Anthony W. Ivins
Born: 16 September 1852
Called to Quorum of the Twelve: 6 October 1907
Called as Superintendent of the YMMIA: 1918
Released from Superintendency of the YMMIA: 1921
Called as Second Counselor in the First Presidency: 10 March 1921 (Heber J. Grant)
Called as First Counselor in the First Presidency: 25 May 1925 (Heber J. Grant)
Died: 23 September 1934
Called to Quorum of the Twelve: 6 October 1907
Called as Superintendent of the YMMIA: 1918
Released from Superintendency of the YMMIA: 1921
Called as Second Counselor in the First Presidency: 10 March 1921 (Heber J. Grant)
Called as First Counselor in the First Presidency: 25 May 1925 (Heber J. Grant)
Died: 23 September 1934
Biographical Articles
Biographical Encyclopedia, Volume 1
Biographical Encyclopedia, Volume 3
Biographical Encyclopedia, Volume 4
Improvement Era, January 1919, Editor's Table: Anthony W. Ivins
Juvenile Instructor, April 1921, President Anthony W. Ivins
Young Woman's Journal, May 1921, President Anthony Woodward Ivins
Instructor, October 1934, President Anthony W. Ivins
Improvement Era, November 1934, In Memory of Pres. A. W. Ivins
Improvement Era, November 1934, Tribute to President A. W. Ivins
Relief Society Magazine, November 1934, President Anthony W. Ivins
Improvement Era, September 1935, In Memory of President A. W. Ivins
Instructor, November 1943, Anthony W. Ivins I - Boyhood
Instructor, December 1943, Anthony W. Ivins II - His First Mission
Instructor, January 1944, Anthony W. Ivins III - His Third Mission
Instructor, February 1944, Anthony W. Ivins IV - In Politics
Instructor, March 1944, Anthony W. Ivins V - His Fourth Mission
Instructor, April 1944, Anthony W. Ivins VI - The Apostle
Instructor, May 1944, Anthony W. Ivins VII - In the First Presidency
Instructor, June 1944, Anthony W. Ivins VIII - His Philosophy of Life
Instructor, July 1944, Anthony W. Ivins IX - Indian Memorial Service for President Anthony W. Ivins
Instructor, August 1944, Anthony W. Ivins
My own research and opinion
Biographical Encyclopedia, Volume 3
Biographical Encyclopedia, Volume 4
Improvement Era, January 1919, Editor's Table: Anthony W. Ivins
Juvenile Instructor, April 1921, President Anthony W. Ivins
Young Woman's Journal, May 1921, President Anthony Woodward Ivins
Instructor, October 1934, President Anthony W. Ivins
Improvement Era, November 1934, In Memory of Pres. A. W. Ivins
Improvement Era, November 1934, Tribute to President A. W. Ivins
Relief Society Magazine, November 1934, President Anthony W. Ivins
Improvement Era, September 1935, In Memory of President A. W. Ivins
Instructor, November 1943, Anthony W. Ivins I - Boyhood
Instructor, December 1943, Anthony W. Ivins II - His First Mission
Instructor, January 1944, Anthony W. Ivins III - His Third Mission
Instructor, February 1944, Anthony W. Ivins IV - In Politics
Instructor, March 1944, Anthony W. Ivins V - His Fourth Mission
Instructor, April 1944, Anthony W. Ivins VI - The Apostle
Instructor, May 1944, Anthony W. Ivins VII - In the First Presidency
Instructor, June 1944, Anthony W. Ivins VIII - His Philosophy of Life
Instructor, July 1944, Anthony W. Ivins IX - Indian Memorial Service for President Anthony W. Ivins
Instructor, August 1944, Anthony W. Ivins
My own research and opinion
Jenson, Andrew. "Ivins, Anthony Woodward" Biographical Encyclopedia. Volume 1. pg. 311.
IVINS, Anthony Woodward, president of the Juarez Stake of Zion, is the son of Israel Ivins and Anna Lowrie, and was born Sept. 16, 1852, at Toms River, Ocean county, New Jersey. He came to Utah with his parents in 1853, and removed with them to southern Utah in 1861; thus he became one of the first settlers of St. George. In 1878, he married Elizabeth Ashby Snow, daughter of Apostle Erastus and Elizabeth R. Snow. In 1875, he performed a mission to Mexico, in company with Dan. W. Jones, Helaman Pratt, James Z. Stewart, R. H. Smith, Ammon M. Tenny and Wiley C. Jones. They went as far south as the city of Chihuahua, west to the Sierra Madre mountains, and thence went north through the section of country where the colonies of the Saints are now established. Having explored the Salt river valley, the Little Colorado river country and northern Chihuahua, they returned home. In 1878, in company with Erastus B. Snow, Elder Ivins went on a mission to the Navajo and Pueblo Indians, in Arizona and New Mexico. In 1879, he was chosen president of the Y. M. M. I. A. of the 4th Ward in St. George, and at a later date, when the four associations in that town were consolidated, he was chosen to preside over the association thus formed. In 1881, he was chosen as a member of the High Council in St. George Stake, and later (1888) he was called and set apart to act as first counselor to Daniel D. McArthur, of that Stake. He occupied that position until 1895, when he was chosen president of the Juarez Stake, in Mexico, which was organized Dec. 9, 1895. In consequence of this call, he removed with his family to Mexico. Besides the many ecclesiastical positions which he has filled, he has held many political and civil offices in the communities
where he has resided. Thus he served as constable of St. George precinct, city councilor, city attorney and mayor, deputy sheriff of Washington county, county prosecuting attorney, and for six years assessor and collector of said county. He was also a representative to the legislature in 1894, and a member of the State Constitutional convention in 1895. He secured the first appropriation for the benefit of the Shebit Indians, and was appointed government Indian agent for these Indians, under which appointment he acted two years, when he resigned to accept nomination for representative to the legislature. Pres. Ivins now resides at Colonia Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, occupied with the duties pertaining to his high and responsible position as president of the Stake and vice president and general manager of the Mexican Colonization and Agricultural company. Before going to Mexico he engaged successfully in the cattle business, both privately and as manager of the Mojave Land and Cattle company and the Kiabah Cattle company, both of which were incorporated companies with ranches in the northern part of Arizona. Pres. Ivins ranks high among his brethren as a public speaker, and is considered, in many respects, one of the ablest and most influential men in the Church.
IVINS, Anthony Woodward, president of the Juarez Stake of Zion, is the son of Israel Ivins and Anna Lowrie, and was born Sept. 16, 1852, at Toms River, Ocean county, New Jersey. He came to Utah with his parents in 1853, and removed with them to southern Utah in 1861; thus he became one of the first settlers of St. George. In 1878, he married Elizabeth Ashby Snow, daughter of Apostle Erastus and Elizabeth R. Snow. In 1875, he performed a mission to Mexico, in company with Dan. W. Jones, Helaman Pratt, James Z. Stewart, R. H. Smith, Ammon M. Tenny and Wiley C. Jones. They went as far south as the city of Chihuahua, west to the Sierra Madre mountains, and thence went north through the section of country where the colonies of the Saints are now established. Having explored the Salt river valley, the Little Colorado river country and northern Chihuahua, they returned home. In 1878, in company with Erastus B. Snow, Elder Ivins went on a mission to the Navajo and Pueblo Indians, in Arizona and New Mexico. In 1879, he was chosen president of the Y. M. M. I. A. of the 4th Ward in St. George, and at a later date, when the four associations in that town were consolidated, he was chosen to preside over the association thus formed. In 1881, he was chosen as a member of the High Council in St. George Stake, and later (1888) he was called and set apart to act as first counselor to Daniel D. McArthur, of that Stake. He occupied that position until 1895, when he was chosen president of the Juarez Stake, in Mexico, which was organized Dec. 9, 1895. In consequence of this call, he removed with his family to Mexico. Besides the many ecclesiastical positions which he has filled, he has held many political and civil offices in the communities
where he has resided. Thus he served as constable of St. George precinct, city councilor, city attorney and mayor, deputy sheriff of Washington county, county prosecuting attorney, and for six years assessor and collector of said county. He was also a representative to the legislature in 1894, and a member of the State Constitutional convention in 1895. He secured the first appropriation for the benefit of the Shebit Indians, and was appointed government Indian agent for these Indians, under which appointment he acted two years, when he resigned to accept nomination for representative to the legislature. Pres. Ivins now resides at Colonia Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, occupied with the duties pertaining to his high and responsible position as president of the Stake and vice president and general manager of the Mexican Colonization and Agricultural company. Before going to Mexico he engaged successfully in the cattle business, both privately and as manager of the Mojave Land and Cattle company and the Kiabah Cattle company, both of which were incorporated companies with ranches in the northern part of Arizona. Pres. Ivins ranks high among his brethren as a public speaker, and is considered, in many respects, one of the ablest and most influential men in the Church.
Jenson, Andrew. "Ivins, Anthony Woodward" Biographical Encyclopedia. Volume 3. pg. 750-752.
IVINS, Anthony Woodward, a member of the Council of Twelve Apostles, was born Sept. 16, 1852, at Toms River, Ocean county. New Jersey, the son of Israel Ivins and Anna Lowrie Ivlns. He came to Utah with his parents in 1853 and to southern Utah in 1861. He was baptized in November, 1860, by Joseph Pollard; ordained a Deacon, and subsequently a Teacher, serving faithfully in both these offices until he was 13 years of age, when he was ordained an Elder. Later he was ordained a Seventy by Joseph Young and acted as a counselor in the first Mutual Improvement Association in St. George; he was chosen as president of the St. George Fourth Ward, Y. M. M. I. A., in 1879. Later, when the associations of the four St. George Wards were consolidated into one, Bro. Ivins was chosen as president of the amalgamated association. Later he acted as Stake president of Y. M. M. I. A. In 1875-1876 he filled a mission to Arizona, New Mexico and Mexico, in company with Daniel W. Jones, Helaman Pratt, Jas. Z. Stewart, Robert H. Smith, Ammon M. Tenney and Wiley C. Jones. The expedition was sent out by President Brigham Young and was under the direction of Daniel W. Jones. It went instructed to explore and report on the country for colonization purposes, visit the various Indian tribes, establish friendly relations between the Indians and whites, and preach the gospel to the people. The party visited the Navajos, Hopis (Moquis), Apaches, Pimas, Maricopas and Papagos. It penetrated Mexico to the city of Chihuahua, went west into the Sierra Madre country, and explored the Casas Grandes district, where the "Mormon" colonies of Mexico later were established. Two thousand five hundred copies of extracts from the Book of Mormon were distributed on the trip. In 1878 Bro. Ivins filled a mission to the Navajo and Pueblo Indians of Arizona and New Mexico, Erastus B. Snow being his companion. In 1881 he was chosen a member of the High Council of the St. George Stake, at which time he was ordained a High Priest by John D. T. McAllister. In 1882, at the April conference, he was called to the City of Mexico to do missionary work among the Mexican people. He returned home in April, 1884, having presided for one year over the Mexican Mission. In 1888 he was chosen to act as first counselor to Daniel D. McArthur, in the presidency of the St. George Stake, in which capacity he continued to act until he was called by President Wilford Woodruff in 1895 to go to Mexico and take charge of the interests of the Church in that country. He moved his family to Mexico in 1896, having gone there himself the previous year, and he was appointed president of the Juarez Stake of Zion, at the time the Stake was organized by Apostle Francis M. Lyman, in December, 1895. While presiding in Mexico he also acted as vice president and general manager of the Mexican Colonization and Agricultural Company, under which the "Mormon" colonies in Mexico were established, and was president of the Dublan Mercantile Company, the largest mercantile house in that part of Mexico. He was chosen and sustained as a member of the Council of Twelve Apostles at the general conference held in October, 1907, and was ordained an Apostle, Oct. 6, 1907, by President Joseph F. Smith. The first civil service performed by Bro. Ivins was that of special policeman in St. George precinct. He saw service in the Indian wars which prevailed in southern Utah, was constable of the St. George precinct, city attorney and mayor, deputy sheriff of Washington county, prosecuting attorney, and for six years, assessor and collector of the county. He also served as a representative to the Territorial Legislature in 1894, and as a member of the constitutional convention in 1895. Elder Ivins secured the first government appropriation for the Shebit Indians and moved them from the Shebit Mountains (where they had
become a menace to the white settlers) and purchased, and established them on their present reservation on the Santa Clara River. He was the first government agent to these Indians, in which capacity he served for two years; he resigned this position in order to accept the nomination to the legislature. Before going to Mexico Bro. Ivins engaged successfully in farming and stock business, both privately and as manager of the Mojave Land & Cattle Company, and the Kalbab Cattle Company, both of which were Incorporated companies and
owned the largest herds and ranches in what is now known as the Arizona Strip, which lies north of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado and south of the Utah line. Since returning from Mexico, Elder Ivins has been occupied with Church duties and been identified with various colonization and irrigation schemes and other enterprises of a secular nature. Among these may be mentioned that he took a leading part in the Enterprise Reservoir and Canal Company, which company has built a splendid reservoir at the head of Shoal Creek, in Washington county, Utah. Elder Ivins is now general superintendent of the Y. M. M. I. A. for the whole Church, is president of the Board of Trustees of the Utah Agricultural College, vice president of Zion's Saving Bank & Trust Company, and director in the Deseret Savings Bank and Utah State National Bank. In 1878 Elder Ivins married Elizabeth A. Snow (daughter of Erastus Snow and Elizabeth Ashby), who was born March 24, 1854, in Salt Lake City. She has borne her husband nine children, of whom eight are still living. Following are the names of Bro. Ivins' children: Anthony W., Antoine R., Anna L., Florence, Leah, Heber Grant, Stanley S., Augusta and Fulvia. Since the return from Mexico in 18 98 the family have resided in Salt Lake City. Elder Ivins is known throughout the Church as an interesting and logical speaker, a successful business man and a wise counselor. Since his early youth he has been before the public in many different capacities, both of an ecclesiastical and secular nature. He is a thorough scholar and a fluent speaker of the Spanish language and a staunch friend of the Mexican saints. (See also Vol. 1, p. 311.)
IVINS, Anthony Woodward, a member of the Council of Twelve Apostles, was born Sept. 16, 1852, at Toms River, Ocean county. New Jersey, the son of Israel Ivins and Anna Lowrie Ivlns. He came to Utah with his parents in 1853 and to southern Utah in 1861. He was baptized in November, 1860, by Joseph Pollard; ordained a Deacon, and subsequently a Teacher, serving faithfully in both these offices until he was 13 years of age, when he was ordained an Elder. Later he was ordained a Seventy by Joseph Young and acted as a counselor in the first Mutual Improvement Association in St. George; he was chosen as president of the St. George Fourth Ward, Y. M. M. I. A., in 1879. Later, when the associations of the four St. George Wards were consolidated into one, Bro. Ivins was chosen as president of the amalgamated association. Later he acted as Stake president of Y. M. M. I. A. In 1875-1876 he filled a mission to Arizona, New Mexico and Mexico, in company with Daniel W. Jones, Helaman Pratt, Jas. Z. Stewart, Robert H. Smith, Ammon M. Tenney and Wiley C. Jones. The expedition was sent out by President Brigham Young and was under the direction of Daniel W. Jones. It went instructed to explore and report on the country for colonization purposes, visit the various Indian tribes, establish friendly relations between the Indians and whites, and preach the gospel to the people. The party visited the Navajos, Hopis (Moquis), Apaches, Pimas, Maricopas and Papagos. It penetrated Mexico to the city of Chihuahua, went west into the Sierra Madre country, and explored the Casas Grandes district, where the "Mormon" colonies of Mexico later were established. Two thousand five hundred copies of extracts from the Book of Mormon were distributed on the trip. In 1878 Bro. Ivins filled a mission to the Navajo and Pueblo Indians of Arizona and New Mexico, Erastus B. Snow being his companion. In 1881 he was chosen a member of the High Council of the St. George Stake, at which time he was ordained a High Priest by John D. T. McAllister. In 1882, at the April conference, he was called to the City of Mexico to do missionary work among the Mexican people. He returned home in April, 1884, having presided for one year over the Mexican Mission. In 1888 he was chosen to act as first counselor to Daniel D. McArthur, in the presidency of the St. George Stake, in which capacity he continued to act until he was called by President Wilford Woodruff in 1895 to go to Mexico and take charge of the interests of the Church in that country. He moved his family to Mexico in 1896, having gone there himself the previous year, and he was appointed president of the Juarez Stake of Zion, at the time the Stake was organized by Apostle Francis M. Lyman, in December, 1895. While presiding in Mexico he also acted as vice president and general manager of the Mexican Colonization and Agricultural Company, under which the "Mormon" colonies in Mexico were established, and was president of the Dublan Mercantile Company, the largest mercantile house in that part of Mexico. He was chosen and sustained as a member of the Council of Twelve Apostles at the general conference held in October, 1907, and was ordained an Apostle, Oct. 6, 1907, by President Joseph F. Smith. The first civil service performed by Bro. Ivins was that of special policeman in St. George precinct. He saw service in the Indian wars which prevailed in southern Utah, was constable of the St. George precinct, city attorney and mayor, deputy sheriff of Washington county, prosecuting attorney, and for six years, assessor and collector of the county. He also served as a representative to the Territorial Legislature in 1894, and as a member of the constitutional convention in 1895. Elder Ivins secured the first government appropriation for the Shebit Indians and moved them from the Shebit Mountains (where they had
become a menace to the white settlers) and purchased, and established them on their present reservation on the Santa Clara River. He was the first government agent to these Indians, in which capacity he served for two years; he resigned this position in order to accept the nomination to the legislature. Before going to Mexico Bro. Ivins engaged successfully in farming and stock business, both privately and as manager of the Mojave Land & Cattle Company, and the Kalbab Cattle Company, both of which were Incorporated companies and
owned the largest herds and ranches in what is now known as the Arizona Strip, which lies north of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado and south of the Utah line. Since returning from Mexico, Elder Ivins has been occupied with Church duties and been identified with various colonization and irrigation schemes and other enterprises of a secular nature. Among these may be mentioned that he took a leading part in the Enterprise Reservoir and Canal Company, which company has built a splendid reservoir at the head of Shoal Creek, in Washington county, Utah. Elder Ivins is now general superintendent of the Y. M. M. I. A. for the whole Church, is president of the Board of Trustees of the Utah Agricultural College, vice president of Zion's Saving Bank & Trust Company, and director in the Deseret Savings Bank and Utah State National Bank. In 1878 Elder Ivins married Elizabeth A. Snow (daughter of Erastus Snow and Elizabeth Ashby), who was born March 24, 1854, in Salt Lake City. She has borne her husband nine children, of whom eight are still living. Following are the names of Bro. Ivins' children: Anthony W., Antoine R., Anna L., Florence, Leah, Heber Grant, Stanley S., Augusta and Fulvia. Since the return from Mexico in 18 98 the family have resided in Salt Lake City. Elder Ivins is known throughout the Church as an interesting and logical speaker, a successful business man and a wise counselor. Since his early youth he has been before the public in many different capacities, both of an ecclesiastical and secular nature. He is a thorough scholar and a fluent speaker of the Spanish language and a staunch friend of the Mexican saints. (See also Vol. 1, p. 311.)
Jenson, Andrew. "Ivins, Anthony W." Biographical Encyclopedia. Volume 4. pg. 241, 347, 682.
IVINS, Anthony W., a member of the General Board of Y. M. M. I. A. from 1909 to 1929, and general superintendent from 1919 to 1921, died in Salt Lake City, Sept. 27, 1934. (See Bio. Ency. Vol. 1, p. 311, and Vol. 3, p. 7.50.)
IVINS, Anthony W., president of the Mexican Mission from 1883 to 1884, died Sept. 27, 1934, in Salt Lake City, Utah. (See Bio. Ency., Vol. 1, p. 311, and Vol. 3, p. 750.)
IVINS, Anthony W., vice-president of the Genealogical Society of Utah from 1921 to 1925 and president from 1925 to 1934, was born Sept. 16, 1852, at Toms River, Ocean Co., New Jersey. He died Sept. 23, 1934, in Salt Lake City as a member of the First Presidency of the Church. (See Bio. Ency., Vol. 1, p. 311; Vol. 3, p. 750.)
IVINS, Anthony W., a member of the General Board of Y. M. M. I. A. from 1909 to 1929, and general superintendent from 1919 to 1921, died in Salt Lake City, Sept. 27, 1934. (See Bio. Ency. Vol. 1, p. 311, and Vol. 3, p. 7.50.)
IVINS, Anthony W., president of the Mexican Mission from 1883 to 1884, died Sept. 27, 1934, in Salt Lake City, Utah. (See Bio. Ency., Vol. 1, p. 311, and Vol. 3, p. 750.)
IVINS, Anthony W., vice-president of the Genealogical Society of Utah from 1921 to 1925 and president from 1925 to 1934, was born Sept. 16, 1852, at Toms River, Ocean Co., New Jersey. He died Sept. 23, 1934, in Salt Lake City as a member of the First Presidency of the Church. (See Bio. Ency., Vol. 1, p. 311; Vol. 3, p. 750.)
"Editor's Table: Anthony W. Ivins." Improvement Era. January 1919: pg. 269-271.
EDITORS' TABLE Anthony W. Ivins Our new superintendent of the Y. M. M. I. A. is not a stranger to the young people of Zion. For some time he has occupied the position of national committeeman of the M. I. A. Scouts of the Boy Scouts of America. He was chosen and ordained a member of the Council of Twelve Apostles on October 6, 1907, and a member of the General Board Y. M. M. I. A. January 13, 1909, and since that time has visited practically every stake of Zion. He was born September 16, 1852, at Toms River, Ocean county, New Jersey, and is the son of Israel Ivins and Anna Lowrie. With his parents he came to Utah, in 1853, being practically, therefore, a native of the West and certainly one of the pioneers of Utah and the Great Southwest, a scout, a frontiersman, beloved and widely known in every part of the country, both among the early pioneers and the Indian tribes. In 1861, his parents settled in southern Utah, and he, therefore, became one of the first settlers of St. George. He was married in 1878, to Elizabeth Ashby Snow, daughter of Apostle Erastus and Elizabeth R. Snow. In company with a number of well known pioneers, including Dan W. Jones, Helaman Pratt, Ammon M. Tenney and others, he performed a mission to Mexico, in 1875, going as far south as the city of Chihuahua, west to the Sierra Madre Mountains, thence north through the section of country in which the colonies of the Latter-day Saints were later founded. They also explored the Salt River Valley and the Little Colorado River country, in Arizona, where Latter-day Saint colonies were later established. In 1878, Elder Ivins performed a mission among the Navajo and Pueblo Indians in Arizona and New Mexico, winning their abiding confidence and respect. On this mission he was accompanied by Erastus B. Snow. Returning to St. George, he was chosen president of the Y. M. M. I. A. of the Fourth ward, and later of all the wards consolidated, and then stake superintendent. He served as a member of the High Council at St. George, being chosen to that position in 1881. Later, in 1888, he was made the counselor to President Daniel D. McArthur in that stake, which position he occupied until 1895. On December 9, of that year, he was chosen president of the Juarez stake, in Mexico, removing to that country and being a leading spirit in the establishment of the colonies of the Latter- day Saints in that land. Ever since that time, under all the difficulties through which the Mexican Saints have passed, he has been their close friend and adviser, taking a live interest in their welfare under every condition. In that country he established, and for a number of years was general manager of, the Mexican Colonization and Agricultural Company. He is one of the people, and has been an indefatigable worker for the Church, and particularly for the members of the Church, wherever he has resided. Perhaps no other man in the Council of Twelve Apostles has been so near the people—young and old—as Elder Ivins. He loves animals, and is especially an admirer of horses. He delights in clean, square sport, takes unbounded pleasure in hunting, fishing, and games, and the thousand glories of God's great out-of-doors. He has occupied civil and political offices from precinct constable to city and county prosecuting attorney in St. George, as well as assessor and collector of the county. He acted also as sheriff of Washington county, and, in 1894, was a member of the Territorial legislature, and the following year, a member of the Utah State Constitutional Convention, in which his experience among the people and his practical intelligence were great aids in the formation of our present state constitution. His experience with the Red men is extensive. He has their complete confidence. He secured the first appropriation for the benefit of the Shebit Indians, and was later appointed Government Indian Agent for them, acting for two years. His experience as a rancher and pioneer extended over a period of many years in southern Utah and northern Arizona, and the readers of the Era are not unfamiliar with his very interesting stories that have appeared from time time under the head, "Traveling Over Forgotten Trails"—articles that are brimming full of human interest, and illustrate with deep feeling the difficulties, incidents and trials of the pioneers who opened southern Utah and northern Arizona to civilization. As a public speaker, Elder Ivins is among the best in the Church. His sermons are always full of careful thought, and overflowing with the spirit of love, testimony of the gospel, and consideration, sympathy and help for the people. He is safe and sound in doctrine, and full of love for God's great Latter-day work. His life has been one of hardship, toil, and pioneer struggle, which has made him appear stern on the surface, but underneath the crust of seeming austerity there beats in the bosom of Anthony W. Ivins one of the biggest, best, most sympathetic and noble hearts that has ever throbbed in the breast of man. When the boys become acquainted with him, they cannot help but love and respect him. His life of rich experiences comes as a great and welcome contribution to the Y. M. M. I. A. Under his leadership, aided by his able assistants, our organization will move forward with increased impetus to its goals of achievement. —A. |
Photo by H. N. Thomas Studio
ELDER ANTHONY W. IVINS General Superintendent Y. M. M. I. A. Born, New Jersey, Sept. 1852 ; came to Utah in 1853; ordained an Apostle, October 6, 1907; chosen and set apart as General Superintendent Y. M. M. I. A., Nov. 27. 1918. |
Anderson, Edward H. "President Anthony W. Ivins." Juvenile Instructor. April 1921: pg. 169-171.
