Show OLD SALT LAKERS t I t H t I Ih f h J J Ji i 1 f c cW J W F 1 fI i y I IJ J J 7 i lL J I f 1 ip 0 t t r I 1 r i f fF i f I r A I F 1 t tt f t tt t t X f Ma Mau MaI 1 t 1 t t tf V u H 1 t t F FI I I 1 y f J I T Y 6 X y yf f t r I y yI I f f 1 T X 7 f Y X Jo i iJOHN JOHN LYON From rom n a Photograph Taken on liPs HM Eightieth m John Lyon Lon poet hymn lt writer critic erit Ie Ic of ot the SAlt Suit Lake Ihie 11 Theater librarian of at the lie old Territorial public library as well teli wel m sea R the holder of ot many other re responsible reI I positions was Ins among the lie boat best hos known of ot our local lol figures up to i dozen lozen years realS ago ngo For I r oars I to that list time he had hall wended hU his ht way dally dull dali except t when whon detained by li h sIckness to hits hla pot post In the lie old ott Endowment House Hou e then thou located In the lie northwest lorner orner L orel of ot the Temple Jock He was a aborn born In Glasgow OaF ow Scotland March 1803 He lie le was the lie son SOl of ot Thomas Janet McArthur leArthur Lyon LYall While quite ule young ung he hie was van Wa left let all an f and was 15 given glen Into lo the lie of ot an tin In uncle Ills His 1 s mind was WI of ot an Intellectual turn tur and menger ns as were tero his opportunities he hue devoted all cli al him hits energies to this the of or knowledge ills His Is efforts In the direction of ot w were iver re so 1 to successful s that very ery early car earl In life he hind hall achieved quite quie a literary reputation through the lie publication of Ir poems and articles In the he loon local loRI IJ ire The rue real commencement of at his hlA literary career began however hOIer when h he henA was nA engaged as a reporter upon n a local newspaper In Iii RI a great rat tion took place In the tho thi commercial world 0 rid H was wat wa this isle so In Scotland where thousands of people were thrown throw n a out of at work The destitution le was so widespread that a committee of twelve was wag appointed to examine Into and tind andreport report upon the worst cases John Ly L on was appointed one of at this hits commit committee tee and was requested to draw drw up a n paper on the destitution then prevailing which lie he did 11 This report Wa read In lit II the time British House Ot oc Commons and afterwards printed in the London Times creating a n decided deIde sensation From I rom this time on the young reporter had no fl dIfficulty cult In securing lag ing employment nt nl his calling The subject of at this sketch was early Imbued with wih then the established religion of Scotland but finding that hut his hits conscience could eu not accept nil all ni the tenets of ot that creed ho he Joined the Baptists anti and became beame t m of ot hint persuasion In ISil ISH he lie heard RIder giller William Wilam GIbson preach ch the doctrines of nail and being convinced of ot their truth was os hap bap baptized ba batzell Into Inlo the Church the ot or March arch of ot tint tl year a at In lit April Apri following ho he hI was ordained an Elder and Anil to I over oer Urn this local branch Later he lie was waR called as ns a n traveling l lder and aull labored for tor some items sometime time line In ho that capacity after which he was 18 appointed v president of ot the time Wor Worcestershire or England conference cont where he lie labored three thre years year ea In he h wait called caled to preside over oer the Glasgow w conference where he continued one ona 01 year ear and nl was wn then them released to gather to Utah During his missionary labors Elder Lyon wrote ninny ro poems ms some Borne ot or which were vore published In iii n the Millennial Star So favorably were they received rel d that thaI in 1853 1153 Just before embarking fur for America he ito the he first volume of ot the Church Chinch under the lie title of or The Hart Harp of or poems ever er Issued bv by a member Horl of Zion The book was WS as donated to the Perpetual Emigration Fund and nl thousands of ot copies were ere printed and sold old Several of ot the selections In that collection ore are now embraced in the a Saints hymn book and are ore often suns sung otel In February 1853 Elder I Lyon Lon left ler Scotland and arrived In Salt Sni Lake City CIt in September of ot the same year nr A Cor his arrival In the valley he wrote articles and poems for or the Deseret News New Utah Magazine the Moun Mountaineer and arid other publications He lIe le also alo acted as ns critic at the lie Salt SaIl Lakes Lake Lika Theater for tor several cerl years ears For joor over ocr thirty years he had charge of ot the Endowment I house HOUM Hou In Salt SnIt Lake City In which capacity ho he enjoyed the confidence confident of all 11 who knew him Cl Father Lyon was ordained a n Patriarch by b President Woodruff on May Ia th He lie le also had a family of ot size slie being the father of ot 19 children ren 10 lOot of whom still stil survive Ills His Is grandchildren number 42 U and lila his great fl grandchildren living and amid dead deall number over He lIe died diM at the lie ripe rl age of ot 87 8 years on 01 November ISS ISSA A |