The Laestadian Movement: Background Writings and Testimonies COMPILED BY Warren H. Hepokoski FIRST PUBLISHED 1998 EXPANDED 1999 REVISED 2000 Culpeper, Virginia 2002 CONTENTS PREFACE........................................................................................................................................................................ 4 NILS WIKLUND (1732-1785) ....................................................................................................................................... 5 A GREAT BUT PARDONED SINNER ’S OWN STORY .......................................................................................................... 5 MILLA CLEMENTSDOTTER (BORN 1813)........................................................................................................... 11 THE LAPP GIRL : A VIEW OF LIFE IN SWEDISH LAPLAND ............................................................................................. 11 THE IDENTIFICATION OF MILLA CLEMENTSDOTTER WITH LAPIN MAIJA ....................................................................... 16 PEHR BRANDELL (1781-1841) ................................................................................................................................. 18 WORDS OF COMFORT FOR A TROUBLED SOUL ............................................................................................................. 18 LARS LEVI LAESTADIUS (1800-1861) .................................................................................................................... 24 A SERMON OF LAESTADIUS GIVEN ON THE FOURTH DAY OF ROGATION IN 1857......................................................... 24 JUHANI RAATTAMAA (1811-1899)......................................................................................................................... 30 JUHANI RAATTAMAA ’S AUTOBIOGRAPHY .................................................................................................................... 30 A BIOGRAPHY OF JUHANI RAATTAMAA .................................................................................................................... 31 Childhood................................................................................................................................................................ 31 Youth ....................................................................................................................................................................... 32 Awakening and New Birth....................................................................................................................................... 33 The Mission Schools................................................................................................................................................ 34 New Life .................................................................................................................................................................. 36 THE KEYS : WHEN AND WHERE RAATTAMAA FIRST USED THEM ................................................................................ 37 THE LAST MOMENTS OF JUHANI RAATTAMAA ............................................................................................................. 41 ABRAM TAPANI (1834-1910) .................................................................................................................................... 43 TAPANI ’S REPLY TO QUESTIONS FROM NORWAY ......................................................................................................... 43 ERKKI ANTTI JUHONPIETI (1814-1900) ............................................................................................................... 45 AUTOBIOGRAPHY ......................................................................................................................................................... 45 A LETTER OF ERKKI ANTTI .......................................................................................................................................... 49 IISAKKI HUHTASAARI (1826-1903)........................................................................................................................ 51 AUTOBIOGRAPHY ......................................................................................................................................................... 51 ABRAM HIETANEN (1833-1896) .............................................................................................................................. 54 AUTOBIOGRAPHY ......................................................................................................................................................... 54 JOHN POLLARI (1865-1945) ..................................................................................................................................... 58 POLLARI ’S GREETING TO HIS BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN FAITH .................................................................................. 58 THE REASONS FOR THE DIVISIONS OF THE APOSTOLIC LUTHERANS IN AMERICA ......................................................... 59 LETTER WRITTEN BY JOHN POLLARI TO JOHN KOSKELA IN 1935................................................................................. 62 LETTER OF JOHN POLLARI PUBLISHED IN PÄIVÄLEHTI IN 1935..................................................................................... 64 POLLARI ’S WARNING TO HIS CHILDREN ....................................................................................................................... 65 LEONARD TYPPÖ (1868-1922) ................................................................................................................................. 66 GRACE AND TRUTH ...................................................................................................................................................... 66 WILLIAM LAHTINEN (1876-1912) .......................................................................................................................... 70 IN MEMORY OF MARTHA AGNES LAHTINEN ................................................................................................................ 70 MEMORIES OF WILLIAM AND ANNA LAHTINEN ............................................................................................................ 71 WILLIAM LAHTINEN ’S FAREWELL FROM THE TITANIC .................................................................................................. 71 LETTER IN MEMORY OF WILLIAM AND ANNA LAHTINEN ............................................................................................. 73 PEKKA RAATTAMAA (1849-1921)........................................................................................................................... 75 A 1900 LETTER OF PEKKA RAATTAMAA ...................................................................................................................... 75 A 1911 LETTER OF PEKKA RAATTAMAA ...................................................................................................................... 76 A 1912 LETTER OF PEKKA RAATTAMAA ...................................................................................................................... 77 A 1918 LETTER OF PEKKA RAATTAMAA ...................................................................................................................... 78 WILLIAM ALAJOKI (1865-1932)..............................................................................................................................80 A 1913 LETTER OF WILLIAM ALAJOKI .......................................................................................................................... 80 A 1914 LETTER OF WILLIAM ALAJOKI .......................................................................................................................... 82 JUHO KOSONEN (1877-1937).................................................................................................................................... 83 JUHO KOSONEN ’S GREETING TO THE CHILDREN OF GOD .............................................................................................. 83 JUHO KOSONEN ’S CONFESSION OF FAITH ..................................................................................................................... 84 ANTTI ITÄNEN (1861-1938)....................................................................................................................................... 86 THE SCOURGE OF IDOLATRY ........................................................................................................................................ 86 ANTTI ITÄNEN ’S LETTER TO A BELIEVING NIECE ......................................................................................................... 87 SAM KOVALA (1879-1965)......................................................................................................................................... 88 A 1952 SERMON OF SAM KOVALA ............................................................................................................................... 88 IDA KARHU (1911-2001)............................................................................................................................................. 95 A 1979 LETTER OF IDA KARHU .................................................................................................................................... 95 A 1980 LETTER OF IDA KARHU ...................................................................................................................................