Dwight Lyman Moody (February 5, 1837 - December 22, 1899), also known as D.L. Moody, was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 evangelist

Evangelism

Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....

 and publisher who founded the Moody Church

Moody Church

The Moody Church is a historic Protestant church in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. right|thumb|270px|-Building:...

, Northfield School and Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts (now Northfield Mount Hermon School), the Moody Bible Institute

Moody Bible Institute

Moody Bible Institute is a Christian institution of higher education and related ministries that was founded by evangelist and businessman Dwight Lyman Moody in 1886. Since its founding, MBI's main campus has been located in the Near North Side of Chicago. MBI's primary ministries are education,...

 and Moody Publishers

Moody Publishers

Moody Publishers is a Christian publishing company that is focused on proclaiming the gospel message through its products. This vision is clearly stated within the company's mission statement...

.
Dwight Moody was born in Northfield, Massachusetts

Northfield, Massachusetts

Northfield is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 2,951 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area...

 to a large family. His father, a small farmer and stonemason, died at the age of 41 praying on his knees.