Joseph L. Townsend
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2007) |
| Joseph Longking Townsend | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born | 9 August 1849 Canton, Bradford County, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Died | 1 April 1942 (aged 92) Provo, Utah, , United States |
Joseph L. Townsend (August 9, 1849 – April 1, 1942) was a writer of many Latter-day Saint hymns including "Choose the Right" and "Oh, What Songs of the Heart".
Biography[]
Townsend was born in Canton, Bradford County, Pennsylvania. He grew up in Ohio, Kansas and Missouri. Townsend studied at the University of Missouri.[1] He came to Salt Lake City in 1872 to try to improve his health. While there, he joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Townsend later served as a missionary for the church in the Southern States Mission from 1881 to 1882.[2][3]
Townsend ran a drugstore in Payson, Utah, for 15 years. He then taught for two years at Brigham Young Academy, the predecessor of Brigham Young University. After that, he taught at .[2] He died at Utah County Infirmary in Provo. His poetry included many published works that were not made hymns.[4]
Hymns[]
A number of Townsend's hymns are included in the 1985 Latter-day Saint hymnal:
- #52 "The Day Dawn is Breaking"
- #99 "Nearer, Dear Savior, to Thee"
- #185 "Reverently and Meekly Now"
- #232 "Let Us Oft Speak Kind Words To Each Other"
- #239 "Choose the Right"
- #258 "O Thou Rock Of Our Salvation"
- #259 "Hope of Israel"
- #271 "Oh, Holy Words of Truth and Love"
- #274 "The Iron Rod"
- #286 "Oh, What Songs of the Heart"
References[]
- ^ Cornwall, J. Spencer. Stories of Our Mormon Hymns. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book, 1975) p. 74.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Cornwall. Stories of Our Hymns. p. 74
- ^ "Missionary entry for Joseph Longking Townsend". history.churchofjesuschrist.org. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
- ^ Larsen, Kent (27 July 2014). "Literary OTGD #31: My Friends and I by J. L. Townsend". Times & Seasons. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
External links[]
- Jerry Earl Johnston "New Harmony: The LDS 'giant' I overlooked who penned 'Let Us Oft Speak Kind Words' and 'Choose the Right'", Deseret News, Aug 2, 2017.
- Joseph Longking Townsend memorial at Find a Grave; includes a Salt Lake Tribune obituary.
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- 1849 births
- 1942 deaths
- 19th-century American writers
- 19th-century Mormon missionaries
- American Latter Day Saint hymnwriters
- American Latter Day Saints
- American Mormon missionaries in the United States
- Brigham Young Academy faculty
- Converts to Mormonism
- People from Payson, Utah
- University of Missouri alumni
- Latter Day Saint movement stubs