(Written by John Ravsten) Bengt Mathias Ravsten was born at Saxtorp, Malmo, Sweden, August 29, 1838, the son of Mats Bengtson Ravsten and Elna Thomason. He and his twin sister, Bengta, were the youngest of a family of nine. His father died when he was seven years of age, leaving the large family with practically nothing except the home, therefore making it necessary for all to earn their own living. He was hired out by the year to the different farmers, hence he was unable to get much schooling or learning except what he could get at night. When he was about twelve years of age, he was working for a farmer who was feeding pulp to the animals and during the winter he carried it in buckets and froze his hands so badly that thereafter he was unable to ever straighten out his fingers. He continued to work on farms until he was twenty-three years of age, then he started to learn mason work and worked in the sugar factory during the winter. While working in the sugar factory, two of his pals told him the Mormons were in town and together they attended the Mormon meeting out of curiosity and to make fun of the Elders. But he became interested and stayed to listen because it sounded right. He bought books and began to study them. He became converted and was baptized November 23, 1862. The first meeting he attended he was asked to bear his testimony, and in three months was called on a mission and ordained an Elder March 15, 1863. He went to a neighboring town to begin his work as a missionary and was traveling alone tracting. The President of the Branch lived in that town and also other members of the church who had had experiences in holding meetings, so he did not feel alone but that they would aid him. During the day tracting he came to a home where the man was a member of the church, but the other members of the family were not. This man asked him if he wanted to hold a meeting and offered his home for that purpose. The meeting was announced, thinking he could depend on the President and other members to help him. But in this he was to be disappointed, for they all had an excuse to not be there, leaving the young man of little experience alone with his first meeting. A large crowd gathered, and he first thought to give it up, but after having prayer behind the straw stack, he went to the place of meeting and found the house packed to full capacity and many outside who could not get in, waiting for the meeting. He felt rather nervous, but began his meeting without delay. The Lord came to his assistance, and he held a very successful meeting lasting nearly two hours. He never forgot how the Lord had assisted him, as he had belonged to the church only three or four months. The people who owned the home where the meeting was held immigrated and lived in Milville, Utah. The woman always said she was converted at that meeting, and two or three more were converted at the same time. A little later at another town he and his companion were arrested for stealing the sacrament and butter from the church. They were brought before the sheriff and minister, and the companion was so frightened he began to cry, but father began to laugh, it seemed so ridiculous. This, of course, displeased the sheriff, the sheriff's son, and the minister. They walked around him in a circle and every time they came near him they spit at him and swore all kinds of bad things at him. Then when they were tired of all that, the minister and the sheriff's son left him there alone with the sheriff, who locked the door and with a loaded quirt (?) tried to beat him on the head, but succeeded in only butting him on the arm. Father was the largest and youngest of the two and could easily have defended himself, but knew by so doing he would have more trouble for resisting an officer, so he only called for help. Help came and he was turned loose, but told which road to take to the next town. He found a shorter cut to the next town and began to run, the sheriff after him. But the sheriff was not so fast on foot and was soon out- distanced, and father went his way in peace to the next town. A third event of that mission happened, that he always remembered as the Lord protecting him. He was canvassing a village, but could get no entertainment, so was compelled to sleep in a log barn. He did not go far in, but lay down near the entrance on the hay. After he had fallen asleep, he was awakened by hearing someone call three different times. The last time for some reason he was impressed to move away back in the barn, which he did and fell asleep until morning. He was awakened by voices in the barn. He discovered several men talking, each telling what time they had arrived. He lay very still until they had all gone, then he went out and saw they had slept where he first lay. They did not see him leave the barn, but as soon as they caught sight of him, they began calling him vile names and threatening to mob him. If the master had not been there to keep them at their work, for they were rough workmen and, no doubt, would have made him very uncomfortable had they discovered him in the barn, but he was protected. He baptized a great many during his missionary labors. He worked as a missionary for six years, except when he was released to work for hire two or three months in order to buy more clothes. He was released from that mission on the seventh of June 1869, with permission to immigrate to Utah. He, with 570 Scandinavian immigrants set sail for Liverpool July 10,1869. From there he left on the ship Minnesota July 15 and landed in New York the 28th of July. From there they came direct to Ogden, arriving on the 6th of August. They started the next day for Salt Lake with ox teams. He found work a few days after arriving in Salt Lake on a gravel train for $1.25 per day. There he worked until November, when the gravel train was changed to shoveling snow. He stayed until February, from there he went to Bear River City and joined that Ward. He paid what he had earned to Paul Hansen of Brigham City. He went to Salt Lake in May to conference, and while there he married Betty Johansson and came back to Bear River City. Five children came to this union, namely: John, Ellen, Bennie, Frank, and Anna Sophia, the girls both dying in infancy. He went from Bear River City to find work in Logan. After living there a few months, they moved there and all their children were born in Logan. He worked that summer for himself, but the next summer he was asked to work as a mason on the tabernacle, where he worked for three consecutive years with little time to work for himself. During that time, they had the grasshopper trouble. On the first of October 1875, he got his citizenship papers. In 1876 he was a Sunday School teacher and joined the Prayer Circle. During the winter he was called as a Home Missionary for the county, going from one town to the other. Then when the Logan Temple was begun, he helped lay the cornerstone and worked two or three years on that building. On the sixth of October 1882, he left for a mission to Sweden. He was a traveling Elder a short time, then presided over the Gottenburg conference. He was released and returned November 9, 1884. He was ordained a Seventy January 20, 1885. In 1886 he moved out to a farm east of Clarkston, Utah. In 1887 he joined the Clarkston Ward. The next year he was called to be presiding Elder of Trenton. In 1892, he was released and moved his recommend back to Clarkston. On August 21, 1892, he was set apart as one of the Seven Presidents of Seventies of the Seventh Quorum. He received his third missionary call July 12, 1894, to Sweden. While there he presided over the Malmo conference the entire time. He returned September 4, 1896, and was ordained a High Priest May 19, 1901. He has done work in the temple for about 1200 dead. Bengta, his twin sister, married Hans Olsen and lived in Milville, Utah. She died in the fall of 1918. She had worked in the temple with him for a good many people. He lived to celebrate his golden wedding, and died one month later June 16, 1920, at his home in Clarkston where all his living children now reside. Right up to the time of his death his mind was very bright and active. He had fairly good health, with the exception of rheumatism in his legs. His hearing was a trifle dull, but he could read a little from his newspaper without the aid of his glasses. He was always ambitious and industrious, was always willing to build up his home town, either by labor or donation. He was generally found in his place where duty called, and had an extra good knowledge of the gospel. Truly was it said of him "He was worn, and not rusted out".