Nathan Eldon Tanner
| N. Eldon Tanner | |
|---|---|
 | |
| First Counselor in theFirst Presidency | |
| December 30, 1973– November 27, 1982 | |
| Called by | Spencer W. Kimball |
| Reason | Reorganization of First Presidency |
| First Counselor in the First Presidency | |
| July 7, 1972– December 26, 1973 | |
| Called by | Harold B. Lee |
| Reason | Reorganization of First Presidency |
| End reason | Dissolution of First Presidency upon the death of Harold B. Lee |
| Second Counselor in the First Presidency | |
| January 23, 1970– July 2, 1972 | |
| Called by | Joseph Fielding Smith |
| Reason | Reorganization of First Presidency |
| End reason | Dissolution of First Presidency upon the death of Joseph Fielding Smith |
| Second Counselor in the First Presidency | |
| October 4, 1963– January 18, 1970 | |
| Called by | David O. McKay |
| Reason | Death ofHenry D. Moyle |
| End reason | Dissolution of First Presidency upon the death of David O. McKay |
| Quorum of the Twelve Apostles | |
| October 11, 1962– October 4, 1963 | |
| Called by | David O. McKay |
| Reason | Death ofGeorge Q. Morris |
| LDS ChurchApostle | |
| October 11, 1962– November 27, 1982 | |
| Called by | David O. McKay |
| Reason | Death ofGeorge Q. Morris |
| Reorganization at end of term | No apostles ordained |
| Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles | |
| October 8, 1960– October 11, 1962 | |
| Called by | David O. McKay |
| End reason | Called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles |
| Member of theLegislative Assembly of AlbertaforCardston | |
| In office | |
| August 22, 1935 – August 5, 1952 | |
| Predecessor | George Stringam |
| Successor | Edgar Hinman |
| Speaker of the Alberta Legislative Assembly | |
| In office | |
| February 6, 1936 – January 4, 1937 | |
| Predecessor | George Johnston |
| Successor | Peter Dawson |
| Minister of Lands and Mines | |
| In office | |
| January 5, 1937 – April 1, 1949 | |
| Predecessor | Charles Ross |
| Premier | William Aberhartand Ernest Manning |
| Minister of Forestry, Lands and Wildlife | |
| In office | |
| April 1, 1949 – September 9, 1952 | |
| Predecessor | Ivan Casey |
| Premier | Ernest Manning |
| Minister of Mines and Minerals | |
| In office | |
| April 1, 1949 – September 9, 1952 | |
| Predecessor | Ernest Manning |
| Premier | Ernest Manning |
| Political party | Social Credit |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 9, 1898 Salt Lake City,Utah,United States |
| Died | November 27, 1982(aged 84) Salt Lake City,Utah,United States |
| Resting place | Salt Lake City Cemetery 40°46′37.92″N111°51′28.8″W/ 40.7772000°N 111.858000°W |
| Occupation | Teacher, Politician, Religious Leader |
| Spouse(s) |
Sara Isabelle Merrill
(m.1919) |
| Children | 5 daughters |
Nathan Eldon Tanner(May 9, 1898 – November 27, 1982) was a Canadian politician and a leader ofthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints(LDS Church). He served in theLegislative Assembly of Albertafrom 1935 to 1952 as a member of theSocial Creditcaucus in government. He served as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly from 1936 to 1937 and as a cabinet minister in the governments ofWilliam AberhartandErnest Manningfrom 1937 to 1952, in various portfolios related to resource industries.
Early life
[edit]Tanner was born on May 9, 1898, inSalt Lake City,Utah,to Nathan William Tanner and Sarah Edna Brown Tanner. He had seven younger siblings.[1]His family emigrated toCanadaand had a farmstead inAetna,south ofCardston, Alberta,where he grew up and attended grade school. He attended high school at Knight Academy inRaymondand received some postsecondary education at Calgary Normal School.[2]
Tanner began his working life at a grocery store and butcher shop. He obtained a job teaching at a small school inHill Springin 1919. He met Sara Isabelle Merrill at the school and married her on December 20, 1919[2]and they became the parents of five daughters.[3]
Along with teaching, Tanner also established his own general store, which later also became the local post office, to supplement his family income. The store was successful enough that he left his first teaching job in Hill Spring to run the store full-time.[2]
Tanner eventually became a high school teacher[2]and school principal in Cardston.[1]He got his start in politics as a councillor on the Cardston Town Council.[2]
Political career
[edit]Tanner was drafted to run for a seat to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for the first time in the1935 general election.He ran as aSocial Creditcandidate in the electoral district of Cardston and defeated the incumbentUnited FarmersMLAGeorge Stringam.[4]
After the election and despite his complete lack of parliamentary experience, Tanner was chosen to be fifth-ever Speaker of the Alberta Legislature when the first session of the8th Alberta Legislative Assemblybegan. He served in that role until January 5, 1937, when PremierWilliam Aberhartappointed Tanner the Minister of Lands and Mines.[5]His time in this capacity and as legislator spanned 16 years.[1]
In the1940 general election,Tanner defeated the independent candidate S.H. Nelson in a two-way race.[6]
In the1944 general election,Tanner won a three-way race.[7]
In the1948 Alberta general election,Tanner easily won a two-way race over theLiberalcandidate Briant Stringam to hold his seat.[8]
In 1949,Ernest Manningchanged Tanner's ministerial portfolio from Lands and Mines to Lands and Forests. Tanner was also appointed Minister of Mines and Minerals and held both portfolios until his retirement from the Legislature at its dissolution in 1952.
