 David John LDS Biographical Encyclopedia, Andrew Jenson, Vol. 1, p.488-491
John, David, president of the Utah stake of Zion, was born Jan. 29, 1833, in Pembrokeshire, Wales. His parents were members of the Baptist [p.489] church; many of his family were ministers, and most of them of that denomination. It was designed by the family that he also should be educated for the ministry, and for this purpose he spent his time at school till he was 23 years of age. Four years of this time were spent in the Baptist college, Haverford West, South Wales. David became acquainted with the Saints during the first term of Orson Pratt's presidency over the British mission, in the years 1848-50, when so many thousands were brought into the Church, and all Wales rang with the gospel and wonders of "Mormonism." David, who at that time was a youth, believed and was baptized in February, 1847, but so outraged did his family feel over his joining the "Mormons" that he was subject to constant and bitter persecution from them, and finally he was forced to give bonds to his father to keep from the "Mormons'" till he was of age, which he did by the "counsel" of Apostle Orson Pratt himself. Thus was David John's association with the "Mormon" Church broken off for a few years, until he had reached the age of 23, and during that time he was being educated in a Baptist college, with his father's firm, set resolve that his son should engage in the Baptist ministry. But by a remarkable manifestation from the heaven, the severed link of his destiny with the "Mormon" people was restored. Near the end of January, 1856, he had a very impressive dream, which was afterwards fully written and published in the Udgorn Scion (Zion's Trumpet), in the year 1856. "I dreamt," wrote David, "that I saw an angel of the Lord. After he had talked a little with me, he placed his right hand on my left shoulder. His eyes were of a dark brown color, but full of glory. His voice was clear, but full of power and authority. While in his presence I beheld Very high mountains. He told me that they were the everlasting hills, over or by which the Latter-day Saints were going to their gathering place. 'Why,' said he, 'are you spending your time in vain here? How is it you will not join the Church of Christ and spend your time there?' I replied, 'I hope I am in the Church now, am I not?' 'You know better,' he said. 'Do not ask questions that you know perfectly well, but go on unto perfection. Look towards the firmament.' I looked and beheld the air full with people of every sect and party. There I saw Christ sitting upon His throne in great glory, and the people gathered themselves before Him to be judged. Those that had pleased Him, He commanded to stand on His right hand, and those that did not, on His left. He judged them one by one, till they composed two straight lines, running parallel one against the other for the distance of about one mile. Those on the left were those of the different sects and parties of the day; and those on the right were Latter-day Saints. The Saints seemed lovely, and all smiled, looking in the face of Jesus as one man looks on another. But the other line seemed miserable, and full of discontent, sorrow and grief, turning their faces from Jesus, and could not abide His presence. 'According to this vision,' I said, 'the Saints are right, but the others are not.' 'You see,' he answered, 'who is right and who is wrong. Look,' said he, 'on thy right hand.' I looked, and there beheld a large and very extensive valley—the most beautiful land I ever saw. We were standing on one side of it, which was flat. On the side we stood were high and beautiful trees. Under the shadow of one of them we stood from the heat of the sun, which was very powerful. On the other side were mountains or hills, but not very high. Those extended to the extremity of the valley. The beauty and glory of the [p.490] valley, which was from three to four miles wide, was beyond description. 'Oh, my God," I exclaimed, 'I never knew that such a beautiful scene as this belonged to our earth.' 'This,' said the angel, 'shall be thy inheritance and thy seed after thee forever, if thou wilt obey the commandments of God and do right in the flesh. Look, behold thee,' said he. 'I then found myself in a large and beautiful building. There I saw on the stand one that I knew, preaching the principles of life.' 