Joel Hills Johnson was born March 23, 1802 in Grafton, Massachusetts. He was the son of Ezekiel and Julia Hills Johnson.
When I was a very small child. my mother, being a very strict Presbyterian, would tell me about Heaven,Hell, Jesus Christ, God, and the Devil. When I was 8 years old I had quite a correct idea of those things being according to the precept of men in those days, and sometimes when thinking about them, I would weep bitterly, considering myself a sinner in the sight of God. I remember a time when my parents scolded me for some minor thing. I felt I had not a friend in heaven or hell, or on the earth, so I would go off to weep by myself. I wrote the following;
And thought unto the brook I'd go,
And drown myself and end my woe,
For if I drowned myself, thought I,
My soul will under water die.
I went to the small brook and selected a place to drown myself. The thought occurred to me that it was a temptation from the devil and I desisted from the purpose and returned home. When I was about twelve years old I almost drowned.
In 1827 I bought a farm adjoining my farm and decided to build a saw mill to help pay for the farm. I didn't have a solid foundation to build on so I built it on sand. When the floods came the mill-dam was torn up. When my creditors saw my situation, they demanded payment so they took everything I owned.
In 1829 I invented a machine for striking shingles from a block at one blow. The invention was stolen from me so I left my birth place and moved to Ohio. I joined up with a friend and we built a saw mill.
At about this time there was an excitement about the Church. I had always read the Bible and upon obtaining a Book of Mormon and reading it, I was against it but I was filled with astonishment it bringing the first discourse that corresponded with the New Testament. I finally gained a testimony and was baptized June 1, 1831, my wife having been baptized a few days earlier.
I had lost my health and property in 1827-28 so I couldn't do any hard labor and I had little means to sustain my family.
In 1834 I attended a conference in Ohio where I met the Prophet Joseph Smith. After counseling from the Prophet Joseph, I moved my family to Kirtland I proceeded to make bricks to help build the temple. The Church didn't use the brick because they decided to build it out of stone.
I donated cash, lumber, stock and other property's to build the temple as I wasn't in good enough health to help build it.
In 1835 I, as well as other brethren were called together to be blessed under the hands of the first Presidency. I was present at the calling of the 12 Apostles. I received my endowments in the Kirtland Temple in 1835. I was with the Prophet Joseph when he received the Word of Wisdom on February 27, 1833. I had used tobacco for fifteen years and always used strong drink, tea and coffee. I gave them all up when the word of wisdom was given.
In 1836, the Brethren formed a banking institution, but the enemies of the Church crushed it which proves that no institution founded upon righteous principles can flourish in so corrupt a nation as the United States.
In January 1839, Carthage I rented a store house with several rooms and moved my family in. Sidney Rigdon and Bishop Partridge came to my house to stay until they could fine a suitable location for the Saints to live.
I baptized several people in Carthage and organized the Branch of the Church at Crooked Creek. I was called to be the Stake President.
When my family took sick with chills and a nervous fever in which my wife died leaving my with several children to raise. Before she died she told me to find a suitable wife because I couldn't raise the children by myself. She said the Lord had told her the children would be well taken care of.
I received my patriarchal blessing under the hands of Joseph Smith Sr. the first patriarch of the church. I also received a blessing from John Smith, brother to Joseph Sr.
In 1848 I sold my sold my land for $90.00 cash and made arrangements to move West. I had 3 wagons, 5 yoke of oxen and steers. I had a few cows and sheep and necessary provisions, so on May 6, 1848, the family left for Salt Lake City, Utah. There were 4 children with us. We arrived in Salt Lake on October 19, 1848.
I built a small cabin in the mouth of Mill Creek Canyon and was elected as justice of the peace and also ordained as the Bishop of that ward.
On March 23, 1850, I was 48 years old. My life had been one continual scene of hardship. sickness and sorrow. I had been robbed, driven from state to state in poverty, sickness and disgrace. Some sought to kill me. While my health was failing in February 1853, I wrote the hymns, "High On a Mountain Top," and at that time I was given another patriarchal Blessing by Isaac Morley.
I encountered several graves on my journey's. The graves had been dug up by wolves and I seen clothes and bones laying near-by.
I was the founder of Enoch, Utah. After other people moved in, we built a fort and called it Johnson's Fort.
I served as a missionary in Iron County, Utah. I am a poet and hymn writer.
I had 5 wives, Anna Pixley Nov. 22, 1826. Susan Bryant, Oct. 20, 1840. Janet Fife, Oct. 25, 1845. Margaret Therekold, 1861. (Anna being the grandmother to us) I have many children and my sister was married to the Prophet Joseph Smith.
Joel died September 24, 1883, in Kane County, Utah.
In 1982 a music contest was performed using only music Joel had written.
Joel was included in a list of 75 significant Mormon poets.
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