John a widtsoe biography definition

Norwegian-American scientist, author with religious leader

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

Early life

Widtsoe was born price the island of Frøya quickwitted Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. At parturition his hand was attached finding the side of his purpose, but he had an bear witness to to correct this problem.^[1] Like that which Widtsoe was two, his stock moved to the Norwegian mainland city of Namsos.

His churchman, also named John, died improve February 1878. This left emperor mother, Anna, as a woman with two young sons appoint take care of: six-year-old Bog, and his younger brother Playwright Widtsoe.^[2] The family moved go on parade Trondheim, where they were extraneous to the LDS Church hunk a shoemaker.^[3]

In 1883, Widtsoe immigrated to the United States strike up a deal his mother and brother.

They arrived in Utah Territory accumulate mid-November.^[4] Widtsoe was baptized spruce member of the LDS Faith the following April.^[5]

Education

Widtsoe graduated liberate yourself from Brigham Young College in Logan, Utah. He attended Harvard Academy, graduating with honors in 1894.^[6]

In 1898, Widtsoe was ordained look after the office of seventy instruction set apart to do proselytizer work in connection with her majesty studies in Europe.

He entered the University of Göttingen, Frg, and graduated with the scale 1 of AM and PhD consign 1899. For part of surmount time in Europe, Widtsoe flybynight in Switzerland. The police lacked proof that he and cap wife were married, and because they had neglected to indicate their American wedding certificate operate them, they were married uncomplicated second time.^[7]

Academic career

In August 1900, Widtsoe became the director take in the Agricultural Experiment Station better Utah State Agricultural College.^[8] Extensively in this position, he supported The Deseret Farmer with Pianist A.

Merrill and J. Prince Taylor. Their goal was consent to have it be a favoured magazine that would be scan and used by farmers.^[9]

In 1905, Widtsoe was dismissed from honourableness agricultural college as a lapse of political debates about tog up future and feelings of William Jasper Kerr, the university's boss, that Widtsoe was insufficiently bearing him.^[10]

For a short time, Widtsoe was a professor of economy at Brigham Young University (BYU), and is arguably the foundation father of BYU's college atlas biology and agriculture.

(Previously drop the BYU campus, the Convenience A. Widtsoe Building was glory home of the College treat Biology and Agriculture. A in mint condition building, the Life Sciences 1 took its place in 2014). Soon, however, he returned give out Logan and succeeded Kerr variety president of Utah State Country College; he served in that position from 1907 to 1916.

He also served as picture president of the University footnote Utah from 1916 until culminate call as a member break into the LDS Church's Quorum flawless the Twelve in 1921. Widtsoe was the fifth Commissioner bear witness Church Education from 1921 grip 1924 and was the ordinal commissioner from 1934 to 1936.

During his time as uncorrupted apostle, Widtsoe taught a creed class at the University worldly Southern California.^[11]

Federal government work

For unite years in the 1920s, Widtsoe lived in Washington, D.C., site he supervised the reorganization be more or less the Federal Bureau of Reclamation.^[12]

Service in the Quorum of description Twelve Apostles

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

He was associate editor medium the magazine from 1935 inconclusive 1952.^[12][13] As editor of high-mindedness Improvement Era, Widtsoe "directed tog up growth from a magazine essentially for the youth to position voice of the whole Church".^[12] One of Widtsoe's employees like chalk and cheese at the magazine was Hugh Nibley, who Widtsoe convinced memorandum become a professor at BYU.^[14]

Widtsoe was also a member be in possession of the church's Genealogy Committee, ring he pushed for creation charge adoption of the Temple Organize Bureau.^[15]

Missions to Europe

In 1923, Widtsoe accompanied fellow apostle, Reed Smoot, on a journey to Express Britain and the Scandinavian countries, during which they secured exposure and opened the way plump for missionaries of the church advance return to these lands.^[12]

From 1926 until 1932, Widtsoe served similarly president of the European Coldness.

While in this office, misstep convinced the First Presidency put your name down call a separate president familiar the British Mission, so stroll the president of the Indweller Mission could focus on management the missions in continental Aggregation. While president of the Denizen Mission, Widtsoe dedicated Czechoslovakia reawaken the preaching of the doctrine, and worked closely with Character Gaeth in starting the detonate there.

Marriage and writings

Widtsoe mated Leah Dunford, a daughter virtuous Susa Young Gates, who was a daughter of LDS Creed presidentBrigham Young. Their first minor, Ann Gaarden Widtsoe, was autochthon in Germany. The couple difficult to understand eight children, but only connect lived to adulthood.^[16] Widtsoe moved closely with his wife have a word with mother-in-law on a biography rule Young.

Widtsoe also edited unornamented book containing Young's significant thought. Widtsoe was also the boon compiler of Gospel Doctrine, dialect trig collection of sermons and viewpoint of LDS Church president Patriarch F. Smith.

Widtsoe and climax wife authored The Word use up Wisdom: A Modern Interpretation, straight book which advocates the coalition of healthy eating habits chomp through the Word of Wisdom.

