Nathan Eldon Tanner

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N. Eldon Tanner
Full name Nathan Eldon Tanner
Born May 9, 1898(1898-05-09)
Place of birth Salt Lake City, Utah
Died November 27, 1982 (aged 84)
Place of death Salt Lake City, Utah
LDS Church Apostle
Called by David O. McKay
Ordained October 11, 1962 (aged 64)
Reason for ordination Death of George Q. Morris
End of term November 27, 1982 (aged 84)
Reason for end of term Death
Reorganization at end of term No apostles ordained[1]

Nathan Eldon Tanner (May 9, 1898 – November 27, 1982) was a leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and a politician from the Canadian province of Alberta. He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, but his family soon moved to Aetna outside of Cardston, Alberta, where he was raised.

Contents

[edit] Life as a politician

Tanner was elected as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in 1935, he served in the legislature for the Alberta Social Credit Party being re-elected multiple times until 1952. During his term in office he served as Speaker of the Alberta Legislative Assembly and Provincial Minister of Lands and Mines.

[edit] Life in the Church

In 1960, Tanner was called to be an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and a full-time general authority of the church. In 1962, Apostle George Q. Morris's passing opened up a vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, which Tanner was called to fill. Named to the Quorum of the Twelve in October 1962, he was its second most junior member one year later when he was called into the First Presidency as second counselor to Church President David O. McKay. Tanner remained in this position for the presidency of Joseph Fielding Smith (1970-1972), and then became first counselor to Smith's successor Harold B. Lee, remaining first counselor to Lee and Spencer W. Kimball until his own death.

It was during Kimball's presidency that Tanner was called upon to read in church general conference the church's announcement that race was no longer to be a barrier to ordination to the priesthood.

Not long afterward, Tanner's health deteriorated and it became impossible for him to shoulder the burdens of his office. With Church President Kimball and second counselor Marion G. Romney also ailing, the decision was made to add Gordon B. Hinckley as an additional counselor to the First Presidency on July 23, 1981. Tanner remained first counselor until his death the following year at age 84.

[edit] Notes

Grave marker of N. Eldon Tanner
Grave marker of N. Eldon Tanner
  1. ^ Tanner was a member of the First Presidency when he died. No additional individuals were added to the First Presidency after his death, and therefore no apostles were ordained as a result of his death.

[edit] External links

Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Preceded by
George Stringham		 MLA Cardston
1935-1952		 Succeeded by
Edgar Hinman
Preceded by
George Johnston		 Speaker of the Alberta Legislative Assembly
1936-1937		 Succeeded by
Peter Dawson
Religious titles
Preceded by
Gordon B. Hinckley		 Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
October 11, 1962–November 27, 1982		 Succeeded by
Thomas S. Monson
v • d • e
Counselors in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Gause (1832) • Rigdon (1832–1844) • Williams (1833–1837) • Cowdery (1837–1838) • H. Smith (1837–1844) • John Smith (1837–1844) • Joseph Smith (1837–1840) • Law (1841–1844) • Bennett (1841–1842) • Lyman (1843–1844) • Kimball (1847–1868) • W. Richards (1847–1854) • Grant (1854–1856) • Wells (1857–1877) • J.F. Smith, Sr. (1866–1901) • G.A. Smith (1868–1875) • J.W. Young (1873–1877) • Cannon (1873–1901) • B. Young (1873–1877) • Snow (1873–1877) • Carrington (1873–1877) • Clawson (1901) • Winder (1901–1910) • Lund (1901–1921) • J.H. Smith (1910–1911) • Penrose (1911–1925) • Ivins (1921–1934) • Nibley (1925–1931) • Clark (1933–1961) • McKay (1934–1951) • S.L. Richards (1951–1959) • Moyle (1959–1963) • Brown (1961–1970) • Tanner (1963–1982) • Isaacson (1965–1970) • J.F. Smith, Jr. (1965–1970) • Dyer (1968–1970) • Lee (1970–1972) • Romney (1972–1985) • Hinckley (1981–1995) • Monson (1985–2008) • Faust (1995–2007) • Eyring (2007– )• Uchtdorf (2008– )
v • d • e
Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
J. Smith • Cowdery • Harris • Whitmer • Marsh • Patten • B. Young, Sr. • H.C. Kimball • Hyde • M'Lellin • P.P. Pratt • L.S. Johnson • Wm. Smith • O. Pratt • Boynton • L.E. Johnson • Page • J. Taylor • W. Woodruff • G.A. Smith • W. Richards • Wight • H. Smith • A.M. Lyman • Benson • Rich • L. Snow • E. Snow • F.D. Richards • J.M. Grant • Wells • G.Q. Cannon • J.A. Young • J.W. Young • J.F. Smith, Sr. • B. Young, Jr. • Carrington • Thatcher • F.M. Lyman • J.H. Smith • Teasdale • H.J. Grant • J.W. Taylor • M.W. Merrill • Lund • A.H. Cannon • M.F. Cowley • A.O. Woodruff • Clawson • Smoot • H.M. Smith • G.A. Smith • Penrose • G.F. Richards • Whitney • McKay • Ivins • J.F. Smith, Jr. • Talmage • S.L. Richards • R.R. Lyman • M.J. Ballard • Widtsoe • J.F. Merrill • Callis • Clark • A.A. Hinckley • Bowen • S.Q. Cannon • Lee • S.W. Kimball • Benson • Petersen • M. Cowley • Moyle • Stapley • Romney • L. Richards • Bennion • Evans • Morris • Brown • Hunter • G.B. Hinckley • Tanner • Monson • Dyer • Packer • Ashton • McConkie • Perry • Haight • Faust • Maxwell • Nelson • Oaks • M.R. Ballard • Wirthlin • Scott • Hales • Holland • Eyring • Uchtdorf • Bednar • Cook • Christofferson
v • d • e
Assistants to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Romney • McKay • Young • Sonne • Smith • Morris • S. Richards • Christiansen • Longden • Brown • Sill • Hinckley • Taylor • Critchlow • Dyer • Tanner • F.D. Richards • Burton • Isaacson • Packer • Brockbank • Cullimore • Hanks • Ashton • Anderson • Haight • Bennett • Vandenburg • Simpson • Stone • Faust • Perry • Fyans • Maxwell • Bangerter • Hales • Komatsu • Wirthlin