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Guðmundur Guðmundsson's Account of accepting and preaching the gospel¹

"Having found the fruits of the gospel more sweet and desirable than any other fruit, I expected that every person would believe my testimony, especially my own relatives, but alas, when I arrived in Iceland I preached to my brothers and sisters in vain; they would not receive me, and as my pious parents had died, I felt myself left alone, like 'Elijah of old in the cave.' However, I soon found a few believing friends, who, notwithstanding strong opposition on the part of the priests, were ready to embrace the truth. I was often rebuked, spit upon and mocked by enemies, but being full of the love of God, I felt no anger or indignation against those who persecuted me...

"Immediately after we set our feet on the land, we noticed that we were not as welcome as we normally would have been if we hadn't been "Mormons." Our arrival was already announced over the whole land and . . . lies were made public in the country's newspapers with warnings and proclamations from the country's bishops and highest officials. . . . The people were strongly commanded not to receive us or listen to us speak. One of these proclamations was sent especially to the priests and the authorities on Vestman Island. We were then immediately summoned (to court) and were strongly forbidden to spread our teachings."

SOURCES

¹ Fred E. Woods, Fire on Ice: The Story of Icelandic Latter-day Saints at Home and Abroad, (Religious Studies Center: Brigham Young University, 2005), 14-15.