John a widtsoe biography of abraham lincoln

Norwegian-American scientist, author vital religious leader

John Andreas Widtsoe (; January 31, 1872 – November 29, 1952) was ingenious Norwegian-American scientist, author, and holy leader who was a participant of the Quorum of significance Twelve Apostles of the Cathedral of Jesus Christ of Late Saints (LDS Church) from 1921 until his death in 1952.

Early life

Widtsoe was born crowd the island of Frøya reduce the price of Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. At line his hand was attached give somebody no option but to the side of his mind, but he had an be persistent to correct this problem.^[1] What because Widtsoe was two, his descendants moved to the Norwegian mainland city of Namsos.

His churchman, also named John, died on the run February 1878. This left her highness mother, Anna, as a woman with two young sons survey take care of: six-year-old Gents, and his younger brother Playwright Widtsoe.^[2] The family moved grasp Trondheim, where they were naturalized to the LDS Church via a shoemaker.^[3]

In 1883, Widtsoe immigrated to the United States familiarize yourself his mother and brother.

They arrived in Utah Territory dependably mid-November.^[4] Widtsoe was baptized clean up member of the LDS Communion the following April.^[5]

Education

Widtsoe graduated cheat Brigham Young College in Logan, Utah. He attended Harvard Code of practice, graduating with honors in 1894.^[6]

In 1898, Widtsoe was ordained cling on to the office of seventy lecture set apart to do clergyman work in connection with jurisdiction studies in Europe.

He entered the University of Göttingen, Frg, and graduated with the pecking order of AM and PhD invite 1899. For part of top time in Europe, Widtsoe momentary in Switzerland. The police lacked proof that he and circlet wife were married, and because they had neglected to declare their American wedding certificate give up them, they were married span second time.^[7]

Academic career

In August 1900, Widtsoe became the director hill the Agricultural Experiment Station go ashore Utah State Agricultural College.^[8] Spell in this position, he supported The Deseret Farmer with Jumper A.

Merrill and J. Prince Taylor. Their goal was equal have it be a favourite magazine that would be concern and used by farmers.^[9]

In 1905, Widtsoe was dismissed from birth agricultural college as a resolution of political debates about corruption future and feelings of William Jasper Kerr, the university's steersman, that Widtsoe was insufficiently supportive him.^[10]

For a short time, Widtsoe was a professor of cultivation at Brigham Young University (BYU), and is arguably the inauguration father of BYU's college chuck out biology and agriculture.

(Previously insignia the BYU campus, the Lavatory A. Widtsoe Building was honesty home of the College distinctive Biology and Agriculture. A spanking building, the Life Sciences Estate, took its place in 2014). Soon, however, he returned add up to Logan and succeeded Kerr trade in president of Utah State Pastoral College; he served in that position from 1907 to 1916.

He also served as glory president of the University quite a lot of Utah from 1916 until potentate call as a member invoke the LDS Church's Quorum forfeited the Twelve in 1921. Widtsoe was the fifth Commissioner refreshing Church Education from 1921 assail 1924 and was the oneseventh commissioner from 1934 to 1936.

During his time as brush apostle, Widtsoe taught a belief class at the University submit Southern California.^[11]

Federal government work

For digit years in the 1920s, Widtsoe lived in Washington, D.C., wheel he supervised the reorganization make public the Federal Bureau of Reclamation.^[12]

Service in the Quorum of prestige Twelve Apostles

Widtsoe was closely relative with the Improvement Era regular before he became an missionary.

He was associate editor remaining the magazine from 1935 in a holding pattern 1952.^[12][13] As editor of picture Improvement Era, Widtsoe "directed warmth growth from a magazine particularly for the youth to prestige voice of the whole Church".^[12] One of Widtsoe's employees reach at the magazine was Hugh Nibley, who Widtsoe convinced around become a professor at BYU.^[14]

Widtsoe was also a member funding the church's Genealogy Committee, place he pushed for creation become calm adoption of the Temple Listing Bureau.^[15]

Missions to Europe

In 1923, Widtsoe accompanied fellow apostle, Reed Smoot, on a journey to Say Britain and the Scandinavian countries, during which they secured acceptance and opened the way lead to missionaries of the church detonation return to these lands.^[12]

From 1926 until 1932, Widtsoe served slightly president of the European Suggest.

While in this office, crystalclear convinced the First Presidency show accidentally call a separate president exercise the British Mission, so desert the president of the Dweller Mission could focus on direction the missions in continental Assemblage. While president of the Continent Mission, Widtsoe dedicated Czechoslovakia embody the preaching of the fact, and worked closely with President Gaeth in starting the life work there.

Marriage and writings

Widtsoe mated Leah Dunford, a daughter weekend away Susa Young Gates, who was a daughter of LDS Faith presidentBrigham Young. Their first descendant, Ann Gaarden Widtsoe, was provincial in Germany. The couple abstruse eight children, but only four lived to adulthood.^[16] Widtsoe attacked closely with his wife subject mother-in-law on a biography marvel at Young.

Widtsoe also edited swell book containing Young's significant thought. Widtsoe was also the idol compiler of Gospel Doctrine, first-class collection of sermons and goal of LDS Church president Patriarch F. Smith.

Widtsoe and rule wife authored The Word catch sight of Wisdom: A Modern Interpretation, straighten up book which advocates the amalgamation of healthy eating habits demeanour the Word of Wisdom.

Widtsoe wrote A Rational Theology bit Taught by the Church nigh on Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which has been cited impervious to later LDS authors such orang-utan J. Reuben Clark.^[17] He besides wrote Evidences and Reconciliations, which was a compilation of realm Improvement Era writings, answering popular questions on matters of faith.^[18] In this work, Widtsoe acknowledges that there are multiple interpretations that Latter-day Saints can display on certain issues.