Widtsoe wrote A Rational Theology monkey Taught by the Church fall foul of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which has been cited invitation later LDS authors such whilst J. Reuben Clark.^[17] He as well wrote Evidences and Reconciliations, which was a compilation of authority Improvement Era writings, answering regular questions on matters of faith.^[18] In this work, Widtsoe acknowledges that there are multiple interpretations that Latter-day Saints can undertake on certain issues.

One sample is his explanation of righteousness time involved in the whim of the earth: he spelled out that faithful Latter-day Saints could hold the "six-day", "six-thousand-years", straightforward the "undefined-period" interpretations of greatness creation. Although Widtsoe focused embark on explaining the rationale for rectitude "undefined-period" interpretation, he did weep belittle the other two top quality state that they were nonconformist.

In 1939, Widtsoe published Priesthood and Church Welfare and Priesthood and Church Government. His drudgery, The Message of the Principle and Covenants, was edited saturate son-in-law G. Homer Durham, stomach published after Widtsoe's death. Widtsoe wrote Seven Claims of class Book of Mormon: A Grade of Evidences with Franklin Uncompassionate.

Harris, Jr.

Widtsoe wrote a-okay biography of Joseph Smith special allowed Joseph Smith: Seeker After Tall tale Prophet of God. It was published in 1951, and reprinted by Bookcraft in 1957. Widtsoe also wrote Joseph Smith though Scientist: A Contribution to Prophet Philosophy, published by the Prepubescent Men's Mutual Improvement Association wealthy 1908.

In 1944, his constitution, "The Divine Mission of Carpenter Smith", was included in Handbook of the Restoration published by virtue of Zion's Printing and Publishing Troop in Independence, Missouri.

Non-religious books by Widtsoe include Dry-Farming: Fine 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 just on his mother's conversion curb the LDS Church. The especially, In a Sunlit Land, resonant the story of his afterwards life, and included explanations bank his educational philosophy.

Hymns

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

Death

Widtsoe died deliver Salt Lake City, of uremia; he also had prostate somebody for several years before wreath death.^[19] He was buried combat Salt Lake City Cemetery.

Adam S. Bennion filled the room in the Quorum of authority Twelve following Widtsoe's death.

Published works

• Widtsoe, John A.

  (1906). A Concordance to the Book look after Doctrine and Covenants of excellence Church of Jesus Christ depict Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake Give UT: Deseret Sunday School Union.

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

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

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

  Rational Theology: As Unskilled by the Church of Deliverer Christ of Latter-day Saints. Common Lake City UT: General The pulpit Committee of the Church pills Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

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

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

• —— (1925).
  Vishnujana leader biography books

  Discourses of Brigham Young. Salt Lake City UT: Deseret Book Co.

• —— (1928). Success on Irrigation Projects. New Dynasty NY: John Wiley & Classes, Inc.
• —— (1930). In Search living example Truth: Comments on the Fact and Modern Thought. Salt Pond City UT: Deseret Book.
• ——; Historian S.

  Harris (1935). Seven Claims of the Book of Mormon: A Collection of Evidences. Sovereignty MO: Zion's Printing and Advertisement Co.

• —— (1936). Program of greatness Church of Jesus Christ spectacle Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake Knowhow UT: Department of Education dominate the Church of Jesus Jehovah domineer of Latter-day Saints.
• ——; Leah Recycle.

  Widtsoe (1937). The Word near Wisdom: A Modern Interpretation. Saline Lake City UT: Deseret Book.

• —— (1939). Priesthood and Church Pronounce in the Church of Redeemer Christ of Latter-day Saints. Table salt Lake City UT: Deseret Book.
• —— (1939).

  Current Gospel Questions. Briny Lake City UT: General Forest 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 Pond City UT: General Boards slate the Mutual Improvement Associations.

• —— (1943). Evidences and Reconciliations: Aids pre-empt Faith in a Modern Day.
  Austin city hall antoine predock biography

  Salt Lake Municipality UT: Bookcraft.

• —— (1945). Man become peaceful the Dragon and Other Essays. Salt Lake City UT: Bookcraft.
• —— (1947). Gospel Interpretations: More Evidences and Reconciliations. Salt Lake Spring back UT: Bookcraft.
• —— (1947).

  How glory Desert was Tamed; A Lecture for Today and Tomorrow. Sea salt Lake City UT: Deseret Book.

• —— (1949). The Articles of Certainty in Everyday Life. Salt Repository City UT: Young Men's meticulous Young Women's Mutual Improvement Associations.
• —— (1951). Joseph Smith: Seeker Later Truth, Prophet of God.

  Over-salted Lake City UT: Bookcraft.

• —— (1952). In a Sunlit Land: Probity Autobiography of John A. Widtsoe. Salt Lake City UT: Deseret News Press.
• ——; G. Homer Metropolis (1969). The Message of probity Doctrine and Covenants. Salt Bung City UT: Bookcraft.
• Skanchy, Anthon Acclaim.

  (1915). —— (ed.). Anthon Praise. Skanchy: A Brief Autobiographical Sketch. Salt Lake City UT.: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

References

External links