Joel Hills Johnson
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Joel Hills Johnson (March 23, 1802 – September 24, 1882) was a
Latter-day Saint The Latter Day Saint movement (also called the LDS movement, LDS restorationist movement, or Smith–Rigdon movement) is the collection of independent church groups that trace their origins to a Christian Restorationist movement founded b ...
missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...
and
hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' d ...
writer, known for being the author of " High on the Mountain Top" (hymn no. 5 in the 1985 LDS hymnbook, English edition). Johnson was also the founder of
Enoch, Utah Enoch is a city in Iron County, Utah, United States, and is located approximately northeast of Cedar City in the northeast part of Cedar Valley. The population was 5,803 at the 2010 census, up from 3,467 at the 2000 census. As of 2018, the e ...
, and the founder of the ghosttown Johnson, Utah.


Early life

Johnson was born in
Grafton, Massachusetts Grafton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 19,664 at the 2020 census. The town consists of the North Grafton, Grafton, and South Grafton geographic areas, each with a separate ZIP Code. Incorporated ...
.Cornwall, J. Spencer. ''Stories of Our Mormon Hymns'' (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1975) pp. 69-71. His parents were Ezekiel Johnson and Julia Hills. When Johnson was still a child, his family moved to
Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...
. Johnson eventually moved to
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
and then back east to
Pomfret, New York Pomfret is a town in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 13,236 at the 2020 census. The town lies in the north-central part of the county, south of Dunkirk, and includes the village of Fredonia. History The area wa ...
.


Latter-day Saints

Around the year 1830, Johnson sold his farm in Pomfret and moved to
Amherst, Ohio Amherst ( ) is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States. It is located west of Cleveland within the Cleveland metropolitan area. The population was 12,681 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. History The original village, which e ...
. It was in Amherst where Johnson was baptized a member of the
Church of Christ Church of Christ may refer to: Church groups * Christianity, the Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ * Christian Church, an ecclesiological term used by denominations to describe the true body of Christia ...
on June 1, 1831. Soon afterwards, he became president of the church's Amherst branch. He went on a mission to New York in 1832.


Kirtland and Ramus

In 1833, Johnson moved to
Kirtland, Ohio Kirtland is a city in Lake County, Ohio, United States. The population was 6,937 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Kirtland is known for being the early headquarters of the Latter Day Saint movement from 1831 to 1837 and the site of ...
, where he operated a
saw mill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logging, logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes ...
. He went on another mission to both Ohio and
Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
in 1835 during which he engaged in strong debates with Campbellites, on one occasion turning their rejection of Aaronic and Melchezidek priesthood on its head by insisting if not in either of these orders their leaders must be of the order of the priests of Baal. and often preached and
baptized Baptism (from ) is a Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by sprinkling or pouring water on the head, or by immersing in water either partially or completely, traditionally three ...
in the vicinity of Kirtland. Johnson was an organizer of the
Kirtland Camp The Kirtland Camp was a migration company made up of several hundred Latter-day Saints that traveled from Kirtland, Ohio to northern Missouri starting in the fall of 1838. Those who stayed with the main company settled in Mormon communities in Davi ...
in 1838. He stopped at
Springfield, Illinois Springfield is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Illinois. Its population was 114,394 at the 2020 United States census, which makes it the state's List of cities in Illinois, seventh-most populous cit ...
, and did not continue to
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, thus avoiding the Mormon War of 1838. He organized a branch in Springfield and became the first Latter Day Saint to preach in
Carthage, Illinois Carthage is a city in and the county seat of Hancock County, Illinois, United States. Its population was 2,490 as of the 2020 census. Carthage is best known for being the site of the 1844 murder of Joseph Smith, who founded the Latter Day Saint ...
. The main reason that Johnson had stopped in Illinois and not continued west was that he had care of the sick coming from Kirtland. He energetically preached the gospel in Carthage and felt he won many people in that area to be friendly to the Mormons cause. Johnson later had a large amount of success in baptizing families that lived along Crooked Creek. In April 1839 he organized these converts as the Crooked Creek Branch. After this, Johnson directed his new converts in the forming of the town of Ramus (now
Webster, Illinois Webster, Illinois may refer to: * Webster, Hancock County, Illinois * Webster, Iroquois County, Illinois {{disambig ...
). In February 1840 Johnson moved to the area, where he purchased a sawmill. The Ramus
Stake A stake is a large wooden or metal implement designed to be driven into the ground and may refer to: Tools * Archer's stake, a defensive stake carried by medieval longbowmen * Survey stakes, markers used by surveyors * Sudis (stake) (Latin for ...
was organized on July 4, 1840, with Johnson as president. After this the stake under Johnson's direction set about laying out a town site. In 1846, mobs forced Johnson to flee Ramus and move to
Knox County, Illinois Knox County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 49,967. Its county seat is Galesburg, Illinois, Galesburg. Knox County comprises the ...
. He later joined the Saints at
Winter Quarters, Nebraska Winter Quarters was an encampment formed by approximately 2,500 members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as they waited during the winter of 1846–47 for better conditions for their trek westward. It followed a preliminary te ...
.