'This.' said my guide, is the house of the Lord.' At this I awoke, believing that the spirit of the Lord and angels filled the room. I arose and bowed myself before God in prayer, and desired Him, if that messenger was from Him, to make it known to me once more by the same messenger; if not, to hide the vision from me. I again retired to rest, and soon fell into a deep sleep, when suddenly the same personage appeared, and made known unto me some of the same things; but he rebuked me this time for spending my time where I was. He also said: 'Thou wert foreordained before the foundation of the world to come forth in this age to assist to build the Kingdom of God upon the earth, and now the time is up. If thou wilt obey the commandments of God, thy days shall be long on the earth; if not, thy days shall be short, says the Lord!' These words pierced my soul, and I again awoke, and spent the remainder of the night in deep reflection, and somewhat grieved in spirit; at other moments I would rejoice exceedingly." His mind overwhelmed by these repeated visions of the night, David in the morning could not give his attention to his lessons. This was observed by the tutor, who supposed him to be unwell and excused him. In the afternoon he went to the house of Elder John Griffiths and obtained some books of the Church, among which was P. P. Pratt's "Voice of Warning," which made a great impression upon his mind. Thus restored to his destiny with the Latter-day Saints by a remarkable dream, he told his father and family of his renewed resolve to join the Saints. At this the distress of his family was great, but the bond which he had years before given to his father was no longer in force, he being now 23 years of age. He also told his tutor and fellow-students of his intentions. They remonstrated with him, but the remonstrances of family, tutor and classmates were powerless now. David left the Baptist College and was rebaptized into the Church Feb. 6, 1856. On the 1st of March he was ordained a Priest, on the 29th an Elder, and on the lst on June, 1856, he was sent out as a traveling Elder in the Pembrokeshire conference. Dee. 30, 1856, he was appointed president of the Flintshire conference, which position he filled for one year. Dec. 19, 1856, he was appointed second counselor to the president of the Welsh mission. Having filled his position for a year in the Welsh presidency. David John was moved into England and appointed president of the Nottingham conference, which position he held from January, 1859, till March, 1860, when he was appointed to the pastorate, consisting of three conferences—Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire. In the important position of pastor of one of the great British pastorates, which at that time consisted each of about a hundred churches or branches, be labored till January, 1861, when he was released to emigrate to Utah. April 6, 1861, he sailed in the ship "Manchester," arrived in Salt Lake City on Sept. 13th of the same year, and came direct to Provo. David John is naturally of a ministerial type of man, he having come from a family of ministers. Hence, soon after his arrival in Utah county he quickly fell into his proper sphere, which at length brought him into the presidency of the Utah Stake of Zion. He was ordained a Seventy in December, 1861, and a High Priest and counselor to Bishop Wm. G. Nuttall, of the Third Ward, Sept. 10, 1862. He continued in the same position to Bishop Myron Tanner, and served as a Bishop's counselor altogether fifteen years. In October, 1865, he was appointed by George A. Smith superintendent of Utah Stake Sunday schools, which position he held for twenty-eight years. In 1872, he was made president of the High Priests' quorum of the Stake; he held that position until June 4, 1877, when he was set apart as first counselor to Abraham O. Smoot, in the Stake presidency. In March, 1883, he was appointed agent in Utah Stake of the Presiding Bishopric [p.491] of the Church, and was ordained for that position to the office of a Bishop, by Presiding Bishop Edward Hunter, and Presidents John Taylor and Joseph F. Smith. But during this time David John was sent on a mission to Great Britain, having been called at the April conference of 1871. He left Provo on the 1st of May, and on his arrival in Liverpool he was appointed to preside over the Welsh mission, in which he labored till June, 1872, reviving the work in his native land. He faithfully labored among his own kindred, but ineffectually. He sailed from Liverpool June 13, 1872, and arrived in Salt Lake City July 4, 1872. David John served as counselor to Abraham O. Smoot in the presidency of the Utah Stake of Zion, until the death of President Smoot, March 6, 1895. On the reorganization of the Stake presidency, April 21, 1895, he was chosen as first counselor to President Edward Partridge and served in that capacity till President Partridge's death, Nov. 17, 1900. When the Utah Stake was divided into three Stakes, in January, 1901. David John was chosen and set apart as president of that part of Utah county which retained the old name (Utah Stake) and which embraces Provo and Springville, and a few adjacent settlements. This high and holy position he now occupies. In the educational, business and commercial part of the History of Provo, we have found David John a schoolteacher, and a business man in the Provo Co-operative Institution, on the Provo Woolen Factory, and in the lumber company, which originated with the firm of Smoot and John. He left the factory to fulfil the duties of the Presiding Bishop's agent for the Utah County Stake. (See also Tullidge's Quarterly Magazine, Vol. 3, p. 297.) |
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