Son of Joseph Horne and Maria Maidens. His parents moved to Canada when he was six years old. Here he helped his father clear the timberland, working until he was twenty-four years old. Joseph married Mary Isabella Hales, also a native of England, May 9, 1836. Two months afterward the young couple was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon). Two years later they moved to Far West, Missouri, then made their home in Nauvoo, Illinois. In February 1846 the family joined the first company of Saints that started from Nauvoo, arriving in the valley October 6, 1847 in the Edward Hunter Company in which he was a Captain of Fifty. They lived for two years in the Old Fort. In August of 1850 President Brigham Young called him as one of a committee of four to explore Sanpete valley, his associates being William W. Phelps, Dimmick B. Huntington and Ira Willis. While on this trip he with Phelps and Willis ascended Mount Nebo, so named by Phelps. They located the site of Manti, and dedicated the whole valley for settlement by the Latter-day Saints. In November of the same year Brother Horne accompanied Parley P. Pratt's exploring expedition to the Rio Virgin River, returning in February 1851. In the fall of that year he was one of a company called to go with George A. Smith to Iron County, where they founded the settlement of Parowan where he built the first log cabin. From 1854–58 he superintended the tithing labor and team work on temple block; later he was called to take charge of a company of men sent to the Rio Virgin to make and work a cotton farm. Joseph Horne was a personal friend of President John Taylor and while at his home he met Mary Park Shepherd whom he married Nov. 30, 1856. In 1861 he had charge of a Church company of men and teams called to go back to the Missouri river for emigrants, and on returning was made Captain of one of the companies. He held many positions of trust in both civic and church affairs. He was a school trustee, justice of the peace, city councilman, city water master, bishop's counselor, Sunday school superintendent, high priest, high counselor and patriarch. He was the father of twenty-five children, fifteen of them, including three pairs of twins, being the children of his first wife, Mary Isabelle Hales, and the remaining ten the children of his second wife, Mary Park Shepherd.