President Anthony W. Ivins Anthony W. Ivins was chosen and ordained Second Counselor in the First Presidency, March 10, 1921, and sustained in that position by the unanimous vote of the Church in conference assembled, on April 6, 1921. Though born in New Jersey, son of Israel and Anna Lowrie Ivins, he came to Utah with his parents in 1853, when about one year old, and is therefore practically a native of the West. He is certainly one of the pioneers of Utah and the great southwest, a scout and frontiersman, beloved and widely known in every part of the country among the early pioneers, the Indian tribes and the present citizenship in all parts of the land. In 1861 the family moved to southern Utah. From that time on, his explorations have covered Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, northern Mexico, and the great southwest, with whose native tribes, colored cliffs, deserts, ruins, colonies and colonizers, he is intimately familiar and greatly in love. His missions and experiences, in, over, and among them, would form a fascinating story of that wonderful out-of-doors. On December 9, 1895, he was chosen President of the Juarez stake in Mexico, having previously served in the organization of the Y. M. M. I. A., as president of wards, and as stake superintendent ; also as a member of the High Council at St. George, and as a counselor to President Daniel D. Mc- Arthur in that stake. Removing to Mexico, in 1895, he became a leading spirit in the establishment of the colonies of the Latter-day Saints in that land. Ever since that time, under all the trying difficulties through which the Mexican Saints have passed, he has been their close friend and adviser, taking a live interest in their welfare under every condition, not "only spiritually, but temporally. For a number of years he was general manager of the Mexican Colonization and Agricultural Company. Aside from his labors in the colonies of the Latter-day Saints, he has done missionary work among the Mexican people, having presided over the Mexican mission one year, and being in the field from 1882-1884. On October 6, 1907, he was ordained an apostle, and the 27th of November, 1918, was chosen and set apart as General Superintendent of the Y. M. M. I. A. In these positions he has traveled extensively throughout the inter-mountain west, and it may well be said that he is one of the people—an indefatigable worker for the Church and its interests. His experience with the "red men" is likewise extensive. He has their complete confidence. He secured the first appropriation for the benefit of the Shebit Indians, and was later appointed Government Indian Agent for them, acting for two years. In 1878 Anthony W. Ivins married Elizabeth A. Snow, a daughter of Erastus Snow and Elizabeth Ashby, who was born March 24, 1854, in Salt Lake City. They had nine children, of whom eight are still living. Aside from his Church offices, he has occupied many civil and political positions, from precinct constable to city and county prosecuting attorney in St. George, as well as assessor and collector of the county. He acted also as sheriff of Washington county, and in 1874 became a member of the territorial legislature, being also one of the leading members of the Utah State Constitutional Convention, in 1895, in which his experiences among the people and his practical intelligence served as great aids in the formation of our present State Constitution. As a public speaker, Brother Ivins is logical and to the point. He has always a message and delivers it in a straight-forward, unpretentious, but earnest manner, which commands attention and respect. He has an abiding testimony of the Gospel, and his expressions of thought overflow with a spirit of love, consideration and sympathy for the people. He is safe and sound in doctrine, conservative and yet progressive, tactful, wise in decision and full of love and enthusiasm for God's great Latter-day work. His life has been one of hardship, toil and pioneer struggle, which has made him appear stern on the surface, and apparently uncommunicative, but underneath that seeming crust of austerity there beats in the 'bosom of Anthony W. Ivins one of the biggest, best, most sympathetic and noble hearts that has ever throbbed in the breast of man. All who become acquainted with him cannot help but love and respect him. His life of rich experiences came as a great welcome contribution to the great body of young people in the Y. M. M. I. A., when he was chosen to their leadership, on November 27, 1918. His helpful influence as counselor in the First Presidency will now be extended to the whole Church and will be a great impetus in the progress and advancement of the "marvelous work and a wonder" known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Edward H. Anderson. |
PRESIDENT ANTHONY W. IVINS
From photo taken a number of years ago by C. R. Savage. |
Wilson, Guy C. "President Anthony Woodward Ivins." Young Woman's Journal. May 1921: pg. 264-268.
President Anthony Woodward Ivins
By Guy C. Wilson.
“A good man obtaineth favor of the Lord.”
On the 10th day of March, 1921, Anthony W. Ivins was chosen of God from among the thousands of eligible men to be the second counselor to President Heber J. Grant in the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and all Israel says Amen. His appointment brought no surprise to anyone acquainted with the needs of the hour and the qualifications of the man.
Elder Ivins brings to this exalted position a rich and varied experience. In fact we think it may truthfully be said that there are few men living who have scaled the heights and fathomed the depths of so many of life’s problems in so wide a field of human interests: and the success he has met in these several fields is really remarkable.
If a man’s greatness can be judged by the length, width, and depth of his achievements, the name of President Ivins must be classed with the truly great. It is generally assumed that if a man’s interests are widely distributed, he must be content to shine among the lesser lights, as few men can do many things well. President Ivins is a striking exception. In whatever line he has turned his attention whether at the call of duty or of pleasure he has always stood among the leaders and been considered a factor to be reckoned with. And there are reasons. It is with these reasons we are chiefly concerned in this article.
The values obtained from the study of a life built upon a series of successes come from an understanding of the fundamental principles upon which the life is built and the standards by which the progress has been measured.
Out of an intimate acquaintance of more than twenty years I should say that one of the outstanding characteristics of his life is his honesty of purpose, his frank sincerity. However widely men may differ from him in his views of religion or politics or business or ethics all are compelled to recognize his candor and respect his honesty. While he never shrinks from holding clear cut opinions and from expressing them with vigor and emphasis, and never holds back the truth when it is time that the truth should be spoken, yet his simple honesty compels respect, and challenges admiration.
He is courageous but never reckless, prudent but never a coward, unique but not eccentric, sympathetic but never sentimental and is never in danger of fanaticism.
His knowledge of and affection for animals, especially the dog and the horse are phenomenal. His family and intimate associates will never forget his real sorrow at the death of his faithful saddler, Mascot, who fell off a cliff on one of his trips, and of his pointer dog, Fleetie, who was poisoned in the mountains. The tenderness with which he cared for Jimmy, his cow-horse, who grew aged in his service, and the deep emotion manifest when Laddie, his Scotch Collie, was shot through carelessness by a fellow hunter were revelations of his love of animal life. His knowledge of and love for birds and bird life, his close study of geology and mineralogy and his interest in flowers and plant life have given the great out-of-doors a remarkable charm for him and provided a wealth of information that cannot be obtained from books.
Elder Ivins is a constant student of men and has developed an ability to judge men, in which physiognomy plays no small part, with remarkable accuracy.
There is ore marked trait of his character for which I find difficulty in choosing a fitting name. It manifests itself in a love of fair play and in the courage to champion the cause of the oppressed. It leads him to sympathize with the “black sheep” among men and to take a stand in defense of the misunderstood and ostracized.
It is also shown in a stoic assumption of his own burdens and responsibilities and sorrows while he is himself a clearing house for the troubles and worries of other people. It sometimes expresses itself in what may be termed moral courage, yet it is more than courage, it is a temper of the heart, a firmness and poise in the presence of danger and difficulty or accident at the same time displaying a tender sympathy that is expressed in no other word so well as by chivalry.
Children like him, boys swear by him, parents confidently trust him. He has the heart of a child when those in authority call, the tenderness of a woman when dealing with the weaknesses of men, and the strength of a man when meeting great issues.
He is markedly original in all that he does and wastes little time in deciding what course to take because he is never without a definite aim.
Having spent so many years in semi-frontier life where changes are rapid and great issues must be met and decided in a moment’s time and where life itself is often staked on the turn of a hand, Elder Ivins has developed a well fixed habit of preparedness. Were it a hunting trip, he could put his hand in a moment on his gun or any article of equipment reeded. His horses, his saddles, his dogs, his fishing tackle, his tent were always ready.
Is it a party at the home of a Scotch frierd, a religious meeting or a slate convention where something fitting is to be said? He is always prepared.
With clearness of vision, accuracy of aim, a keen estimate of needs, and ready equipment he goes straight al the mark and seldom fails to arrive. His “impromptu” speeches are always well prepared not by a few moments of cramming but through years of careful reading in a very wide field, and a keen sense of propriety, and well organized experience; he seems to be able to say the right thing at the right time with telling force, and at a moment’s notice.
The dominance of a great aim in his life while manifest everywhere is nowhere more clearly shown that when in his ninth year, as related by himself, while on the move to Dixie he went over to the camp of Erastus Snow where he saw Elizabeth, the six year old daughter of the Apostle sitting on a wagon tongue and immediately formed a fixed purpose in his mind from which he could not be shaken till she has become the wife of his bosom, the patient 'sharer of all his joys and sorrow’s, a devoted companion, the beacon light of his home, and the devoted mother of his nine children.
This is characteristic. His life has always been dominated by great purposes and by a willingness to pay the price in application and persistent toil, for all he obtained. His life has been one of thrift and industry, but he is never too busy to find time for relaxation and sport.
President Ivins is economical but generous to a fault and, like his cousin, President Heber J. Grant, seems never so happy as when sharing what he has with others. His passion for independence seems to make him uncomfortable while receiving accommodations or aid from others.
His home life is unique. When not engrossed in reading or study he maintains a comradeship and familiarity with members of the family that is delightful.
He is never profuse in the expression of his approval or disapproval but when he does open up his heart it emits such a glow of warmth as never to be forgotten.
The towering force in his life is his religion. It enters into and shapes all his plans and controls all the forces of his life.
His missionary experiences among the Lamanites have given strong emphasis to the Book of Mormon until it has become the core of his theological reading. He is perhaps the best posted man in that book to be found in the Church.
He has had political ambitions from his youth but has never permitted them to interfere with his duties either political or religious. In politics he is naturally a democrat in the broad sense, standing firmly by his convictions but tolerant with opposition.
The test of his fealty came when in the first party convention after statehood, with one county delegation after another swinging to his support for nomination for governor of the state, he stood like a rock in a storm swept sea and declined the nomination virtually saying, “I must be about my Father’s business.”
He had been called to go to Mexico to preside over the affairs of the Church in that land. It was not a test between the call of his country and the call of God. These to him are the same thing. His Americanism and his religion are fused into the towering passion of his life. He buried his political aspirations, burned his bridges behind him and went to the land of “manana,” where he stayed till called to the Apostleship. His beautiful home, the thriving school system, the mercantile and manufacturing institutions, and large possessions of the colonies bear forceful testimony of the wisdom of the move.
All who visited President Ivins in Mexico were deeply impressed with his splendid home and large well- kept grounds all typical of the man who planned them. Following are extracts from letters expressive of the impression made upon President Joseph F. Smith and others who visited him in 1905.
“Dear Brother Anthony W. Ivins:
“The important events crowded into the short space of three days covered by our visit to your stake impells us to leave with you on our departure for our homes a brief but heartfelt expression of our love for you as a man among men, and as a brother and fellow worker in the great cause of human redemption whose example and wisdom are worthy of emulation.” * * *
After referring to the holiday celebration and dedication of the Academy building, the letter continues:
“Then came the announcement from your own lips that on this day (September 16th) fifty-three years ago the light of life first shone upon your mortal eyes. “You did not boast of your achievements, you did not stop to tell how much of good the world owed to your fifty-three years of existence in it, nor of the sacrifice of personal comforts and of family enjoyments you had made in the effort to benefit your fellow man, your devotion to God, your love for the cause of Zion, your integrity to God’s truth; you did not need to say one word in your own behalf—your people knew you, your associates could bear all such record of you and you had no need to speak.
“Your friends are proud to class the event of your birth into the world as far above that of the birth of the foremost ruler among the nations in that you possess human intelligence equal to any of them and beyond all that you possess the knowledge and love and law of God. Your mission not only benefits and uplifts in this world but reaches into the world to come.
“Therefore we pay our respects to you on this occasion and presume to class the events of today occurring under your supervision, as equal in general to the great events of the past and in some, aye many respects, superior.”
After returning home President Smith wrote a personal letter from which we cull the following:
“I appreciate to some extent the many trying vicissitudes through which your pathway of life has led you and I prize the sterling character and integrity you have evinced throughout your whole course. It is putting it mildly to say it has been proved beyond doubt that you possess the qualities of mind and heart which will always win.”
A life-long acquaintance of St. George wrote the following on hearing of the appointment of Elder Ivins to the Apostleship:
“To Elder Anthony W. Ivins, My Beloved Brother: I take the liberty of writing to congratulate you on having received the appointment to the exalted position you now occupy. I am not surprised as I thought I saw this a long time ago. Do you remember the night we walked and talked together a few days before you left us to go to Mexico? Well the Lord gave me a little light, and if my memory serves me right, I told you a little of what I saw. I knew then that your course was upward and onward and my love and blessing has been with you in all of your travels, and now I say to you, that the God of Jacob will be with you and his Spirit will be upon you, and you will be honored not only by the Saints of God, but the people of the world will honor you, and it will be because you have honored your God and your days shall be many and your reward sure.
“I am your friend and brother in the Gospel of peace, Wm. H. Thompson.”
Surely, “By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life."
President Anthony Woodward Ivins
By Guy C. Wilson.
“A good man obtaineth favor of the Lord.”
On the 10th day of March, 1921, Anthony W. Ivins was chosen of God from among the thousands of eligible men to be the second counselor to President Heber J. Grant in the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and all Israel says Amen. His appointment brought no surprise to anyone acquainted with the needs of the hour and the qualifications of the man.
Elder Ivins brings to this exalted position a rich and varied experience. In fact we think it may truthfully be said that there are few men living who have scaled the heights and fathomed the depths of so many of life’s problems in so wide a field of human interests: and the success he has met in these several fields is really remarkable.
If a man’s greatness can be judged by the length, width, and depth of his achievements, the name of President Ivins must be classed with the truly great. It is generally assumed that if a man’s interests are widely distributed, he must be content to shine among the lesser lights, as few men can do many things well. President Ivins is a striking exception. In whatever line he has turned his attention whether at the call of duty or of pleasure he has always stood among the leaders and been considered a factor to be reckoned with. And there are reasons. It is with these reasons we are chiefly concerned in this article.
The values obtained from the study of a life built upon a series of successes come from an understanding of the fundamental principles upon which the life is built and the standards by which the progress has been measured.
Out of an intimate acquaintance of more than twenty years I should say that one of the outstanding characteristics of his life is his honesty of purpose, his frank sincerity. However widely men may differ from him in his views of religion or politics or business or ethics all are compelled to recognize his candor and respect his honesty. While he never shrinks from holding clear cut opinions and from expressing them with vigor and emphasis, and never holds back the truth when it is time that the truth should be spoken, yet his simple honesty compels respect, and challenges admiration.
He is courageous but never reckless, prudent but never a coward, unique but not eccentric, sympathetic but never sentimental and is never in danger of fanaticism.
His knowledge of and affection for animals, especially the dog and the horse are phenomenal. His family and intimate associates will never forget his real sorrow at the death of his faithful saddler, Mascot, who fell off a cliff on one of his trips, and of his pointer dog, Fleetie, who was poisoned in the mountains. The tenderness with which he cared for Jimmy, his cow-horse, who grew aged in his service, and the deep emotion manifest when Laddie, his Scotch Collie, was shot through carelessness by a fellow hunter were revelations of his love of animal life. His knowledge of and love for birds and bird life, his close study of geology and mineralogy and his interest in flowers and plant life have given the great out-of-doors a remarkable charm for him and provided a wealth of information that cannot be obtained from books.
Elder Ivins is a constant student of men and has developed an ability to judge men, in which physiognomy plays no small part, with remarkable accuracy.
There is ore marked trait of his character for which I find difficulty in choosing a fitting name. It manifests itself in a love of fair play and in the courage to champion the cause of the oppressed. It leads him to sympathize with the “black sheep” among men and to take a stand in defense of the misunderstood and ostracized.
It is also shown in a stoic assumption of his own burdens and responsibilities and sorrows while he is himself a clearing house for the troubles and worries of other people. It sometimes expresses itself in what may be termed moral courage, yet it is more than courage, it is a temper of the heart, a firmness and poise in the presence of danger and difficulty or accident at the same time displaying a tender sympathy that is expressed in no other word so well as by chivalry.
Children like him, boys swear by him, parents confidently trust him. He has the heart of a child when those in authority call, the tenderness of a woman when dealing with the weaknesses of men, and the strength of a man when meeting great issues.
He is markedly original in all that he does and wastes little time in deciding what course to take because he is never without a definite aim.
Having spent so many years in semi-frontier life where changes are rapid and great issues must be met and decided in a moment’s time and where life itself is often staked on the turn of a hand, Elder Ivins has developed a well fixed habit of preparedness. Were it a hunting trip, he could put his hand in a moment on his gun or any article of equipment reeded. His horses, his saddles, his dogs, his fishing tackle, his tent were always ready.
Is it a party at the home of a Scotch frierd, a religious meeting or a slate convention where something fitting is to be said? He is always prepared.
With clearness of vision, accuracy of aim, a keen estimate of needs, and ready equipment he goes straight al the mark and seldom fails to arrive. His “impromptu” speeches are always well prepared not by a few moments of cramming but through years of careful reading in a very wide field, and a keen sense of propriety, and well organized experience; he seems to be able to say the right thing at the right time with telling force, and at a moment’s notice.
The dominance of a great aim in his life while manifest everywhere is nowhere more clearly shown that when in his ninth year, as related by himself, while on the move to Dixie he went over to the camp of Erastus Snow where he saw Elizabeth, the six year old daughter of the Apostle sitting on a wagon tongue and immediately formed a fixed purpose in his mind from which he could not be shaken till she has become the wife of his bosom, the patient 'sharer of all his joys and sorrow’s, a devoted companion, the beacon light of his home, and the devoted mother of his nine children.
This is characteristic. His life has always been dominated by great purposes and by a willingness to pay the price in application and persistent toil, for all he obtained. His life has been one of thrift and industry, but he is never too busy to find time for relaxation and sport.
President Ivins is economical but generous to a fault and, like his cousin, President Heber J. Grant, seems never so happy as when sharing what he has with others. His passion for independence seems to make him uncomfortable while receiving accommodations or aid from others.
His home life is unique. When not engrossed in reading or study he maintains a comradeship and familiarity with members of the family that is delightful.
He is never profuse in the expression of his approval or disapproval but when he does open up his heart it emits such a glow of warmth as never to be forgotten.
The towering force in his life is his religion. It enters into and shapes all his plans and controls all the forces of his life.
His missionary experiences among the Lamanites have given strong emphasis to the Book of Mormon until it has become the core of his theological reading. He is perhaps the best posted man in that book to be found in the Church.
He has had political ambitions from his youth but has never permitted them to interfere with his duties either political or religious. In politics he is naturally a democrat in the broad sense, standing firmly by his convictions but tolerant with opposition.
The test of his fealty came when in the first party convention after statehood, with one county delegation after another swinging to his support for nomination for governor of the state, he stood like a rock in a storm swept sea and declined the nomination virtually saying, “I must be about my Father’s business.”
He had been called to go to Mexico to preside over the affairs of the Church in that land. It was not a test between the call of his country and the call of God. These to him are the same thing. His Americanism and his religion are fused into the towering passion of his life. He buried his political aspirations, burned his bridges behind him and went to the land of “manana,” where he stayed till called to the Apostleship. His beautiful home, the thriving school system, the mercantile and manufacturing institutions, and large possessions of the colonies bear forceful testimony of the wisdom of the move.
All who visited President Ivins in Mexico were deeply impressed with his splendid home and large well- kept grounds all typical of the man who planned them. Following are extracts from letters expressive of the impression made upon President Joseph F. Smith and others who visited him in 1905.
“Dear Brother Anthony W. Ivins:
“The important events crowded into the short space of three days covered by our visit to your stake impells us to leave with you on our departure for our homes a brief but heartfelt expression of our love for you as a man among men, and as a brother and fellow worker in the great cause of human redemption whose example and wisdom are worthy of emulation.” * * *
After referring to the holiday celebration and dedication of the Academy building, the letter continues:
“Then came the announcement from your own lips that on this day (September 16th) fifty-three years ago the light of life first shone upon your mortal eyes. “You did not boast of your achievements, you did not stop to tell how much of good the world owed to your fifty-three years of existence in it, nor of the sacrifice of personal comforts and of family enjoyments you had made in the effort to benefit your fellow man, your devotion to God, your love for the cause of Zion, your integrity to God’s truth; you did not need to say one word in your own behalf—your people knew you, your associates could bear all such record of you and you had no need to speak.
“Your friends are proud to class the event of your birth into the world as far above that of the birth of the foremost ruler among the nations in that you possess human intelligence equal to any of them and beyond all that you possess the knowledge and love and law of God. Your mission not only benefits and uplifts in this world but reaches into the world to come.
“Therefore we pay our respects to you on this occasion and presume to class the events of today occurring under your supervision, as equal in general to the great events of the past and in some, aye many respects, superior.”
After returning home President Smith wrote a personal letter from which we cull the following:
“I appreciate to some extent the many trying vicissitudes through which your pathway of life has led you and I prize the sterling character and integrity you have evinced throughout your whole course. It is putting it mildly to say it has been proved beyond doubt that you possess the qualities of mind and heart which will always win.”
A life-long acquaintance of St. George wrote the following on hearing of the appointment of Elder Ivins to the Apostleship:
“To Elder Anthony W. Ivins, My Beloved Brother: I take the liberty of writing to congratulate you on having received the appointment to the exalted position you now occupy. I am not surprised as I thought I saw this a long time ago. Do you remember the night we walked and talked together a few days before you left us to go to Mexico? Well the Lord gave me a little light, and if my memory serves me right, I told you a little of what I saw. I knew then that your course was upward and onward and my love and blessing has been with you in all of your travels, and now I say to you, that the God of Jacob will be with you and his Spirit will be upon you, and you will be honored not only by the Saints of God, but the people of the world will honor you, and it will be because you have honored your God and your days shall be many and your reward sure.
“I am your friend and brother in the Gospel of peace, Wm. H. Thompson.”
Surely, “By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life."
"President Anthony W. Ivins." The Instructor. October 1934: pg. 433.
President Anthony W. Ivins Whatever it is that makes a man respected and loved by his fellows, Anthony W. Ivins possessed in super-abundance, and he was thought most of by those who knew him best. At bottom, perhaps, it was his unusual versatility that lay at the roots of his immense popularity. When two minds meet on common ground, there is bound to be both understanding and sympathy. Thus the religious leader who is also a sportsman and the sportsman who is naturally spiritual-minded can enter with ease into each other's mood and thought. He, therefore, who has the greatest number of diverse interests has the most points of contact with others. President Ivins was a man with an amazingly large number of different interests. He was fond of dogs, horses, and cattle, of hunting and fishing. In addition he was a farmer, a stockgrower, and an employer of labor. Not only did he take a prominent part in building two pioneer communities, but he held office in both—that of sheriff, of mayor, of legislator, and of magistrate. He had a profession-—law—and he matched wits in court with some of the best lawyers in Utah. Of geology he knew more than some college professors. He was familiar with history, economics, and the theory and practice of political government. And he had a ready, logical, and expressive way of saying what he thought on all of these subjects. His most continuous interest, however, was religion and the branches leading out from it. Nor was all this the result of superficial reading and thinking. President Ivins was a student at heart. His knowledge was accurate on whatever he considered. Whoever, therefore, came in contact with him had little difficulty in finding some common ground for a meeting of minds. This great versatility was an indication of the reach and the clarity of his exceptional mind, and at the same time it furnished the groundwork of some basic qualities of mind and heart. He believed strongly in the simple life, in the home, in the stable virtues of honesty, chastity, industry, tolerance, and democracy. Religion with him was an atmosphere rather than a creed. It colored all his thinking and conduct. He was what we know as a man of strong convictions. Yet he never forced any of his views on others. But there was something more in President Ivins than the things we have mentioned. Other leaders have been industrious, chaste, honest, simple in their life, just, and yet these have not gripped the universal heart. Other men, too, have been tolerant of others' beliefs while holding strong views of their own. What was it in President Ivins, then, that created in so many men and women a deep respect and love for him? It was character. Shakespeare acquired fame by what he said. He expressed his thoughts in a supreme way. Columbus was great by reason of what he did. His finding of a new continent brought on a new era in human history. Washington is remembered through what he was, rather than through what he said or what he did. Similarly Anthony W. Ivins, although he had great achievements to his credit in the life of this commonwealth and although he gave expression in a noble way to noble thoughts, will be remembered chiefly for what he was. He was not nearly so much a sportsman, a colonizer, a thinker, a farmer, a religious leader as he was a Man. That was his glory and will be our memory. |
PRESIDENT ANTHONY WOODWARD IVINS
September 16, 1852 September 23, 1934 |
Richards, Stephen L. "In Memory of Pres. A. W. Ivins." The Improvement Era, November 1934: pg. 644-648.
