Mischa Markow

Mischa Markow (21 October 1854 – 19 January 1934) was the first missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) to preach in present-day Romania,[1][2] Serbia,[1][2] Croatia,[1][2] Latvia[3] and Belgium.[4][5] He also served as a missionary in Hungary,[6][7] Germany and Russia.[2] A Hungarian, Markow joined the LDS Church in Constantinople in the Ottoman Empire after hearing Mormonism taught by Jacob Spori and Joseph M. Tanner.[7][2]

Markow was born at Czernyn, Torontál County, Hungary.[8] Although he was a Hungarian citizen, his father was Serbian and his mother Romanian.[9]

Markow first met missionaries of the LDS Church in Alexandria, Egypt. This however was on a ship leaving Alexandria. He was baptized on February 1, 1887 in Constantinople by Jacob Spori.[8]

In 1888 Markow headed towards the United States, on the way stopping in Belgium where he taught and baptized the Esselmann family.[5]

Markow finally made it to Utah in 1892. The next year he married Nettie Hansen in the Salt Lake Temple. They had two children.[8]

From 1899 to 1901 Markow served as a missionary in Hungary, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria and Germany.[8]

In 1903 Markow had returned to Europe as a missionary. He was sent by European Mission President Francis M. Lyman to the Russian Empire. He preached to German families in Riga but when he was called to account before the authorities, he followed Lyman's instructions to avoid being sent to Siberia and fled the country instead.[10] For the next two years Markow served in the Turkish Mission.[8]

After returning to Salt Lake City Markow worked as a barber. He died January 19, 1934.[8]

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Richard O. Cowan, "Mischa Markow: Mormon Missionary to the Balkans", BYU Studies, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 92–98.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2007 Deseret Morning News Church Almanac (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Morning News, 2006)
  3. ↑ Kahlile Mehr, “Johan and Alma Lindlof: Early Saints in Russia,” Ensign, July 1981, p. 23.
  4. ↑ “The Church in Europe,” Ensign, August 1973, pp. 16–35.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "A Temple in the Land of Tulips" in Church News 2002-08-24.
  6. ↑ Richard O. Cowan, “From Footholds to Strongholds: Spreading the Gospel Worldwide,” Ensign, June 1993, p. 56.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Kahlile Mehr, “The Gospel in Hungary—Then and Now,” Ensign, June 1990, p. 8.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 Cowan, Rochard O. "Mischa Markow" in Garr, Arnold K., Donald Q. Cannon and Richard O. Cowan ed., Encyclopedia of Latter-day Saint History (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 2000) p. 708
  9. ↑ Carmin Clifton (2002). Come Lord, Come: A History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. iUniverse, United States. p. 1. ISBN 0-595-23091-1.
  10. ↑ "The Church in the Russian Republic in Church News 1991-11-16