Book of Mormon

A poem written in 1841 by Johnson is sometimes used by opponents of the
authenticity Authenticity or authentic may refer to: * Authentication, the act of confirming the truth of an attribute Arts and entertainment * Authenticity in art, ways in which a work of art or an artistic performance may be considered authentic Music * A ...
of the
Book of Mormon The Book of Mormon is a religious text of the Latter Day Saint movement, first published in 1830 by Joseph Smith as ''The Book of Mormon: An Account Written by the Hand of Mormon upon Plates Taken from the Plates of Nephi''. The book is one of ...
to demonstrate that
Oliver Cowdery Oliver H. P. Cowdery (October 3, 1806 – March 3, 1850) was an American religious leader who, with Joseph Smith, was an important participant in the formative period of the Latter Day Saint movement between 1829 and 1836. He was the first bapt ...
at times wavered in his
testimony Testimony is a solemn attestation as to the truth of a matter. Etymology The words "testimony" and "testify" both derive from the Latin word ''testis'', referring to the notion of a disinterested third-party witness. Law In the law, testimon ...
as one of the
Three Witnesses The Three Witnesses is the collective name for three men connected with the early Latter Day Saint movement who stated that an angel had shown them the golden plates from which Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon; they also stated that ...
of the
Book of Mormon The Book of Mormon is a religious text of the Latter Day Saint movement, first published in 1830 by Joseph Smith as ''The Book of Mormon: An Account Written by the Hand of Mormon upon Plates Taken from the Plates of Nephi''. The book is one of ...
:"I Have a Question"
''
Ensign Ensign most often refers to: * Ensign (flag), a flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality * Ensign (rank), a navy (and former army) officer rank Ensign or The Ensign may also refer to: Places * Ensign, Alberta, Alberta, Canada * Ensign, Ka ...
'', April 1987.
"... Or prove the gospel was not true / Because old Paul the Saints could kill? / Because the Jews its author slew, / and now reject their Saviour still? … / Or Book of Mormon not his word / because denied by Oliver?" Defenders of Cowdery argue that to Johnson, supporting the Book of Mormon and following the leaders of the church were one and the same, and that in 1841 Cowdery had been excommunicated from the church. They also note that the use of "denied" in the poem may mean to set aside, and not to speak against, and that this poem involves many statements that are not strictly true, such as that
Paul Paul may refer to: People * Paul (given name), a given name, including a list of people * Paul (surname), a list of people * Paul the Apostle, an apostle who wrote many of the books of the New Testament * Ray Hildebrand, half of the singing duo ...
had killed Christians. In other words, it is argued that poetry should not be taken as analytical evidence when it has not been collaborated.


Salt Lake City

Johnson arrived in
Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...
on October 11, 1848. He crossed the plains in
Willard Richards Willard Richards (June 24, 1804 – March 11, 1854) was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement. He served as second counselor to church president Brigham Young in the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Sai ...
' company. He served as a justice of the peace and as
bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
of the Mill Creek
Ward Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...
. Johnson built a saw mill in Mill Creek Ward from 1849 to 1851 at the mouth of Mill Creek Canyon. In 1849 and 1850, Johnson served in the
Utah Territorial Legislature The Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Utah was the legislative branch of government in Utah Territory, replacing the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret. The Act of Congress creating the territory in 1850 specified that the t ...
.


Enoch, Utah

Johnson was the founder of
Enoch, Utah Enoch is a city in Iron County, Utah, United States, and is located approximately northeast of Cedar City in the northeast part of Cedar Valley. The population was 5,803 at the 2010 census, up from 3,467 at the 2000 census. As of 2018, the e ...
, settling there in 1851. When other settlers arrived in 1854, they built a fort which they named "Johnson's Fort". Before it became Enoch it was named Elk Horn Springs. Johnson later helped settle southern Utah. In 1853, he was appointed to serve as a
missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...
among the Piedes of
Iron County, Utah Iron County is a county in southwestern Utah, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 57,289. Its county seat is Parowan, and the largest city is Cedar City. The Cedar City, UT Micropolitan Statistical Area i ...
.


Poetry and hymns

Johnson was a prolific poet and hymn writer. His journal contains 736 hymns. Collections of his writings were published in the pamphlet "Voice from the Mountains" in 1881 and a 344-page book of poems in 1882. His most sung hymn, " High on the Mountain Top", was written on February 19, 1853. Other estimates place Johnson's total work in writing hymn texts and poems at about 1,000. The only other hymn by Johnson in the current English edition of the LDS Church hymnal is "The Glorious Gospel Light Has Shone" (no. 283).


Personal life

Johnson was a polygamist and married five women. He married Anna Pixley Johnson on November 22, 1826. He married Susan Bryant on October 20, 1840. He married Lucina Alzina Bascom, age 29 and Janet Fife, age 17, on October 25, 1845. Both Bascom and Bryant later divorced from him. Bryant died April 7, 1896, in the
Mormon colonies in Mexico The Mormon colonies in Mexico are settlements located near the Sierra Madre mountains in northern Mexico which were established by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) beginning in 1885. The colonists came to ...
and Bascom died October 5, 1885, in Provo, Utah Territory. In 1861, at age 58, he married 20-year-old Margaret Threlkeld. Johnson fathered 25 children and was the brother of
Benjamin F. Johnson Benjamin Franklin Johnson (July 28, 1818 – November 18, 1905) was an early member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a member of the Council of Fifty, and a private secretary to Joseph Smith. He served fourteen terms in the Uta ...
. Johnson maintained a journal in which was found the earliest source for the interpretation of "hot drinks" in the Word of Wisdom meaning coffee and tea. Johnson has been included in a list of "75 significant Mormon poets."


Death

Johnson died September 24, 1882, in Johnson, Utah Territory (now
Kane County, Utah Kane County is a county in the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 7,667. Its county seat and largest city is Kanab. History The county was created on January 16, 1864, by the old federal Utah Terri ...
) at age 80.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Joel H. 1802 births 1883 deaths 19th-century American musicians 19th-century American writers 19th-century Mormon missionaries American Latter Day Saint hymnwriters American Mormon missionaries in the United States American leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Converts to Mormonism Latter Day Saint poets Leaders in the Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints) Members of the Utah Territorial Legislature Mormon pioneers People from Amherst, Ohio People from Enoch, Utah People from Pomfret, New York