David John (Mormon) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids David John |
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| Vice President of the BYU board of trustees | |
| 1891 – 1908 | |
| Called by | Joseph F. Smith |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 29 January 1833 Little Newcastle, Pembrokeshire, Wales, United Kingdom |
| Died | 24 December 1908 Provo, Utah, United States |
| Resting place | Provo City Cemetery 40°13′30″N 111°38′40″W / 40.2250°N 111.6444°W |
| Alma mater | Baptist College, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Wride, Jane Cree |
| Children | 20 |
David John (born January 29, 1833 – died December 24, 1908) was an important leader in Utah around the early 1900s. He was a leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often called the LDS Church). He also helped guide Brigham Young University (BYU) as a member of its board of trustees.
Contents
Early Life & Joining the Church
David John was born in Little Newcastle, a small town in Pembrokeshire, Wales. He grew up in a Baptist family. As a young man, he even studied to become a Baptist minister.
In 1847, when he was about 14, David John joined the LDS Church. His parents did not like this decision. Because of their strong feelings, he stopped being active in the Church for a while. He continued his studies to become a Baptist minister during this time.
Missionary Work in Wales & England
David John became active in the LDS Church again in 1856. He was rebaptized on February 6, 1856. Soon after, he was ordained an elder on March 29, 1856.
In June 1856, he began serving as a missionary for the LDS Church in Wales. By December, he was leading the Flintshire Conference for a year. He also served as a helper in the Presidency of the Welsh Mission from December 1857 to December 1858.
In January 1859, he moved to the Nottingham Conference in the British Mission. He led this conference until March 1860. After that, he served as a "pastor" for about a year. This role covered Nottingham and two other conferences, which included about 100 small church groups called Branches. This type of leadership role was unique to Britain in the mid-1800s.
Life and Leadership in Utah
David John moved to Utah in 1861. The year before, in 1860, he had married Mary Wride in Cardiff, Wales.
Church Leadership in Provo
In 1862, David John was asked to be a helper in the bishopric of the Provo 3rd Ward. A bishopric is a group of leaders for a local church congregation called a Ward. He served in this role for 15 years.
In 1865, he became the superintendent of the Utah Stake Sunday School. A stake is a larger group of church congregations, similar to a diocese. He held this position until 1893.
From 1877 to 1901, David John was a counselor (or helper) in the Utah Stake Presidency. He worked with leaders like Abraham O. Smoot and Edward Partridge, Jr.. At that time, the Utah Stake included all of Utah County.
In 1883, he was ordained a bishop. He was also appointed the regional presiding bishop for the Utah Stake. This meant he helped oversee the activities of other bishops in Utah County. This was a full-time, paid position. David John held several important church roles at the same time! He also served another mission to Great Britain in the early 1870s.
Community and Family Life
When David John first arrived in Utah, he worked as a school teacher. He then served as a trustee for the Provo district schools for 15 years. He was also a business partner with Abraham O. Smoot in a lumber company called Smoot and John.
In 1865, David John married a second wife, Jane Cree. He had nine children with Mary and 11 children with Jane, making a total of 20 children.
One of David John's daughters, Mary John, married Benjamin Cluff. Benjamin Cluff later became the president of BYU. This was during some of the time David John was on the BYU Board of Trustees.
Stake President and BYU Trustee
From 1901 to 1908, David John served as the president of the Utah Stake. When he became president, the stake was divided into smaller areas. It then covered Provo, Springville, Utah, and the farm area that later became part of Orem, Utah.
He also served as the vice president of the Brigham Young University Board of Trustees. The president of the board was Joseph F. Smith, who was also the president of the LDS Church. This made David John the most senior member of the board who could spend a lot of time helping BYU. He served on the Brigham Young Academy (which later became BYU) board from 1891 until 1908.
David John kept a diary that historians have used to learn about the past. His diary includes his thoughts on Utah becoming a state.
Today, one of the student dorms at BYU, called Helaman Halls, is named after David John.
