| John A. Widtsoe | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Quorum of the Twelve Apostles | |
| March 17, 1921 (1921-03-17) – November 29, 1952 (1952-11-29) | |
| LDS ChurchApostle | |
| March 17, 1921 (1921-03-17) – November 29, 1952 (1952-11-29) | |
| Reason | Death ofAnthon H. Lund;Anthony W. Ivins added toFirst Presidency |
| Reorganization at end of term | Adam S. Bennion ordained |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Andreas Widtsoe (1872-01-31)January 31, 1872 Frøya,Sør-Trøndelag,Norway, United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway |
| Died | November 29, 1952(1952-11-29) (aged 80) 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 /40.7772000; -111.858000 (Salt Lake City Cemetery) |
| Education | Harvard University (AB) University of Göttingen (MA,PhD) |
| Spouse(s) | Leah Dunford |
| Parents | John and Anna Widtsoe |
John Andreas Widtsoe (/ˈwɪtsoʊ/; January 31, 1872 – November 29, 1952) was a Norwegian-American scientist, author, and religious leader who was a member of theQuorum of the Twelve Apostles ofthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1921 until his death in 1952.
Widtsoe was born on the island ofFrøya inSør-Trøndelag county,Norway. At birth his hand was attached to the side of his head, but he had an operation to correct this problem.[1] When Widtsoe was two, his family moved to the Norwegian mainland city ofNamsos. His father, also named John, died in February 1878. This left his mother, Anna, as a widow with two young sons to take care of: six-year-old John, and his younger brotherOsborne Widtsoe.[2] The family moved toTrondheim, where they were introduced to the LDS Church by a shoemaker.[3]
In 1883, Widtsoe immigrated to the United States with his mother and brother. They arrived inUtah Territory in mid-November.[4] Widtsoe was baptized a member of the LDS Church the following April.[5]
Widtsoe graduated fromBrigham Young College inLogan, Utah. He attendedHarvard University, graduating with honors in 1894.[6]
In 1898, Widtsoe was ordained to the office ofseventy andset apart to do missionary work in connection with his studies inEurope. He entered theUniversity of Göttingen,Germany, and graduated with the degrees of AM andPhD in 1899. For part of his time in Europe, Widtsoe lived in Switzerland. The police wanted proof that he and his wife were married, and since they had neglected to bring their American wedding certificate with them, they were married a second time.[7]
In August 1900, Widtsoe became the director of the Agricultural Experiment Station atUtah State Agricultural College.[8] While in this position, he foundedThe Deseret Farmer with Lewis A. Merrill and J. Edward Taylor. Their goal was to have it be a popular magazine that would be read and used by farmers.[9]
In 1905, Widtsoe was dismissed from the agricultural college as a result of political debates about its future and feelings ofWilliam Jasper Kerr, the university's president, that Widtsoe was insufficiently supporting him.[10]
For a short time, Widtsoe was a professor of agriculture atBrigham Young University (BYU), and is arguably the founding father of BYU's college of biology and agriculture. (Previously on the BYU campus, the John A. Widtsoe Building was the home of the College of Biology and Agriculture. A new building, the Life Sciences Building, took its place in 2014). Soon, however, he returned to Logan and succeeded Kerr as president of Utah State Agricultural College; he served in this position from 1907 to 1916. He also served as the president of theUniversity of Utah from 1916 until his call as a member of the LDS Church's Quorum of the Twelve in 1921. Widtsoe was the fifthCommissioner of Church Education from 1921 to 1924 and was the seventh commissioner from 1934 to 1936.
