Curious about Laestadius

frieda · Post by **frieda** » Wed Jan 26, 2005 8:09 pm

Hi, I'm new to this forum. I am third-generation Finn/Swede and was raised in a super-conservative Laestadian sect in the US. I recently started a blog to support exmembers at http://extoots.blogspot.com and have had some interesting posts from Finland.

I'm trying to learn all I can about the origins and impacts of Laestadianism. Can anyone recommend books about Laestadius and/or books by former members?

(Bengt Pohjanen is not yet translated into English, unfortunately. But there must be others?)

Thanks in advance . . .

**Sponsor:**

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Wed Jan 26, 2005 11:56 pm

Well, here in the south "everyone knows" that Lestadians have 20 kids -what else there is to do without a telly and booze in -30 and block up the roads with the caravans going to their meets in the summer and don't have washing machines with windows because spinning knickers bring sinful thoughts and somesuch nonsense...

Of course, Lestadius is worth a paragraph or two in the religion book along with Ruotsalainen and Rehnqvist and others of the pietist revival movements. As all kids belonging to church must endure 12 years of religion education, the subject pops up very often in the mariculation examination and is worth memorizing the basics. Easy peas, though I've forgotten most except useless trivia. Theres 4 plants in the lappland named after him laestadii in latin in the botanical system.

Theres a lecture series on this at the Finnish Theological Institute

Intersting stuff how many different groups there are in the US for example
http://www.teolinst.fi/luennot/jt000308.html

http://www.teolinst.fi/luennot/sl000216.html
http://www.teolinst.fi/luennot/mv000220.html

This has a long booklist in the end.
http://www.teolinst.fi/luennot/jt000223.html

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 12:06 am

Oh, books: a bit of a flirt flirt is Mikael Niemi's "Popular Music from Vittula" -just translated to English I understand. Its a youth story from the Tornio valley in the 1960's. Theres a movie too ~ Finnish name is Populäärimusiikkia Vittulajänkältä.

PS. Don't say the name around old folks or you'll get them run after you with bars of soap

alloydog · Post by **alloydog** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 6:54 am

"PS. Don't say the name around old folks or you'll get them run after you with bars of soap"
- yeah, but all you have to do is raise you right hand in the air in church on sunday & all is forgiven...

http://laestadianlutheran.org/who_we_are.html

frieda · Post by **frieda** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 7:16 am

Thanks for the help. Is it really true about the washing machines? I grew up without tv, radio, movies and music . . . but there were plenty of magazines and newspapers. I saw a lot of underwear ads. Maybe that is how I got corrupted

Caroline · Post by **Caroline** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 8:00 am

We live near Finland's Bible Belt, and my husband knows some Lestadiolaisia. From what I can gather, they tend to be considerably wealthy, presumably because they receive a lot of government aid (mostly in child support I guess), and live frugally; as mentioned no TV's, no booze, a diet of porridge and bread, and apparently they usually buy cheap merchandise and use a lot of hand-me-downs. The father of the family is usually the breadwinner; most Lestadion wives are stay-at-home mothers, but there are some who work. From what I've heard, Lestadions own at least 2 major "bargain basement" retail chains here.

Now who said religion was of no importance in Finland? Apparently, it's the way to get rich here!

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 10:20 am

frieda wrote: Is it really true about the washing machines?

Well "everybody knows" so it must be true, eh? Its an UL, though quoted in a few textbooks.

alloydog · Post by **alloydog** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 11:01 am

Caroline wrote:We live near Finland's Bible Belt, and my husband knows some Lestadiolaisia. From what I can gather, they tend to be considerably wealthy, presumably because they receive a lot of government aid (mostly in child support I guess), and live frugally; as mentioned no TV's, no booze, a diet of porridge and bread, and apparently they usually buy cheap merchandise and use a lot of hand-me-downs. The father of the family is usually the breadwinner; most Lestadion wives are stay-at-home mothers, but there are some who work. From what I've heard, Lestadions own at least 2 major "bargain basement" retail chains here.

Now who said religion was of no importance in Finland? Apparently, it's the way to get rich here!

They're big into house building. As they no real hobbies, they have lots of time to do something productive. Build a house, with cheap labour (relatives) then sell it two years later for hansome profit.

Karkainen is the biggie, but IIRC the owner is no longer an active church member.

frieda · Post by **frieda** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 6:19 pm

Wealthy is probably too strong a word, but I think most of the Laestadians here in the US are comfortably middle-class in spite of low education and many children (my oldest brother has 14).

Most are in the building trades, and they hire and train from within. Clark County, the home of the largest "Firstborn" congregation of Laestadians in Washington State, is the fastest growing county in the US.

ilikepeanutbutter · Post by **ilikepeanutbutter** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 1:04 am

frieda wrote:Hi, I'm new to this forum. I am third-generation Finn/Swede and was raised in a super-conservative Laestadian sect in the US. I recently started a blog to support exmembers at http://extoots.blogspot.com and have had some interesting posts from Finland.

I'm trying to learn all I can about the origins and impacts of Laestadianism. Can anyone recommend books about Laestadius and/or books by former members?

(Bengt Pohjanen is not yet translated into English, unfortunately. But there must be others?)

Thanks in advance . . .

It sounds exactly like the Mennonites I grew up next to!

Good luck with your study!

Kat

strawberry · Post by **strawberry** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 12:09 pm

Ahem, this is probably unfounded and only hear-say, kinda... But an aquaintance of mine lives here in the south, a rural(ish) largely Swedish-speaking community not so far away from Helsinki (close enough to shop in Itäkeskus [=the largest shopping mall in Finland/Nordic countries]) and a LOT of laestadians live around where she lives. Yup, houses built by themselves and hoards of kids, like the organ pipes, as we say here in Finland...

From what she's told me, it all seems a bit hypocritical - the kids seem pretty badly behaved, bully others and laugh at others' clothes etc. They own really fancy transportation = expensive people carriers (well, they have to I guess

) etc. - and I'm willing to bet they have washing machines and dishwashers...!!

kalmisto · Post by **kalmisto** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 4:32 pm

frieda

Have you seen this site ? :

http://oldapostoliclutheran.com/

The text is written from the viewpoint of a church that is critical of Laestadianism.

Lau · Post by **Lau** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 9:03 pm

The father of my bf comes from a Lestadian family, but he is the only one there who decided not to rise his family after this religion, so they're Lutheran.
I know that Laestadians don't watch TV but they owne one because they watch videos of summer meetings, weddings etc.
*I don't know if they need to pay a tv-maksu for their TV as they don't use it*

Anyway, once I was at my bf's parents place when a cousin of his, aged maybe 7 or 8, came inside and wanted to play with the cat. We couldn't find the cat so he decided to read a newspaper which I belived it was way too boring for his age! I nicely asked if he wanted to watch some tv instead... well at first he

then

... and he replyed EI KIITOS!
I got the point then!

frieda · Post by **frieda** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 9:20 pm

Here in the US the Laestadians do not own TVs, or if they do, they hide them when visitors come.

My first time seeing TV was at a neighbor's house where my older sister was babysitting. It was the broadcast of John F. Kennedy's funeral, and the images are burned in my mind.

I saw my first movie at age 18. It was Alien. I had my hands over my eyes most of the time.

159753 · Post by **159753** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 10:50 pm

Hank W. wrote:Well, here in the south "everyone knows" that Lestadians have 20 kids

The reason is because I read once they don't support conception such as condoms, the pill etc...

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