LDS Church
[edit]In 1960, Tanner wascalledas anAssistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles,a full-time LDS Churchgeneral authority.He had previous experience in church leadership, having served as abishop,branch president,andstake presidentin Canada.[1]In the church, he preferred to be referred to as "N. Eldon Tanner." In 1962, the death ofGeorge Q. Morriscreated a vacancy in theQuorum of the Twelve Apostles,[citation needed]which Tanner was called to fill in October 1962.[1]He was still the quorum's junior member one year later when he was called into theFirst Presidencyas second counselor to churchpresidentDavid O. McKay.Tanner remained in that position for the church presidency ofJoseph Fielding Smith(1970–1972) and then became first counselor to Smith's successor,Harold B. Leeand later toSpencer W. Kimballuntil Tanner's death.[citation needed]He thus served as counselor to four church presidents. While Tanner was a member of the First Presidency, the membership numbers of the church grew from 1.7 million to 5 million.[1]
Tanner was presented with theAmerican Academy of Achievement’sGolden Plate Award at a ceremony in 1972 at Salt Lake City.[9]
As the First Presidency, Kimball, Tanner, andMarion G. Romneyannounced the reception of theRevelation on Priesthoodin June 1978, which established that being of black African descent would no longer be abarrier to ordinationto the church'spriesthood.The announcement was canonized as "Official Declaration 2"in the church'sDoctrine and Covenants.Tanner formally presented the announcement for acceptance by the church at ageneral conferencein October 1978.[10]
Not long afterward, Tanner's health deteriorated, and it became impossible for him to continue the duties of his office. Kimball and Romney were also ailing, and the decision was made to addGordon B. Hinckleyas an additional counselor to the First Presidency on July 23, 1981, withNeal A. Maxwellordained to take Hinckley's seat in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Tanner remained first counselor until his death on November 27, 1982, at the age of 84. Because of the appointments of Maxwell and Hinckley the prior year, no additional individuals were added to the First Presidency and no apostles were ordained as a result of his death.
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Grave marker of N. Eldon Tanner
Notes
[edit]- ^abcdefMcCune, George M. (1991).Personalities in the Doctrine and Covenants and Joseph Smith–History.Salt Lake City, Utah: Hawkes Publishing. p. 136.ISBN9780890365182.
- ^abcdeHugh B. Brown(November 1972)."President N. Eldon Tanner: A Man of Integrity".Ensign.LDS Church. p. 13.
- ^Flake, Lawrence R. (2001).Prophets and Apostles of the Last Dispensation.Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University. pp. 223–28.
- ^"Cardston Official Results 1935 Alberta general election".Alberta Heritage Community Foundation.Retrieved29 April2010.
- ^Shariff, Shiraz,ActingSpeaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta(16 May 2006)."Vignettes from the Assembly's History"(PDF).Parliamentary Debates (Hansard).Legislative Assembly of Alberta. p. 1593.Archived(PDF)from the original on 1 July 2023.
Nathan Eldon Tanner, the Member for Cardston and representing the Social Credit Party, became the fifth Speaker of the Legislative Assembly in 1936. He presided over only 46 sitting days and 333 calendar days, the shortest tenure of any Speaker, before being appointed as minister of lands and mines. He is thought to be the first member of the Mormon faith to serve as Speaker in the British Commonwealth.
- ^"Cardston Official Results 1940 Alberta general election".Alberta Heritage Community Foundation.Retrieved29 April2010.
- ^"Cardston Official Results 1944 Alberta general election".Alberta Heritage Community Foundation.Retrieved29 April2010.
- ^"Cardston Official Results 1948 Alberta general election".Alberta Heritage Community Foundation.Retrieved29 April2010.
- ^"Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement".www.achievement.org.American Academy of Achievement.
- ^N. Eldon Tanner,"Revelation on Priesthood Accepted, Church Officers Sustained",Ensign,November 1978.
References
[edit]- "President N. Eldon Tanner Dies",Ensign,January 1983.
External links
[edit]- Legislative Assembly of Alberta Members Listing
- General Authorities and General Officers: Elder Nathan Eldon Tanner
- BYU: Nathan Eldon Tanner
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| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
- 1898 births
- 1982 deaths
- 20th-century Canadian politicians
- Alberta Social Credit Party MLAs
- American emigrants to Canada
- American general authorities (LDS Church)
- Apostles (LDS Church)
- Assistants to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
- Canadian general authorities (LDS Church)
- Counselors in the First Presidency (LDS Church)
- Doctrine and Covenants people
- Members of the Executive Council of Alberta
- People from Cardston County
- Speakers of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
- Tanner family