During his time as anapostle, Widtsoe taught a religion class at theUniversity of Southern California.[11]
For two years in the 1920s, Widtsoe lived inWashington, D.C., where he supervised the reorganization of theFederal Bureau of Reclamation.[12]
Widtsoe was closely associated with theImprovement Era even before he became an apostle. He was associate editor of the magazine from 1935 until 1952.[12][13] As editor of theImprovement Era, Widtsoe "directed its growth from a magazine primarily for the youth to the voice of the whole Church".[12] One of Widtsoe's employees while at the magazine wasHugh Nibley, who Widtsoe convinced to become a professor at BYU.[14]
Widtsoe was also a member of the church's Genealogy Committee, where he pushed for creation and adoption of the Temple Index Bureau.[15]
In 1923, Widtsoe accompanied fellow apostle,Reed Smoot, on a journey toGreat Britain and the Scandinavian countries, during which they secured recognition and opened the way for missionaries of the church to return to these lands.[12]
From 1926 until 1932, Widtsoe served aspresident of the EuropeanMission. While in this office, he convinced theFirst Presidency to call a separate president of the British Mission, so that the president of the European Mission could focus on supervising the missions in continental Europe. While president of the European Mission, Widtsoe dedicatedCzechoslovakia for the preaching of the gospel, and worked closely withArthur Gaeth in starting the mission there.
Widtsoe marriedLeah Dunford, a daughter ofSusa Young Gates, who was a daughter of LDS ChurchpresidentBrigham Young. Their first child, Ann Gaarden Widtsoe, was born in Germany. The couple had eight children, but only three lived to adulthood.[16] Widtsoe worked closely with his wife and mother-in-law on a biography of Young. Widtsoe also edited a book containing Young's significant teachings. Widtsoe was also the lead compiler ofGospel Doctrine, a collection of sermons and teachings of LDS Church presidentJoseph F. Smith.
Widtsoe and his wife authoredThe Word of Wisdom: A Modern Interpretation, a book which advocates the incorporation of healthy eating habits into theWord of Wisdom.
Widtsoe wroteA Rational Theology as Taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which has been cited by later LDS authors such asJ. Reuben Clark.[17] He also wroteEvidences and Reconciliations, which was a compilation of hisImprovement Era writings, answering common questions on matters of faith.[18] In this work, Widtsoe acknowledges that there are multiple interpretations that Latter-day Saints can hold on certain issues. One example is his explanation of the time involved in the creation of the earth: he indicated that faithful Latter-day Saints could hold the "six-day", "six-thousand-years", or the "undefined-period" interpretations of the creation. Although Widtsoe focused on explaining the rationale for the "undefined-period" interpretation, he did not belittle the other two or state that they were unorthodox.
In 1939, Widtsoe publishedPriesthood and Church Welfare andPriesthood and Church Government. His work,The Message of the Doctrine and Covenants, was edited by son-in-lawG. Homer Durham, and published after Widtsoe's death. Widtsoe wroteSeven Claims of the Book of Mormon: A Collection of Evidences with Franklin S. Harris, Jr.
Widtsoe wrote a biography ofJoseph Smith entitledJoseph Smith: Seeker After Truth Prophet of God. It was published in 1951, and reprinted byBookcraft in 1957. Widtsoe also wroteJoseph Smith as Scientist: A Contribution to Mormon Philosophy, published by theYoung Men's Mutual Improvement Association in 1908. In 1944, his essay, "The Divine Mission of Joseph Smith", was included inHandbook of the Restoration published by Zion's Printing and Publishing Company inIndependence, Missouri.
Non-religious books by Widtsoe includeDry-Farming: A System of Agriculture for Countries Under a Low Rainfall (New York: MacMillan, 1920) andDodge's Geography of Utah.
Widtsoe wrote two autobiographies. The first,In the Gospel Net, largely focused on his mother's conversion to the LDS Church. The second,In a Sunlit Land, told the story of his later life, and included explanations of his educational philosophy.
Widtsoe wrote the texts to the hymns "Lead Me into Life Eternal" and "How Long, O Lord Most Holy and True," which appear as numbers 45 and 126 respectively in the 1985LDS hymnal.
Widtsoe died inSalt Lake City, ofuremia; he also hadprostate cancer for several years before his death.[19] He was buried atSalt Lake City Cemetery.
Adam S. Bennion filled the vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve following Widtsoe's death.
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| The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles March 17, 1921 – November 29, 1952 | Succeeded by |
| Academic offices | ||
| Preceded by | President ofUtah State University 1907-1916 | Succeeded by Elmer George Peterson |
| Preceded by | President of theUniversity of Utah 1916 – 1921 | Succeeded by |
