Louis F. Moench
Encyclopedia
Louis Frederick Moench was the founder of Weber Stake Academy
and the father of education in Northern Utah, on the same level of importance as John R. Park
and Karl G. Maeser
to the development of education in Utah.
Moench was born in Neuffen
, Germany
. He was educated in Germany, but before completing studies at a gymnasium came to Chicago
with his family. He eventually graduated from Bryant & Stratton College there. He then headed west with the intention of becoming an educator in California. However he stopped in Salt Lake City and through the kindness of the people there came to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For a short time Moench was an instructor at the University of Deseret (the predecessor of the University of Utah
) and then moved to Ogden, Utah
.
In Ogden, Moench was supervisor of the city and county schools. He also was for nine years the principal of the Weber Stake Academy. He was succeeded as head of the academy in 1902 by David O. McKay
.
Moench also served as a missionary
for the LDS Church in Switzerland
and Germany. While on this mission he published many materials in German
. The most notable of these was the hymn "Hark, All Ye Nations" set to music by George F. Root. This hymn became the most loved hymn of the German-speaking Latter-day Saints and was translated into English and published as part of the 1985 version of the LDS hymnbook
.
Moench was also the assistant superintendent of the Sunday Schools
of the Weber
Stake under Richard Ballantyne
.
Weber State University
Weber State University is a public university located in the city of Ogden in Weber County, Utah, USA. It was founded in 1889 and is a coeducational, publicly supported university offering professional, liberal arts and technical certificates, as well as associate, bachelor's and master's degrees...
and the father of education in Northern Utah, on the same level of importance as John R. Park
John R. Park
John Rockey Park was a prominent educator in the Territory and State of Utah in the late 19th century, and in many ways was the intellectual father of the University of Utah....
and Karl G. Maeser
Karl G. Maeser
-Brigham Young Academy:When Maeser arrived at Brigham Young Academy in 1876 it was dying. Enrollment had declined since Warren N. Dusenberry had started the school a few months before. There were only 29 students at the time of Maeser's arrival....
to the development of education in Utah.
Moench was born in Neuffen
Neuffen
Neuffen is a town in the district of Esslingen, in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany.-Geography:It is located 14 km northeast of Reutlingen, and 28 km southeast of Stuttgart....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. He was educated in Germany, but before completing studies at a gymnasium came to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
with his family. He eventually graduated from Bryant & Stratton College there. He then headed west with the intention of becoming an educator in California. However he stopped in Salt Lake City and through the kindness of the people there came to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For a short time Moench was an instructor at the University of Deseret (the predecessor of the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
) and then moved to Ogden, Utah
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
.
In Ogden, Moench was supervisor of the city and county schools. He also was for nine years the principal of the Weber Stake Academy. He was succeeded as head of the academy in 1902 by David O. McKay
David O. McKay
David Oman McKay was the ninth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , serving from 1951 until his death. Ordained an apostle and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1906, McKay was a general authority for nearly 64 years, longer than anyone else in LDS Church...
.
Moench also served as a missionary
Missionary (LDS Church)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
for the LDS Church in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and Germany. While on this mission he published many materials in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
. The most notable of these was the hymn "Hark, All Ye Nations" set to music by George F. Root. This hymn became the most loved hymn of the German-speaking Latter-day Saints and was translated into English and published as part of the 1985 version of the LDS hymnbook
Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1985 book)
Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the official hymn book of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ....
.
Moench was also the assistant superintendent of the Sunday Schools
Sunday School (LDS Church)
Sunday School is an official auxiliary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . All members of the church and any interested nonmembers, age 12 and older, are encouraged to participate in Sunday School.-Purpose:...
of the Weber
Weber County, Utah
Weber County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah, occupying a stretch of the Wasatch Front, part of the eastern shores of Great Salt Lake, and much of the rugged Wasatch Mountains. As of the 2000 census, the population was 196,533, an increase of 24.1% over its population in 1990. By...
Stake under Richard Ballantyne
Richard Ballantyne
Richard Ballantyne was the founder of the Sunday School of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, having begun the program in December 1849. He was also a Mormon pioneer and missionary....
.
Sources
- Karen Lynn DavidsonKaren Lynn DavidsonKaren Lynn Davidson is a Latter-day Saint hymnwriter, author and literary critic. Davidson has written widely on the hymns of both The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and of the Community of Christ....
. The Stories of Our Latter-day Saint Hymns. (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1988) p. 413. - Andrew JensonAndrew JensonAndrew Jenson, born Anders Jensen, was a Danish immigrant to the United States who acted as an Assistant Church Historian of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for much of the early-twentieth century...
. LDS Biographical Encyclopedia. Vol. 2, p. 244.