"He never spoke a word to me when we went there nor when we left"

Albredt and Ellen Rask's experiences with Latter-day Saint missionaries in South Africa

Missionaries and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints typically have close relationships founded on respect, trust, and love. There are times, however, when those relationships can break down, frustrations can creep in, and resentment takes over. The following is a story about one such case.

For many years, Albredt and Ellen Rask were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints living in Kimberly, South Africa. Some of Albredt’s relatives, including his father, had been baptised in Denmark during the 1870s. At age seventeen he followed suit and was baptised in March 1880. A year later his father, Edvard, was sustained as superintendent of a Sunday School in Frederikshavn.¹ Over time, some of Albredt’s family emigrated to North America and made their way to Utah. The records are currently unclear as to when, but at some point, Albredt emigrated to South Africa where he met and entered into a relationship with Ellen Cook.