Fredrik Franson Ruined His Own Health Trying to Save Souls
Franson observed Moody's evangelization methods and applied them throughout the world.
FREDRIK FRANSON was born in Sweden in 1852. His father died when he was just five. Two years later his mother remarried. Passionate about missions, his mother influenced Franson to study Scripture. Though he did not become a Christian at that point, he did benefit from his studies at excellent schools, learning English, French, German, Latin and Norwegian in addition to his native Swedish.
When he was seventeen, his family migrated to the United States and settled in Nebraska. There Franson worked hard on their farm until he contracted malaria. It took him the better part of a year to recover, but when the twenty-year-old rose from his sick bed, he had committed his heart to Christ. Immediately, he joined a nearby Baptist church and plunged into Christian work. By 1875, he was secretary of the regional Scandinavian Baptist Conference. It was not eminent positions within the church he aimed to gain, however, but souls.
A few years later, he traveled to Chicago, where he could study first-hand the evangelistic methods of Dwight L. Moody. He joined the master-evangelist’s church and became a traveling evangelist—a position that would eventually allow him to reach thousands around the world. One of his first assignments was among Scandinavians who had become Mormons. His work in Utah prompted him to write The Craftiness of Deception Exposed: 70 of the Bible Passages Misunderstood by the Mormons, Considered in the Light of the Scripture.
He was not quite thirty when he returned to Sweden to spread the gospel throughout Scandinavia. He founded many churches and God used him to revive dying ones, especially in Norway. But some resisted his methods and opposition rose against him. In Denmark, he was jailed for faith healing and then expelled from the country.
By now, Franson was convinced of the need of special missions to reach the world. Believing Christ could return at any moment (despite Christ’s warning that the day was known only to the Father, Franson even set a date), he felt a sense of urgency to gather souls quickly. He said, “Fellowship with Jesus and work for Jesus are two preoccupations that we can never assess too highly.”
His passion compelled him to found The Scandinavian Alliance Mission of North America (now known as TEAM); to advocate employing women in evangelistic work; and to found or work closely with twelve other mission organizations. A. B. Simpson, Hudson Taylor, Andrew Murray, and other prominent Christian leaders of the day were among his allies.
Between 1902 and 1908 Franson made a world tour, preaching wherever he went, establishing mission societies, and working himself to the bone. On this day, 5 June 1908, he crossed from Mexico into Colorado, intending to take a short rest because he felt very tired. He died within two months at Idaho Springs, Colorado, just fifty-six years old.
—Dan Graves
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In his varied career, Franson worked among Mormons and exposed many of their theological errors. Watch at RedeemTV.
The Mormons can be purchased at Vision Video.