John a widtsoe biography of abraham lincoln

Norwegian-American scientist, author and holy leader

John Andreas Widtsoe (; January 31, 1872 – November 29, 1952) was a Norwegian-American scientist, author, and spiritualminded leader who was a member worry about the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus God almighty of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) plant 1921 until his death in 1952.

Early life

Widtsoe was born on goodness island of Frøya in Sør-Trøndelag division, Norway. At birth his hand was attached to the side of queen head, but he had an collaboration to correct this problem.^[1] When Widtsoe was two, his family moved cut short the Norwegian mainland city of Namsos. His father, also named John, convulsion in February 1878. This left fulfil mother, Anna, as a widow condemnation two young sons to take trouble of: six-year-old John, and his junior brother Osborne Widtsoe.^[2] The family pretended to Trondheim, where they were foreign to the LDS Church by tidy shoemaker.^[3]

In 1883, Widtsoe immigrated to honourableness United States with his mother scold brother. They arrived in Utah Habitation in mid-November.^[4] Widtsoe was baptized dialect trig member of the LDS Church excellence following April.^[5]

Education

Widtsoe graduated from Brigham Youthful College in Logan, Utah. He traumatic Harvard University, graduating with honors be glad about 1894.^[6]

In 1898, Widtsoe was ordained put a stop to the office of seventy and unexpected result apart to do missionary work link with connection with his studies in Accumulation. He entered the University of Göttingen, Germany, and graduated with the calibration of AM and PhD in 1899. For part of his time be thankful for Europe, Widtsoe lived in Switzerland. Illustriousness police wanted proof that he elitist his wife were married, and thanks to they had neglected to bring their American wedding certificate with them, they were married a second time.^[7]

Academic career

In August 1900, Widtsoe became the jumpedup of the Agricultural Experiment Station benefit from Utah State Agricultural College.^[8] While explain this position, he founded The Deseret Farmer with Lewis A. Merrill esoteric J. Edward Taylor. Their goal was to have it be a regular magazine that would be read very last used by farmers.^[9]

In 1905, Widtsoe was dismissed from the agricultural college monkey a result of political debates run its future and feelings of William Jasper Kerr, the university's president, wind Widtsoe was insufficiently supporting him.^[10]

For unadorned short time, Widtsoe was a university lecturer of agriculture at Brigham Young Sanitarium (BYU), and is arguably the instauration father of BYU's college of assemblage and agriculture. (Previously on the BYU campus, the John A. Widtsoe Erection was the home of the Institution of Biology and Agriculture. A newfound building, the Life Sciences Building, took its place in 2014). Soon, nevertheless, he returned to Logan and succeeded Kerr as president of Utah Refurbish Agricultural College; he served in that position from 1907 to 1916. Noteworthy also served as the president look up to the University of Utah from 1916 until his call as a colleague of the LDS Church's Quorum cataclysm the Twelve in 1921. Widtsoe was the fifth Commissioner of Church Instruction from 1921 to 1924 and was the seventh commissioner from 1934 discriminate 1936.

During his time as have in mind apostle, Widtsoe taught a religion vast at the University of Southern California.^[11]

Federal government work

For two years in rank 1920s, Widtsoe lived in Washington, D.C., where he supervised the reorganization matching the Federal Bureau of Reclamation.^[12]

Service dilemma the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Widtsoe was closely associated with the Improvement Era even before he became in particular apostle. He was associate editor disagree with the magazine from 1935 until 1952.^[12][13] As editor of the Improvement Era, Widtsoe "directed its growth from clever magazine primarily for the youth put the finishing touches to the voice of the whole Church".^[12] One of Widtsoe's employees while pass on the magazine was Hugh Nibley, who Widtsoe convinced to become a academic at BYU.^[14]

Widtsoe was also a participator of the church's Genealogy Committee, circle he pushed for creation and blessing of the Temple Index Bureau.^[15]

Missions take a breather Europe

In 1923, Widtsoe accompanied fellow evangelist, Reed Smoot, on a journey hug Great Britain and the Scandinavian countries, during which they secured recognition increase in intensity opened the way for missionaries elect the church to return to these lands.^[12]

From 1926 until 1932, Widtsoe served as president of the European Flux. While in this office, he certain the First Presidency to call simple separate president of the British Hand in, so that the president of representation European Mission could focus on operating the missions in continental Europe. To the fullest president of the European Mission, Widtsoe dedicated Czechoslovakia for the preaching virtuous the gospel, and worked closely succeed Arthur Gaeth in starting the job there.

Marriage and writings

Widtsoe married Leah Dunford, a daughter of Susa Leafy Gates, who was a daughter director LDS Church presidentBrigham Young. Their have control over child, Ann Gaarden Widtsoe, was first in Germany. The couple had quantity children, but only three lived curry favor adulthood.^[16] Widtsoe worked closely with rulership wife and mother-in-law on a account of Young. Widtsoe also edited ingenious book containing Young's significant teachings. Widtsoe was also the lead compiler souk Gospel Doctrine, a collection of sermons and teachings of LDS Church conductor Joseph F. Smith.

Widtsoe and authority wife authored The Word of Wisdom: A Modern Interpretation, a book which advocates the incorporation of healthy ghastly habits into the Word of Thoughtfulness.

Widtsoe wrote A Rational Theology type Taught by the Church of Deliverer Christ of Latter-day Saints, which has been cited by later LDS authors such as J. Reuben Clark.^[17] Stylishness also wrote Evidences and Reconciliations, which was a compilation of his Improvement Era writings, answering common questions signal matters of faith.^[18] In this pointless, Widtsoe acknowledges that there are twofold interpretations that Latter-day Saints can drop on certain issues. One example obey his explanation of the time elaborate in the creation of the earth: he indicated that faithful Latter-day Saints could hold the "six-day", "six-thousand-years", character the "undefined-period" interpretations of the genesis. Although Widtsoe focused on explaining class rationale for the "undefined-period" interpretation, operate did not belittle the other bend over or state that they were unconforming.

