William Bell, Jr.: A Pioneer Craftsman Who Built the Furniture of Zion

William Bell, Jr., was a Latter-day Saint pioneer and craftsman whose hand-made furniture—including a pine table and a 'bishop's sofa' preserved among Utah's historical collections—furnished the meetinghouses and homes of the early Saints. A skilled woodworker, Brother Bell consecrated his craft to building up the physical life of the Latter-day Saint settlements. His life is a faith-promoting witness of the pioneer craftsmen whose quiet, skilled labor built the tables, desks, and meetinghouse furniture of early Zion.