- Nathan Eldon Tanner
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Nathan Eldon Tanner 
First Counselor in the First 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 of George Q. Morris 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 Predecessor Gordon B. Hinckley Successor Thomas S. Monson LDS Church Apostle October 11, 1962 – November 27, 1982 Called by David O. McKay Reason Death of George 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 the Legislative Assembly of Alberta In office August 22, 1935 – August 5, 1952 Constituency Cardston Preceded by George Stringam Succeeded by Edgar Hinman Speaker of the Alberta Legislative Assembly In office 1936 – 1937 Preceded by George Johnston Succeeded by Peter Dawson Minister of Lands and Mines In office January 5, 1937 – April 1, 1949 Preceded by Charles Ross Premier William Aberhart and
Ernest ManningMinister of Forestry, Lands and Wildlife In office April 1, 1949 – September 9, 1952 Preceded by Ivan Casey Premier Ernest Manning Minister of Mines and Minerals In office April 1, 1949 – September 9, 1952 Preceded by Ernest Manning Premier Ernest Manning Political party Social Credit Personal details Born May 9, 1898
Salt Lake City, UtahDied November 27, 1982 (aged 84)
Salt Lake City, UtahResting place Salt Lake City Cemetery
40°46′37.92″N 111°51′28.8″W / 40.7772°N 111.858°WNationality 
Canadian and 
AmericanOccupation Teacher, Politician, Religious Leader
Nathan Eldon Tanner (May 9, 1898 – November 27, 1982) was a teacher, business leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and a municipal and provincial 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.Tanner served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1935 to 1952 sitting with the Social Credit caucus in government. During his time in office he served as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly from 1936 to 1937 and as a cabinet minister in the governments of William Aberhart and Ernest Manning from 1937 to 1952, serving in various portfolios related to resource industries.
Contents
Early life
Nathan Eldon Tanner was born on May 9, 1898 in Salt Lake City, Utah. His family had a farmstead just south of Cardston, Alberta. He grew up in southern Alberta, taking his grade school in the town of Aetna, Alberta. He went to high school at Knight Academy in Raymond and received some post-secondary education at Calgary Normal School.[1]
Tanner began his working life at a grocery store and butcher shop. He obtained a job teaching at a small school in Hill Spring in 1919. He met his future wife, Sara Isabelle Merrill, at the school and married her on December 20, 1919.[1]
In addition to teaching, Tanner established his own general store (which 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.[1]
Tanner eventually became a high school teacher in Cardston. He got his start in the political arena serving as a councillor on Cardston Town Council.[1]
Political career
Tanner was drafted to run for a seat to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for the first time in the 1935 Alberta general election. He ran as a Social Credit candidate in the electoral district of Cardston. He won the three-way race, easily defeating incumbent United Farmers MLA George Stringam.[2]
After the election, and despite his complete lack of parliamentary experience, Tanner was chosen to be Speaker of the Alberta Legislature when the first session of the 8th Alberta Legislative Assembly began. He filled that role until 1937 when he was appointed as a cabinet minister.[3]
Premier William Aberhart appointed Tanner to the Executive Council of Alberta (cabinet) as the Minister of Lands and Mines on January 5, 1937. He ran for a second term in office in the 1940 Alberta general election with ministerial advantage. Tanner barely kept his seat, winning a hotly contested two-way race against Independent candidate S.H. Nelson.[4]
Tanner ran for a third term in office in the 1944 Alberta general election. He faced a three-way race and won easily despite his popular vote dropping slightly from the previous election. The popular vote of the opposition candidates collapsed.[5]
The 1948 Alberta general election would see Tanner run for his fourth term in office. He easily won a two-way race over Liberal candidate Briant Stringam to hold his seat.[6]
A year after the 1948 election, Premier Manning changed Tanner's ministerial portfolio. Lands and Mines was changed to Lands and Forests and he was also given the Mines and Minerals portfolio. He served in both of those ministries until his retirement from the Legislature at dissolution in 1952.
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 LDS church. In the church, he preferred to be referred to as "N. Eldon Tanner". 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.
Death
Tanner was a member of the First Presidency when he died on November 27, 1982. No additional individuals were added to the First Presidency after his death, and therefore no apostles were ordained as a result of his death.
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Grave marker of N. Eldon Tanner
References
- ^ a b c d Hugh B. Brown (November 1972). "President N. Eldon Tanner: A Man of Integrity". Ensign (Church of Later Day Saints): p. 13. http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=25740b2e72c1c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD.
- ^ "Cardston Official Results 1935 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/maps_choice.php?Year=1935&Constit=Cardston. Retrieved April 29, 2010.
- ^ Parliamentary Debates, Legislative Assembly of Alberta, May 16, 2006, page 1593.
- ^ "Cardston Official Results 1940 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/maps_choice.php?Year=1940&Constit=Cardston. Retrieved April 29, 2010.
- ^ "Cardston Official Results 1944 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/maps_choice.php?Year=1944&Constit=Cardston. Retrieved April 29, 2010.
- ^ "Cardston Official Results 1948 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/maps_choice.php?Year=1948&Constit=Cardston. Retrieved April 29, 2010.
External links
- Legislative Assembly of Alberta Members Listing
- Grampa Bill's G.A. Pages: N. Eldon Tanner
- BYU: Nathon Eldon Tanner
- Find-A-Grave biography
Categories:- 1898 births
- 1982 deaths
- American emigrants to Canada
- Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Canadian Latter Day Saints
- Canadian religious leaders
- Speakers of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
- Social Credit Party of Alberta MLAs
- Counselors in the First Presidency (LDS Church)
- People from Cardston County, Alberta
- Assistants to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
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