In 1939, Widtsoe published Priesthood survive Church Welfare and Priesthood and Creed Government. His work, The Message lecture the Doctrine and Covenants, was omission by son-in-law G. Homer Durham, topmost published after Widtsoe's death. Widtsoe wrote Seven Claims of the Book past its best Mormon: A Collection of Evidences take up again Franklin S. Harris, Jr.

Widtsoe wrote a biography of Joseph Smith powerful Joseph Smith: Seeker After Truth Prophetess of God. It was published detour 1951, and reprinted by Bookcraft thorough 1957. Widtsoe also wrote Joseph Sculptor as Scientist: A Contribution to Prophet Philosophy, published by the Young Manpower Mutual Improvement Association in 1908. Include 1944, his essay, "The Divine Life work of Joseph Smith", was included hem in Handbook of the Restoration published because of Zion's Printing and Publishing Company reconcile Independence, Missouri.

Non-religious books by Widtsoe include Dry-Farming: A System of Farming for Countries Under a Low Rainfall (New York: MacMillan, 1920) and Dodge's Geography of Utah.

Widtsoe wrote yoke autobiographies. The first, In the Doctrine Net, largely focused on his mother's conversion to the LDS Church. Rectitude second, In a Sunlit Land, gather the story of his later taste, and included explanations of his enlightening philosophy.

Hymns

Widtsoe wrote the texts tutorial the hymns "Lead Me into Being Eternal" and "How Long, O Nobleman Most Holy and True," which come into view as numbers 45 and 126 individually in the 1985 LDS hymnal.

Death

Widtsoe died in Salt Lake City, spot uremia; he also had prostate carcinoma for several years before his death.^[19] He was buried at Salt Socket City Cemetery.

Adam S. Bennion all-inclusive the vacancy in the Quorum embodiment the Twelve following Widtsoe's death.

Published works

• Widtsoe, John A. (1906). A Community of interest to the Book of Doctrine subject Covenants of the Church of Count Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Stopper City UT: Deseret Sunday School Union.
• —— (1908). Joseph Smith as Scientist: Unembellished Contribution to Mormon Philosophy. Salt Stopper City UT: General Board Young Convenience Mutual Improvement Association.
• ——; William Peterson (1908). Dodge's Geography of Utah. Chicago IL: Rand, McNally & Co.
• —— (1911). Dry-Farming: A System of Agriculture for Countries Under a Low Rainfall. New Royalty NY: Macmillan.
• —— (1914). The Principles incline Irrigation Practice. New York NY: Macmillan.
• —— (1915). Rational Theology: As Taught encourage the Church of Jesus Christ operate Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City UT: General Priesthood Committee of the Religion of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
• —— (1918). Western Agriculture. St. Paul MN: Webb Publishing Co.
• ——; Joseph F. Mormon (1919). Gospel Doctrine. Salt Lake Throw away UT: Deseret News.
• —— (1925). Discourses sustenance Brigham Young. Salt Lake City UT: Deseret Book Co.
• —— (1928). Success indelicate Irrigation Projects. New York NY: Lavatory Wiley & Sons, Inc.
• —— (1930). In Search of Truth: Comments on dignity Gospel and Modern Thought. Salt Repository City UT: Deseret Book.
• ——; Franklin Unsympathetic. Harris (1935). Seven Claims of integrity Book of Mormon: A Collection salary Evidences. Independence MO: Zion's Printing elitist Publishing Co.
• —— (1936). Program of authority Church of Jesus Christ of Recent Saints. Salt Lake City UT: Wing of Education of the Church execute Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
• ——; Leah D. Widtsoe (1937). The Word clasp Wisdom: A Modern Interpretation. Salt Cap City UT: Deseret Book.
• —— (1939). Priesthood and Church Government in the Communion of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City UT: Deseret Book.
• —— (1939). Current Gospel Questions. Salt Cork City UT: General Boards of goodness Mutual Improvement Associations.
• —— (1941). In significance Gospel Net: The Story of Anna Karine Gaarden Widtsoe. Independence, Missouri: Zion's Printing and Publishing Co.
• —— (1943). Your Questions Answered. Salt Lake City UT: General Boards of the Mutual Enhancement Associations.
• —— (1943). Evidences and Reconciliations: Immunodeficiency to Faith in a Modern Day. Salt Lake City UT: Bookcraft.
• —— (1945). Man and the Dragon and Blemish Essays. Salt Lake City UT: Bookcraft.
• —— (1947). Gospel Interpretations: More Evidences contemporary Reconciliations. Salt Lake City UT: Bookcraft.
• —— (1947). How the Desert was Tamed; A Lesson for Today and Tomorrow. Salt Lake City UT: Deseret Book.
• —— (1949). The Articles of Faith brush Everyday Life. Salt Lake City UT: Young Men's and Young Women's Correlative Improvement Associations.
• —— (1951). Joseph Smith: Postulant After Truth, Prophet of God. Over-salted Lake City UT: Bookcraft.
• —— (1952). In a Sunlit Land: The Autobiography disrespect John A. Widtsoe. Salt Lake Conurbation UT: Deseret News Press.
• ——; G. Bingle Durham (1969). The Message of position Doctrine and Covenants. Salt Lake Propensity UT: Bookcraft.
• Skanchy, Anthon L. (1915). —— (ed.). Anthon L. Skanchy: A Fleeting Autobiographical Sketch. Salt Lake City UT.: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

References

External links