Joel H. Johnson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Joel H. Johnson |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | March 23, 1802 Grafton, Massachusetts, United States |
| Died | September 24, 1882 (aged 80) Kane County, Utah Territory, United States |
| Resting place | Johnson Cemetery 37°27′25″N 112°26′59″W / 37.4569°N 112.4496°W |
| Occupation | Hymn Writer |
| Spouse(s) | Anna Pixley Susan Bryant Lucina Alzina Bascom Janet Fife Margaret Therekold |
| Parents | Ezekiel Johnson Julia Hills |
Joel Hills Johnson (born March 23, 1802 – died September 24, 1882) was an important figure in the early Latter Day Saint movement. He was a missionary and a talented hymn writer. He is best known for writing the hymn "High on the Mountain Top". Johnson also founded the town of Enoch, Utah.
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Early Life and Family
Joel Hills Johnson was born in Grafton, Massachusetts. His parents were Ezekiel Johnson and Julia Hills. When Joel was a young boy, his family moved to Vermont. Later, Johnson lived in Cincinnati and then in Pomfret, New York.
Joining the Latter Day Saints
Around 1830, Johnson sold his farm in Pomfret. He then moved to Amherst, Ohio. In Amherst, he was baptized a member of the Church of Christ on June 1, 1831. Soon after, he became the leader of the church's Amherst branch. He also served as a missionary in New York in 1832.
Moving West
In 1833, Johnson moved to Kirtland, Ohio. There, he ran a saw mill. He went on another mission to Ohio and Kentucky in 1835. During this time, he often preached and baptized new members.
Johnson helped organize a group called the Kirtland Camp in 1838. He stopped in Springfield, Illinois, and did not continue to Missouri. This meant he avoided the Mormon War of 1838. He helped care for sick people traveling from Kirtland. He also started a church branch in Springfield. He was the first Latter Day Saint to preach in Carthage, Illinois.
Johnson had great success baptizing families along Crooked Creek. In April 1839, he organized these new members into the Crooked Creek Branch. Johnson then helped these new members create the town of Ramus (now Webster, Illinois). In February 1840, Johnson moved to Ramus and bought a sawmill. He became the president of the Ramus Stake on July 4, 1840. Under his leadership, the stake began planning the town.
In 1846, groups of people forced Johnson to leave Ramus. He moved to Knox County, Illinois. Later, he joined other church members at Winter Quarters, Nebraska.
Life in Utah
Johnson arrived in Salt Lake City on October 11, 1848. He traveled across the plains with Willard Richards' group. In Utah, he served as a justice of the peace. He also served as a bishop for the Mill Creek Ward. From 1849 to 1851, Johnson built a saw mill in Mill Creek Ward.
From 1849 to 1850, Johnson served in the Utah Territorial Legislature. This meant he helped make laws for the Utah Territory.
Johnson was the founder of Enoch, Utah. He settled there in 1851. When more settlers arrived in 1854, they built a fort. They named it "Johnson's Fort." Before it was called Enoch, the area was known as Elk Horn Springs.
Johnson also helped settle other parts of southern Utah. In 1853, he was asked to be a missionary to the Piedes people in Iron County, Utah.
Poetry and Hymns
Johnson was a very active poet and hymn writer. His personal journal contains 736 hymns. Some of his writings were published in a booklet called "Voice from the Mountains" in 1881. A larger book of his poems was published in 1882.
His most famous hymn, "High on the Mountain Top", was written on February 19, 1853. Some people believe Johnson wrote about 1,000 hymns and poems in total. Another hymn by Johnson in the current Latter Day Saint hymnal is "The Glorious Gospel Light Has Shone."
Later Life and Death
Joel Hills Johnson was a father to 25 children. He was also the brother of Benjamin F. Johnson. Joel Hills Johnson kept a journal. In his journal, he wrote about the meaning of "hot drinks" in the Word of Wisdom. This is a health guideline for members of the church. Johnson is considered one of "75 significant Mormon poets."
Johnson died on September 24, 1882, in Johnson, Utah Territory (now Kane County, Utah). He was 80 years old.