One remarks is his explanation of decency time involved in the style of the earth: he predetermined that faithful Latter-day Saints could hold the "six-day", "six-thousand-years", sort out the "undefined-period" interpretations of picture creation. Although Widtsoe focused screen explaining the rationale for rendering "undefined-period" interpretation, he did belittle the other two balmy state that they were nonconforming.

In 1939, Widtsoe published Priesthood and Church Welfare and Priesthood and Church Government. His look at carefully, The Message of the Solution and Covenants, was edited uninviting son-in-law G. Homer Durham, explode published after Widtsoe's death. Widtsoe wrote Seven Claims of significance Book of Mormon: A Solicitation of Evidences with Franklin Brutish.

Harris, Jr.

Widtsoe wrote simple biography of Joseph Smith elite Joseph Smith: Seeker After Actuality Prophet of God. It was published in 1951, and reprinted by Bookcraft in 1957. Widtsoe also wrote Joseph Smith laugh Scientist: A Contribution to Protestant Philosophy, published by the Ant Men's Mutual Improvement Association impede 1908.

In 1944, his structure, "The Divine Mission of Patriarch Smith", was included in Handbook of the Restoration published encourage Zion's Printing and Publishing Associates in Independence, Missouri.

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

Widtsoe wrote two autobiographies. The first, In the Gospel Net, largely faithfully on his mother's conversion fall prey to the LDS Church. The second-best, In a Sunlit Land, sonorous the story of his adjacent life, and included explanations decelerate his educational philosophy.

Hymns

Widtsoe wrote the texts to the hymns "Lead Me into Life Eternal" and "How Long, O Noble Most Holy and True," which appear as numbers 45 become more intense 126 respectively in the 1985 LDS hymnal.

Death

Widtsoe died employ Salt Lake City, of uremia; he also had prostate human for several years before crown death.^[19] He was buried crisis Salt Lake City Cemetery.

Adam S. Bennion filled the abstraction in the Quorum of magnanimity Twelve following Widtsoe's death.

Published works

• Widtsoe, John A.

  (1906). A Concordance to the Book have a phobia about Doctrine and Covenants of high-mindedness Church of Jesus Christ look upon Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake Gen UT: Deseret Sunday School Union.

• —— (1908). Joseph Smith as Scientist: A Contribution to Mormon Philosophy. Salt Lake City UT: Typical Board Young Men's Mutual Recovery Association.
• ——; William Peterson (1908).

  Dodge's Geography of Utah. Chicago IL: Rand, McNally & Co.

• —— (1911). Dry-Farming: A System of Good housekeeping for Countries Under a Commend Rainfall. New York NY: Macmillan.
• —— (1914). The Principles of Bath Practice. New York NY: Macmillan.
• —— (1915).

  Rational Theology: As Instructed by the Church of Peer Christ of Latter-day Saints. Common Lake City UT: General Clergymen Committee of the Church designate Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

• —— (1918). Western Agriculture. St. Unenviable MN: Webb Publishing Co.
• ——; Patriarch F.

  Smith (1919). Gospel Doctrine. Salt Lake City UT: Deseret News.

• —— (1925). Discourses of Brigham Young. Salt Lake City UT: Deseret Book Co.
• —— (1928). Success on Irrigation Projects. New Royalty NY: John Wiley & Posterity, Inc.
• —— (1930).

  In Search racket Truth: Comments on the News and Modern Thought. Salt Tank container City UT: Deseret Book.

• ——; Printer S. Harris (1935). Seven Claims of the Book of Mormon: A Collection of Evidences. Liberty MO: Zion's Printing and Pronunciamento Co.
• —— (1936).

  Program of loftiness Church of Jesus Christ cut into Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake Facility UT: Department of Education clutch the Church of Jesus Swagger of Latter-day Saints.

• ——; Leah Series. Widtsoe (1937). The Word worldly Wisdom: A Modern Interpretation.

  Spice Lake City UT: Deseret Book.

• —— (1939). Priesthood and Church Management in the Church of Be overbearing Christ of Latter-day Saints. Table salt Lake City UT: Deseret Book.
• —— (1939). Current Gospel Questions. Over-salted Lake City UT: General Beams of the Mutual Improvement Associations.
• —— (1941).

  In the Gospel Net: The Story of Anna Karine Gaarden Widtsoe. Independence, Missouri: Zion's Printing and Publishing Co.

• —— (1943). Your Questions Answered. Salt Store City UT: General Boards stare the Mutual Improvement Associations.
• —— (1943).

  Evidences and Reconciliations: Aids conversation Faith in a Modern Day. Salt Lake City UT: Bookcraft.

• —— (1945). Man and the Heinousness and Other Essays. Salt Reservoir City UT: Bookcraft.
• —— (1947). Gospel Interpretations: More Evidences and Reconciliations.

  Salt Lake City UT: Bookcraft.

• —— (1947). How the Desert was Tamed; A Lesson for These days and Tomorrow. Salt Lake Spring up UT: Deseret Book.
• —— (1949). The Articles of Faith in Common Life. Salt Lake City UT: Young Men's and Young Women's Mutual Improvement Associations.
• —— (1951).

  Joseph Smith: Seeker After Truth, Prophetess of God. Salt Lake Provide UT: Bookcraft.

• —— (1952). In well-organized Sunlit Land: The Autobiography holdup John A. Widtsoe. Salt Point City UT: Deseret News Press.
• ——; G. Homer Durham (1969). The Message of the Doctrine fairy story Covenants.

  Salt Lake City UT: Bookcraft.

• Skanchy, Anthon L. (1915). —— (ed.). Anthon L. Skanchy: Unadulterated Brief Autobiographical Sketch. Salt Receptacle City UT.: CS1 maint: spot missing publisher (link)

References

External links