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John Lyon (T. Lyon)

T. Edgar Lyon, Jr.

© 1989 Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University. All rights reserved.

About This Book

This book is the life story of a remarkable, self-made man. From a stone tenement in the slums of Glasgow to a log cabin in the harsh environment of the Salt Lake valley, John Lyon: The Life of a Pioneer Poet flows with vivid details of one of Mormondom's premier poets. Taking readers back to John's early years, the book recreates early nineteenth-century Scotland, providing an analysis of the social milieu in which he existed interspersed with autobiographical accounts of his own youthful experiences, including the death of his father, John's apprenticeship to a weaver at age nine, and his efforts at self-education.

As his story continues, we see his bright hopes become reality. In his early twenties, John opened his own weaving business, married a "Holm Lassie of much respectability," and although he could barely read and could not yet write, joined an intellectual fraternity to pursue his goal of learning. Soon he was having simple verses published, and for nearly twenty years he contributed to the local papers poems, stories, character sketches, news reports, and opinions. Still a weaver by trade, he made his writing the warp and weave of his existence.

Then the gospel found him. He embraced it fully and anxiously awaited the "call" to join the Saints in Zion. When it came, the fifty-year-old poet-weaver gathered his family, bade farewell to his native Scotland, sailed across the ocean, and trudged another 1,400 miles on foot to establish a new home in a desert valley. Without complaint he began anew, weaving, writing, and serving the Lord.

As well as telling the story, the author explores the poetry and prose of John Lyon, comparing and analyzing its merits and giving background information on the various writings. Appendices include his poetry and prose.