The Monson Family

By the time Christian was born, the Monson family had worked in the lumber industry for generations. However, his father also worked in the local prison. When Christian was 14, he was also employed in the local prison. During this time, missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were preaching the restored gospel and were arrested for their practice.

After some time of being homeless, Christian was brought into the home of Mr. & Mrs. Ragnild Moen Hotvedtvien, who were also members of the Church. Ragnild taught Christian the trade of carpentry and treated the young boy as their child. 

Christian stayed with the Hotvedtvien family until he was 19 and had enough to move to the United States and live among the Saints. He sailed on the Westmoreland on April 25, 1857 and landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on May 21.1 Christian made his way to Ioway City, Iowa and joined the Christian Christiansen Handcard Company on June 15, 1857 and arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on Sep 13.

In 1861, the Monson family moved to Logan, Utah. The following year, they moved to Richmond in the fort.