In Memory of Pres. A. W. Ivins by Stephen L. Richards, A Member of the Council of the Twelve Apostles “The Last Two Weeks” really should be the title of this tender sketch of the days preceding the passing of President Ivins. President Anthony W. Ivins By Lucy Elizabeth Cardon, a Granddaughter THE skies wept when he died -- Gently, because they felt no frantic grief -- It was as though the earth he loved Had drawn gray mourning veils About her head. And sat in meditation, with slow tears. But let there be few tears -- He passed as he had longed to go. Quickly, with but brief surcease of toil, A pause, perhaps, and then the work he loved And gave his life to Will be continued, glorified, beyond. He left a numerous family, and not one But may hold up his head and rightly say, "My father's name and blood I have kept pure." He left unnumbered friends -- The very great and very lowly love him, And bow their heads in sorrow at his going. But more in gratitude that he has lived. He left four-score strong years of human service -- A book of living through whose pages now We who remain may turn and read and glean Courage and faith and noble precedent. Let there be healing tears to close the wounds Of new bereavement, but no wailing cries, For he lived well, and he has gone to kneel Before that God whose service was his life And who will bend and say to him "Well done!" IT is the day after his funeral, I sit and ponder the marvelous life which has so abruptly and yet so beautifully come to a close. There are fresh in my memory incidents growing out of his last experiences. Some of these I will relate. About two weeks prior to his passing I was with him in an important directors' meeting. He considered and passed upon an appropriation of more than a million dollars and then immediately he went to the home of a friend to see a pure bred dog which was reported to have unusual markings. The day following I met him at the bank in a meeting of its Executive Committee where he transacted business of a financial character. After the meeting he told me that he was tired, that he had taken no relaxation for a long time and that he had had no good fishing since he was out with me several years before. A trip was proposed; we discussed the boat, the fishing tackle, and the fishing waters and a gleam came into his eyes and his countenance brightened as he contemplated the prospect. The next day was Thursday. He presided at the regular Council meeting of the Presidency and the Twelve in the Temple, President Grant being absent. Among other things he reported having been in attendance at a meeting in one of the small wards in the City. He said he went to try to give some comfort and encouragement to the poor people who lived in this section. The next two days preceded his birthday—they were filled with his usual activities—at the office early, attending board and committee meetings, interviewing visitors, filling up the day completely with useful work, then going to his home at night to read and study. He told me on one of these days that he had so fully kept up the correspondence of the First Presidency that not a single letter was unanswered and all matters had been disposed of excepting only those awaiting the return of the President. On Sunday he was eighty-two. In the late afternoon my wife and I called at his home. We found him surrounded by his family. Some had come from distant parts, across the continent, to be with him on this occasion. The house was adorned with flowers, tokens of love and esteem which had been sent to him. On the table was a pile of letters and telegrams of felicitation. He told us that some had come from people he did not know. He showed us one from the President of the United States in which he was greeted as an old friend, It and the other evidences of respect and affection made him very happy, He was very active and agile in getting up quickly and moving about among his friends, so much so that we afterwards commented upon it. I recall nothing of interest during the next three days, except that I saw him daily. On Thursday we again met in the Temple, the President having returned. Those of us who were with him on this occasion, looking back on it in the light of what followed, have been led to wonder whether or not on that day he had something of a premonition of what so soon befell him—not because his actions were noticeably unusual, but because there seemed to have been gathered into the few hours of that meeting some thing approaching an epitome of his life among us. He did the things he had always done, he showed the same characteristics h e had always shown, but somehow it seems that they were climaxed in this meeting. The qualifications of a man had been questioned. There were some reports of an adverse nature. President Ivins immediately arose to his defense and questioned the verity of the reports judgment and a full investigation. He said in substance (I am sorry verbatim report was made): "I have made it a rule of my life never to judge a man without a hearing. I have seen much injustice from passing immature and ill considered judgment on others and their actions. I have found that when you can come to know a man and his point of view you often find him very different than you thought him." He then concluded with a plea for forbearance, tolerance and merciful consideration of all men. HE took occasion at this meeting to speak of his birthday. These remarks were recorded. "I know too much not to be conscious of the fact that I am very imperfect. I have had more arguments with myself than all the arguments I have had in my life with other people, in order that I might convince myself what I should do and what I should not do, and I have tried to follow that out. I feel almost embarrassed at the nice things that came to me from members of the Church and others, and I cannot understand what it is that has brought it all about. I have never had ambition for preference in anything. I have been satisfied to work, whether it was with my mind or my hands wherever I have been. But I have followed what I thought was right. I hope the Lord will overlook my weakness, and with His help I will try to carry on for another year if I can. I have never felt so grateful before as I have on this birthday, because of the things that have come to me." Profound attention was paid to his words this day and I have since learned that other members of the Council experienced something of an apprehensive feeling, as I did, when he said, "With His help I will try to carry on for another year if I can." On the morning of the next day I saw him for the last time here in mortal life. We met at the bank, transacted the business, and after the meeting he remained to talk to me a few minutes regarding the fishing trip we had arranged. It was definitely set for the following Wednesday. He lightly remarked that he was a good cook and would see that we did not want for things to eat. He also said, "Now we are going to your cabin and we are going to use your equipment and I don't propose that you shall stand the expense; I will see about that." The following Sunday morning while in Logan attending a conference I received a telegram from President Grant advising of his death. It was a great shock to me and the people. I saw a whole city stunned by the news. They loved and esteemed him in Cache Valley, perhaps even more than in many other places, because of his long and helpful service to the Utah State Agricultural College. Sunday night we again called at his home. It was not the same cheerful, joyous place it had been the week before. There were sorrow and deep mourning. A Mexican woman with her son, sat on a couch with Sister Ivins. She was crying bitterly. She said her people had lost their father. The boy told me that President Ivins had made it possible for him to go to school. During the next two days, the city seemed to be under a pall. Crepe hung on the doors of many places of business. Men spoke in hushed voices and everywhere one went he heard the salutation and comment: "What a loss." "What a friend." "How can he ever be replaced." Then came the day of the funeral. It seemed like a sacred holiday. Business was largely suspended, many houses closed. The police patrolled the streets to prepare for his cortege and for three solid hours a continuous procession of sorrow stricken people passed his bier as he lay in state in the onyx room of the Church Office Building where for many years he had so diligently devoted himself to the cause he loved. In the procession were financiers, bootblacks, statesmen and washerwomen, the educated and the illiterate people of various nationalities and from all walks of life. All counted themselves his friends for they looked upon him as their friend. Many would have paused for a long time to look upon his still white face as if by longing and wishing they might bring back again his friendly smile and kindly word; but they had to be hurried on to make room for others. AND now the unforgettable service in the great Tabernacle. Myriads of flowers entwined in beautiful costly designs; extending from side to side of the huge edifice, adorned the rostrum and made a background of almost ethereal beauty, so befitting the one who loved them so much. They were the gifts of those who desired to speak their love in this delicate language of fragrance and beauty. The great choir in which he took such pride was in its place to do him honor and to assuage the grief of his loved ones with the balm of music. The building was filled with his friends, but not all his friends, for there were many who could not get in and hosts of others throughout the country who could not come. Many of these fortunately, in the cities and towns and hamlets of the Intermountain country, were permitted to listen to the services over the radio. The addresses are a matter of record. They came from men representing various groups of his friends. They recounted something of the greatness of his life and the breadth of his activities and they all expressed profound respect for his achievements and enduring love and friendship. The services closed. The long funeral cortege solemnly moved through lines of uncovered heads to the cemetery. On its way a great church, to which he did not belong, paid official tribute. His body was laid in the earth. This was the end of the last two weeks which I have tried to recall. Some of the things which I have set down may seem to be inconsequential and almost trivial but I believe that one may gather from them an enlarged appreciation of the eventful, noble life of President Anthony W. Ivins. In this brief cross section we see something of the breadth of his interests and the easy transition from one phase of living to another. He was a financier, philosopher, statesman, scholar, teacher and preacher of righteousness. He was also a cowboy, a prospector, an assayer, a farmer, a baseball fan, a hunter and a fisherman. It is no wonder that touching life at so many points he touched also the hearts of so many people. The breadth of his interests, his knowledge and experiences, enlarged his sympathies and his understanding of men gave him tolerance as understanding al-. ways does, and endeared him to the multitudes, for each one felt that in him he had a friend who understood him. Circumstances which I have recited also serve to show something of the simplicity of his nature. His reasoning was direct, not involved and abstruse. He was given to reach a conclusion on new problems by the application of old rules and principles which he had long tried and not found wanting. Many a time he has won his point in financial discussions with the recital of a cowboy experience. His language was simple and beautiful. I have known but few men with a gift of pure English such as he possessed. He seldom used big words. He seemed always able to clothe his thoughts in the shorter, simpler words of the language. He was almost a slave to duty and would let nothing interfere with his performance of it. Many times I am sure he has suffered in health because of unwillingness to care for himself at the expense of his assignment. But I believe he enjoyed his work so it was not so much of a sacrifice for him to respond to duty as it might otherwise have been. Within the limitations of this article I cannot further extend my comments on the lofty character and achievements of this great man. Fortunately so many knew him and were the beneficiaries of his goodness and wisdom that it is unnecessary to exploit his life's labors. I am grateful indeed to have known him and to have been counted among his friends. A short time before his death, after I had been absent for several months from my home and my association with him, he wrote me a letter. In it he gave me his confidence, much encouragement and his affection. I shall always treasure it because it typifies the sympathy and kindly consideration and the goodness that he was able to manifest in such unusual measure for all his fellow- men. God planted in his heart a great love for all His handiwork man, the animals, birds and all nature. As love begets love so all men and things seemed to respond to this divine touch within him. He went home to his Eternal Parent with as rich a measure of the love and confidence and esteem of his fellowmen as it is ever the portion of a man to take out of this world. Notes of the Funeral Extracts from the prayers and speeches given at the funeral will appear in a later number of "The Improvement Era." ON Sunday morning, September 23, 1934, Anthony W. Ivins. first counselor in the First Presidency, passed away at his home in Salt Lake City, a few days after he had celebrated with his family and friends his eighty-second birthday. President Ivins was as active as usual up to Friday evening, September 21. His passing was sudden, as he was ill but a short time. His funeral was one of the most impressive services of its kind ever held in the Church. Indeed, many say there has never been another like it. President Ivins was so universally loved by all classes of people, members of the Church and non-members that the occasion was one of universal mourning throughout the inter-mountain West where he was known so well and loved for his sterling qualities. The great Tabernacle was filled beyond capacity. Floral offerings, beautifully arranged, decked the various pulpits and rostrums of the vast auditorium. During the time that the body of the beloved pioneer reposed in the onyx room of the Church Office Building, more than 4,000 mourning friends passed to pay tribute to a magnificent life while Scout Executives of Boy Scout Councils acted as a guard of honor. President Heber J. Grant, bereft of his counselor, cousin, and friend, the boy and young man with whom he had played nearly three quarters of a century before, joined the mourners, while Elder J. Reuben Clark, second counselor in the First Presidency, presided. As the cortege, after the funeral, passed along South Temple Street on its way to the City Cemetery where interment took place. Rev. James E. Kearney, D.D., Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City, and members of the clergy stood on the steps of the Cathedral of the Madeleine while the bells tolled the passing of a great soul. It was a beautiful gesture and a splendid tribute to aa honest life. “Tony" Ivins Meets Elizabeth Snow As Given by Elder McKay at the Funeral Service HERE is President Ivins' own account of his first meeting with his sweetheart: "We were camped at Chicken Creek Lake. A few wagons passed us and camped a little farther down the road. The following morning a span of mules belonging to the party ahead were grazing with our animals. "I walked down the road to where our neighbors camped and asked a man who was repairing a harness if he had lost any mules. He smiled and said 'No.' As I stood by the wagon tongue, conversing with the man, a little girl walked up on the opposite side of the tongue and from under a blue sunbonnet looked at me, and I looked at her. "I was thrilled with her beautiful brown eyes, and could never forget them. When we reached the St. George Valley there were but two wagons camped there * * * I again saw the little brown-eyed girl. She was the daughter of Erastus Snow, the father of Utah's Dixie. "I continued to see her until we had grown to man and womanhood, when she became my wife. She is with me still, the same sweet girl she was at Chicken Creek. She has shared with me the dangers, trials and privations of pioneer life. No other has, or ever can, take her place." On the Wings of the Morning By Ruth May Fox READY, quite ready-- Spotless his garments of whiteness. Burnished his armor to brightness. When he heard the call of the King! Glorious his life!-- His faith—there can be no forgetting; Nor joy—no bitter regretting The royal highway is before him! Urgent the need. Horses are prancing, are waiting-- No time for adieus or leave-taking-- Lightly he bounds to his steed. Away and away-- On glist'ning wings of the morning, Glory and honor adorning. His fine intellectual brow. Now and forever-- A star in eternity gleaming, Beck'ning mankind with its beaming, To follow the pathway he trod. |
BLANCO AWAITING THE CALL
MARRIED SWEETHEARTS FOR FIFTY-SIX YEARS
"HE IS JUST AWAY"
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"Tribute to President A. W. Ivins." The Improvement Era, November 1934: pg. 672.
Tribute to President A. W. Ivins
(Excerpts from the remarks of President Heber J. Grant, at the First Session of the General Conference, October 5, 1934)
ONE of the greatest, most devoted and splendid members of the General Authorities of the Church has been taken from us at the ripe age of eighty-two. From his childhood until his death he has been a very studious man, a man gathering information on many subjects, a man successful in all the walks of life in which he engaged. He was successful in more things than any man I ever knew, and all his life he fulfilled the requirements made in the Doctrine and Covenants, Section 88, verses 124, 125, 126:
"Cease to be idle; cease to be unclean; cease to find fault one with another; cease to sleep longer than is needful; retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated.
"And above all things, clothe yourselves with the bond of charity, as with a mantle, which is the bond of perfectness and peace.
"Pray always, that ye may not faint, until I come. Behold, and lo, I will come quickly, and receive you unto myself."
The very life of Anthony W. Ivins is testimony of the work in which you and I are engaged. Men of his caliber, of his honesty, of his charity, of his love for his fellowmen, a man in communion with God, would not stay in this Church unless he had an abiding faith in the divinity of this work in which we are engaged.
I appreciate and thank Noble Warrum for the splendid editorial written about Anthony W. Ivins. I am grateful, beyond expression, for all of these tributes that have been paid to him. I am thankful that the President of the United States saw fit to send a telegram of congratulation on his birthday. I could go on talking for hours regarding Anthony W. Ivins, but I think perhaps I have said enough, only to say that in every particular he fulfilled the advice of the mother to her son:
TO MY SON
Do you know that your soul is of my soul such a part
That you seem to be fiber and core of my heart?
None other can pain me as you, dear, can do;
None other can please me, or praise, as you.
Remember the world will be quick with its blame,
If shadow or stain ever darken your name.
"Like mother, like son," is a saying so true,
The world will judge largely of mother by you.
Be this, then your task, if task it should be.
To force the proud world to do homage to me.
Be sure it will say, when its verdict you've won,
"She reaped as she sowed, Lo, this is her son."
Tribute to President A. W. Ivins
(Excerpts from the remarks of President Heber J. Grant, at the First Session of the General Conference, October 5, 1934)
ONE of the greatest, most devoted and splendid members of the General Authorities of the Church has been taken from us at the ripe age of eighty-two. From his childhood until his death he has been a very studious man, a man gathering information on many subjects, a man successful in all the walks of life in which he engaged. He was successful in more things than any man I ever knew, and all his life he fulfilled the requirements made in the Doctrine and Covenants, Section 88, verses 124, 125, 126:
"Cease to be idle; cease to be unclean; cease to find fault one with another; cease to sleep longer than is needful; retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated.
"And above all things, clothe yourselves with the bond of charity, as with a mantle, which is the bond of perfectness and peace.
"Pray always, that ye may not faint, until I come. Behold, and lo, I will come quickly, and receive you unto myself."
The very life of Anthony W. Ivins is testimony of the work in which you and I are engaged. Men of his caliber, of his honesty, of his charity, of his love for his fellowmen, a man in communion with God, would not stay in this Church unless he had an abiding faith in the divinity of this work in which we are engaged.
I appreciate and thank Noble Warrum for the splendid editorial written about Anthony W. Ivins. I am grateful, beyond expression, for all of these tributes that have been paid to him. I am thankful that the President of the United States saw fit to send a telegram of congratulation on his birthday. I could go on talking for hours regarding Anthony W. Ivins, but I think perhaps I have said enough, only to say that in every particular he fulfilled the advice of the mother to her son:
TO MY SON
Do you know that your soul is of my soul such a part
That you seem to be fiber and core of my heart?
None other can pain me as you, dear, can do;
None other can please me, or praise, as you.
Remember the world will be quick with its blame,
If shadow or stain ever darken your name.
"Like mother, like son," is a saying so true,
The world will judge largely of mother by you.
Be this, then your task, if task it should be.
To force the proud world to do homage to me.
Be sure it will say, when its verdict you've won,
"She reaped as she sowed, Lo, this is her son."
Lyman, Richard R. "President Anthony W. Ivins." The Relief Society Magazine, November 1934, 21 ed.: pg. 647-652.
President Anthony W. Ivins By Richard R. Lyman of the Council of the Twelve MATCH, if you can, in richness of glory, honor, admiration and affection the life and labors of that modest, well-balanced Christian gentleman and man of God, President Anthony W. Ivins ! The earthly career of this beloved Church leader came to a close during the early morning hours of Sunday, September 23, 1934, just one week to the day after his eighty-second birthday, when he received tributes from almost every part of the country, including a message from the President of the United States. This industrious and incessant worker, this great business, civic and Church leader, was at his desk at his work and at his books and studies Friday as usual. Saturday he was kept at home by his physician, but all day long he was insisting that a man could accomplish nothing lying in bed. Then early Sunday morning his successful life of unceasing industry closed. Some ten days earlier he went on a business trip to Nephi. Later, and the last time I saw him, he was taking the electric train for Ogden on another business trip. Thus, to the very end, his mighty brain and his unusual physical makeup struggled on vigorously, valiantly, successfully. People from every walk of life mourned with his loved ones in their sorrow. At the funeral services the great Tabernacle was packed with an audience of genuine mourners, for he was a friend and benefactor to thousands. The great mass of flowers, the flow of eloquence, the remarkable outpouring of praise, affection and commendation all testified to the love of his friends and the esteem in which he was held by the general public. ANTHONY W. IVINS was richly endowed mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. He was a man of fine intellect and rare judgment. He was a most versatile man, a leader in many fields. He was a great colonizer and pioneer, a wise legislator and statesman. Outstanding among his activities in this direction are the services he rendered in the Utah legislature and constitutional convention, also in his many official interviews with President Diaz of the Republic of Mexico. His Spanish was so perfect that even President Diaz complimented him on his knowledge of this foreign tongue. He was an officer of the law who, though brave and fearless, could by his gentle words, his honesty and frankness calm the convict, even in that atmosphere which flying bullets create, and capture his prisoner by peaceful ways. His personality had in it a special charm no one seemed able to resist. He was an orator who could hold both old and young with his simple eloquence. He was an outstanding churchman who could with power defend and advocate, even to the most learned, the doctrines and practices of his Church. He was a writer of unusual ability and clearness. In his youth he was outstanding as an actor and as an athlete. He was a man who could do things with his hands. He had all sorts of specialties and hobbies. And with it all he was a modest, unassuming and kindly individual with a great and tender heart which responded to the joys or the sorrows and disappointments of his fellowmen. No absent one in need of a friend ever went undefended if Anthony W. Ivins was present. He lived and acted according to that powerful message in the 13th chapter of 1st Corinthians. In other words, he exercised charity for all. THIS quiet, modest man loved nature ; he was a part of it. He was a great hunter and fisherman. At the age of eighty, that was only two years ago, he ''bagged" his last deer. I've been with him in camp. On one occasion he and I were sleeping side by side. Expert fishermen who had been sent ahead to provide fish for our party found that the fish "would not bite." Out of the darkness of our tent and into the early morning of the following day slipped Anthony W. Ivins. When the rest of us bestirred ourselves to make ready for breakfast, down along the creek bank and alone came this lover and understander of nature with a long string of fine trout. Plans for a hunting and fishing trip into the Yellowstone Park country with a group of his intimate friends were already completed when his final earthly call came. WHILE he was not actually born on the desert, yet practically all of the life of President Ivins was spent in the wilds or on the frontier. Few have had less opportunity to get scholastic training, that is that actual teaching that is given in the classroom, and yet because of the natural intellectual power with which nature had endowed him, he made of himself not only a wise and well-informed man but a genuine scholar. The president of the Utah State Agricultural College and its board of trustees did themselves and their institution as much honor as they did him when last June they conferred upon Anthony W. Ivins the degree, Doctor of Laws. Genuine education, real scholarship, is not a something put upon or put into an individual as articles might be crammed into a bag. Real education, genuine scholarship, is a matter of growth. And while Anthony W. Ivins did not have the opportunity of getting the formal training which schools afford, yet by the power oi his fine mind he made of himself a worthy Doctor of Laws. Let me relate one experience that will explain what I mean when I say that he qualified himself for the honorary degree which the college conferred. It was in the springtime. Samuel O. Bennion, then president of the Central States Mission, was taking President Ivins, myself and some others by automobile through that fine country around Kansas City. The variety and beauty of the birds in that neighborhood brought forth the comment that in Scouting boys are required to produce a list of forty species of wild birds which have been personally observed and positively identified in the field in order to secure a merit badge in birds. "Let me see," said President Ivins, "if I can name forty different kinds of birds." He began and I kept the record. And without a moment's previous thought or preparation, out of that rich store of knowledge and experience which his keen observation and marvelous memory had provided, and to the amazement of those in the party, he gave the names of birds until the number reached one hundred and thirty-five. "How on earth do you remember all of these, President Ivins? How is it possible for you thus without special notice or preparation to pass such an astonishing examination?" He answered in his quiet and modest way, "I was able to do this by remembering these birds in their various families as I have them classified in my mind." There is the secret. That tells how by the clearness and power of his intellect he made of himself, under extremely serious handicaps, a real scholar, a genuine Doctor of Laws. These scholastic accomplishments were made possible by his love for reading, his fondness for study, his outstanding power of observation and his marvelous memory. The college did not make Anthony W. Ivins a Doctor of Laws, President Ivins made himself a Doctor of Laws. All the college did was to place a label on him. PRESIDENT IVINS' ability to make friends was phenomenal. He not only loved all mankind but animals as well. There is perhaps no other white man whose death would have produced so much sorrow and mourning among the Indians as did the death of this their genuinely affectionate and devoted friend. No horse ever carried him without getting from him at the end of the journey an affectionate pat and other expressions of appreciation. No cry of hunger or want or suffering ever came to this man's ears in vain. He fed the hungry and clothed the naked. He remembered the widows and the orphans in their affliction. And the words of the Savior of the world will apply to no man more appropriately than to President Ivins : "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (Matt. 25:40) PRESIDENT IVINS has said that the example of his own gentle, studious, patriotic and efficient pioneer father awakened in him a fondness for books, a love for study and work, and stirred in his soul the very highest Christian ideals and standards—a real ambition to be humble and unselfish. Mrs. Ivins also says that the father of President Ivins had a profound influence over the life and actions of his son to the very end. The son was the father's intimate companion. They went hunting together. The boy carried the chain while the father made his surveys. The ability of Israel Ivins can be measured in some degree by the fact that he laid out the city of St. George, and that while he was not a graduate of a medical school, he was closely associated with the leading doctors in Salt Lake City, and read, studied and practiced medicine at St. George, where he cared for the poor with as much care and interest as he did for those who were well-to-do. When death came to him, the whole community mourned. The mother of President Ivins was a good neighbor, a faithful wife, a noble pioneer mother. The Ivinses come from outstanding stock. Members of the family must live well if they are true to family traditions. William Ivins, a cousin of Anthony W., made the race for the mayor of the city of New York some years ago. The unselfishness of the members of the Ivins family was one of the most outstanding characteristics which came to the attention of the young bride, Elizabeth Snow Ivins, when she came into that family. She says that night after night and all night long Israel Ivins sat by the bedside of his wife through a siege of pneumonia exhibiting phenomenal devotion. President Ivins himself came all the way from his home in Mexico to St. George, Utah, in order to be present at the funeral of his mother. This is another evidence of the devotion of the members of this family to one another. THE mentality, the fine balance, the broad vision, the powerful command of self and the mental caliber of President Ivins' devoted wife and life-long companion were his chief inspiration and support. To her and to her strength of character, to her high sense of duty and to her devotion to the Church and to its ideals are due many of those decisions that were made at the crucial periods of the life of Anthony W. Ivins, all of which led, as we can see clearly now, to the completion of a life that would have been less outstanding, less truly great if other courses than those he and his wife selected had been followed. Seldom, if ever, does a man do works that are outstanding unless behind him is inspiration and encouragement furnished by some good woman. Mrs. Ivins has been the counselor, the courage-giver, the support of President Ivins in all his undertakings all his days. In that long ago when methods of travel were so slow, President Ivins was on Church and business duties and away from home as much as seven months in a single year. Only the unselfishly patriotic and devoted can toil and carry on under these conditions. Elizabeth Snow Ivins carried this her heavy load successfully and from her lips came no word of complaint. When Brigham Young sent Erastus Snow and his family to help settle St. George, the daughter, Libby, aged seven, learned her first lesson in obedience to the authorities of the Church. Going into that desert country was a great trial. It was a burden, however, carried nobly not only by Erastus Snow but by Israel Ivins, the father of President Ivins, and by the members of both their families. Mrs. Ivins says the journey to St George by ox-teams required a month and that during the first two years they lived in tents. After that came the luxury of one-room log houses for homes. This unselfish early life of pioneering helped to prepare President and Mrs. Ivins for the later calls of the Church when he first went into Mexico as a missionary for a period of two years and finally when in 1895 they both with the members of their family went as colonizers into that land where they expected to make their permanent home. Those close to the family said Mrs. Ivins seemed to get under the load in those early days of pioneering a little more promptly and a little more willingly, if there was any difference, than did President Ivins himself. The family spirit, that determination to seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, is shown also in the decision of their son Grant to go for a period of five ears to Japan as a missionary, when he was called by the Church to render this service. For one in the days of his youth to give thus liberally of his time and of himself in this unselfish way for the progress of the Church shows genuine Christian spirit. Among the outstanding accomplishments of this young man during that five years, and as an evidence of his own mental power, was his translation into the Japanese language of the Articles of Faith by the late Dr. James E. Talmage. To President and Mrs. Ivins eight other children have been born. There are still living three able sons and five equally able daughters. Most if not all of these are college graduates, and like all the other descendants of Erastus Snow which I have known they have excellent characters and unusual mental powers. President Ivins and family remained in Mexico for thirteen years or until he was called back to become, first, a member of the Council of the Twelve, next, the second counselor, and finally, as the crowning work of his lifetime, first counselor in the First Presidency of the Church. Thus, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matt. 6:33), is illustrated in the lives of President and Mrs. Anthony W. Ivins. Both in their childhood, at the call of the Church, went to St. George with pioneer parents. During their later life, they made the necessary sacrifice, and hers if anything was the greater, to go as colonizers into a foreign country. In this land of Mexico President Ivins constructed for himself the finest house in the colonies. He produced the finest horses, the finest cattle, the finest orchard, the finest flowers, the finest garden in the community. It was he who directed the construction of the church and church school buildings, all of which tell in unmistakable terms of the sturdy quality, the breadth of view and greatness of this outstanding builder. "I defy any man," President Ivins once said, "to follow my trail from childhood and find anything I have ever built that has fallen down." And the work of his wife on the inside of the house was as remarkable as was his on the outside. Like her own mother, Mrs. Ivins was the keeper of a model home. During her lifetime, Mrs. Snow entertained in her home President Brigham Young and other General Authorities of the Church. And after the death of the mother, both in St. George and during thirteen years as the wife of the stake president in Mexico, Elizabeth Snow Ivins, to her great credit, not only entertained in royal fashion the General Authorities that came into her neighborhood but she did this in such a pleasant and charming way as to win the lasting friendship of them all. In their Salt Lake City home, characterized by its stability, its variety of flowers and lovely lawn on the outside and by its beauty, its loveliness and its charm on the inside, President and Mrs. Ivins have taken great joy and pride in entertaining their many friends, and have enjoyed innumerable reunions of their large, happy and successful family. Mrs. Ivins is not nor has she ever been robust and vigorous in a physical way. She has been delicate, gentle and refined but with all this she has been a fine manager and a strong executive. She has not only required her daughters to learn to cook, dust and keep a home in first class fashion, but she has also been wise enough when new dresses, for example, were wanted, to say, "You may have all the dresses you will make for yourselves. I will buy all the material if you will do the work." Of her President Ivins has said: "No one ever has, no one ever will, no one ever can take her place." These two were tied together by those bonds of understanding, those laws of love and nature, those binding ties of genuine respect and admiration which make a man and a woman truly one—one in thought, one in ideals, one in ideas, one in ambitions, one in understanding, so that each reflected in the other, all their clays, that perfect affection and confidence that make two hearts and souls and beings perfectly and devotedly one in all things. |
PRESIDENT ANTHONY W. IVINS
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"In Memory of President A. W. Ivins." Improvement Era, September 1935: pg. 538.
