Difference between revisions of "Thomas C. Griggs"

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Thomas C. Griggs was a choir director and hymn writer. He wrote the music to the hymn “Gently Raise the Sacred Strain” (#146), which was included in the 1985 Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square has used the hymn for more than 75 years as the opening song in the Music and the Spoken Word broadcasts. He also wrote the music for hymn #87, “God Is Love,” and many other hymns.

Griggs was born on June 19, 1845, in Dover, England. His mother had converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and he was baptized in 1856. They traveled with a group of Latter-day Saints to Boston, Massachusetts. After the outbreak of the Civil War, they moved to Utah Territory, traveling with the Joseph Horne pioneer handcart company. His father had died in 1854.

Griggs furthered his musical interests when he joined the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in 1866. Under Robert Sands as the conductor of the choir, Griggs served as the assistant choir director. He remained with the choir for the remainder of his life, except for the short time he served as a missionary in Britain. While he was serving his mission, he was called to be the Tabernacle Choir’s conductor. Ebenezer Beesley was the acting conductor in his absence. Upon returning in October 1881, Griggs agreed to let Beesley continue as permanent conductor and he would act as his assistant.

He also assisted with the compilation of hymns found in the Latter-day Saint Psalmody and the first song book published by the Deseret Sunday School Union. He served as a member of the general board of the Deseret Sunday School Union from 1889 to his death in 1903. He also worked as the business manager for the last three years of his life. He served as superintendent of the 15th Ward in Salt Lake City and then as superintendent of the Sunday School for the Salt Lake Stake.

Griggs lived the law of plural marriage, with wives Jeanette and Mary Ann (known as “Mollie”). He married Jeanette in 1870 and Mollie in 1879. He was arrested in May 1887 for unlawful cohabitation due to the Edmunds Act of 1882. He was the father of twenty children, four of whom died in childhood.[1]

He died on August 12, 1903, at his Teton ranch.