Joel H. Johnson

Joel Hills Johnson (March 23, 1802 – September 24, 1882) was a Latter-day Saint missionary and hymn 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, and the founder of the ghosttown Johnson, Utah.

Early life Johnson was born in Grafton, Massachusetts. His parents were Ezekiel Johnson and Julia Hills. When Johnson was still a child, his family moved to Vermont. Johnson eventually moved to Cincinnati and then back east to Pomfret, New York.

Latter-day Saints Around the year 1830, Johnson sold his farm in Pomfret and moved to Amherst, Ohio. It was in Amherst where Johnson was baptized a member of the Church of Christ 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, where he operated a saw mill. He went on another mission to both Ohio and Kentucky 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 in the vicinity of Kirtland.

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). In February 1840 Johnson moved to the area, where he purchased a sawmill. The Ramus Stake 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. "... 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 had killed Christians. In other words, it is argued that poetry should not be taken as analytical evidence when it has not been collaborated. He served as a justice of the peace and as bishop of the Mill Creek Ward. 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.

Johnson later helped settle southern Utah. In 1853, he was appointed to serve as a missionary among the Piedes of Iron County, Utah.

Poetry and hymns Johnson was a prolific poet and hymn writer. His journal contains 736 hymns. 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. and was the brother of Benjamin F. Johnson. 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) at age 80.