In Memory of President A. W. Ivins On the 83rd anniversary of his birth, Sept. 16, 1852, and the first of his death Sept. 23, 1934, we submit these tributes taken from the sermons given at his funeral and a tribute from a Lamanite friend. A Lamanite Tribute to President Ivins THE Lamanites in Old Mexico, United States, and Canada, have been blessed in having the association and friendship of a 100 per cent member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Such was our departed brother, President A. W. Ivins. The Lamanites loved Brother Ivins; few men have accomplished such broad acquaintance among the Indians. Brother Ivins loved the Indians as they were, and he understood them as they are. He knew the trials and tribulations that were imposed upon them before the white man came among them. He was blessed with a spiritual knowledge far superior to that of most men, especially on the Lamanite question. Brother Ivins was an authority on Indians. At no time did Brother Ivins ever fail to raise his voice in the Indian's defense. His memory will always linger in the minds of the Red Men, who are so sensitive to such brotherly love and friendship, and untiring, unselfish services as he rendered to his fellow man. Said he to me, "Don't worry about the Indians not joining the Church of Jesus Christ, or being converted any faster than they are. The day is not far off when there will be nations born in a day, and they will come into this Church by the thousand, and into their own, in your time." President Ivin's remarks will soon prove true. J. J. Galbreath, Blackfeet Reservation, Browning, Montana. * * * We are met today to honor him, in his death as in his life. We honor him as a dutiful son, a loving husband, a kind and loving father, a great pioneer, a builder of commonwealths, a great citizen, a devout churchman, a wise and experienced, a righteous and Godfearing man. — President J. Reuben Clark, presiding officer. * * * One of the most successful journeys ever completed in this work-a-day world came to an end at the 82nd milestone, last Sunday morning, Sept. 23, when President Anthony W. Ivins reluctantly, though peacefully, laid aside life's burdens. A million voices murmured in unison, death has taken from us a truly great man, a mighty leader, a friend in very deed — President David O. McKay. It is difficult to find an individual who represents the hopes and aspirations and ideals of a nation or race. * * * A. W. Ivins, however, did represent, in his personality, the hopes and the ideals and the expectations of that band of men and women who went out to establish, on the extreme frontier, a branch of Zion. To them he was the product of their experiences and their teachings. — John G. McQuarrie, life-long Dixie friend. * * * "He was an ornament to religion. So manly a man was he that others wanted to worship, if for no other reason than because he did. Confident that life is immortal, he lived in Christlike peace. —E. G. Peterson, President of the U. S. A. C. * * * And so I like to think of him now as the ideal father of a family; one who intelligently guided it; one who was an example in every way; and one who had at the time, and who has ever since had, the complete respect and honor of his own children and all other children who were associated with him.-— - F. S. Harris, President B. Y. U. * * * One of the finest attributes of this man was his ardent loyalty to his friends. — John Fitzpatrick, publisher Salt Lake Tribune. |
THE LATE PRESIDENT A. W. IVINS IN CONFERENCE WITH HIS LAMANITE FRIENDS. THE PICTURE WAS TAKEN IN SALT LAKE CITY, WHERE THE INDIANS HAD ASSEMBLED FOR CONFERENCE.
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Ivins, Stanley Snow. "Anthony W. Ivins I - Boyhood." The Instructor, November 1943: pg. 568-569.
Anthony W. Ivins By Stanley Snow Ivins I. -BOYHOOD The boyhood of President Anthony W. Ivins was typical of that of many another Mormon boy in a pioneer family. He was born at Toms River, New Jersey, on September 16, 1852, the third child of Israel and Anna Lowrie Ivins. His parents had heard the Gospel expounded by the prophet Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Erastus Snow and other elders, and had been baptized before their marriage in 1844. In the summer of 1853, when President Ivins was less than a year old, he made the long journey across the plains to the Salt Lake valley, in a company made up of his parents and a number of other families from New Jersey. The family settled on a lot near the present site of the Union Station in Salt Lake City, and there Brother Ivins spent his early years. His father was a member of the city police force and also served in the Echo Canyon war of 1856 and 1857. Of these early years President Ivins wrote: "I distinctly remember watching my father mould bullets for the Echo war and his appearance when he returned, ragged and shoeless, with arms in his hands, and how it inspired me with a desire to bear arms and learn their use. When he went fishing and hunting I accompanied him, and thus became strongly imbued with the spirit of sportsman and greatly desired a dog and gun." At the October, 1861 Conference of the Church President Brigham Young called upon a few families of the Saints to go into the desolate country which we now know as Utah's Dixie, and there begin a new settlement. One of these families was that of Israel Ivins. He exchanged all his accumulated property for a traveling outfit, and the nine-year-old Anthony found himself setting out on his second pioneer journey. About the first of the following December these Dixie Pioneers arrived at their destination near the junction of the Virgin and Santa Clara rivers, more than three hundred miles south of Salt Lake City. There they pitched the tents in which they lived during the mild winter, while Israel Ivins surveyed a nearby site for the new town. It was to be called St. George in honor of Apostle George A. Smith. In the spring of 1862 the settlers moved on to their town lots and, in the face of the most disheartening obstacles, began the task of building a city. Here President Ivins spent his boyhood years. For two or three months of each winter he attended school. During the remainder of the year he was kept busy with the many chores which fell to the lot of a pioneer boy. He chopped the wood for his mother's stove, milked the cows, drove them to the hills where they grazed during the day and brought them back home at night. For recreation he hunted rabbits and birds. He was too young to use a rifle, but traded with the Indians for bows and arrows and became skilled in their use. When he was about thirteen years old, Brother Ivins went to Salt Lake City with his father, who had been called there to do some surveying. While on this visit to the city he experienced his first adventure in deer hunting, a sport he was to follow with enthusiasm for the next sixty-five years. The hunt was planned for the entertainment of an uncle, Thomas W. Ivins of New Jersey, who was visiting in Utah. At the last moment the guest of honor decided not to go on the hunt because he believed it would prove fruitless. So without him, the young boy, his father and another uncle, Anthony Ivins, crossed the valley westward to Coon's Canyon, in the Oquirrh mountains, where they camped for the night. But let President Ivins tell the story in his own words: "The following morning I arose early and went to look for our team, which I found had started down the road toward home. I tracked them a long distance down the road and found them. When I reached camp the morning was nearly gone. I was very much excited when my father told me that he had seen two deer feeding on the side of the mountain above camp and that he was certain that they were then lying in a grove of quaking aspen where they had gone. This was my first deer hunt. In fact I had never before seen a deer in his native haunts, and I was naturally very anxious. My father mapped out our plan of campaign as follows: My uncle and I were to go by a circuitous route to the head of a canyon above where the deer were supposed to be, and conceal ourselves there. Father was then to enter the quaking aspen grove in the canyon from below, and assured us that he would drive the deer to where we were, if we would take care of them after they got there. We were to have an hour's time to reach our stand before he went into the timber. "My uncle and I were both armed with double-barrelled shot guns, his a 16 gauge and mine a 10. I had 18 buckshot in my gun, 9 in each barrel. After a long climb Uncle Anthony and I reached the head of the canyon and selected our positions, he on the west and I on the east side. We had been in position only a short time when I saw Uncle Anthony raise his gun and fire, and a moment later a fine doe bounded out of the canyon directly between us. We both fired at the same instant and the doe dropped in her tracks. I started to run to her, when my uncle called: 'Look out, there is another coming.' I stopped as a fine young buck bounded out of the brush near me, which I shot with the remaining barrel of my gun. My uncle complimented me and was delighted that we had each killed a deer. I said, 'I think I have killed two deer. ‘Why,’ he replied, 'you did not fire at the first one, did you?' 'Yes,' I replied, 'and she dropped at the crack of my gun.' The guns had been discharged simultaneously and he did not know that I had fired, We \vent to the doe and carefully examined the right side which was uppermost and which had been exposed to my uncle's shots, but could find no sign of a wound. We rolled her over, and on the other side near the point of the left shoulder, were the holes where three buckshot had entered. That settled it. My uncle acknowledged that the honors were all mine. "About this time my father came puffing up the hill to where we stood. The dead deer, as they lay in the high grass and weeds, were not visible. 'Did you shoot?' asked my father. 'Yes,' I answered. 'Did you hit anything?' 'Yes, I think I did.' My father was angry. He thought that after all his labor to drive the deer to us, we had allowed them to escape. He started to follow the tracks as he said: 'It's just as I expected. I thought if you hit one at all you would shoot it in the tail.' A few steps and he found the first deer. He was delighted, and when he found the other and learned that I had killed them both, he was almost as pleased as I. "I may be pardoned if I was somewhat elated. I had killed the first two deer I ever saw and had beaten two veterans. "Now, there is a sequel to this deer hunt that I must not forget. We loaded our game into the wagon and returned to Salt Lake that afternoon. When we reached my Uncle Anthony's house, he called to Uncle Thomas to come out and help bring in the deer. Uncle Thomas answered: 'If there is a deer in that wagon I will give the man that killed it fifty dollars.' He was greatly pleased and surprised when he saw the two deer, and especially so to learn that I had killed them both, but' he said nothing more about the fifty dollars. A long time later, when he had returned to New Jersey and I had gone home to St. George, a letter came with a draft for fifty dollars in fulfillment of his promise. That fifty dollars, without adding to it from any other source, was so profitably invested that, soon after, I bought a city lot with it, and later exchanged that for another, upon which I built the house which was my home for fifteen years." After this visit to Salt Lake City, President Ivins returned to St. George where he spent the remainder of his boyhood, joining the older folks in their hard struggle against the heat, the sand, the drouths, the floods and the many other obstacles which they had to fight in their mission of building up that barren country. In this hard way he learned the lessons which were to guide "him throughout his life |
ANTHONY W. IVINS
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Ivins, Stanley Snow. "Anthony W. Ivins II - His First Mission." The Instructor, December 1943: pg. 619-623.
ANTHONY W. IVINS By Stanley Snow Ivins II. - HIS FIRST MISSION When Pres. Anthony W. Ivins was twenty-three years old he was called to take his first mission. Sometime during the year of 1874 Meleton G. Trejo, a Spaniard, was baptized into the Church. He translated some extracts from the Book of Mormon into the Spanish language, and they were published in the form of a pamphlet of about one hundred pages. With this accomplished Pres. Brigham Young decided that the time had come to introduce the Gospel into Mexico, and in the fall of 1875 he called Elder Daniel W. Jones to lead a missionary party to that country. The mission was also to be one of exploration, with the missionaries traveling overland to Mexico and exploring along the way any sites where settlements might be established. Pres. Ivins was one of those called to accompany Elder Jones on this mission. He was pleased with the call, for he had read Prescott's story of the conquest of Mexico by the Spaniard^ and was greatly interested in the people of the country. When his call came, his friends in St. George took up subscriptions to help him on his way. Forty-five of them contributed $8.15 in cash, $6.50 in merchandise, $78.00 in Tithing Office scrip, $16.50 in Factory scrip, $8.00 in F. 6. M. Co scrip, $1.00 in meat scrip, and $1.00 in bread scrip, a total of $119.15. In addition to these contributions B. H. Paddock gave him a mule and the people of Pine Valley, a horse. With this aid, and by selling all his possessions, he secured a good traveling outfit, consisting of a saddle horse and two pack animals with their accouterments, camp equipment, arms and ammunition, and a small sum of money. On the morning of October 10, 1875, Bro. Ivins, who had never before been away from his family, mounted his horse and took a lonely ride to Toquerville to meet his missionary companions, who were coming from the northern part of the Territory. They were, in addition to Daniel W. Jones, the presiding elder, Helaman Pratt, J. Z. Stewart, R. H. Smith and Wiley Jones. The party went on from Toquerville, past Pipe Springs, to Kanab, where it arrived on October 14th. At Kanab Jacob Hamblin, Ammon M. Tenney and Thomas Chamberlain joined the company. As this was the last Mormon settlement on their route, the missionaries remained here fox six days, making their final preparations. Jacob Hamblin butchered the only beef he owned and jerked the meat for use on the journey. The route was to be through a wild barren country, and the travelers must take along a good supply of provisions. They also carried rifles and plenty of ammunition which could be used for shooting wild game for food and for protection, if the necessity should arise. When the expedition left Kanab, on October 20th, it was made up of nine men, ten saddle horses and twenty-two pack animals. The animals were strange to each other and had to be herded at night to keep them from wandering off and becoming lost. From Kanab the missionaries traveled south and west across the Arizona line, over the Kaibab Mountain, through Houserock Valley, past Jacob's Pool and on to Lee's Ferry on the Colorado river. Bro. Ivins wrote in his journal a brief description of Houserock Valley, concluding with the observation that the valley "would make a very fine cattle ranch," Twenty years later he was managing the Kaibab Land and Cattle Company, which ran cattle on the Kaibab Mountain and in Houserock Valley. Two days after the company had crossed the Colorado river at Lee's Ferry, Jacob Hamblin and Thomas Chamberlain returned to Kanab, reducing the number of missionaries to seven. From Lee's Ferry they traveled in a southerly direction for about fifty miles, following the present route of U. S. Highway 89, and then turned southwestward toward a cluster of Moqui Indian villages. On the night of Saturday, October 30th, they camped about thirty-five miles west of the nearest of these villages, on ground farmed by the Indians. They remained here over Sunday and appraised the location as a possible site for a settlement, estimating that there would be water to irrigate land enough to support fifteen families. Before they had broken camp Monday morning they heard distant singing, which grew nearer and louder until a large number of Moqui Indians came in sight. They had come from the village of Oraibi to gather their crops, and were singing songs of thanksgiving for the harvest. Bro. Ivins wrote that the effect of the chanting of the Indians, coming out of the solitude of the desert, "was charming beyond description." Two days more of travel over a very dry country brought the missionaries to the village of Oraibi, where they remained for three days, resting their tired horses and visiting with the Moquis. The Indians were friendly and Bro. Ivins met some with whom he had become acquainted on their trading trips to the Mormon settlements. The Moqui villages were all built on high bluffs, and could be reached only by narrow trails winding up the cliffs. From wells at the foot of the bluffs, water for domestic use was carried up the steep trails in jugs balanced on the heads of the Indian women. The houses of the Indians were flat-roofed, built of stone, and from one to three stories high. Bro. Ivins called the villages Oribe, Shumuthpa, Mushaiina, Ahlela, Gualpi, Siwinna and Tegua, and belived them to be the Seven Cities of Cebolla, of which the early Spanish explorers had told such fabulous tales. From the Moqui villages the missionaries wished to go to the Little Colorado river. Knowing only that it was somewhere to the south, they engaged an Indian to guide them, but he later refused to go with them and they started on without him. Meeting some other Moquis, they hired a new guide, who said he would join them the following morning. He appeared the next morning and announced that he was afraid to accompany them. He put them on a dim trail and said that if they followed it for two days they would come to the river. They went on their way without a guide. At noon of the second day they lost the trail, but continued on without changing their course and, about sundown, reached what they believed to be the dry channel of the river they were seeking. They had been all day without water and Elder Ivins was sent to a high ridge about a mile and a half away to look for some. He reached the ridge just before dark and saw what appeared to be a stream about three miles ahead. He signaled to his companions and they joined him, but by the time they arrived it was too dark to see the water. They went on in the darkness and just when they were beginning to complain that Bro. Ivins had seen a mirage, reached the Little Colorado. The following day they explored the river bottom above and below their camp. A few miles below near the mouth of the Leroux Fork, they found good land and decided that, if the water of the river could be controlled, a settlement could be made there. Crossing the Little Colorado, they found a wagon road, which they followed in a southeasterly direction. At the end of the second day on this road they were at Pine Station, near the summit of the thickly timbered Mogollon Mountain. They stopped here and spent a day hunting wild turkeys. They saw a few but did not succeed in killing any. A few miles beyond Pine Station they came to Stoneman's Lake, which Bro. Ivins described as "a great natural curiosity." He said: "The water is in a round basin, hundreds of feet below the surface of the ground. On the shores of the lake are trees and grass through which the trails of animals are plainly visible." From Stoneman's Lake the travelers went on past Arnold's ranch and struck the Rio Verde at a point near the military post of Camp Verde. They remained here for a day and explored the river, but found no land suitable for cultivation. Continuing on southwestward for two days, they came to Ash Creek, where they turned south to Osborne's ranch. Here, for the first time since leaving Kanab a month before, they were able to purchase some butter and milk. They paid $1.20 a pound for butter and 60 cents a gallon for milk. Seven miles further south at Vicker's ranch, they found good corn and sorghum growing without irrigation, and estimated that there was about five hundred acres of arable land. They arrived at New River, where Elder Daniel Jones purchased a wagon, paying $100.00 for it. Thirty-five miles south of New River they struck the Salt river near Phoenix. They found the Salt river valley to be the first good farming country they had seen. There were thousands of acres of excellent land with a water supply which appeared to them to be without limit. They crossed over to Phoenix and went eastward up the river nine miles to Tempe, or Hayden's Ferry. Here they met Judge Charles Hayden, who gave them a warm reception. He told them that there was much unoccupied land further up the river and that the Mormons were the people to settle on it. Two years later, in the fall of 1877, the Latter-day Saints settled the town of Mesa, eight miles up the river from Tempe. From Hayden's Ferry the missionaries traveled south twenty-two miles to the Gila river and turned eastward up the stream. On the Gila they first saw the Pima Indians, who lived in villages along the river. They pronounced these the most civilized Indians they had seen. At the Indian agency at Sacaton they rested for a day and held the first meeting of their mission. It was attended by about sixty Pima and Papago Indians, who appeared to be much interested in what they heard. From Sacaton they continued up the river twelve miles to a Papago village, where they spent Sunday and held another meeting. They followed up the Gila to the mining town of Florence and from there turned south again across a desert country where they had to buy water for their horses. Seventy-five miles across this desert took them to the city of Tucson, where they remained for three days. They met the Governor of Arizona here, and at his invitation, held a meeting. Here they also received their first mail since leaving home three months before. From Tucson they went east seven miles to Camp Lowell, where Elder Jones purchased another wagon and two sets of harness. They then turned southeast for fifty miles to the crossing of the San Pedro river. Bro. Ivins noted that the San Pedro valley was a beautiful one with good land and irrigation water which could be easily controlled. Early in 1 877 this valley was settled by a company of Latter-day Saints, who called their settlement St. David. After crossing the San Pedro river the missionaries turned slightly north of east, past the Dragoon Mountains, to Apache Pass in the Dos Cabesos Mountains, and on to San Simon, where they remained for three days, including Christmas day. They were waiting for some Apache Indians who had promised to meet them there. The Indians did not appear, but other visitors did, and the missionaries were given the first fright of their journey. As they sat in camp one day, they saw a band of armed horsemen approaching over the plain. They hastily prepared to defend themselves and were ready when the horsemen reached the camp. They were a mixed group of Indians and white men led by a mean looking Indian, With their guns ready in their hands they rode straight into the camp, where the brethren stood on the alert. Not a word was spoken on either side. The leader of the horsemen dismounted, rolled a cigarette, lighted it at the camp fire, remounted, and rode away followed by his companions. The missionaries never learned who their strange visitors were. From San Simon they proceeded eastward across the line into New Mexico to the abandoned mining camp of Ralston. They continued on past Knight's Station, Apache Tejo and Fort Cummings, to the Rio Grande, which they crossed at Mesiila. At Knight's Station a Mr. Davis invited them to hold a meeting. It was attended by four men and three women. From Mesilla they traveled down the east side of the Rio Grande, crossed into Texas, and stopped at the Canutillo ranch sixteen miles above El Paso. It was decided to leave the horses here to recuperate, and Bro. Ivins was left to care for them. He remained at the ranch for three weeks, paying $5.00 a week for grazing privileges for the horses and his own board. Headquarters of the expedition was then moved to Ysleta, twelve miles below El Paso on the Texas side of the river. All the missionaries went to Ysleta except Daniel and Wiley Jones, who remained at El Paso making saddle trees. At Yaleta the elders made it known that they were there to preach the Gospel. The people of the town, most of whom were Indians, held a council and decided against listening to any preaching. After about two weeks at Yaleta Bro. Ivins went to El Paso to help in the making of saddle trees, and Elders Ammon M. Tenney and R. H. Smith went up the Rio Grande to visit the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico. The five remaining missionaries, Daniel and Wiley Jones, A. W. Ivins, J. Z. Stewart and Helaman Pratt, were now ready to enter Mexico and begin the second phase of their mission, the introduction of the Gospel to the Mexican people. Some of them had high hopes of getting great results. Wiley Jones put on a clean shirt with the declaration that he would not take it off until a Lamanite had been baptized. On March 20, 1876 the missionaries left El Paso, bound for the city of Chihuahua, the capital of the Mexican state of the same name. They followed the Rio Grande southeast for two days, until they reached San Ignacio, then left it, headed southwest and camped at Cantarracio, where a company of Mexican soldiers were stationed to protect travelers against the Apache Indians. As they sat around the camp that evening singing songs, they suddenly missed the sound of the bells their horses were wearing. They searched in the darkness but found no trace of the animals. Early the next morning the search was resumed. Bro, Ivins and Wiley Jones found the trail of the horses and followed it westward for about ten miles, when Elder Jones refused to go further. Bro. Ivins went on alone until the trail entered a low range of mountains. He then felt sure that the horses had been driven off and, as he had not brought his rifle and did not like the idea of being ambushed, he decided to return to camp. In the afternoon Elder Daniel Jones hired some of the soldiers to go with him and followed the trail into the mountains. The horses were found only a short distance beyond where Bro. Ivins had stopped trailing them. Everyone suspected that some of the soldiers had driven the animals off, hoping to get a reward for finding them. Having recovered their horses, the missionaries resumed their journey in a southerly direction toward Chihuahua. They passed through Ojo de Lucino and Carisal to Carmen, which they declared to be the best site for a settlement that they had seen in Mexico. From Carmen they went on through Encenias, Sauz and Sacramento, and arrived at Chihuahua on April 2nd, thirteen days after leaving El Paso. They found Chihuahua to be a city of about ten thousand inhabitants, with streets paved with cobble-stones, sidewalks of flagstones and bricks, and some fine flat-roofed buildings. There were several churches in the city, including an extensively ornamented cathedral, about one hundred fifty years old. They remained in Chihuahua for eight days and then proceeded westward past Santa Ysabel and San Antonio to La Villa de Concepcion, where they arrived on April 17th. They stopped at Concepcion, for 12 days - and held a number of meetings. The people were friendly and a few wished to be baptized. The elders decided not to baptize them because of the uncertainty as to when they might again be visited. From Concepcion the missionaries turned north and "started for home." Twelve days later they were at the old town of Casas Grandes on the Casas Grandes river. They followed this river on toward the United States border. About ten years later Latter-day Saints established the colonies of Diaz and Dublan in the Casas Grandes valley below the old city, and Colonia Juarez in the nearby valley of the Piedres Verdes river. Nineteen days after leaving Concepcion the travelers crossed the border into New Mexico. Two days later they struck their old trail and followed it west into Arizona, to Apache Pass. The Apaches had gone on the war path since the missionaries passed this way late in the preceding December, and now as the brethren returned along the same route, they could see the fires and smoke signals of the Indians around them. But they came safely through. At Apache Pass they left the old trail and traveled directly north for thirteen days, past Camp Grant, Eureka, Camp Greenwood, across the Gila and Black rivers, past Camp Apache and on to the Little Colorado river, about two hundred thirty miles from Apache Pass. They struck the Little Colorado at a point near where they had crossed it on their outward journey. Here they found Pres. Daniel H. Wells and Apostles Erastus Snow and Brigham Young, Jr., and three camps of the Saints who had come from Utah to begin settlements along the river. They joined Pres. Wells and his party and followed down the river for four days, then turned north. Another four days brought them to Lee's Ferry on the Colorado river. The river was so high and swift that the ferry boat could not be used. The wagons were taken apart and rowed across in a skiff, and the horses were forced to swim the river. Pres. Wells and Bro. Ivins remained on the south side of the stream until everyone else was safely across. Extra precautions were taken in the crossing because of the misfortune which had overtaken Pres. Wells' party at the crossing on the way down to the Little Colorado. The ferry boat had swamped and a number of the brethren had been swept overboard. Bishop Rowndy of Kanarra had been drowned and Pres. Wells had narrowly escaped the same fate. Three days traveling from Lee's Ferry took the company to Kanab and four days later, on June 21, 1876, Bro. Ivins arrived at his home in St. George. So ended the first mission of Pres. Ivins. It had been more a journey of exploration than a preaching mission. He had been away from home eight months and eleven days. He had assisted in hold only about a half a dozen meetings and had baptized no converts. But he had traveled on horseback approximately twenty-four hundred miles, a distance more than twice that covered by the Pioneers on their historic journey from Council Bluffs to the Salt Lake Valley. The country through which he had passed had been full of new places and new people, and these had been of great interest to him. He had been the principal hunter for the expedition and had supplied its larder with one antelope, six deer and two messes of mountain trout. He had helped explore the country, in Arizona and Mexico, in which ten or more settlements were later established by the Latter-day Saints. It had been a wonderful experience for a young man who had grown up in St. George. |
ANTHONY W. IVINS
(about the time he was married) |
Ivins, Stanley Snow. "Anthony W. Ivins III - His Third Mission." The Instructor, January 1944: pg. 12-16.
