Benjamin F. Johnson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Benjamin F. Johnson |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | Benjamin Franklin Johnson July 28, 1818 Chautauqua County, New York, United States |
| Died | November 18, 1905 (aged 87) Mesa, Arizona, United States |
| Resting place | City of Mesa Cemetery 33°26′18″N 111°49′58″W / 33.4383°N 111.8329°W |
| Spouse(s) | Melissa Bloomfield LeBaron Mary A. Hale Sarah Melissa Holman Susan Adelaide Holman Sarah J. Spooner Harriet N. Holman Flora Clarinda Gleason Eliza Perkins Dean Saunders |
| Parents | Ezekiel Johnson Jr. Julia E. Hills |
| Relatives | Joel H. Johnson (brother) |
Benjamin Franklin Johnson (born July 28, 1818 – died November 18, 1905) was an important early member of the Latter Day Saint movement. He was a private secretary to Joseph Smith. Benjamin also served many times in the Utah State Legislature. He had many different jobs, like being a brickmaker, a merchant, a farmer, and even a beekeeper!
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Benjamin's Early Life
Benjamin Franklin Johnson was born on July 28, 1818. His parents were Ezekiel Johnson and Julia Hills. He was born in a place called Pomfret, New York.
When he was 15 years old, in 1833, his family moved to Kirtland, Ohio. Later, on Christmas Day, December 25, 1841, he married Melissa Bloomfield LeBaron.
Joining the Latter Day Saint Movement
Benjamin joined the Church of the Latter Day Saints in the spring of 1835. He was baptized in Kirtland, Ohio. He became an elder in 1839 and a high priest in 1843.
From 1840 to 1842, Benjamin worked as a missionary. He traveled to the eastern United States and Upper Canada to share his new faith. In 1843, he was chosen to be part of Joseph Smith's special group called the Council of Fifty.
A Dangerous Moment
In 1838, Benjamin moved to Adam-ondi-Ahman, Missouri. Here, he was arrested and held for eight days in very cold weather. While he was sitting by a campfire, a man came up to him with a rifle. The man told Benjamin to give up his faith or he would shoot him.
Benjamin bravely refused. The man aimed his rifle and pulled the trigger, but the gun did not fire. The man was very angry. He said he had used that gun for 20 years, and it had never failed before. He tried again, but the gun still did not fire. He tried a third time, and it failed again.
A person nearby told the man to fix his gun. So, the man prepared the gun one last time. But Benjamin said that this time, the gun broke. After this, another person said, "You'd better not try to kill that man."
Moving West
After these events, Benjamin moved several times. He lived in Springfield, Illinois in 1839, then Ramus (later Webster) in 1842, and Nauvoo in 1845. In 1846, he moved to Bonaparte, Iowa Territory.
In 1848, Benjamin arrived in the Salt Lake Valley with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He served in the Utah territorial legislature for many years, from 1855 to 1867.
Later in his life, Benjamin moved to the Arizona Territory in 1882. He first settled in Tempe. In 1890, he moved to Colonia Diaz in Chihuahua, Mexico. He returned to Arizona in 1892 and passed away in Mesa.
Family Connections
Benjamin Franklin Johnson was the brother of Joel H. Johnson. Joel was known for writing hymns.
See also
- A Banner Is Unfurled - a historical fiction series about the Johnson family
