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Valiant As A Lion: John Nicholson

John Nicholson was born 13 July 1839, in Roxbury, Scotland. When he was 10 years of age, the family moved to Edinburgh where they lived in poverty. At one time, John worked in a tobacco factory for 36 cents per week, which monies he turned over to his mother for the support of the family.

When he was sixteen years old “He heard a Mormon elder preaching on the green. The crowd hooted and yelled and insulted the elder, but John Nicholson was deeply impressed with what the elder said and on April 8, 1861, he was baptized.”

Two years later in April 1863, John was ordained an elder and asked by “President George Q. Cannon of the European Mission to devote his entire time to the ministry. The call came as a severe trial to him as his mother was just recovering from a severe attack of inflammatory rheumatism and was in a weakened condition, and his father was out of employment. The responsibility of the support of the family largely rested upon the shoulders of John. But in three days, on April 23, 1863, he was on his way to Leeds, England, with but sixty cents in his pocket, exclusive of his railroad fare. During his mission he presided over the Sheffield and Birmingham conferences and held other important positions in all of which he showed ability.” And through all of this continued to care for his family.

And thus began the ministry of John Nicholson. Over the ensuing decades he raised a large family, served numerous missions at home and abroad and served with distinction in numerous Church and civic capacities. When he passed away in 1909, the Deseret News described him as, “One of God’s noblemen, kind-hearted and gentle and yet valiant as a lion in defense of truth, honest and faithful and unselfish. There was room in his heart for all mankind. He was relentless in his war against error and hypocrisy. The enemies of the Church feared his pen, for when he wielded it in defense of the right.”

Thomas Romney in his “History of the Deseret News” wrote of John, “He was a forceful speaker, with the gift of language and having a voice both strong and musical. Few men in the Church had a more thorough knowledge of the gospel than he, and he kept well informed on world affairs. He was independent in his thinking but was extremely loyal to the priesthood and was an outstanding defender of the faith.”

Elder Orson F. Whitney of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said of him, “He possessed an intrepid soul. I never have known a braver man than John Nicholson. If he ever feared man either morally or physically, I was never aware of it”

John Nicholson overcame his poverty and obscurity and among other gifts and talents became a poet. Most today will not recognize his name but they will know and revere a poem that John wrote that was later set to music. And knowing what you now know about John Nicholson, perhaps these words set to music will have a greater meaning.

“Come, follow me,” the Savior said.

Then let us in his footsteps tread,

For thus alone can we be one

With God’s own loved, begotten Son.

It is hymn 116, Come, Follow Me. John Nicholson followed the Savior and so must we.

Sources: This story is drawn from numerous articles at https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/memories/KW6D-CT4