ANTHONY W. IVINS STANLEY SNOW IVINS III. His Third Mission Early in the summer of 1876 Anthony W. Ivins returned to St. George from his first mission, which had taken him through New Mexico and Arizona and into Mexico as far as the city of Chihuahua. He was then twenty-four years old. At the General Conference of the Church in October, 1877, he was called- to take his second mission. The following January, in company with Erastus B. Snow, he left for New Mexico and labored among the Mexicans and Indians of the country west of Albuquerque. He returned to St. George about June 1, 1878, having been away from home a little less than five months. In November, 1878, he was married to Elizabeth A. Snow, a daughter of Erastus and Elizabeth Ashby Snow, and for the next three years, was busy establishing a home in St. George. During this time he was active in the ecclesiastical and civil affairs of the community. He was chosen president of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association and was on the Stake High Council. In the fall of 1881 he was elected Prosecuting Attorney for Washington County, and the following March to a seat on the St. George City Council. In April, 1882, Bro. Ivins received a call to the Mexican Mission, which had been opened in November, 1879, by Apostle Moses Thatcher and Elders J. 2. Stewart and Meleton G. Trejo. He accepted the call and at once began setting his affairs in order for his departure. The people of St. George gave a benefit theatrical performance for him, which was presented at the Gardener's Club on the evenings of April 22nd and 24th. The play was a drama called "The False Friend" and the romantic roles were played by Bro. Ivins and Josephine Snow. The villains of the piece were Moroni Snow and Joseph C. Bently. Jacob F. Gates was Jim Lynx, a detective, and other parts were played by C. E. Johnson and A. R. Whitehead. The box office receipts were $12.50 in cash, $61.70 in Canaan scrip, $26.00 in Tithing Office scrip, $3.50 in store pay, $3.25 in City scrip and $3.00 in Factory scrip, a total of $109.95. In addition to this thirty-one friends contributed $56.25. With this help, and by selling some land, a wagon and team, and his farming implements, Bro. Ivins could leave knowing that his wife and child would not suffer during his absence. He left St. George on the morning of May 3, 1882. He had filled his first mission on horseback and his second in a wagon, but now he traveled in style. He went by stage to Milford and from there took the train to Salt Lake City and on to Ogden. There he was joined by Milson Pratt, who was to accompany him on his mission. From Ogden they went, by way of Omaha, St. Louis, Nashville and Mobile, to New Orleans. There they took steerage passage on a steamer bound for Vera Cruz, Mexico. Arriving there on May 20th, they continued on, the next day, to Mexico City, where Elder August Wilkin was presiding over the mission. They found him rooming with an American, Professor Sherwin, and carrying on the work of the mission alone, except for the help he received from some of the Mexican converts. The new missionaries moved into the single room with Elder Wilkin and the professor arid, after a few days spent in orienting themselves, settled down to their routine labors. They held meetings in their quarters on Sundays, and during the week visited the Mexican Saints and their friends in Tezcuco, Ozumba, Ixtlahuaca, Amecameca, Jxtacalco, Nopala, Tecalco, Toluca, Atlautla and other near by villages. In their proselyting work they were ably assisted by a few of the native elders, notably Silviano Arteaga, Lino Zarate and M. Candanasa. A week after arriving in the field Bro. Ivins preached his first sermon to the Mexican Saints, and two months later baptized a convert, Felix Galvan. He progressed well enough with the new language that, two weeks after his arrival, he temporarily took over the English classes which Elder Wilkin had been teaching. And after three months he was able to translate a compendium of the first principles of the Gospel, five hundred copies of which were printed. The Mexican population was largely Catholic, but there were a few Protestants, and it was among these that the elders were most successful in making converts. A little more than four months after reaching the mission field Elder Ivins went with Bro. Silviano Arteaga to visit the village Chimal. There they preached before an unaffiliated Protestant congregation, presided over by Nicholas Rodriguez. Their message was well received and they were invited to come again. During the next three months they returned a half dozen times to hold meetings with these people. At the close of one of these meetings, on Sunday, January 7, 1883, the elders and a large following of people retired to a near by stream. Here a short service was held and Bro. Ivins explained the principle of baptism. He then baptized Nicholas Rodriguez and Severiano Morales. Subsequently a large part of this congregation came into the Church. On April 7, 1883, Elder Wilkin received word that he had been released and was free to return home at his pleasure. The next day, at a conference at Ozumba, Bro. Ivins was sustained as Presiding Elder in Mexico, under the presidency of Apostle Moses Thatcher. A week later he was set apart "as president of the Mexican Mission." He was left in charge of the mission when Elder "Wilkin departed for home on the 22nd of April. The elders found that the people among whom they were laboring were, as a rule, honest and sincere. However, they met with one experience which taught them to take nothing for granted. At the conclusion of one of their Sunday meetings, soon after Elder Wilkin had left, a stranger introduced himself as Rafael Martinez, and presented a letter, signed by sixteen residents of the village of Tornacustla, in the state of Hidalgo. The letter said that the signers belonged to a Protestant congregation, the members of which had decided to join the Mormon Church, and that they hoped that the elders would visit them. After consulting with Bros. Arteaga and Candanasa, Elder Ivins wrote a reply to the letter and sent Martinez home with a Book of Mormon and other literature. The strange visitor promised to return in fifteen or twenty days. Two weeks later, on August 5th, he was back with another letter. It said that the people of Tornacustla were pleased with the report their agent had brought to them, and were converted to the Mormon faith. Martinez said he would come on the 1 of the month and take Bro. Ivins to meet the congregation he represented. He was given $6.00 to be used for making improvements in their meeting house. He did not appear on the 10th, but came in a week later to report that six of his friends had been imprisoned, charged with being members of a Black Hand society. He brought another communication which declared that his people were still determined to accept the gospel. On this trip to the city he was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church. The next week he was back with more bad news. He brought a letter from the attorney for the owner of the land upon which the people of Tornacustla lived. It said that they owed $125.00 in taxes for the occupation of the land, and that if it was not paid by the 27th of the month, their personal property would be sold to satisfy the claim. Martinez said that he had $115.00, and he wanted to borrow the balance needed to make the payment. It was loaned to him and he left, with a promise that he would be in the last of the month to take Bro. Ivins to meet his friends. He failed to keep this appointment, but appeared two weeks late, saying that he had come in to purchase furnishings for the meeting house. He had a letter from the congregation, appealing for financial aid. He was loaned $43.00. In three days he was back again, seeking a $50 loan, as security for which he offered notes for twenty cargoes of barley. He obtained the $50.00 and left, after assuring the elders that he would return in a week to conduct them to Tornacustla. The week passed with no sign of him, but six days later he came in, bearing a communication from the landlord of his friends, which threatened them with prosecution if they persisted in their dealings with the Mormons. Bro. Ivins wrote a letter to the landlord and gave the messenger $3.00. Two weeks later, on October 13, Martinez appeared with another letter which said that a judgment in the amount of $540.00 had been taken against his people. He said he would be back at the end of the month to take the brethren to meet them. For once he kept his word and came in early on the morning of the 3 1st. He said that an escort was on its way to conduct the elders to Tornacustla, and that he had come on ahead to purchase some things that were needed. He wanted to borrow $15.00 to make the purchases. A conference was hastily called, at which his peculiar behavior since his first appearance was fully discussed. He was then called in and told that he would receive no more financial aid until he had produced his mysterious friends. He replied that he would go out to meet the escort and return with it in the afternoon. He left and was never heard from again. When he failed to return, the elders knew that they were the victims of a hoax, and were convinced that the congregation at Tornacustla, the meeting house in need of repairs and the villainous landlord had existed only in the fertile imagination of someone who called himself Rafael Martinez. On November 10, 1883, Elders Helaman Pratt and Frank R, Snow arrived to re-enforce the mission, and for the next five and one half months it boasted a strength of four elders in addition to the local brethren. Early in March, 1884, Bro. Ivins received word that he had been released and should try to be in Salt Lake City for the April Conference. He began making his farewell visits to the Saints in the surrounding towns. Arriving at Ozumba, where Elders Milson and Helaman Pratt had been laboring, he learned that a number of people had declared themselves ready for baptism. Plans had been made for them to meet, that day, at near by Chimal, where there was a stream in which the baptisms could be performed. But when they arrived at the appointed place, they found only a dry river bed. They continued on for about three miles and came to a place where a small stream ran through a large basin in the volcanic rock, forming a natural font. There a brief service was held, after which Bro. Ivins went into the water and baptized twenty-one persons. He continued his visits with the Saints and was much impressed by the sorrow they expressed at his leaving them. On March 27th he secured railroad tickets for himself and Elder Milson Pratt and visited with the local Saints and a number of pupils to whom he had been giving English lessons. The next morning he and Elder Pratt boarded the train. They were in El Paso on the 31st and reached Salt Lake City on April 4th. Bro. Ivins was met by his wife and two small children, one of which had been born while he was away. He was at his home in St. George on the 20th, thirteen days short of two years after leaving for his mission. The mission had been a pleasant and profitable experience for him. He had spent his time in expounding the gospel, rather than in traveling as on his two previous missions, and had baptized fifty-seven persons. He had won the affection of many of the Mexican people and had acquired a fondness for them which he was never to lose. |
ANTHONY W. IVINS
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Ivins, Stanley Snow. "Anthony W. Ivins IV - In Politics." The Instructor, February 1944: pg. 62-65.
Anthony W. Ivins
STANLEY SNOW IVINS
IV. In Politics
The political career of President Anthony W. Ivins began six weeks before his twenty-fifth birthday, with his election, August 6, 1877, to the office of Constable of St. George. It ended abruptly eighteen years later, when a call from the Church took him to Mexico for an indefinite stay. During the greater part of these eighteen years he occupied various elective offices. The second was that of Prosecuting Attorney for Washington County, to which he was elected in August, 1881. At the municipal election, the following March, he won a seat on the City Council, and he held these two offices until he left, in May, to fill his second mission to Mexico.
He returned from this mission in April, 1884, and, a month later, was sworn in as City Attorney for St. George. In August he was once more elected County Attorney, and also Assessor and Collector. He was offered the nomination for Sheriff, but declined it. He served two terms, of two years each, as County Attorney, and three terms as Assessor and Collector. Early in 1890 he began his first of two terms as Mayor of St. George.
About this time he became interested in having the remnants of the Shebit tribe of Indians moved from their barren home on the Shebit Mountain and settled on farming land on the Santa Clara River. He succeeded in getting the Department of the Interior to appropriate the funds needed for this project, and was appointed Special Indian Agent to carry it out.
It will be seen that, over a period of about fifteen years, Bro. Ivins served one term as Constable, two; terms and part of a third as County Attorney, one incomplete term on the City Council, three terms as Assessor and Collector, and two terms as Mayor. And on the side he acted as Indian Agent. It might appear that he must have spent most of his time electioneering and carrying on the duties of his public offices. But such was not the case in those days, winning an election took little or no time. It was only a matter of being nominated on the People's party ticket, which was the only one in the field. "With no opposing candidate, campaigning for votes was unnecessary. And the office claimed so little of the office holder's time that a man might hold two or three positions simultaneously. At one time Bro. Ivins was serving as Prosecuting Attorney and Assessor and Collector for Washington County, and Deputy Assessor and Collector for Mojave County in Arizona. While engaged in these public duties, he was giving most of his attention to his ranching operations, and was active in Church work. In addition to his two years in the Mexican Mission, he was, in succession, President of the St. George Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association, a member of the Stake High Council, and First Counselor to Stake President D. D. McArthur.
In the summer of 1891, the People's party was dissolved, and its adherents divided on national political lines. Bro. Ivins, who was then Mayor of St. George, identified himself with the Democrats and assumed the party leadership in Washington County. In the fall of 1893, he was the party candidate to represent the Seventeenth District in the Territorial House of Representatives. The district included Garfield, Washington, San Juan and Kane Counties. For the first time in his political life, he was faced by an active opponent, but he was elected by a vote of 680 to 413. He carried Washington County, 380 to 113, and the city of St. George, 172 to 11.
When the Territorial Legislature convened, in January, 1894, he found himself sitting as a minority member in an assembly made up mainly of men of experience in legislative work, but he took a fairly prominent part in the proceedings. A few days after the opening of the session, the Salt Lake Herald named him as one of the leading debaters for his side of the house, along with O. W. Powers, Aquila Nebeker and J. F. Tolton. He was appointed to the committees on Judiciary, Engrossment, Penitentiary and Reform School, Mines and Mining, and Private Corporations. In line with his political views, his principal speeches were made in opposition to bills providing for the payment of bounties, and a memorial calling upon Congress to continue the import duties on wool and lead. He did not, however, hold strictly to party lines, when such a course was not consistent with his private opinions. He spoke in support of C. S. Variant bill to tax mortgages, declaring that its opponents were working for the moneyed interests, and was the only Democrat to vote for the measure. His vote made its passage by the House possible, although it was later killed in the Council. On other occasions he was the only member of his party to vote with the opposition. He established himself as an able debater who could command the attention of his listeners. After his defense of the bill to tax mortgages, The Deseret News said: "Ivins' speech in the House yesterday ranks him as one of the best reasoners, speakers and debaters in the Assembly." And the Herald, in a "post-mortem estimate" of the men who made up the Legislature, said: "A. W. Ivins, from the Dixie land of Utah, was the most earnest, concise speaker in the House. He was very conservative in his views and was never unreasonable in any of his arguments . . . He was as fearless as he was talented in debate, and no question of personal interest could sway him in any matter." Some time later, another Salt Lake paper, The Argus, reported: "Hon A. W. Ivins of St. George has been in this city during the past week. No man ever came to the front in Utah more rapidly than he has. His record in the last legislature was a splendid one, and his every act there showed that he was fully alive to the responsibilities resting upon him, and that he had the courage to live up to his convictions. When called upon to decide how he should vote upon a measure, whether important or not, he cared not for politics or friendships, but viewed it the same as he would a business transaction and voted accordingly. The result is that he has no mistakes to brood over and the consciousness that he did his full duty to himself, to his constituents and to Utah. There is no claptrap about him, no itching desire for notoriety, no other thought apparently but to do his duty as he sees it."
Bro. Ivins always recalled this two months in the Legislature as one of his most interesting and profitable experiences. He greatly enjoyed his association with the other members. This was especially true of some of the non-Mormons with whom he had not before been acquainted, such as C. S. Varian, O. W. Powers and C. E. Allen.
On July 16 1894, Congress passed the Utah enabling act. It called for an election to choose delegates to a convention, which was to meet on the first Monday of the following March and form a constitution for the State of Utah, Elected to this convention from Washington were A. W. Ivins and Edw. H. Snow. Among the delegates were many men of wide experience in legislative, legal and business matters. The legal fraternity was well represented by nine or ten distinguished lawyers, including C. S. Varian, S. R. Thurman, David Evans and Franklin S. Richards. And to add quality to the debates were such eloquent speakers as B. H. Roberts and Orson F. Whitney. Among the members prominent in business, ecclesiastical, educational and other fields were John R. Barnes, Lorin Farr, Charles H. Hart, Wm. J. Kerr, Fred J. Kiesel, Karl G. Maeser, Aquila Nebeker, Wm. B. Preston, John Henry Smith, Alma Eldredge, C. C. Goodwin, Moses Thatcher and John R. Murdock. Sitting in the midst of such an array of learning and talent, the young rancher from a distant "cow county" might well have felt reluctant to enter into the discussions. However, Bro. Ivins took a comparatively active part in the Convention's deliberations. He served on the committees on Credentials, Executive, Revenue and Taxation, and Mines and Mining. As Chairman of the Committee of the Whole, he presided over the Convention on four days. And in the extent of participation in the debates he ranked about thirteenth among the one hundred seven delegates.
He made his longest speech in support of a motion to strike, from the article on revenue and taxation, a section which would have prohibited the taxing of mortgages. As a member of the committee which drew up the article, he had protested in vain against this section. On the floor of the house he charged that it had been inserted for the benefit of the money lenders who sought to escape their share of the tax burden. After an extended debate, the disputed section was stricken out by a vote of 57 to 24.
Other questions upon which Bro. Ivins spoke at length were woman suffrage, prohibition and the consolidation of the State's educational institutions. During the heated debates on the suffrage article, he defended the section which gave the vote to women, and vigorously opposed the vain attempts to have the question submitted to the voters as a separate article.
He strongly urged that the University of Utah and the Agricultural College be united, because both schools were starving to death for want of financial support. The move to unite them was defeated by a vote of 35 to 34.
He led the debate in support of the minority report of the Committee on Schedule, which called for submission to the vote of the people of a separate article prohibiting the manufacture and sale of intoxicating beverages. But he found this to be the most unpopular cause of any which he championed during the Convention. Only about twenty votes could be mustered in its support. And one of the Salt Lake papers commented: "Delegate Ivins, St. George's distinguished son, was a more likely candidate for the Governorship a week ago than he is now. Within the week he has made a rampant prohibition speech. It was not as violent as the outburst of Cyclone Miller, to be sure, but it was a fervid effort of the extreme style of prohibition oratory. The Democratic party may easily forgive one of its leaders for opposing woman suffrage, but it is doubtful if it can pardon the making of a speech in favor of prohibition."
His participation in the work of framing the Utah Constitution was the high point in Bro. Ivins' political activities. He was prominently mentioned as a candidate for Governor at the first state election, in the fall of 1895, but was not in a position to consider such an honor. In August he had received and accepted a call from the First Presidency of the Church to go to Mexico to preside over the Latter-day Saint colonies which had been established there. The sudden termination of his political career was somewhat disappointing to him, but in later years, he often expressed his thanks for the call which had brought it about. For it was this call which set the course of his life for its remaining thirty-nine years, a course leading to a position which he considered of much more importance than any he might have attained in the field of politics.
Anthony W. Ivins
STANLEY SNOW IVINS
IV. In Politics
The political career of President Anthony W. Ivins began six weeks before his twenty-fifth birthday, with his election, August 6, 1877, to the office of Constable of St. George. It ended abruptly eighteen years later, when a call from the Church took him to Mexico for an indefinite stay. During the greater part of these eighteen years he occupied various elective offices. The second was that of Prosecuting Attorney for Washington County, to which he was elected in August, 1881. At the municipal election, the following March, he won a seat on the City Council, and he held these two offices until he left, in May, to fill his second mission to Mexico.
He returned from this mission in April, 1884, and, a month later, was sworn in as City Attorney for St. George. In August he was once more elected County Attorney, and also Assessor and Collector. He was offered the nomination for Sheriff, but declined it. He served two terms, of two years each, as County Attorney, and three terms as Assessor and Collector. Early in 1890 he began his first of two terms as Mayor of St. George.
About this time he became interested in having the remnants of the Shebit tribe of Indians moved from their barren home on the Shebit Mountain and settled on farming land on the Santa Clara River. He succeeded in getting the Department of the Interior to appropriate the funds needed for this project, and was appointed Special Indian Agent to carry it out.
It will be seen that, over a period of about fifteen years, Bro. Ivins served one term as Constable, two; terms and part of a third as County Attorney, one incomplete term on the City Council, three terms as Assessor and Collector, and two terms as Mayor. And on the side he acted as Indian Agent. It might appear that he must have spent most of his time electioneering and carrying on the duties of his public offices. But such was not the case in those days, winning an election took little or no time. It was only a matter of being nominated on the People's party ticket, which was the only one in the field. "With no opposing candidate, campaigning for votes was unnecessary. And the office claimed so little of the office holder's time that a man might hold two or three positions simultaneously. At one time Bro. Ivins was serving as Prosecuting Attorney and Assessor and Collector for Washington County, and Deputy Assessor and Collector for Mojave County in Arizona. While engaged in these public duties, he was giving most of his attention to his ranching operations, and was active in Church work. In addition to his two years in the Mexican Mission, he was, in succession, President of the St. George Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association, a member of the Stake High Council, and First Counselor to Stake President D. D. McArthur.
In the summer of 1891, the People's party was dissolved, and its adherents divided on national political lines. Bro. Ivins, who was then Mayor of St. George, identified himself with the Democrats and assumed the party leadership in Washington County. In the fall of 1893, he was the party candidate to represent the Seventeenth District in the Territorial House of Representatives. The district included Garfield, Washington, San Juan and Kane Counties. For the first time in his political life, he was faced by an active opponent, but he was elected by a vote of 680 to 413. He carried Washington County, 380 to 113, and the city of St. George, 172 to 11.
