Lars Peter Christensen gets a new name

Lars Peter Christensen joined the church in Denmark four years after his wife, Elsa, did. This was near the end of the year 1861. Immediately they began preparing for their emigration to Utah as members of the Mormon Church. They had six children to bring with them. Three of them were buried at sea because of a measles epidemic. When they arrived at New York, the immigration agent asked Lars what his name was and he answered, "Lars Peter Christensen." Then the agent asked his father's name and he answered, Christen Petersen." The agent exclaimed, "Well, you have to have the same last name as your father!" Then he wrote Lars' name down as Lars Peter Peterson. That is how the family left Denmark as the Christensen family and arrived in New York and became the Peterson family.