in Danish." Before they broke camp at the last mountain pass, they camped by a creek to wash and change clothes in preparation for the joyous reunion. "A band came from the city and went in front of us and many thousands...came to meet us." They passed the home of President Young, where he stood with his counselors and others to hail another successful group of immigrants who had survived the journey to the "valley of the mountains."

After they were dispersed and settled in the valley, Hans worked at various assignments with the Dinwoodey Company while tilling his own land and raising the family food. He planted potatoes which came up in fourteen days. In June 1862 he was called to go with a troop of two hundred LDS soldiers to the Morrisite Camp in Weber Valley, where the Morrisites held forth agains their former brethren in a religious dispute. A siege continued from 13 June to 15 June at which time George, brother of Joseph Morris, surrendered but was later killed in a renewed skirmish, and his associates imprisoned.

He mentions serving as a watchman in 1863 when a suit was brought against Brigham Young because of polygamy.

He made careful listings of various purchases from day to day: "I bought a cow for $25.00...a wagon from one of the companies for $180.00...another cow which gives mile for $60.00...hay for $56.00 a ton...a plow for $90.00."

In December 1863 Hans married a second wife, Elisa, and briefly mentions a shop where he built fine furniture which brought "a high price."

He lived for a time in Box Elder County, then made the move southward to the Sevier Valley, settling in Monroe in June 1875 and "delivered my sheep, horses, and livestock to the manager of the United Order."

This part of his diary closes with remarks about having himself and his three sons rebaptized, about letters from Elisa, funerals and meetings, and finally: "This week I worked in my lot, and made many plantings in the soil."

Names mentioned in the diary include Ezra T. Benson, Bethelsen, Captain Brown, L. P. Christensen, Horace S. Eldredge, Mads Jensen, Joseph Morris, Jorgan Olsen, Franklin D. Richards, Captain Rowly, Erastus Snow, John Taylor, Brigham Young, John A. Young, Joseph Young, and Lorenzo Young.

Topics include apostates, Brown Company, Dinwoodey Company, Fort Kwarney, the handcard company, Indians, Morrisite Camp, polygamy, and the United Order.