John Parry (Mormon)
Encyclopedia
John Parry Sr. was an early Welsh
convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and was the first musical conductor of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
.
Parry was born in Newmarket (now known as Trelawnyd
), Flintshire
, in north-east Wales
. Prior to his conversion to Mormonism
, Parry was a Baptist
preacher and was the leader of a church in Newmarket called "John Parry's Association", which was fashioned after the teachings of Alexander Campbell. In 1846, Parry and his wife Mary Williams were baptized by Mormon missionaries. About the Parrys, one commentator has stated that they were "in all likelihood the most distinguished of the Welsh to join the Church up to that time, and [their conversion] caused great excitement among other Welsh Mormons".
In 1849, Parry and about 100 Welsh Mormon
s sailed from Liverpool
to America. Upon arriving in Council Bluffs, Iowa
, on May 17, 1849 Mary Parry died of cholera
. Parry continued the Mormon pioneer
journey to Utah Territory
and arrived later in 1849.
At the October 1849 general conference of the LDS Church, Parry conducted 85 Welsh converts in singing several musical numbers. After the conference, church president Brigham Young
invited Parry to formally organize a church choir that could provide music at future church conferences. Parry thus proceeded to organize what would later be called the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
. Parry was the conductor of the choir until 1854, when he was succeeded by Stephen Goddard.
Like many early Latter Day Saints, Parry practiced plural marriage
. In 1851, he married Patty Bartlett Sessions
, and over the next two years he would marry Grace Ann Williams — a sister of his deceased wife Mary — and Harriet Parry — one of his first cousins. Parry was the father of 12 children.
Parry died in Salt Lake City and was buried there.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and was the first musical conductor of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Mormon Tabernacle Choir
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, sometimes colloquially referred to as MoTab, is a Grammy and Emmy Award winning, 360-member, all-volunteer choir. The choir is part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . However, the choir is completely self-funded, traveling and producing albums to...
.
Parry was born in Newmarket (now known as Trelawnyd
Trelawnyd
- History :Trelawnyd is one of Flintshire's ancient parishes, originally part of Dyserth parish. It became a separate parish between 1254 and 1291, and included the townships of Gop, Graig, Pentreffyddion and Rhydlyfnwyd....
), Flintshire
Flintshire
Flintshire is a county in north-east Wales. It borders Denbighshire, Wrexham and the English county of Cheshire. It is named after the historic county of Flintshire, which had notably different borders...
, in north-east Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. Prior to his conversion to Mormonism
Mormonism
Mormonism is the religion practiced by Mormons, and is the predominant religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement. This movement was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. beginning in the 1820s as a form of Christian primitivism. During the 1830s and 1840s, Mormonism gradually distinguished itself...
, Parry was a 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...
preacher and was the leader of a church in Newmarket called "John Parry's Association", which was fashioned after the teachings of Alexander Campbell. In 1846, Parry and his wife Mary Williams were baptized by Mormon missionaries. About the Parrys, one commentator has stated that they were "in all likelihood the most distinguished of the Welsh to join the Church up to that time, and [their conversion] caused great excitement among other Welsh Mormons".
In 1849, Parry and about 100 Welsh Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
s sailed from Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
to America. Upon arriving in Council Bluffs, Iowa
Council Bluffs, Iowa
Council Bluffs, known until 1852 as Kanesville, Iowathe historic starting point of the Mormon Trail and eventual northernmost anchor town of the other emigrant trailsis a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States and is on the east bank of the Missouri River across...
, on May 17, 1849 Mary Parry died of cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
. Parry continued the Mormon pioneer
Mormon Pioneer
The Mormon pioneers were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as Latter-day Saints, who migrated across the United States from the Midwest to the Salt Lake Valley in what is today the U.S. state of Utah...
journey to Utah Territory
Utah Territory
The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah....
and arrived later in 1849.
At the October 1849 general conference of the LDS Church, Parry conducted 85 Welsh converts in singing several musical numbers. After the conference, church president Brigham Young
Brigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
invited Parry to formally organize a church choir that could provide music at future church conferences. Parry thus proceeded to organize what would later be called the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Mormon Tabernacle Choir
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, sometimes colloquially referred to as MoTab, is a Grammy and Emmy Award winning, 360-member, all-volunteer choir. The choir is part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . However, the choir is completely self-funded, traveling and producing albums to...
. Parry was the conductor of the choir until 1854, when he was succeeded by Stephen Goddard.
Like many early Latter Day Saints, Parry practiced plural marriage
Plural marriage
Polygamy was taught by leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for more than half of the 19th century, and practiced publicly from 1852 to 1890.The Church's practice of polygamy has been highly controversial, both within...
. In 1851, he married Patty Bartlett Sessions
Patty Bartlett Sessions
Patty Bartlett Sessions was a Mormon midwife. She was one of the wives of Joseph Smith, Jr. while still married to her first husband, David Sessions. She was the mother of Perrigrine Sessions, founder of Bountiful, Utah...
, and over the next two years he would marry Grace Ann Williams — a sister of his deceased wife Mary — and Harriet Parry — one of his first cousins. Parry was the father of 12 children.
Parry died in Salt Lake City and was buried there.