When the Territorial Legislature convened, in January, 1894, he found himself sitting as a minority member in an assembly made up mainly of men of experience in legislative work, but he took a fairly prominent part in the proceedings. A few days after the opening of the session, the Salt Lake Herald named him as one of the leading debaters for his side of the house, along with O. W. Powers, Aquila Nebeker and J. F. Tolton. He was appointed to the committees on Judiciary, Engrossment, Penitentiary and Reform School, Mines and Mining, and Private Corporations. In line with his political views, his principal speeches were made in opposition to bills providing for the payment of bounties, and a memorial calling upon Congress to continue the import duties on wool and lead. He did not, however, hold strictly to party lines, when such a course was not consistent with his private opinions. He spoke in support of C. S. Variant bill to tax mortgages, declaring that its opponents were working for the moneyed interests, and was the only Democrat to vote for the measure. His vote made its passage by the House possible, although it was later killed in the Council. On other occasions he was the only member of his party to vote with the opposition. He established himself as an able debater who could command the attention of his listeners. After his defense of the bill to tax mortgages, The Deseret News said: "Ivins' speech in the House yesterday ranks him as one of the best reasoners, speakers and debaters in the Assembly." And the Herald, in a "post-mortem estimate" of the men who made up the Legislature, said: "A. W. Ivins, from the Dixie land of Utah, was the most earnest, concise speaker in the House. He was very conservative in his views and was never unreasonable in any of his arguments . . . He was as fearless as he was talented in debate, and no question of personal interest could sway him in any matter." Some time later, another Salt Lake paper, The Argus, reported: "Hon A. W. Ivins of St. George has been in this city during the past week. No man ever came to the front in Utah more rapidly than he has. His record in the last legislature was a splendid one, and his every act there showed that he was fully alive to the responsibilities resting upon him, and that he had the courage to live up to his convictions. When called upon to decide how he should vote upon a measure, whether important or not, he cared not for politics or friendships, but viewed it the same as he would a business transaction and voted accordingly. The result is that he has no mistakes to brood over and the consciousness that he did his full duty to himself, to his constituents and to Utah. There is no claptrap about him, no itching desire for notoriety, no other thought apparently but to do his duty as he sees it."
Bro. Ivins always recalled this two months in the Legislature as one of his most interesting and profitable experiences. He greatly enjoyed his association with the other members. This was especially true of some of the non-Mormons with whom he had not before been acquainted, such as C. S. Varian, O. W. Powers and C. E. Allen.
On July 16 1894, Congress passed the Utah enabling act. It called for an election to choose delegates to a convention, which was to meet on the first Monday of the following March and form a constitution for the State of Utah, Elected to this convention from Washington were A. W. Ivins and Edw. H. Snow. Among the delegates were many men of wide experience in legislative, legal and business matters. The legal fraternity was well represented by nine or ten distinguished lawyers, including C. S. Varian, S. R. Thurman, David Evans and Franklin S. Richards. And to add quality to the debates were such eloquent speakers as B. H. Roberts and Orson F. Whitney. Among the members prominent in business, ecclesiastical, educational and other fields were John R. Barnes, Lorin Farr, Charles H. Hart, Wm. J. Kerr, Fred J. Kiesel, Karl G. Maeser, Aquila Nebeker, Wm. B. Preston, John Henry Smith, Alma Eldredge, C. C. Goodwin, Moses Thatcher and John R. Murdock. Sitting in the midst of such an array of learning and talent, the young rancher from a distant "cow county" might well have felt reluctant to enter into the discussions. However, Bro. Ivins took a comparatively active part in the Convention's deliberations. He served on the committees on Credentials, Executive, Revenue and Taxation, and Mines and Mining. As Chairman of the Committee of the Whole, he presided over the Convention on four days. And in the extent of participation in the debates he ranked about thirteenth among the one hundred seven delegates.
He made his longest speech in support of a motion to strike, from the article on revenue and taxation, a section which would have prohibited the taxing of mortgages. As a member of the committee which drew up the article, he had protested in vain against this section. On the floor of the house he charged that it had been inserted for the benefit of the money lenders who sought to escape their share of the tax burden. After an extended debate, the disputed section was stricken out by a vote of 57 to 24.
Other questions upon which Bro. Ivins spoke at length were woman suffrage, prohibition and the consolidation of the State's educational institutions. During the heated debates on the suffrage article, he defended the section which gave the vote to women, and vigorously opposed the vain attempts to have the question submitted to the voters as a separate article.
He strongly urged that the University of Utah and the Agricultural College be united, because both schools were starving to death for want of financial support. The move to unite them was defeated by a vote of 35 to 34.
He led the debate in support of the minority report of the Committee on Schedule, which called for submission to the vote of the people of a separate article prohibiting the manufacture and sale of intoxicating beverages. But he found this to be the most unpopular cause of any which he championed during the Convention. Only about twenty votes could be mustered in its support. And one of the Salt Lake papers commented: "Delegate Ivins, St. George's distinguished son, was a more likely candidate for the Governorship a week ago than he is now. Within the week he has made a rampant prohibition speech. It was not as violent as the outburst of Cyclone Miller, to be sure, but it was a fervid effort of the extreme style of prohibition oratory. The Democratic party may easily forgive one of its leaders for opposing woman suffrage, but it is doubtful if it can pardon the making of a speech in favor of prohibition."
His participation in the work of framing the Utah Constitution was the high point in Bro. Ivins' political activities. He was prominently mentioned as a candidate for Governor at the first state election, in the fall of 1895, but was not in a position to consider such an honor. In August he had received and accepted a call from the First Presidency of the Church to go to Mexico to preside over the Latter-day Saint colonies which had been established there. The sudden termination of his political career was somewhat disappointing to him, but in later years, he often expressed his thanks for the call which had brought it about. For it was this call which set the course of his life for its remaining thirty-nine years, a course leading to a position which he considered of much more importance than any he might have attained in the field of politics.
Ivins, Stanley Snow. "Anthony W. Ivins V - His Fourth Mission." The Instructor, March 1944: pg. 106-112.
ANTHONY W. IVINS STANLEY SNOW IVINS V. His Fourth Mission The fourth mission of President Anthony W. Ivins was very different from those he had previously filled. The first two were short missions performed while he was young, unmarried and unencumbered with business responsibilities. The third, which came after his marriage, was of the customary two years duration, and did not seriously upset the routine of his life. But the fourth was not such a simple matter. During the dozen years preceding it, he had established himself in business and attained a prominent place in the political and ecclesiastical affairs of the community. By the summer of 1895 he was manager of the Mojave Land and Cattle Company and the Kaibab Cattle Company. He had built a good home in St. George for his rapidly growing family and acquired a large tract of farm land on the Santa Clara River. He was first counselor in the Stake Presidency and had made rapid progress in the field of politics. In addition to holding several city and county offices, he had served a term in the Territorial Legislature and been a delegate to the State Constitutional Convention. He was being prominently mentioned as the Democratic candidate for governor at the first state election. Then, late in August, he received a letter from the First Presidency notifying him that he had been chosen to succeed Apostle George Teasdale as president of the Mexican Mission. It was a disturbing letter. He knew that it was a call, not to fill an ordinary preaching mission of two, three or four years' duration, but to take over the direction of the affairs of the Mormon colonies in northern Mexico. He knew that his acceptance of the call would mean that he must liquidate his business interests at great sacrifice, sell his home, renounce his political activities, and move his large family to a foreign land for an indefinite stay. He disliked doing any of these things, but most distasteful to him was the thought of leaving his aged parents and his many friends in St. George. And he knew that going away to live among strange people in a strange land would be much harder on his wife than on him. However, against the advice of many of his friends, he at once accepted the call of the Presidency and began making preparation to leave for Mexico. The establishment of the Mormon colonies in Mexico was one of the last large scale colonization projects of the Church. In the winter of 1875-76 a missionary party, of which Bro. Ivins was a member, went into that country exploring for sites for settlement, They returned by way of the Casas Grandes river valley in the northern part of the state of Chihuahua. Nine years later, early in 1885, a few Latter-day Saint families from Arizona crossed into Mexico and settled along this valley. They were followed by others from Arizona and Utah, and by 1895 there were seven colonies, with a population of nearly three thousand, in the states of Chihuahua and Sonora. The oldest was Colonia Diaz, in the Casas Grandes Valley, about sixty-five miles south of the border town of Columbus, New Mexico. Fifty-five miles farther south, in the same valley, was Colonia Dublan. Headquarters of the colonies was at Colonia Juarez, on the Piedres Verdes River about fifteen miles west of Dublan. High in the Sierra Madre mountains southwest of Colonia Juarez, were the colonies of Pacheco, Garcia and Chuichupa. The seventh settlement was Colonia Oaxaca, about seventy-five miles to the northwest in the state of Sonora. This colonization scheme was, in a way, a return to the early days of the settlement of Utah, and the call of Bro. Ivins to take charge of it was comparable to the appointments which, a generation earlier, had sent George A. Smith to Iron County, Erastus Snow to Utah's Dixie, Charles C. Rich to the Bear Lake country, and Orson Hyde to Carson Valley and Sanpete County. On November 30, 1895 Brother Ivins met Apostle Francis M. Lyman and Elder Edward Stevenson, of the First Seven Presidents of Seventies, at Deming, New Mexico, and went with them, by team, to Colonia Juarez. They arrived on Saturday, December 7th, and the next day a conference was held at which the Juarez Stake of Zion was organized, with A. W. Ivins as the Stake President and Henry Eyring and Helaman Pratt as his counselors. Two days later Pres. Ivins and Elders Lyman and Stevenson started on a flying trip which took them to the colonies of Pacheco, Oaxaca and Diaz, during which the Pacheco and Diaz wards were organized. From Colonia Diaz Bro. Ivins went to Deming to meet his teams which had been brought overland from Utah. While waiting for authority to pass them across the border, he received word by telegraph that his mother was critically ill. Realizing that it was probably her last illness, he left at once for Utah. At Grand Junction, on January 12, he was handed a Salt Lake Tribune in which he read a report of her death. He went on to St. George, attended her funeral, and by January 30, was back on the Mexican border, where he passed his teams through the custom house and drove to Colonia Juarez. He purchased the house which had been built by Erastus Snow and arranged to have it enlarged to accommodate his family. Following the Stake Conference, on Feb. 22 and 23, he visited the mountain colonies. A week after returning from this trip he left for Sonora to try to adjust the financial difficulties of the Saints at Colonia Oaxaca. They were in default on the payments due Gen. Fenochio and Col. Kosterlitzky, from whom they were purchasing their land. Bro. Ivins met with the General and the Colonel, but because of a legal technicality, could not reach a settlement with them. Agreeing to meet them again about May 1, he left to attend the April Conference at Salt Lake City. While there he met with the First Presidency and secured an agreement by which the Church was to advance the money needed to pay the balance due on the Oaxaca lands and to give financial aid to the Saints making the Casas Grandes purchase. After a quick trip to. St. George to sell his home and attend to other business matters, he returned to Mexico, arriving at Colonia Juarez on April 25. The next day he left for Sonora to keep his appointment with General Fenochio and Colonel Kosterlitzky. After some searching he found them and reached a satisfactory settlement of the Oaxaca land matters. With the Sonora land difficulties settled, Pres. Ivins hurried back to Utah to make final plans for moving to Mexico. He spent the summer gathering and delivering cattle, then gathered up his wife and seven children and, on September 29, bade farewell to the town which had been his home for thirty-six years. He arrived at Colonia Juarez on October 23, one year and two weeks after the day on which he had been set apart to preside over the Mexican Mission. He had spent most of the first year in his new position traveling through the colonies and back and forth between Utah and Mexico. It was a fair warning of what was in store for him. The colonies over which he had come to preside were not recognized by the Mexican government as separate political units. They were included in larger government districts, but no provision had been made for municipal organization. Hence there were no mayors, town councils, courts or peace officers, and most local questions which would have been handled by such agencies were settled by the bishoprics, the High Council, the Stake Presidency, or general meetings of the brethren. The rare cases involving criminal acts or those dealing with such matters as land titles and deeds went before the proper government officials, but as far as most local problems were concerned, the Stake Presidency was, in effect, the highest civil authority. So Pres. Ivins found himself guiding his flock not only in spiritual matters, but also in such things as education, commerce, agriculture and civil government. Whether the question was one involving rules of conduct for the young people, the erection of a school building, installation of a telephone system, a division of farm lands, a financial disagreement between brethren, or a case of ordinary husband and wife trouble, he was expected to take a hand in its settlement. And he was the agent in all dealings of, the colonists with the government. His buckboard soon became a common sight on the roads between the colonies. He made frequent trips to the capitals of the states of Chihuahua and Sonora, and there went through exasperating and seemingly unending annoyances in attempts to adjust such matters as taxes and land titles. He went often to Mexico City on colonization business and to visit the missionaries and Saints there. When it was decided to start a new settlement down the Bavispe river from Colonia Oaxaca, he led the party which explored the proposed site, went to Arizona to bargain with Colin Cameron for the purchase of the land, supervised the survey to determine where the water could be taken from the river and how much land could be irrigated, arranged for the financing of the project, met Colin Cameron again and completed the purchase, went to Hermosillo to record the deeds, and finally helped to lay out the new town, which was called Colonia Morelos. And he made at least two trips each year to Salt Lake City. In his odd moments he discharged the routine duties of a stake president. Needless to say, he was away from home a good part of the time, and most of the responsibility of managing the household fell upon the shoulders of his wife. There seemed to be no limit to the variety of duties he was called upon to perform. With his two counselors he had to decide whether or not Bro. Mortenson should be given permission to sell his house and lot to John Duthie, who was not a member of the Church. He was called to Casas Grandes to the rescue of two of the brethren who were in jail, charged with buying stolen cattle. On one of his trips to Colonia Chuichupa he learned that the Saints there were in danger of losing the land they were purchasing, because they could not make payments which were past due. He advanced the needed money and went to Mexico City and paid off all the indebtedness. While on another trip to the mountains, in company with Apostle A. O. Woodruff, he had to go into the hills to bury three renegade Apache Indians who had been killed in an encounter with two of the brethren. He later had the sorrowful task of burying Elder Woodruff, when he and his wife both died of the smallpox, contracted while they were on a visit to Mexico City. Of his varied labors the most distasteful to Pres, Ivins were his many calls at government offices on colonization business. He was in Mexico City on such a mission when he learned o£ the sinking of the battleship Maine in Havana harbor. He wrote to his cousin, Heber J. Grant, that he was ready to enlist in the army if war should come. And he wrote in his journal that he was so disgusted with the annoyances and humiliation of trying to do business with petty government officials, "that I feel that service in the army, anything in a free country, would be preferable to life in Mexico." But not all his dealings were with petty officers. He became more or less intimately acquainted with many men high in the official and unofficial world of Mexico. Among them were President Porfirio Diaz, Minister of Colonization Fernandez Leal, Governors Ahumada of Chihuahua and Oritz of Sonera, and Gen. Luis Terrazas, ex-Governor of Chihuahua and owner of most of the land in that state. One of his best friends was Col. Kosterlitzky, the fabulous soldier of fortune who commanded the Rurales, the military police force which patrolled the border country of northern Mexico. As evidence of his good will toward the Mormons, the Colonel once offered to kill anyone who might be obnoxious to them. The offer was tactfully rejected. To Pres. Ivins the fact that the colonists lived in a sparsely settled country, far from any large center of civilization, did not mean that they must live primitively. He did what he could to encourage them to improve their living conditions and adopt progressive measures in community affairs. For his own family he built a large brick home, placed in the center of a city block, and surrounded it with fields, gardens, orchards and vineyard, imported the fruit trees and cuttings from the United States. There was even a front lawn with a border of choice dahlias. From a covered concrete cistern, water was piped a long distance into the house. And to make sure that there would be nothing scrubby about the place, he imported purebred horses, cattle, dogs and chickens. Only the cats were mongrel. Under his inspiration Colonia Juarez, with an adult population of about five hundred, developed a community spirit and culture worthy of a much larger town. On a lot which he donated, a splendid building was constructed to house the Juarez Stake Academy. A co-operative store was established selling merchandise which was unheard of in the colonies before his arrival. Electric light and telephone systems were installed and a fine wagon bridge built over the Piedres Verdes River. Despite his busy life, Pres. Ivins kept up his interest in the sports of hunting and fishing. On one of his trips to the mountain colonies he discovered that the streams which flowed westward toward the Pacific Ocean were swarming with mountain trout. Thereafter he never traveled without his tackle and he tried to take his family on at least one fishing trip each summer. He also learned that deer, antelope, wild turkeys, ducks and quails could be found near Colonia Juarez or in the country through which he passed in his travels. With his rifle and shotgun he supplied most of the meat used by the family. There were no game laws, so he made his own strict hunting rules, one of which was that no more game should be taken than was needed in the family larder. He carefully instructed his sons in these rules and in the proper use of firearms, with particular emphasis on safety. In his private office stood a large cedar gun case filled with shotguns and rifles. For twelve years Pres. Ivins carried on the many duties of his position as the spiritual and temporal leader in the Mexican colonies. He saw one new town established and the economic and social position of the whole people greatly improved. He built his home and conducted his affairs on the assumption that his residence in Mexico would be permanent, but he and his wife dreamed always of the time when they would be released from their mission. In the fall of 1907 he went to Salt Lake, as usual, to attend the General Conference. At the afternoon meeting of Sunday, October 6, he sat taking down notes in the small memorandum book which he always carried. When the General Authorities were presented he began writing the names as they were announced. Suddenly he saw that he had written his own name and realized that he had been proposed as one of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Elder George Teasdale. At the close of the meeting, and before he had recovered from the shock he had received, he was ordained to his new position, under the hands of the First Presidency and Twelve, with Pres. Joseph F. Smith acting as mouth. He returned to Colonia Juarez and began preparing to move his family back to Utah. While he regretted leaving the many friends he had made in Mexico, he could not conceal his pleasure at the prospect of returning to his home state. But he found that not all his family shared this pleasure. As he walked one day with one of his sons, the boy complained that he did not want to move to Salt Lake because there might not be any good hunting and fishing there. The father smiled indulgently and said: "You'll know some day, my son, that there are more important things in life than hunting and fishing." |
ANTHONY W. IVINS
"PLOWBOY"
A stallion imported to Mexico By President Ivins |
Ivins, Stanley Snow. "Anthony W. Ivins VI - The Apostle." The Instructor, April 1944: pg. 164-168.
ANTHONY W. IVINS STANLEY SNOW IVINS VI. The Apostle At the General Conference of October, 1907, Anthony W. Ivins was sustained as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, to fill the vacancy resulting from the death of Elder George Teasdale. He was instructed to return to Mexico, where he presided over the Latter-day Saint colonies comprising the Juarez Stake of Zion, and prepare to move to Salt Lake City. This meant that he must sell his home, liquidate his business interests, and move his family, just as he had done when he was called to that country twelve years before. But this time he was not so reluctant to undertake the task of moving, for he was coming home after a long absence in a foreign land. He went back to Mexico and spent three months traveling through the colonies to adjust Church matters and attend to his business affairs and those of the Mexican Colonization Company. In January he was called to Salt Lake for consultation concerning the question of purchasing a tract of land near Colonia Dublan. He was back in Colonia Juarez in time for the Stake Conference, at which, on March 7th, he was released from his position as Stake President. The Juarez Stake was reorganized, with Junius Romney as President and Hyrum S. Harris and Charles McClellan as his counselors. On March 9th a Stake Reunion was held in honor of Bro. Ivins and his family, and the next day, accompanied by his wife and four of his eight children, he left for Salt Lake, where he arrived on March 30, 1908. He was present at the April General Conference and, on April 19th, as his first conference assignment as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, he attended the Quarterly Conference of the Liberty Stake. After taking preliminary steps toward getting his family settled, he left, on May 16th, for Mexico. He visited the mountain colonies, where he reorganized the Chuichupa and Garcia wards, adjusted the financial affairs of the Pacheco Land Committee, and helped settle the estate of one of the brethren. He attended the Quarterly Conference at Colonia Diaz and presented a statement of the financial account of the Diaz Saints with the Colonization Company. At Colonia Dublan he met with the Stake Presidency and Bishopric to discuss the situation brought about by the killing of George A. Black by a Mexican. He made a business trip to El Paso and returned to Colonia Juarez. There he made his final preparations to depart and, on July 14th, left the colonies for Utah. As he bade farewell to the people over whom he had presided for so many years, trouble was brewing for them. On June 30th he had written in his journal: "Company of soldiers came into Casas Grandes last night." And the day he took the train for El Paso he wrote: "Attended meeting at Dublanon the 12th. Revolution." Widespread revolution had not yet broken out in Mexico, but it was in the making, and there were ominous signs of approaching disturbances which were to force the colonists to flee from their homes. Arriving in Salt Lake, Bro. Ivins entered upon his routine duties as one of the Twelve Apostles. In carrying them out he was to learn from experience the significance of the Lord's designation of this quorum as "a traveling presiding High Council." For thirteen years he traveled almost continuously, visiting the stakes of Zion from Canada to Mexico. It was a rare Sunday when he was not in attendance at some Quarterly Conference. And getting to these conferences was not as simple a matter as it is today. The automobile had not come into universal use, and visiting some of the outlying stakes was a strenuous adventure in "roughing it." On the evening of August 18, 1908, Elders Ivins and Francis M. Lyman left Salt Lake by train to attend the Uintah Stake Conference. They spent the night at Colton and next day went by team 52 miles to Theodore. On the 20th they traveled only 25 miles and stopped at Myton to hold meetings with the Saints there. On Friday the 21st, they drove 3 5 miles to Vernal, where they held two days of Conference meetings, and on Sunday afternoon, went 15 miles to Jensen for an evening meeting. On Monday they went by stage to the railroad in Colorado and took the train for Salt Lake, arriving there on the morning of the 26th. They had traveled nearly 150 miles by team and taken a week to attend Conference at Vernal, which is now only four or five hours from Salt Lake by automobile. And on one trip of three weeks, Bro. Ivins traveled nearly 400 miles by team and held twenty meetings at St. George, Enterprise, Littlefield, Mesquite, Overton, St. Thomas, Moapa, St. Joe, Panaca, DeLamar, Alamo, and Lund, in Utah, Arizona, and Nevada. The new Apostle was soon engaged in activities outside his regular appointments in the Stakes of Zion. Before he had finished moving to Utah he was delegated by Governor Cutler to go to San Juan County to assist in the settlement of difficulties which had arisen there between the Indians and white settlers. And three months later he went, as the representative of the Church, to Independence, Missouri, to investigate the financial troubles of the Danielson Implement Company. He kept in close touch with the Latter-day Saint colonists in Mexico, and in eight years, made sixteen trips to that country. When he was there in December, 1910, revolution against the government of President Porfiro Diaz had broken out in the district of Guerrero, but had not yet come near the colonies. However, it soon reached them and, the following January, he returned to be near them, "during the present critical revolutionary condition." On his arrival he learned that the government officials had made demands upon the Saints for men to fight against the revolutionists. With Pres. Romney he called upon the Jefe Politico at Casas Grandes and offered the support of the Mormons to the government, but requested that they should not be called upon to shed blood. The colonists were not forced to take up arms against the rebels, but two of them were murdered by local Mexicans. When he next went to Mexico, in March 1912, that nation was in the throes of another revolution, and the country surrounding the Chihuahua colonies was controlled by the insurgents, who had demanded firearms and horses of the Saints. When this demand was not complied with, several acts of violence were committed by the Mexicans. But, when he next visited the colonies, early in June, Bro. Ivins found relations with the revolutionists to be less strained. He returned home, and in July went to southern Utah on a fishing trip and to visit his ranch at Enterprise. While on this trip, and suffering from an illness he had contracted, he received a telegram from Pres. Joseph F. Smith, asking him to go at once to the Mexican border, because of the critical situation of the colonists. He arrived at El Paso on July 13th, and a week later, went on to Colonia Juarez. There were many rebel troops in the vicinity of the colonies and they had renewed their demands upon the brethren for firearms, horses and saddles. Elder Ivins called on Col. Castillo and Gen. Salazar, but could get no satisfaction from them. So he returned to El Paso to seek an interview with Gen. Orosco, the leader of the current revolution, who was at Ciudad Juarez. At ten o'clock on the night of July 28th, H. E. Bowman came to his hotel to inform him that the colonists had decided to send their women and children to the United States. Later that night families from Juarez and Dublan "began to pour into El Paso, penniless and with little except their clothing." Others from the mountain colonies of Chuichupa, Pacheco and Garcia followed as fast as the trains could bring them. They camped under sheds of an empty lumber yard and in an old vacant building, until the United States government supplied them with army tents and rations. The women and children from Colonia Diaz went in wagons to Hachita, New Mexico, arriving there on August 2nd. About 250 men had remained in the Chihuahua colonies, but difficulties with the Mexicans increased and they decided to follow their families. They gathered at a secret meeting place in the mountains, and on August 7th started for the border. A week later the last of them arrived at Hachita. The evacuation of the Chihuahua colonists was now complete. Of nearly three thousand residents of the colonies of Dublan, Diaz, Juarez, Chuichupa, Pacheco and Garcia, there remained only four men and the wives and children of two of them. The Saints in the state of Sonora were also having their troubles with the Mexicans, and soon after the middle of August, they left their homes and began moving toward Douglas, across the border in Arizona. When Bro. Ivins arrived there on the 25th, he found that they had crossed the border and were scattered throughout the town. The colonists were now all out of Mexico. More than 1500 of them were camped at El Paso. Another 500 were living in government tents at Hachita, and nearly that many more were at Douglas. They had left their homes expecting that they would soon return, and so had brought none of their belongings with them. They now found themselves without money or supplies and depending upon the charity of others for food to eat and a place to sleep. Elder Ivins returned to Salt Lake and reported the situation to the Church authorities. At the opening session of the October Conference he heard it announced that the colonists in Mexico were officially released "from further missionary labor in that country." This announcement was confirmed, a week later, by an address of the First Presidency to the unfortunate colonists, advising them that they were released from any duty to return to Mexico, and that those who chose to return must do so on their own responsibility. It appeared to be a tragic end to the colonization project to which Bro. Ivins had contributed so much. But when he went to EI Paso, late in October, he learned that four men had returned to the Chihuahua colonies. They were followed by a few others, with their families, but most of the refugees had decided to seek new homes. The United States government offered to furnish them transportation to any place where they might wish to go. They began to leave their camps, and before the winter set in, most of them were scattered from the Rio Grande to Canada. Apostle Ivins was called upon to perform other duties not a part of his routine visits to the stakes of the Church. He succeeded Pres. Joseph F. Smith as General Superintendent of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association, and was on the Religion Class General Board. He was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Utah Agricultural College and soon became President of the Board. He was a Director in three Salt Lake banks, and National committeeman from Utah for the Boy Scouts of America. On March 10, 1921, he was chosen as Second Counselor to Pres. Heber J. Grant, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Pres. Anthon H. Lund. It was the beginning of a new chapter in his life; one during which he would be engaged in spiritual and temporal administrative work, rather than in traveling through the length and breadth of the land. It was not an unwelcome change for one who, for nearly 70 years, had lived as strenuous a life as his had been. |
APOSTLE ANTHONY W. IVINS
|
Ivins, Stanley Snow. "Anthony W. Ivins VII - In the First Presidency." The Instructor, May 1944: pg. 201-205, 223.
