Missionary work has been a pivotal and obligatory undertaking within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since its inception in 1830, and Scandinavia emerged as a significant mission field in the 1850s. While the LDS Church came into existence in a U.S. context of religious pluralism, where the idea (though not necessarily the practice) of religious freedom was central, the Scandinavian religious context differed significantly as heterodoxy was opposed and only hesitantly tolerated on a limited scale. This was especially the case for Norway and Sweden where religious freedom was not formally codified until after World War II.
The Church and its missionaries were not meekly submissive, but, rather, confronted the hegemonic position of the state religion, challenging Scandinavian religion, culture, and polity in a zealous manner. This assertiveness not only elicited opposition and resistance from individuals exposed to their proselytizing, but also counter-reactions from the majority religion...
