--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Lyon, David R. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 13 number: 2 published: 1909-12 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'David R. Lyon, "John Lyon, Poet and Writer," *Improvement Era* 13, no. 2 (December 1909): 136–142.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1302unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera1302unse start_page: 136 end_page: 142 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1909-12) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1302unse publication_year: 1909 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1909, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # John Lyon, Poet and Writer John Lyon, Poet and Writer. BY DAVID R. LYON. To John Lyon belongs the distinction of having been the first person in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to pub- lish a volume of poems. He was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on the 4th of March, 1803. His father, Thomas Lyon, was a surgeon in the British ser- vice, and his mother's maiden name was Janet McArthur. From his early youth he had imbibed a thirst for knowl- edge, but in those days books were luxuries, and schools were mostly for the rich, so that he had little chance to get an education. His mother taught him how to read and write, and with this for a foundation, his natural talents asserted themselves. At an JOHN LYON. early age he began to write From an Oil Painting;. verse. Some of his writings were in the form of songs, which attained more or less popularity in the neighborhood. His real start as a writer, however, was made when he was sixteen years of age. At this time he became a member of a literary society, and began writing essays and poems, many of which ap- peared in the local press. Later on he was engaged as travel- JOHN LYON, POET AND WRITER. 137 ing agent and news reporter for the Western Watchman, at that time an influential Kilmarnock paper, published in the interest of Dr. Chalmers and his reform movement. In 1832, there was great stagnation in Great Britain, in nearly all trades, which caused much destitution among the work- ing classes. So great was the suffering in Scotland that a com- mittee of twelve men was appointed to make an investigation into the matter. John Lyon, as one of this committee, was asked by a town councilor to make a report upon the great destitution then prevailing, which he did. Three weeks afterwards this report was print- ed in full in the Lon- don Times, occupy- ing four columns. It had previously been read in the House of Commons by the Hon. Wallace, of Kelly. Needless to say, this publica- tion caused a great sensation, as poli- ticians tried to make political capital out of it. After this event the services of young Lyon were in JOHN LYON. much demand. From a photo taken on his 80th birthday. Like most na- tives of Scotland, John Lyon was early taught the precepts and principles of the Presbyterian faith, but, to his mind, many of the doctrines of that church made God appear as a monster, especially the one that consigned little children to hell forever, because their parents had failed to have them baptized before death: aml'the 138 IMPROVEMENT ERA. doctrine of election, which Robert Burns said, "sends one to heaven and ten to hell," and all for the glory of God. Being of a religious turn of mind, he attended church, but never could bring his judgment to an acceptance of some of the doc- trines taught. While in this state of mind, elders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints arrived in Scotland and be- gan preaching. Young Lyon was fortunate enough to be one of those attracted by the principles they taught, and on the 31st of March, 1844, he was baptized into the Church. Regarding his feelings at the time he joined the Church, Elder Lyon wrote a poem for the Millennial Star, from which we quote one stanza: How sweet the gospel message came, When first I learned its light and power; 'Twas all an anxious heart could claim, It and the scriptures were the same. I was a "Mormon 1 ' from that hour! But there'were other truths to learn Which then I could not w ell discern. r The month fallowing his baptism he was ordained an elder and appointed to preside over the Kilmarnock branch. Subse- quently he was called on a mission to England, and selected to preside over the Worcestershire conference. Here he labored for three years. On being released he was appointed- president of the Glasgow conference, in 1852. He occupied this position till the following year, when he was released to gather to Utah. During the time that Elder Lyon was in the mission field, he wrote quite a number of poems for the Millennial Star, besides numerous other pieces. Before leaving for Utah, in 1853, these writings were collected and published under the title, The Harp of Zion, the work being published for the benefit of the Perpetual Emigrating Fund. Many thousand copies of this book were printed and sold. Crossing the ocean in those days was quite different from what it is today. Elder Lyon kept a diary of the voyage, which he had printed after arriving in America. From this we find that the passengers went on board the ship on February 21, but owing to unfavorable winds did not make a start until the 28th, when JOHN LYON, POET AND WRITER. 139 the ship was towed out to sea for twenty miles by a steamer. The ship landed in New Orleans on April 23, over two months after the time the passengers went on board. A notable event occurred on this voyage, which is perhaps the only one of the kind in the history of the Church: Captain David Brown and nearly all of the crew of the ship International were baptized while crossing the ocean. Elder Lyon spent a few days in New Orleans, after which he embarked for St. Louis, where he landed after a voyage of eight days. From here he went to Keokuk, at which place he secured an outfit to cross the plains. After the usual trials of such a journey, he landed in Salt Lake City, September, 1853. The stern realities of life now asserted themselves, and tem- poral matters, for the time, were uppermost. Winter was ap- proaching, so Brother Lyon secured a small house in the Thir- teenth ward. Logs were hauled from the canyon for fuel. Po- tatoes were secured by digging them on shares. For nearly six months the principal diet of himself and family was potatoes and salt. After returning from the "move" south, at the time of the advent of Johnston's army, he settled in the Twentieth Ward, Salt Lake City, where he spent the remainder of his days. During all the years of his life, Brother Lyon did more or less writing, both in verse and prose. Some of his earliest pieces were in his native Scotch, and are still remembered by his associ- ates of those days. As late as 1895, the Kilmarnock Standard published a retrospect of his life, together with one of his poems, besides comments on the arguments he used in advocacy of the principles of "Mormonism.'' The following is an excerpt from the article referred to: John Lyon was a poet worthy of his name. There was a rampant nobility in his nature. He spoke in advance of his time. Society was slow of faith to the facts uttered by him. He had clear views of pro- gressive perfection, and declared that the summit could only be reached by perpetual culture, and that those who left this world in a state of mental doltism, would be set on a very low stool in the next. Some of Brother Lyon's poems were classical in their compo- 140 IMPROVEMENT ERA. Among these may be named, "Reflections on a Banknote," sition. "Ode to Morn," and "Water," besides many others. Always a lover of liberty and fair play, after his arrival in America he im- bibed the spirit of liberty to a still greater degree. One of his poems entitled "Young America," published in the Mountaineer, fairly glows with this feeling, as the following stanza will show: Liberty's the freeman's glory! Touch it, and you touch his life; Let the foe be young or hoary, Keen will be the fight and gory, Ere he yields in slavery's strife. Mind! his soul is great and noble, Count the cost before you trouble, Mark, his children and his wife. Another poem, written at the time of the Civil War, shows the feeling that possessed the people here. Two verses follow: 'Tis for freedom and right the Saints will fight, No matter be they who oppose; And those who conspire, light their own fun'ral fire, For to us, and to freedom, they're foes. There's danger — beware, in the lion's lair, And the hunted tiger's growl, 'Twill be worse than death to cross their path, When galled by oppression's rule. While the eagle soars o'er our rock-girt shores, And the Stars and Stripes entwine, We will express our thankfulness At freedom's holy shrine, For those honored men, whom the mob contemn, Afar from the fighting world, Who knew what was right, from tyrant's might, By God's own truth unfurled. Another poem of about this period, in blank verse, refers to the prediction made by the Prophet Joseph Smith to Stephen A. Douglas. It is entitled "Prophetic Doom," and is as follows: Who is he, that great, little man, erect Above the crowd, whose voice electrifies JOHN LYON, POET AND WRITER. Ill The noisy, senseless mass? see how they stare In breathless ecstasy, to give applause At each turned period of his wild harangue! Hear how he shrieks and moans in mimicry The broken bonds of sable wedded life The squalling papoose from its mother torn — The rope— the thong— the bleeding wounds— the claim That Legree fastens on his weeping slaves. Anon, he pleads in stirring strains the wrongs And woes of slavery. The black depot Where wounds are dressed, and trim attire put on For market, and the heartless human sale, And separation of the darky throng. Thus point by point he lures the thoughtless mind, Till frenzy grasps the phantom of its ire — The spectral image of his rhetoric They rise, as the dark troubled ocean heaves, And with uplifted hands to heaven, they shout, "Hurrah for Douglass and for liberty!" Roused by his wind-made speech of gas, he laughs At the perverted use of eloquence, For other ends designed, to raise himself To fortune, fame and sovereignty. List! now the subject's changed; in holy twang He looks to where the florid sun declines Far o'er the Rocky Mountains in the West, Where "Mormondom" defies the strength of states To war against her crime, and makes the sun, When near her setting, blush in crimson shame, To hear the sequel of their glaring deeds, If tropes and figures could infuse alarms. Hear him, ye gods of man-made worship! How he declaims against fair Deseret, For incest, murder and polygamy. See,how he weeps o'er fallen virtue dead, And cries aloud for vengeance from the heavens, To be revenged on the defiled race, And like another Shylock, vampire, he Demands with savage cry, his pound of flesh! "Yes, yes, extermination, fire and sword 142 IMP KG VEMENT ERA Must end this conflict, with this sacrifice As an atonement for their lustful deeds.''' So spake this little, mighty, selfish man. While the vain, giddy, false-led multitude and sought to raise him up llurra'd again, With buoyant hope, to be their future chief. 'Tis true the Prophet warned him not to raise His voice against the Saints; or, if he did, He never would attain the envied seat His craven soul ambitiously desired. But pride, prosperity and worldly fame Confirmed the prophecy, in his elate A matter of distrust, and so he fell From the dread pinnacle of empty fame, Like the shot-meteor gas above our heads, By its own element expunged, blazed forth, And for a moment seemed a star of heaven. Many other extracts might be given, but these will show the bent of our author's mind. He loved sincerity and hated hypoc- risy with all the strength of his nature. This noble characteristic made him many friends. For a quarter of a century Brother Lyon was librarian of the old Territorial public library, and itwas in this capacity that he became acquainted with nearly all the people who loved books. This was a position to his liking, and one that enlarged his capac- ity of mind. For a number of years he was critic at the Salt Lake theatre, and helped to coach many of the budding thespians of that day, in the art of acting. Besides holding these positions, he had charge of the Endowment House in Salt Lake City for over thirty years, in which capacity he was implicitly trusted. A number of Elder Lyon's hymns are contained in the Latter- day Saints hymn book. Among the number may be mentioned, "Where the Voice of Friendship's Heard," which is often sung. Twenty years ago, in November, Brother Lyon received his release as a resident of this mundane sphere, and was promoted to join his friends on the other side of the veil, among the number being President Brigham Young, with whom he had the honor of being included in a painting entitled, "Brigham Young and his