ANTHONY W. IVINS STANLEY SNOW IVINS VII. In The First Presidency After serving for twelve years as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, Elder Anthony W. Ivins was chosen, on March 10, 1921, as second counselor in the First Presidency of the Church. Aside from the high honor which he felt had been conferred on him, he was well pleased with his new calling, because it meant that he would be working in close co-operation with Pres. Heber J. Grant. He and Pres, Grant had been intimate friends since boyhood, and for fifty years or more, had shared each other's problems, joys and sorrows. They had also been in business together, and in all their dealings, there had been no disagreements or friction of any kind. Bro. Ivins was sure that, in their new association, they would enjoy the greatest harmony. During the thirteen years they labored together in the First Presidency, nothing occurred to cause him to change his mind. In May, 1925, he became first counselor to Pres. Grant and was succeeded, as second counselor, by Bishop Charles W. Nibley, with whom he greatly enjoyed working. On January 3, 1927, he wrote in his journal: "When I reached the office this a.m., found Bro. Nibley there, just returned from California. I am glad to have him home again. He is a great strength in the transaction of the Church business, a man of great faith and sound judgment. We have worked harmoniously together since he came into the presidency." In his new position, Pres. Ivins traveled much less among the stakes of Zion than he did while he was a member of the Quorum of Twelve. But it soon became evident that he was to work harder and carry more weighty responsibilities than ever before. Along with his routine Church labors, he served as general superintendent of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association and president of the Utah Genealogical Society, and was on the Religion Class board. And in addition to his duties of a strictly spiritual nature, he looked after many temporal matters in which the Church was interested. As time went on, he assumed more of these duties, until he was giving most of his attention to business affairs. He was president of the Utah Savings and Trust Company and the Amalgamated Sugar Company, and vice-president and chairman of the executive committee of the Utah State National Bank, Zion's Savings Bank and Trust Company and Zion's Co-operative Mercantile Institution. He was also vice-president of the Beneficial Life Insurance Company and a director in a half dozen other corporations. He was appointed to many positions in the civic affairs of the city and state. For sixteen years he was president of the board of trustees of the Utah Agricultural College, and in recognition of this service, the college conferred on him an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws. His other public service included membership on the national Boy Scout Committee, the League of Nations Committee and the state Re-employment Committee. And during these last years of his life, Pres. Ivins often found him- self occupying the position of an informal and unofficial agent for the promotion of good will between the Latter-day Saints and people of other faiths. He had lived through the period of the most violent demonstrations of hostility between the Mormons and non- Mormons of Utah. As a small boy, he had watched his father mould bullets for the Echo Canyon war, and had seen him return, "ragged and shoeless," from that campaign to delay the approach of the United States army, which the Saints feared was coming to destroy them. During the exodus of the people from the Salt Lake Valley, in preparation for burning their homes in the path of the advancing army, he went with his parents to Utah County. He witnessed the later trials of the Saints, including the raids and prosecutions which sent hundreds of them to prison for living their religion. And his interest in politics developed during the years when the Mormons and "Gentiles" were aligned against each other under the banners of the People's and Liberal parties. It was, therefore, natural that he should absorb some of the prevailing prejudice against those not of his own faith. But he soon saw the folly of perpetual enmity between peoples of different religious beliefs. In the fall of 1888, he helped to organize the political group which came to be called the "Sagebrush Democrats." This was a move aimed at doing away with the People's and Liberal parties and bringing about a new division, based on national party lines rather than on religion. After the new political alignment had been realized, Bro. Ivins was elected to the Territorial Legislature and the Constitutional Convention, where he met many prominent "outsiders," including C. S. Varian, O. W. Powers, C. E. Allen, Thomas Kearns, C. C. Goodwin, Fred J. Kiesel and others. Working with these men strengthened his conviction that there was no reason why Mormons and non-Mormons could not co-operate in political and business matters. And while living in Mexico, he had business dealings with many men not in the Church, some of whom he came to greatly admire. Two of his best friends were Oliver M. Stafford, a Cleveland banker and Frank J. Hagenbarth, a leading Salt Lake City business man. During his years in the First Presidency he met and made friends with a large number of men who were prominent in national business, political and educational circles, and his contacts with them gave him many opportunities to tell the story of the Mormon people. In the fall of 1921, he accompanied a number of Union Pacific railroad officials to Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon of the Colorado. In June, 1925, at the request of Stephen T. Mather, director of national parks, he toured the southern Utah scenic canyons with a party of congressmen from the states of Arizona, Michigan, Ohio and Montana. In September, 1928 he participated in the dedication of the Grand Canyon Lodge and the Kiabab Trail, and in the presentation of Bryce Canyon National Park to the United States Government. At the lodge he delivered an address to an audience of two hundred, at the conclusion of which "he was accorded a standing ovation," The following summer he took part, with the governors of Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada, in the dedication of the Marble Canyon bridge over the Colorado River. The ceremonies were witnessed by an assemblage of five thousand persons. In July, 1930 in company with President Carl R. Gray, of the Union Pacific, and the governors of twenty-two states, he visited Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon. At an open air evening gathering in Zion Canyon, he related to the governors the story of the founding and growth of the Church and the settlement of Utah by the pioneers. Among those whom he particularly enjoyed meeting on this trip were Governors Trumball of Maine, Christiansen of Minnesota, J. E. Erickson of Montana, John G. Pollard of Virginia, and Franklin D. Roosevelt of New York. Through his membership in the Salt Lake City Rotary Club and his other public activities, he formed a highly prized acquaintance with many leading men of the city who were not members of the Church. He especially appreciated the friendship of such men as Ben F. Redman, "Ted" Holman, J. F. Fitzpatrick, Bp. Arthur "W. Moulton and D. D. Muir. Looking back over the long years of his busy life, Pres. Ivins recalled with great pleasure his associations with these many "outsiders." And he felt that, in his contacts with them, he had made some contribution to the growth of a more amicable understanding between the Latter-day Saints and their neighbors. As he reached the age at which he should have begun to take things easy, his responsibilities increased and his duties demanded more of his time. There was a monotonous sameness about his days. Arriving at his office at nine each morning, he spent an hour going through the mail, and the remainder of the forenoon in attendance at bank meetings. Without leaving the office, he ate a light lunch of cheese and butter-thin crackers, and then dictated letters and did other routine work until someone called to take him home. In the evening he sat in his easy chair to read the paper, but usually fell asleep and had to be awakened when it was time for him to retire. His family, his doctor and his friends vainly protested against his working so hard. He could never catch up with his regular work, and there were many other things he wanted to do. He was writing a book on the relationship of Mormonism to Masonry, and hoped to write the story of his life, because he did not want anyone else to do it. He finished the book on Masonry, but his own story was never written, although he twice began it. The first time he compiled his journal to the beginning of the year 1900, but at the second attempt he got through only the first few years of his childhood. He could not even find time to keep his sketchy journal up to date. During the five years between 1922 and 1927, he made fewer than a half dozen entries. On January 1, 1927, he wrote: "I have resolved to keep a daily journal the ensuing year, or at least write more frequently than in the past." The daily entries continued for only three days, and on the following Christmas day, he summed up the year in these few revealing words: "The past year has been one of constant work and anxiety." The financial collapse of 1929, with the business depression which followed it, added greatly to both the work and anxiety with which he was always confronted. Very little of his time was spent in relaxation. He never learned to play golf, a game which he said was fit only for women and fat men. He purchased a fine saddle horse, but could find no time to ride it. And although he was still an enthusiastic fisherman, a fishing trip usually meant a long journey by automobile, from which he returned tired out instead of rested. He might spend a Saturday afternoon at home, working in his flower garden or running assays on ore samples which had been sent to him. But about the only diversion in which he indulged with any regularity was that of watching football, basketball and baseball games. On September 16, 1934 he celebrated his eighty-second birthday, surrounded by most of his family of eight children and twenty-two grandchildren. He received many felicitations from a host of friends in all parts of the country. When a telegram arrived from the president of the United States, he tried to conceal his pleasure by remarking that it was an election year. He was in the best of health, and planned to leave on the 26th of the month for a fishing trip to Idaho. On Friday the 21st, he worked all day at his office and, in the evening, took his usual nap in his chair and went to bed only when reminded of the lateness of the hour. Sometime after midnight he waked in great pain. Dr. Clarence Snow was called and told him that he had suffered a severe heart attack and must remain in bed for a few days. He protested that a man in bed was good for nothing. Throughout the day and night of Saturday he was kept quiet with sedatives, and suffered no pain. At half past four on Sunday morning he passed peacefully away. He had gone as he wanted to go. He had been ill about twenty-six hours and had missed only one day of work, and that a Saturday. The sudden and unexpected passing of Pres. Ivins came as a great shock to his countless friends among people of high and low station in life and of many nationalities and creeds. Messages of sympathy came from those in high political, business, educational and religious positions throughout the nation. They came from prominent Republicans, Democrats, Catholics, Protestants, Jews and Mormons, and from just plain people. The Piute Indians of southern Utah, who had made him an honorary member of their tribe, held a tribal ceremony in his honor. His funeral, in the packed Salt Lake Tabernacle, was an impressive testimonial to the high regard in which he was held by those who had known him. Speakers at the services were President J. Reuben Clark, Jr., Apostle David O. McKay, Elder John G. McQuarrie, Presidents Elmer G. Peterson of the Utah State Agricultural College and Franklin S. Harris of the Brigham Young University, and John F. Fitzpatrick, publisher of the Salt Lake Tribune. The fact that one of the speakers at at his funeral was the publisher of the newspaper which had for so many years served as the mouthpiece of the most bitter enemies of the Church, was a fitting tribute to the contribution which Pres. Ivins had made to the development of good will between Mormons and non-Mormons. And it was symbolic of this good will that the Tribune reported: "As the cortege passed the Cathedral of the Madeleine, the Most Rev. James E. Kearney D. D., bishop of the Catholic diocese of Salt Lake, -and members of the clergy stood on the cathedral steps to pay homage." |
PRESIDENT ANTHONY W. IVINS
PRESIDENT AND SISTER IVINS AND TWO GRANDCHILDREN
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Ivins, Stanley Snow. "Anthony W. Ivins VIII - His Philosophy of Life." The Instructor, June 1944: pg. 259-263.
Anthony W. Ivins
STANLEY SNOW IVINS
VIII. His Philosophy of Life
The philosophy of life of President Anthony W. Ivins came from his study of the gospel, the teachings and example of his parents, his extensive reading of history, and his contacts with his friends of many creeds, nationalities and occupations. He believed that the gospel was a sufficient guide for human conduct; but he knew that, because people failed to fully understand and follow its teachings, they must also learn from other sources. And although he was a careful student of the gospel, he read extensively in other fields and was always ready to listen to the views of those who were not of his religious faith.
He believed that man's earthly existence was not accidental or purposeless, but was a part of a definite plan of salvation, which was made plain in the teachings of the gospel. And he believed that a man's progress during the mortal span of his life, and his contribution to the social welfare, depended upon the care with which he followed the gospel teachings. He believed that a useful member of society must be honest in his dealings with others. He must be industrious and willing to do his part in the production of goods needed by the group. He must not selfishly demand more than his just share of those goods. He must feel sufficient benevolence toward his fellows to treat them with charity and tolerance. He must practice restraint and temperance and avoid extremes in all things. He must co-operate with others in framing laws by which the group might be governed, and must live in strict obedience to those laws. President Ivins believed that compliance with these and all other requirements of good citizenship must inevitably follow full obedience to the gospel and that, therefore, the greatest need of mankind was that people should understand and follow its teachings. A study of the discourses he delivered at the general conferences, over a period of twenty-five years, reveals that he spoke much more often upon the need of living the gospel than upon any other subject.
Need for Co-operation
He believed that social and political stability depended upon cooperation between individuals and groups. To make this co-operation possible people must overcome their individual and group selfishness to the extent of willingly giving up some of their privileges and living according to laws laid down for the good of all. Civil government was the authority to which privileges might be surrendered and by which laws could be administered. To justify itself a government must contribute to the general welfare by assuring to all its citizens such rights as political and religious freedom and the opportunity of working and sharing justly in the distribution of the products of their labor.
Political Freedom
The first essential of good government was that it be based upon the political freedom of its citizens, which meant that they should not be deprived of the right of electing their civil officials and of freely expressing their opinions on questions of public policy. And the final word in government should always be the voice of the people. Also important in civil government was a proper relationship between the church and the state. His long residence in Mexico, where such a proper relationship did not exist, had impressed upon President Ivins the importance of this question, and he often discussed it in his discourses. He believed that the state should guarantee freedom of worship to its citizens, and that, in return for this, the church should refrain from interference in governmental affairs. Speaking of this at the April Conference of 1923, he said: "I know of no other question which has so disturbed the peaceful relationship which should exist between neighbors, communities and nations, as has the erroneous and perverted opinions which have prevailed regarding the proper relationship which should exist between the church and the state, . . .
"So, my brethren and sisters, I reach this conclusion: That it is the duty of each member of the church to honor and obey the law of the land, and sustain the men who are chosen to administer it, in so far as they do so in righteousness and justice. That the Priesthood is conferred upon us for the development and control of the Church of Christ, and that it cannot be legitimately used for any other purpose."
When the government of Mexico was under attack because of its anticlerical legislation, he came to its defense, declaring that the people of that country had "struggled for more than a century to emancipate themselves from the thraldom of kingcraft and priestcraft . . . , two forces which have been responsible for more misery, sorrow and bloodshed than all others combined." He said that the contest going on in Mexico was to determine whether "the civil government or the church shall rule," or whether the two "will join hands in harmonious obedience to both civil and ecclesiastical law." All he asked for the Mexican people was that "they be left to adjust their own internal affairs without interference; that reason and justice be applied instead of hatred, malice and force."
Government and Protection
He believed that, in addition to guaranteeing political and religious freedom to its citizens, a good government must protect them in their right to economic freedom, by seeing to it that they all received a just share of the goods produced by their labor. To him the selfish struggle for possession of wealth was one of the greatest menaces to civil government. Speaking of the political and economic confusion in Europe following the first world war, he said: "Some means must be found by which those who toil, who produce the wealth of the world, may more justly share in the fruits of their labors. By which those who have an abundance may be protected in the possession of that which is justly theirs. Unless a plan be found by which capital and labor may be brought together on a basis of righteousness, the time is not far distant when the conditions which prevail in the old world will be enacted in our own beloved country."
Given a government based on sound and just principles, President Ivins believed that it could function properly only if its laws were executed by wise and honest officials, and willingly obeyed by its citizens. His experience as a law enforcement officer convinced him that the first obligation of citizenship was obedience to law, even though some laws might appear to be unjust. Speaking of the 1921 Y.M.M.I.A. slogan, "We Stand for Loyal Citizenship," he said: "I suppose that even if the laws of a country were in part bad, good citizenship would prompt me to be loyal to them. I have always felt in my heart that the only safety that society has is in proper observance of law—that we honor it, not by the declaration that we make, but by the lives which we live... My idea of loyal citizenship is just to abide loyally by the laws of our state and country, to sustain loyally the men who enact those laws, and the men who execute them."
Although he was a director in a number of banks, President Ivins did not believe in borrowing money. To him private and public extravagance constituted one of the greatest of existing evils, and he never ceased to warn against both. He felt that the load of public debt always fell heaviest upon the poor people who were least able to bear it. At the October, 1921, Conference, when the nation was preparing to embark upon the period of speculation which ended in the financial collapse of 1929, he spoke of the need of economy, and declared that the farmers and laborers "are the people who do the world's work, fight the world's battles, and pay the world's taxes." And, he added, that although he knew that not all people would agree with him, he had studied the matter and "concluded that commerce, the professions, and the great industrial systems of our country find means by be shifted until in the last analysis it falls heaviest upon the classes to which I have referred." which the burden of taxation may
A League of Nations
President Ivins believed that the biblical prophecies concerning the establishment of universal peace would be fulfilled, not in some miraculous manner, but when nations learned to co-operate In the maintenance of peace. After reading one of these prophecies at the October, 1919, General Conference, he said: "For the first time in our history the strongest nations of the world have entered into a league, or covenant, by which it is hoped that peace may be established and maintained. It is said, as has always been said of every forward movement, that the plan is not a good one; that it will not bring peace, but will be a fruitful source of discord and strife. It is urged that some other plan may be found, that the time for peace has not yet come, that the Lord will accomplish what we are trying to do, if we will only wait and leave the matter to Him. I feel certain that no plan will succeed, no matter who is its author, or when it may come, to which the majority of the people are opposed. I am just as certain that the present plan, or any other like unto it, will succeed beyond r our fondest hopes, provided the people of the world will unite in a determined effort to establish and maintain it ... I care not who its author, whether its terms be those of the present covenant, or some other like unto it, there must be some such league or covenant entered into between the peoples of the world, otherwise I can see only the mobilization of larger armies."
And three years later, again at the October Conference, he spoke of the war clouds which were once more beginning to gather, and added: "Peace can be established at any moment, it could have been established long ago, if the people of the world would only unite in a determined effort to prevent war. Ridicule it as you may, make light of it, oppose it, the fact remains that never in the history of modern time, has such opportunity been held out to the people for the establishment of peace, as that which has come in our day. Humbled, in sorrow and mourning, when time came that war might have been forever suppressed, when conditions might have been established which would have made war impossible, the nations refused to listen.
"Again they started on the broad road which leads to destruction. Again selfishness, pride, love of power, the exalting of one nation above another, one race above another, menaces the world, and the civilization which is upon it."
Restraint, Temperance
From his Quaker ancestry and the example of patience and tolerance set by his parents. President Ivins derived the conviction of the importance of restraint and temperance, which he put into practice throughout his life. He tried to follow a common sense course, avoiding extremes in all things. At the General Conference of April, 1910, he declared: "I have never desired to be an extremist. I have never liked sensationalism. I have never liked offensive partisanship in anything. I do not like it even in the advocacy of the word of the Lord, because I do not consider it necessary." He applied this principle in his private life and in his official and unofficial public activities. He was patient and tolerant in governing his family. His children never saw him lose his temper, and when they made mistakes or committed acts of misconduct, he corrected them without punishing them in righteous anger. He was not continually reminding them that, because their father was the Stake President, they must be more strict in their behavior than other children. And they were not always trying, as some children were, to devise things to do, to give them the sensation of breaking away from restraining rules.
He extended the idea of temperance to his interpretation and teaching of the gospel and to his judgment of the opinions and conduct of those who did not believe or behave as he did. To him the broad principles of the gospel were more important than its small details over which people so often argued. He believed that there were many questions which could not be answered by any amount of discussion, but which the Lord would answer in His own time. And he never tried to force others to believe or live as he did.
Cure for Social Ills
President Ivins believed that, in the last analysis, the important thing was to understand and live the gospel. He more than once declared that our social ills were the result of indifference toward religion, indifference to civil laws, and the frenzied search after wealth. If the first of these evils should be corrected, the other two could not survive. So what was needed was a determination to live the gospel. Concerning the gospel as a guide to individual conduct, he said: "As I contemplate the truths of the gospel which have been expounded at this conference, this conclusion comes to me; that I must be a righteous man, and yet I must not be a self-righteous man ... I must be a charitable man, and yet I must be just ... I must be tolerant in my views, but my tolerance must not lead me to indulgence, or to approve of indulgence in others ... I may be ambitious . . . but my ambition, the accomplishment of my own purposes, must never be at the expense of that which properly belongs to my fellows."
Anthony W. Ivins
STANLEY SNOW IVINS
VIII. His Philosophy of Life
The philosophy of life of President Anthony W. Ivins came from his study of the gospel, the teachings and example of his parents, his extensive reading of history, and his contacts with his friends of many creeds, nationalities and occupations. He believed that the gospel was a sufficient guide for human conduct; but he knew that, because people failed to fully understand and follow its teachings, they must also learn from other sources. And although he was a careful student of the gospel, he read extensively in other fields and was always ready to listen to the views of those who were not of his religious faith.
He believed that man's earthly existence was not accidental or purposeless, but was a part of a definite plan of salvation, which was made plain in the teachings of the gospel. And he believed that a man's progress during the mortal span of his life, and his contribution to the social welfare, depended upon the care with which he followed the gospel teachings. He believed that a useful member of society must be honest in his dealings with others. He must be industrious and willing to do his part in the production of goods needed by the group. He must not selfishly demand more than his just share of those goods. He must feel sufficient benevolence toward his fellows to treat them with charity and tolerance. He must practice restraint and temperance and avoid extremes in all things. He must co-operate with others in framing laws by which the group might be governed, and must live in strict obedience to those laws. President Ivins believed that compliance with these and all other requirements of good citizenship must inevitably follow full obedience to the gospel and that, therefore, the greatest need of mankind was that people should understand and follow its teachings. A study of the discourses he delivered at the general conferences, over a period of twenty-five years, reveals that he spoke much more often upon the need of living the gospel than upon any other subject.
Need for Co-operation
He believed that social and political stability depended upon cooperation between individuals and groups. To make this co-operation possible people must overcome their individual and group selfishness to the extent of willingly giving up some of their privileges and living according to laws laid down for the good of all. Civil government was the authority to which privileges might be surrendered and by which laws could be administered. To justify itself a government must contribute to the general welfare by assuring to all its citizens such rights as political and religious freedom and the opportunity of working and sharing justly in the distribution of the products of their labor.
Political Freedom
The first essential of good government was that it be based upon the political freedom of its citizens, which meant that they should not be deprived of the right of electing their civil officials and of freely expressing their opinions on questions of public policy. And the final word in government should always be the voice of the people. Also important in civil government was a proper relationship between the church and the state. His long residence in Mexico, where such a proper relationship did not exist, had impressed upon President Ivins the importance of this question, and he often discussed it in his discourses. He believed that the state should guarantee freedom of worship to its citizens, and that, in return for this, the church should refrain from interference in governmental affairs. Speaking of this at the April Conference of 1923, he said: "I know of no other question which has so disturbed the peaceful relationship which should exist between neighbors, communities and nations, as has the erroneous and perverted opinions which have prevailed regarding the proper relationship which should exist between the church and the state, . . .
"So, my brethren and sisters, I reach this conclusion: That it is the duty of each member of the church to honor and obey the law of the land, and sustain the men who are chosen to administer it, in so far as they do so in righteousness and justice. That the Priesthood is conferred upon us for the development and control of the Church of Christ, and that it cannot be legitimately used for any other purpose."
When the government of Mexico was under attack because of its anticlerical legislation, he came to its defense, declaring that the people of that country had "struggled for more than a century to emancipate themselves from the thraldom of kingcraft and priestcraft . . . , two forces which have been responsible for more misery, sorrow and bloodshed than all others combined." He said that the contest going on in Mexico was to determine whether "the civil government or the church shall rule," or whether the two "will join hands in harmonious obedience to both civil and ecclesiastical law." All he asked for the Mexican people was that "they be left to adjust their own internal affairs without interference; that reason and justice be applied instead of hatred, malice and force."
Government and Protection
He believed that, in addition to guaranteeing political and religious freedom to its citizens, a good government must protect them in their right to economic freedom, by seeing to it that they all received a just share of the goods produced by their labor. To him the selfish struggle for possession of wealth was one of the greatest menaces to civil government. Speaking of the political and economic confusion in Europe following the first world war, he said: "Some means must be found by which those who toil, who produce the wealth of the world, may more justly share in the fruits of their labors. By which those who have an abundance may be protected in the possession of that which is justly theirs. Unless a plan be found by which capital and labor may be brought together on a basis of righteousness, the time is not far distant when the conditions which prevail in the old world will be enacted in our own beloved country."
