John A. Widtsoe

File:Johnawidtsoe.gif

John A. Widtsoe

John Andreas Widtsoe (31 January 1872—29 November 1952) was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1921 until his death. Widtsoe was also a noted author, scientist, and academician.

Widtsoe was born on the island of Frøya in Sør-Trøndelag, Norway. In 1884, he immigrated to the United States. Widtsoe was ordained an Apostle March 17, 1921 to fill a vacancy caused by the death of First Presidency member Anthon H. Lund.

Widtsoe graduated from Brigham Young College in Logan, Utah. He then attended Harvard University graduating with honors. He served as the head of the agricultural experiment station at Utah State Agricultural College. He married Leah Dunford, a granddaughter of Brigham Young. She held a degree in home economics and the two of them worked together in extension efforts. He would teach farmers better farming skills and she would teach their wives how to better utilize what they got from the farm.

In 1898, he was ordained to the office of a seventy and set apart to do missionary work in connection with his studies in Europe. He entered the University of Goettingen, Germany, and after applying himself diligently to his studies he graduated from that institution, with the degrees of A. M. Ph.D. 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 wedding license they got married a second time. He returned to Utah and eventually served as a president of Utah Agricultural College, now Utah State University. For a short time he was a professor of agriculture at BYU, and is arguably the founding father of Brigham Young University's college of biology and agriculture. He later served as president of the University of Utah from about 1915 until his call as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve in 1921.

Besides being a professor at the Utah Agricultural College he also was the head of Brigham Young University's Agricultural Department for a year and taught a religion class at the University of Southern California.

Widtsoe was closely associated with both the Improvement Era and genealogical work as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve. From 1926 until 1932 he served as president of the European Mission. While in this office Widtsoe convinced the First Presidency to call a separate president of the British Mission, so that the European Mission president could assume his duties as the supervisor of all the missions in Europe. While president of the European mission Widtsoe dedicated Czechoslovakia for the preaching of the gospel, and worked closely with Arthur Gaeth in starting the mission there.

Widtsoe was married to Leah Dunford, a daughter of Susa Young Gates, who was a daughter of Brigham Young. Widtsoe worked closely with his wife and mother-in-law in their writing of a biography of Brigham Young. It is this relationship that caused Widtsoe to complete a book on the teachings of Brigham Young. John and Leah also wrote a book entitled "The Word of Wisdom: A Modern Interpretation". This book advocates eating healthy food as part of the Word of Wisdom, although not as a required portion that should be lived in order to get a temple recommend. Another book by Widtsoe was Dry-Farming: A System of Agriculture for Countries Under a Low Rainfall (New York: MacMillan Company, 1920).

He wrote numerous works, including a hymn "How Long, O Lord Most Holy and True" which appears as hymn #126 in the current LDS Hymnal.

Widtsoe died in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Adam S. Bennion was called to the Quorum of the Twelve after Widtsoe's death.

Grave marker of John A. Widtsoe.

External links

• Works by John A. Widtsoe at Project Gutenberg