William Fowler (Mormon)
Encyclopedia
William Fowler was the author of the popular Latter-day Saint hymn
"We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet
".
Fowler was born in Australia
to an English
father, John Fowler, and an Irish
mother, Bridget Niel. His father was in the British military, and when Fowler was three his father was relocated to India
. When William was nine his father was honorably discharged from the army and the family moved to Sheffield
, John Fowler's birthplace.
Two years after the move to England, John Fowler died, and less than four years later Bridget Fowler also died. Bridget had been raised in the Roman Catholic faith, but had joined the Wesleyan Methodist
religion, as had John Fowler, who was originally an Anglican.
William Fowler was introduced to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) by Peter Poulucci, and he was baptized by J. V. Long in 1849. After being baptized, Fowler was fired from the factory in Sheffield where he had worked as a cutler
.
Fowler and his wife Ellen Bradshaw had three children.
From 1850 to 1854 Fowler served as an LDS Church missionary
in England.
Fowler wrote "We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet" sometime between 1860 and 1863. He emigrated to Utah Territory
in 1863 and settled in Manti, Utah
, where he was a schoolteacher. He died in Manti at the age of 35, and the LDS Church later erected a monument there in his honor.
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
"We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet
We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet
"We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet" is a hymn of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . It has been sung at most general conferences of the LDS Church since it was published in 1863....
".
Fowler was born in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
to an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
father, John Fowler, and an Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
mother, Bridget Niel. His father was in the British military, and when Fowler was three his father was relocated to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. When William was nine his father was honorably discharged from the army and the family moved to Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, John Fowler's birthplace.
Two years after the move to England, John Fowler died, and less than four years later Bridget Fowler also died. Bridget had been raised in the Roman Catholic faith, but had joined the Wesleyan Methodist
Methodist Church of Great Britain
The Methodist Church of Great Britain is the largest Wesleyan Methodist body in the United Kingdom, with congregations across Great Britain . It is the United Kingdom's fourth largest Christian denomination, with around 300,000 members and 6,000 churches...
religion, as had John Fowler, who was originally an Anglican.
William Fowler was introduced to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) by Peter Poulucci, and he was baptized by J. V. Long in 1849. After being baptized, Fowler was fired from the factory in Sheffield where he had worked as a cutler
Cutler
A cutler is a maker of cutlery.Cutler may also refer to:-Places in the United States:*Cutler, California, a town*Cutler, Florida, now part of the Village of Palmetto Bay*Cutler Bay, Florida, formerly known as Cutler Ridge*Cutler, Illinois...
.
Fowler and his wife Ellen Bradshaw had three children.
From 1850 to 1854 Fowler served as an LDS Church missionary
Missionary (LDS Church)
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...
in England.
Fowler wrote "We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet" sometime between 1860 and 1863. He emigrated 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....
in 1863 and settled in Manti, Utah
Manti, Utah
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 3,040 people, 930 households, and 742 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,560.2 people per square mile . There were 1,010 housing units at an average density of 518.3 per square mile...
, where he was a schoolteacher. He died in Manti at the age of 35, and the LDS Church later erected a monument there in his honor.