William Willes

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

William Willes (1814–1890) was an early Latter Day Saint songwriter and, along with Hugh Findlay, was one of the first Mormon missionaries to enter India.

Willes was born in England. He was well-educated and by the age of 22 became head of a boys' school in Cardiff, Wales. He lost his position as a result of joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in 1848.[1] In 1851 he and Findlay traveled to India, where they met limited success. He sailed for the United States in 1855.

Willes served as a "Sabbath School missionary" after his arrival in Utah. He was an accomplished singer and premiered a song by Eliza R. Snow at the Salt Lake City July 4th celebration in 1861.[2][3]

Willes has the following hymns to his credit in the current LDS hymnal:

  • Come Along, Come Along, 244
  • Thanks for the Sabbath School, 278

Willes has no relation to early Mormon figure William S. S. Willes.

[edit] Articles

  • Willes, William (July 15, 1882). "Ornaments and Dress in India". Juvenile Instructor 17: 221. 

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Davidson, Karen Lynn. Our Latter-day Hymns. Deseret Book, 1988, p. 459. ISBN 0-87579-137-9.
  2. ^ Eliza R. Snow: Poems for July. Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History. smithinstitute.byu.edu. [1]. Accessed 19 August 2007.
  3. ^ Deseret News (10 July 1861), p. 148-50.
This article related to the Latter Day Saint movement is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.