John Monroe Moody

The following information is from the website Wikipedia: John Monroe Moody was a member of the Utah Territorial Legislature beginning in 1859 and later along with h is immediate family was one of the original settlers of Thatcher, Arizona. Moody represented Salt Lake City in the territorial legislature from 1859 to 1861. In 1861 he moved to Washington County, Utah, and settled in Pine Valley, Utah. Moody was the bishop of the Thatcher Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from the organization of the ward in May 1883 until his death the following January.

The following information is from the website FamilySearch.org: John Monroe Moody was a tall, dignified looking man with black hair, grey eyes, and well-trimmed chin whiskers. When in public his clothes were always neatly pressed and his boots well shined. He was always meticulous in his appearance and was thought of as a gentleman. He was very outspoken, a characteristic which occasionally go him into trouble – he was strictly honest and scarcely knew the meaning of deceit.

He was the son of John Wyatt Moody & Mary Baldwin – born 16 Feb 1822, in St. Clair County, Alabama – the fifth of six children. The family lived in Iredell County, North Carolina, St. Clair & Montgomery County in Alabama, Wetunipka (in the ‘Indian Territory’ and finally in Texas under the Mexican government. When Texas became part of the United States the sons of John Wyatt were given land grants for serving in the “Grand Army of the Republic of Texas”.

When his father John Wyatt became the state’s first State Auditor, John Monroe worked as a clerk for his father. He later moved just out of Houston on Spring Creek and became a farmer. In 1849, missionaries preaching the gospel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Texas completely changed his life and others in the Moody family. In 1850 his mother joined the church but John Monroe after investigating it thoroughly made up his mind that he would “someday obey it”.

On 2 Jan 1850 he married the widow Margaret Anglin McIntyre who was baptized in March 1850. His brother, William Cresfield and his wife joined the church in 1853 and decided with John’s mother and Aunt Rebecca Anglin to join the main group of saints in Salt Lake City. John remained behind to dispose of the property they owned. He accompanied them to Galveston and returned home to find that his friends had circulated all manner of lies and even threatened his life merely because his family chose to subscribe to what the world called Mormonism. He was baptized on 2 July 1853 in to the church.

The following March he left with a number of saints for Utah and arrived in Salt Lake City on the 20th of Sep 1854. He remained in Salt Lake City for two years and married Elizabeth Poole on the 23rd of Jan 1856 who bore him eleven children. In 1856 he was called with his brother to do missionary work in Texas. While there they met and converted the Damron family – later after their return to Utah, the Moody brothers married two Damron sisters – John Monroe Moody – married Sarah Matilda – William married Cynthia Elizabeth both in the Endowment House on the 20th of December 1857.

While residing in Utah, the family was considered a well-educated, cultured family that took part in church and civic activities. In 1859 & 1860 John Monroe was elected a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Utah. Before his second term was up, he was called in the fall of 1860 to go to southern Utah and help build a settlement and temple in St. George. Even after hearing discouraging accounts of the country, he felt that it was his duty to go. He prayed about what he should do – waking up from sleep, singing an unfamiliar hymn that he could not remember the words to. Looking up the hymn – the words he read the words ‘Be calm and seed to do His will.’ This was the answer to his prayer and he determined to do the will of the Lord.

He started accordingly for St. George with part of his family. After 300 miles they arrived in Pine Valley where he was able to find a vacant home– two of his wives were expecting and it was December – so he decided to remain there for the rest of the winter. He returned to Salt Lake City to attend the Legislature. The following spring he moved the family to St. George where he paid $50 each for two lots. He had been in St. George a short time when he was selected to be a member of the High Council of the Stake.

John procured a farm, cattle & horses and became very busy in the settlement. In 1872 the foundation of the Temple in St. George was laid. Being a member of the School of the Prophets, he was requested to turn out and labor on the foundation one day in each week. The walls went up, the roof on and the lathing was finished in the spring of 1877. During this time in 1874 his 3rd wife, Sarah Margaret passed away leaving 2 children for Elizabeth Poole to care for.

John served as a School Trustee, Justice of the Peace and an Alderman for St. George. He was put in charge of the dances of the town which were held in the Court House & school building – these were successful – he paid off a $1000 debt and had $800 to the good.

In addition to farming, raising cattle and civic duties, John officiated in the Temple. During this time he became acquainted to Margaret Lenora Pace who became his 4th wife when he was 56 years old. His 1 st wife Margaret sued him and got judgment for the house and Elizabeth Poole and family had to rent since Lenora Pace was living in the other house. John was relieved of his mission and thought he would locate somewhere else – he heard of the Gila River being a notable place – he concluded to go there.

Early in 1881, he set out for Arizona accompanied by his wives, Elizabeth and Lenora never doubting that they were doing the will of the Lord in helping to pioneer another frontier. The journey was approximately 600 miles taking more than six weeks. On arriving in the Gila Valley he purchased 150 acres of land, the only place in the entire area under cultivation, took up homesteads for his families and was soon a prosperous farmer.

Smithville (Pima) lay 5 miles west of his farm and had been settled about one year previously – Central Ward was organized and he became the 1st Bishop. After a year the Thatcher Ward was organized and John became the 1st Bishop of that ward. In 1884 several apostles came from Salt Lake City to hold Stake Conference in Pima. It was bitter cold, but John decided to attend and rode the five miles in a wagon. He caught a severe cold and died several days later at age 62. The funeral was held in Pima and all the Sunday School children stood on each side of the road for several blocks adjoining the church to show their respect. He was a man loved and respected by all and never failed to accept and preform with ability any assignment given him.

Abridged from Moody Family Record by E. Grant Moody, Ph.D.

Son of John Wyatt Moody and Mary Baldwin. Husband of Margaret Anglin, Elizabeth Pool, Sarah Matilda Damron and Margaret Lenora Pace.

• Updated from Find A Grave Memorial via mother Mary Moody (born Baldwin) by SmartCopy: Sep 24 2015, 10:12:09 UTC