John Lyon (poet)
Encyclopedia
John Lyon was a nineteenth century Scottish Latter Day Saint poet and hymn writer.
, Lyon became an apprentice weaver at age nine. In adulthood, he moved to Kilmarnock
, where he met and married Janet Thomson.
In the 1830s, he became involved with the Baptist
church, but he left them and in March, 1844, he was baptised into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Amazingly for someone described as the best Mormon poet of the 19th century, Lyon only learnt to read in 1828, at the age of twenty five. By the 1840s, he had already worked for seven papers in Ayrshire
, and assisted in the production of several poetry anthologies of other people's work.
As a convert he was atypical, and was described as a rather irreverent "Saul among the prophets".
He had over a dozen children, and was frequently visited in Kilmarnock
by Mormon dignitaries who had travelled to Scotland. Amongst these were Levi Richards
, Samuel W. Richards
and Franklin D. Richards. And on one such visit, on 1 December 1847, the Richards brothers travelled with Lyon to Robert Burns
' birthplace in Alloway
.
Lyons served a three year mission in Worcester
, England, and later emigrated to Utah
.
published copious amounts of work by what they described as "The Scottish Bard
", starting on 15 November 1845, when they published his poem Man. They would publish over forty more of his poems. Writing in January, 1849, Orson Spencer
said to Orson Pratt
that:
A hundred and five of his poems were collected in The Harp of Zion, which was published in a run of 5,148, and was the first complete book of poetry by a Mormon writer. These varied from devotional poems, to epics such as The Apostate, and also light hearted works in Lowland Scots
such as Elegy on Wee Hughie, which was about an expired canary
:
Some of them were sung to such traditional Scottish tunes as The Lass o’ Glenshee. An example of his stronger and more vitriolic work is The Apostate
In the end, The Harp of Zion sold around 2,000 copies, and Lyon did not receive the profits from the work, since that was all donated to the Perpetual Emigrating Fund, which aimed to help converts migrate to the State of Deseret
.
between 1849–53, becoming conference
president in Worcester
in England. During this period he walked nearly five and a half thousand miles, baptised 360 people, and wrote 1000 letters. In 1849, he kept a missionary journal of his work.
After Worcester, he became a conference president in Glasgow.
Biography
Born into a poor and illiterate family in GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Lyon became an apprentice weaver at age nine. In adulthood, he moved to Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock is a large burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland, with a population of 44,734. It is the second largest town in Ayrshire. The River Irvine runs through its eastern section, and the Kilmarnock Water passes through it, giving rise to the name 'Bank Street'...
, where he met and married Janet Thomson.
In the 1830s, he became involved with the Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
church, but he left them and in March, 1844, he was baptised into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Amazingly for someone described as the best Mormon poet of the 19th century, Lyon only learnt to read in 1828, at the age of twenty five. By the 1840s, he had already worked for seven papers in Ayrshire
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
, and assisted in the production of several poetry anthologies of other people's work.
As a convert he was atypical, and was described as a rather irreverent "Saul among the prophets".
He had over a dozen children, and was frequently visited in Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock is a large burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland, with a population of 44,734. It is the second largest town in Ayrshire. The River Irvine runs through its eastern section, and the Kilmarnock Water passes through it, giving rise to the name 'Bank Street'...
by Mormon dignitaries who had travelled to Scotland. Amongst these were Levi Richards
Levi Richards
Levi Richards was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was a member of the Council of Fifty and Anointed Quorum and served as a physician for movement founder Joseph Smith, Jr. and others during the years the...
, Samuel W. Richards
Samuel W. Richards
Samuel W. Richards was a religious and political leader in 19th-century Utah and in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints....
and Franklin D. Richards. And on one such visit, on 1 December 1847, the Richards brothers travelled with Lyon to Robert Burns
Robert Burns
Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
' birthplace in Alloway
Alloway
Alloway is best known as the birthplace of Robert Burns, and as where he set his poem "Tam o' Shanter"....
.
Lyons served a three year mission in Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
, England, and later emigrated to Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
.
Poetry
After his conversion to Mormonism, he found it difficult to find secular publishers. On the other hand, the LDS newspaper, the Millennial StarMillennial Star
The Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star was the longest continuously published periodical of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, being printed from 1840 until 1970....
published copious amounts of work by what they described as "The Scottish Bard
Bard
In medieval Gaelic and British culture a bard was a professional poet, employed by a patron, such as a monarch or nobleman, to commemorate the patron's ancestors and to praise the patron's own activities.Originally a specific class of poet, contrasting with another class known as fili in Ireland...
", starting on 15 November 1845, when they published his poem Man. They would publish over forty more of his poems. Writing in January, 1849, Orson Spencer
Orson Spencer
Orson Spencer was a prolific writer and prominent member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served in several highly visible positions within the church and left an extensive legacy of theological writings...
said to Orson Pratt
Orson Pratt
Orson Pratt, Sr. was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an original member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles...
that:
- "Amongst the worth of contributors to the Star, I shall not be deemed invidious to name, distinctly and prominently, our highly esteemed brethren Elders Lyon and Mills. Their genius in the poetic department and the devotedness of their productions to the service of God and his people deserve the fostering care of all the Saints who love the high praise of God in sacred and commemorative songs. The excellent songs and hymns of our poets preach with unmistakable melody and power."
A hundred and five of his poems were collected in The Harp of Zion, which was published in a run of 5,148, and was the first complete book of poetry by a Mormon writer. These varied from devotional poems, to epics such as The Apostate, and also light hearted works in Lowland Scots
Scots language
Scots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted...
such as Elegy on Wee Hughie, which was about an expired canary
Domestic Canary
The Domestic Canary, often simply known as the canary, is a domesticated form of the wild Canary, a small songbird in the finch family originating from the Macaronesian Islands ....
:
- "But he'll ne'er wake us mair,
- "For Hughie is deid"
Some of them were sung to such traditional Scottish tunes as The Lass o’ Glenshee. An example of his stronger and more vitriolic work is The Apostate
- "I knew him, ere the roots of bitterness
- "Had grown to putrid cancer in his soul.
- "Then Revelation's light gleamed o'er his mind
- "In strange fantastic dreams of future bliss,
- "He saw the dawn, and this was quite enough
- "For Speculation's visionary claim”
In the end, The Harp of Zion sold around 2,000 copies, and Lyon did not receive the profits from the work, since that was all donated to the Perpetual Emigrating Fund, which aimed to help converts migrate to the State of Deseret
State of Deseret
The State of Deseret was a proposed state of the United States, propositioned in 1849 by Latter-day Saint settlers in Salt Lake City. The provisional state existed for slightly over two years and was never recognized by the United States government...
.
Missionary work
Lyon was a Mormon missionaryMormon missionary
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
between 1849–53, becoming conference
District (LDS Church)
A district of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative unit composed of a number of congregations called branches. A district is a subdivision of a mission of the church and in many ways is analogous to a stake of the church. The leader of a district is the...
president in Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
in England. During this period he walked nearly five and a half thousand miles, baptised 360 people, and wrote 1000 letters. In 1849, he kept a missionary journal of his work.
After Worcester, he became a conference president in Glasgow.