Given a government based on sound and just principles, President Ivins believed that it could function properly only if its laws were executed by wise and honest officials, and willingly obeyed by its citizens. His experience as a law enforcement officer convinced him that the first obligation of citizenship was obedience to law, even though some laws might appear to be unjust. Speaking of the 1921 Y.M.M.I.A. slogan, "We Stand for Loyal Citizenship," he said: "I suppose that even if the laws of a country were in part bad, good citizenship would prompt me to be loyal to them. I have always felt in my heart that the only safety that society has is in proper observance of law—that we honor it, not by the declaration that we make, but by the lives which we live... My idea of loyal citizenship is just to abide loyally by the laws of our state and country, to sustain loyally the men who enact those laws, and the men who execute them."
Although he was a director in a number of banks, President Ivins did not believe in borrowing money. To him private and public extravagance constituted one of the greatest of existing evils, and he never ceased to warn against both. He felt that the load of public debt always fell heaviest upon the poor people who were least able to bear it. At the October, 1921, Conference, when the nation was preparing to embark upon the period of speculation which ended in the financial collapse of 1929, he spoke of the need of economy, and declared that the farmers and laborers "are the people who do the world's work, fight the world's battles, and pay the world's taxes." And, he added, that although he knew that not all people would agree with him, he had studied the matter and "concluded that commerce, the professions, and the great industrial systems of our country find means by be shifted until in the last analysis it falls heaviest upon the classes to which I have referred." which the burden of taxation may
A League of Nations
President Ivins believed that the biblical prophecies concerning the establishment of universal peace would be fulfilled, not in some miraculous manner, but when nations learned to co-operate In the maintenance of peace. After reading one of these prophecies at the October, 1919, General Conference, he said: "For the first time in our history the strongest nations of the world have entered into a league, or covenant, by which it is hoped that peace may be established and maintained. It is said, as has always been said of every forward movement, that the plan is not a good one; that it will not bring peace, but will be a fruitful source of discord and strife. It is urged that some other plan may be found, that the time for peace has not yet come, that the Lord will accomplish what we are trying to do, if we will only wait and leave the matter to Him. I feel certain that no plan will succeed, no matter who is its author, or when it may come, to which the majority of the people are opposed. I am just as certain that the present plan, or any other like unto it, will succeed beyond r our fondest hopes, provided the people of the world will unite in a determined effort to establish and maintain it ... I care not who its author, whether its terms be those of the present covenant, or some other like unto it, there must be some such league or covenant entered into between the peoples of the world, otherwise I can see only the mobilization of larger armies."
And three years later, again at the October Conference, he spoke of the war clouds which were once more beginning to gather, and added: "Peace can be established at any moment, it could have been established long ago, if the people of the world would only unite in a determined effort to prevent war. Ridicule it as you may, make light of it, oppose it, the fact remains that never in the history of modern time, has such opportunity been held out to the people for the establishment of peace, as that which has come in our day. Humbled, in sorrow and mourning, when time came that war might have been forever suppressed, when conditions might have been established which would have made war impossible, the nations refused to listen.
"Again they started on the broad road which leads to destruction. Again selfishness, pride, love of power, the exalting of one nation above another, one race above another, menaces the world, and the civilization which is upon it."
Restraint, Temperance
From his Quaker ancestry and the example of patience and tolerance set by his parents. President Ivins derived the conviction of the importance of restraint and temperance, which he put into practice throughout his life. He tried to follow a common sense course, avoiding extremes in all things. At the General Conference of April, 1910, he declared: "I have never desired to be an extremist. I have never liked sensationalism. I have never liked offensive partisanship in anything. I do not like it even in the advocacy of the word of the Lord, because I do not consider it necessary." He applied this principle in his private life and in his official and unofficial public activities. He was patient and tolerant in governing his family. His children never saw him lose his temper, and when they made mistakes or committed acts of misconduct, he corrected them without punishing them in righteous anger. He was not continually reminding them that, because their father was the Stake President, they must be more strict in their behavior than other children. And they were not always trying, as some children were, to devise things to do, to give them the sensation of breaking away from restraining rules.
He extended the idea of temperance to his interpretation and teaching of the gospel and to his judgment of the opinions and conduct of those who did not believe or behave as he did. To him the broad principles of the gospel were more important than its small details over which people so often argued. He believed that there were many questions which could not be answered by any amount of discussion, but which the Lord would answer in His own time. And he never tried to force others to believe or live as he did.
Cure for Social Ills
President Ivins believed that, in the last analysis, the important thing was to understand and live the gospel. He more than once declared that our social ills were the result of indifference toward religion, indifference to civil laws, and the frenzied search after wealth. If the first of these evils should be corrected, the other two could not survive. So what was needed was a determination to live the gospel. Concerning the gospel as a guide to individual conduct, he said: "As I contemplate the truths of the gospel which have been expounded at this conference, this conclusion comes to me; that I must be a righteous man, and yet I must not be a self-righteous man ... I must be a charitable man, and yet I must be just ... I must be tolerant in my views, but my tolerance must not lead me to indulgence, or to approve of indulgence in others ... I may be ambitious . . . but my ambition, the accomplishment of my own purposes, must never be at the expense of that which properly belongs to my fellows."
Palmer, William R. "Anthony W. Ivins IX - Indian Memorial Service for President Anthony W. Ivins." The Instructor, July 1944: pg. 311-314.
Anthony W. Ivins
WILLIAM R. PALMER
IX Indian Memorial Service for President Anthony W. Ivins
As a boy in the Southern Mission President Ivins became acquainted with the Indians of the Pahute and Shivwits tribes. They familiarly called him "Tony," and came to look upon him as their special friend and spokesman among the white settlers in their country. They regarded his call to Mexico as a very sore loss and they hailed his return with great rejoicing.
In 1924 the Church purchased some homes and a twenty-five acre farm for the Indians at Cedar City and presented this property to them on Christmas day. Since I had been instrumental in bringing the matter to the attention of the First Presidency, and President Ivins had plead the Indian cause so successfully, they decided that they wanted to show their appreciation of our efforts in their behalf by electing us to full membership in the Pahute tribe.
With the assistance of William H. Manning, music director at the Branch Agricultural College, they worked up a very creditable program of Indian songs, dances, games and pantomimes and put on a three day feast and celebration. The program of dances, chants, etc., was given each night in the College Auditorium before packed houses.
For our induction they had prepared a ceremonial dance. A new soapstone pipe had been carved out by the Medicine Man and loaded with special herbs mixed with to bacco. Part of the ceremony consisted of the smoking of the pipe in symbol of fellowship. President Ivins and I must take our puffs with the rest as it went around the circle, but they allowed us to take our two puffs dry before the pipe was lighted. This favor out of respect for our scruples against tobacco.
We came out of the celebration with full membership in the Pahute tribe, a relationship which I have drawn heavily upon to gather their sacred legends and witness their secret ceremonials. President Ivins would have been heart and soul in these matters if he had been near enough to participate. He never came through the country without visiting the camp and it was his custom to call them together and give them a good talk.
Questions grew out of our induction which the Indians had not foreseen and on which they were not at first united. Should we be given free access to all the tribal pow-wows with their very sacred and secret ceremonials? Should they tell us everything we inquired about? Would we understand their sacred things or would we make fun of them. Would we tell all that we learned to the white people? These and many other matters that concerned us were subjects of earnest discussion in their Tribal Council meetings. There were also some jealousies. Since the Church was not buying farms for all the Bands, some were not at first in favor of giving "Tony" and "Will" full tribal privileges.
It took two years of discreet angling for me to obtain an invitation to attend a Pow-wow and witness all its ceremonies. I learned later that it had been discussed in every Tribal Council, but permission could not be given until the Chief of every one of the twenty-three Pahute clans gave their unanimous consent. A committee of three leading Chiefs delivered the invitation to me and I was to write "Tony" that he could come also. President Grant, at the time, was in the East and "Tony" sent very sincere regrets that he could not come.
A few months later this same committee waited on me again. They were speaking for the twenty three chiefs. They wanted to know if when I die they should have an Indian Sing as they do for all Indians. Would I be mad? Would my wife be mad? Would my family be mad? Would the Mormon bishop be mad? Do the Indians want to have a sing for me when I die? I asked. They said yes If nobody would be mad. I told them I would be happy, not mad, and I would tell my family they must let the Indians come. They said, "All right, Will, you tell Tony all the same. You ask will he be mad."
I wrote to President Ivins and he was very happy about it. He said it was one of the greatest compliments he had ever received.
The word of President Ivins' death reached me very early in the morning. I got in my car and went at once to the Indian Camp, arriving before anyone was up. I called to the chief and in a few minutes he came out. I told him Tony was dead and immediately he began to shout that news. In just a few minutes every person in camp gathered around us. I gave them all the news I had. Most of the Indians were out in the mountains.
Chief Jimmie said. "We got to go to Salt Lake to give Tony sing. How much money in camp?" They all threw down their purses and Jimmie counted the money. It amounted to only four dollars and sixty-five cents ($4.65). He was much disappointed.
I knew there was no place for a lot of Indians in Salt Lake City and that they would not be understood there. I felt that they might come home disappointed; so I said, "Why don't you have a sing for Tony down here?" They asked, "Would they send Tony down here. We can't have sing without Tony."
I said, "Yes you can. We have had lots of funerals when the dead man was not present, and you can do that, too." He said, "Tony will never know we cry for him. His spirit stay up there with him." I assured him that Tony would know that his friends everywhere would cry for him.
The chief began giving orders. One was to go to Indian Peak and the Indians there, another was to go to the telephone and call Moccasin, and Santa Clara and Moapa and Kanosh and Koosharem. Others were to hunt the Indians in the mountains. "All of them must come to Cedar for Tony's sing tonight."
That evening Indians were coming in from all directions and over two hundred were here at sunset to join in the funeral chants.
The Indian Sing begins at sunset and continues until sunrise. They have a string of songs that come in proper sequence through the night. At certain places the chant stops and everyone surrounds the dead person and weeps and wails. They explained to me that the songs were like a string that runs all through the night. Here and there all along there are knots in the string and everytime they came to a knot they must stop and cry-a very apt illustration. They said I must come and help them for they had never held a sing without the dead person being present.
Their chants go on for about two hours before they come to the first cry. I told them that I could not come until after a meeting but they could begin and go on just as if Tony were there. I promised to be there by crying time, so they proceeded.
Before going to the camp I returned home and put on my over coat for I expected to be out all night. As I walked through the house I saw the Deseret News lying on the table with a life size picture of President Ivins on the front page. I folded the paper and put it in my pocket, thinking I would hang it on the wall for the Indians to look at.
There was some little confusion when I arrived at the camp. They had reached the first knot in the song string and there was no corpse to cry for. The chief came hurrying to meet me. He said, "What we gonna do now? Cry time come, Tony not here. What we gonna do?"
My hand touched the paper in my pocket and I remembered the face on its front page. I said, "Here is Tony's picture. I will hang it on the wall. Everybody can look at it and think he is here. They can cry because he is dead."
I started over toward the wall to hang the paper up. The chief stopped me. He said. "No, no, dead man he don't stand up, he lay down. Give that paper to me." I handed the paper to Jimmie and he laid it on the floor face up. "Now," he said, “here is Tony's head. Everybody stepped two long steps down and appraised carefully the distance, right by that big knot in the floor. Then he said, "Here is Tony's feet. You can see Tony's head but you can't see his feet, but they are right by that big knot. Don't anybody step on Tony's feet and legs." They gathered in an oblong circle around the imaginary corpse, leaving plenty of space below the feet. They began to wail. Their souls overpoured with copious tears which flowed down their dark and sorrow drawn faces.
This continued for about half an hour, then Jimmie reached in and quietly withdrew the paper. When the mourners discovered that it was gone they stopped crying and returned to their seats around the walls.
The singers came back forming two lines down the center of the room, the men in one line and the women in the other. Kneeling on the floor facing each other they began the second series of the song chant.
As the chant went on anyone who wanted to say anything about Tony arose and spoke to the song accompaniment, for the chant never stopped until they came to another cry time. I listened to many simple tributes that told the story of President Ivins' greatness as well as the most eloquent sermon that was given at his real funeral. Here are some samples.
An old man stood up and said, "Long time ago I was boy like this (indicating his size with an extended hand) down by St. George. Tony was little bigger, like this. Tony was herd cow out by Indian camp. Tony come to camp every day and play shoot bow and arrow. Tony say keep cow this side, leave grass that side for Indian horse. Tony good Indian friend."
Another said, "Tony make it good talk all time for us Indians peoples. Tony say, don't steal, that no good. Tony say don't lie, that no good. Tony say no take another man squaw, that no good. Tony say no get drunk, that no good. Tony say don't make fight, that no good."
Another told of working for Tony out on Kiabab and "Tony give us Indian boy good food all same white boy."
An old woman said, "Tony know Indian heart all the same as Indian."
So it went all through the night. They told of little favors he had done for them; how he had plead their cases in court and how he had talked for them to the Government and to the church and he had secured for them their homes and farms.
Whenever the song string came to another knot Chief Jimmie spread the newspaper on the floor and they went through their weeping and wailing again.
There was evident through all the service a distinct sense of sorrow and loss. They felt that the Indian's best friend was gone. No speaker had been appointed 'or called but anyone who wanted to say something about "Tony" arose of his own accord. Some spoke several times as new thoughts came to their minds. It was all so simple and spontaneous and there was no affectation or speaking for effect.
A more sincere and soulful service was not held for him anywhere, nor one that brought out more clearly the elemental qualities of a great character.
Anthony W. Ivins
WILLIAM R. PALMER
IX Indian Memorial Service for President Anthony W. Ivins
As a boy in the Southern Mission President Ivins became acquainted with the Indians of the Pahute and Shivwits tribes. They familiarly called him "Tony," and came to look upon him as their special friend and spokesman among the white settlers in their country. They regarded his call to Mexico as a very sore loss and they hailed his return with great rejoicing.
In 1924 the Church purchased some homes and a twenty-five acre farm for the Indians at Cedar City and presented this property to them on Christmas day. Since I had been instrumental in bringing the matter to the attention of the First Presidency, and President Ivins had plead the Indian cause so successfully, they decided that they wanted to show their appreciation of our efforts in their behalf by electing us to full membership in the Pahute tribe.
With the assistance of William H. Manning, music director at the Branch Agricultural College, they worked up a very creditable program of Indian songs, dances, games and pantomimes and put on a three day feast and celebration. The program of dances, chants, etc., was given each night in the College Auditorium before packed houses.
For our induction they had prepared a ceremonial dance. A new soapstone pipe had been carved out by the Medicine Man and loaded with special herbs mixed with to bacco. Part of the ceremony consisted of the smoking of the pipe in symbol of fellowship. President Ivins and I must take our puffs with the rest as it went around the circle, but they allowed us to take our two puffs dry before the pipe was lighted. This favor out of respect for our scruples against tobacco.
We came out of the celebration with full membership in the Pahute tribe, a relationship which I have drawn heavily upon to gather their sacred legends and witness their secret ceremonials. President Ivins would have been heart and soul in these matters if he had been near enough to participate. He never came through the country without visiting the camp and it was his custom to call them together and give them a good talk.
Questions grew out of our induction which the Indians had not foreseen and on which they were not at first united. Should we be given free access to all the tribal pow-wows with their very sacred and secret ceremonials? Should they tell us everything we inquired about? Would we understand their sacred things or would we make fun of them. Would we tell all that we learned to the white people? These and many other matters that concerned us were subjects of earnest discussion in their Tribal Council meetings. There were also some jealousies. Since the Church was not buying farms for all the Bands, some were not at first in favor of giving "Tony" and "Will" full tribal privileges.
It took two years of discreet angling for me to obtain an invitation to attend a Pow-wow and witness all its ceremonies. I learned later that it had been discussed in every Tribal Council, but permission could not be given until the Chief of every one of the twenty-three Pahute clans gave their unanimous consent. A committee of three leading Chiefs delivered the invitation to me and I was to write "Tony" that he could come also. President Grant, at the time, was in the East and "Tony" sent very sincere regrets that he could not come.
A few months later this same committee waited on me again. They were speaking for the twenty three chiefs. They wanted to know if when I die they should have an Indian Sing as they do for all Indians. Would I be mad? Would my wife be mad? Would my family be mad? Would the Mormon bishop be mad? Do the Indians want to have a sing for me when I die? I asked. They said yes If nobody would be mad. I told them I would be happy, not mad, and I would tell my family they must let the Indians come. They said, "All right, Will, you tell Tony all the same. You ask will he be mad."
I wrote to President Ivins and he was very happy about it. He said it was one of the greatest compliments he had ever received.
The word of President Ivins' death reached me very early in the morning. I got in my car and went at once to the Indian Camp, arriving before anyone was up. I called to the chief and in a few minutes he came out. I told him Tony was dead and immediately he began to shout that news. In just a few minutes every person in camp gathered around us. I gave them all the news I had. Most of the Indians were out in the mountains.
Chief Jimmie said. "We got to go to Salt Lake to give Tony sing. How much money in camp?" They all threw down their purses and Jimmie counted the money. It amounted to only four dollars and sixty-five cents ($4.65). He was much disappointed.
I knew there was no place for a lot of Indians in Salt Lake City and that they would not be understood there. I felt that they might come home disappointed; so I said, "Why don't you have a sing for Tony down here?" They asked, "Would they send Tony down here. We can't have sing without Tony."
I said, "Yes you can. We have had lots of funerals when the dead man was not present, and you can do that, too." He said, "Tony will never know we cry for him. His spirit stay up there with him." I assured him that Tony would know that his friends everywhere would cry for him.
The chief began giving orders. One was to go to Indian Peak and the Indians there, another was to go to the telephone and call Moccasin, and Santa Clara and Moapa and Kanosh and Koosharem. Others were to hunt the Indians in the mountains. "All of them must come to Cedar for Tony's sing tonight."
That evening Indians were coming in from all directions and over two hundred were here at sunset to join in the funeral chants.
The Indian Sing begins at sunset and continues until sunrise. They have a string of songs that come in proper sequence through the night. At certain places the chant stops and everyone surrounds the dead person and weeps and wails. They explained to me that the songs were like a string that runs all through the night. Here and there all along there are knots in the string and everytime they came to a knot they must stop and cry-a very apt illustration. They said I must come and help them for they had never held a sing without the dead person being present.
Their chants go on for about two hours before they come to the first cry. I told them that I could not come until after a meeting but they could begin and go on just as if Tony were there. I promised to be there by crying time, so they proceeded.
Before going to the camp I returned home and put on my over coat for I expected to be out all night. As I walked through the house I saw the Deseret News lying on the table with a life size picture of President Ivins on the front page. I folded the paper and put it in my pocket, thinking I would hang it on the wall for the Indians to look at.
There was some little confusion when I arrived at the camp. They had reached the first knot in the song string and there was no corpse to cry for. The chief came hurrying to meet me. He said, "What we gonna do now? Cry time come, Tony not here. What we gonna do?"
My hand touched the paper in my pocket and I remembered the face on its front page. I said, "Here is Tony's picture. I will hang it on the wall. Everybody can look at it and think he is here. They can cry because he is dead."
I started over toward the wall to hang the paper up. The chief stopped me. He said. "No, no, dead man he don't stand up, he lay down. Give that paper to me." I handed the paper to Jimmie and he laid it on the floor face up. "Now," he said, “here is Tony's head. Everybody stepped two long steps down and appraised carefully the distance, right by that big knot in the floor. Then he said, "Here is Tony's feet. You can see Tony's head but you can't see his feet, but they are right by that big knot. Don't anybody step on Tony's feet and legs." They gathered in an oblong circle around the imaginary corpse, leaving plenty of space below the feet. They began to wail. Their souls overpoured with copious tears which flowed down their dark and sorrow drawn faces.
This continued for about half an hour, then Jimmie reached in and quietly withdrew the paper. When the mourners discovered that it was gone they stopped crying and returned to their seats around the walls.
The singers came back forming two lines down the center of the room, the men in one line and the women in the other. Kneeling on the floor facing each other they began the second series of the song chant.
As the chant went on anyone who wanted to say anything about Tony arose and spoke to the song accompaniment, for the chant never stopped until they came to another cry time. I listened to many simple tributes that told the story of President Ivins' greatness as well as the most eloquent sermon that was given at his real funeral. Here are some samples.
An old man stood up and said, "Long time ago I was boy like this (indicating his size with an extended hand) down by St. George. Tony was little bigger, like this. Tony was herd cow out by Indian camp. Tony come to camp every day and play shoot bow and arrow. Tony say keep cow this side, leave grass that side for Indian horse. Tony good Indian friend."
Another said, "Tony make it good talk all time for us Indians peoples. Tony say, don't steal, that no good. Tony say don't lie, that no good. Tony say no take another man squaw, that no good. Tony say no get drunk, that no good. Tony say don't make fight, that no good."
Another told of working for Tony out on Kiabab and "Tony give us Indian boy good food all same white boy."
An old woman said, "Tony know Indian heart all the same as Indian."
So it went all through the night. They told of little favors he had done for them; how he had plead their cases in court and how he had talked for them to the Government and to the church and he had secured for them their homes and farms.
Whenever the song string came to another knot Chief Jimmie spread the newspaper on the floor and they went through their weeping and wailing again.
There was evident through all the service a distinct sense of sorrow and loss. They felt that the Indian's best friend was gone. No speaker had been appointed 'or called but anyone who wanted to say something about "Tony" arose of his own accord. Some spoke several times as new thoughts came to their minds. It was all so simple and spontaneous and there was no affectation or speaking for effect.
A more sincere and soulful service was not held for him anywhere, nor one that brought out more clearly the elemental qualities of a great character.
Bennion, Milton. "Anthony W. Ivins." The Instructor, August 1944: pg. 353-356.
Anthony W. Ivins
MILTON BENNION
Those readers who have followed the series of biographical sketches of Anthony W, Ivins published in this magazine last November to July, inclusive, will doubtless have very definite impressions of his nobility of character and his great service to the Church and to the communities with which he was affiliated.
President Ivins was always ready to subordinate his financial interests, his prospects for political advancement, and his preferences in personal and social life to the calls that came to him to render service to God and his fellowmen. This characteristic was strikingly manifest in the various missions he filled and in the assistance he later gave to the L. D. S. communities in Mexico in their dire distress.
His keen sense of justice was manifest in never ending devotion to the well being of the underprivileged, the disinherited—those deprived of the opportunity to share equally with their fellowmen in the benefits of the use of the natural resources of the earth which God created for the use of all, rather than something to be monopolized and exploited for the enrichment of a few to the ultimate deprivation of the masses of the people. This led him. to become an ardent defender of the poverty stricken Mexican people who had been reduced to practical serfdom by a medieval type of feudalism developed and supported by the dictatorial rule of both church and state.
This condition was challenged in President Ivins' time by the rise of a new type of government in Mexico which sought to restore to the people their natural and rightful belongings. These peaceable revolutionary reforms and so-called socialistic measures were defended by President Ivins as in line with the rights of man and the Christian conception of human brotherhood.
The political philosophy upon which the American governments are founded he conceived to be not merely the external forms of democracy but rather a guarantee of equal right to participate in the benefits of the natural resources and social values created by God and the collective activities of mankind through the ages.
This political philosophy and corresponding character qualities were manifest by President Ivins from his boyhood in his association with the Indian tribes of Southern Utah, and won for him their lasting gratitude. Fair and charitable treatment of these disinherited tribes was with him not based merely on the idea that it is better to feed than to fight them, but rather with the thought that they are our fellowmen, and that they had been deprived of some of their customary rights to the use of natural resources after their manner of life, and that we owe it to them to offer as a matter of justice whatever we can properly give by way of compensation. Their appreciation of his association with them on equal terms was impressively expressed in their funeral services for him described in the July issue of this magazine.
President Ivins' understanding of and sympathy with the problems with which his fellows struggled was also manifest in his kindly and helpful attitude toward those who disbelieved or doubted some of the theological principles which he advocated. This gained for him the friendship of all honest men with whom he associated and the unqualified confidence of the youth of the Church who were perplexed with doubts. The fact that he was able to understand their doubts and to sympathize with the doubters made it possible for him to help in a kindly spirit to solve their problems and to attain a rational faith. A person with this attitude brings these results far more effectively than could be done by one wedded to dogmatism and given to condemnation of the doubter. President Ivins' attitude was rather to say, "Come now, let us reason together." There is in this a valuable lesson for all teachers of religion.
On the side of applied religion President Ivins was ever ready to cooperate with all men of good will, irrespective of their religious affiliations, in any social betterment cause. This was in strict accord with the attitude and practice of his leader in the presidency. President Heber J. Grant was a leader of the Betterment League and other civic causes before he became President of the Church, and after he became President, an ardent supporter of the Social Welfare League, which brought together in one body representatives of all the churches, the parent-teacher associations, and other socially minded groups in a united effort to make the community a better place in which to live and to bring up a family. President Ivins gave whole hearted support to this movement, and with his vast experience in civic as well as religious affairs was a wise and sympathetic counselor to law enforcement officials who sought his advice and support.
On the general philosophy of government he was in full harmony with Abraham Lincoln's pronouncement "that government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth." He accepted the declaration of the Doctrine and Covenants: "We believe that governments were instituted of God for the benefit of man." They have provided public highways, public schools, and many other necessary services in a civilized community. It is an inexcusable misconception of the functions of government to call it "a necessary evil." This is to ignore its positive, constructive functions, one of which is to devise and carry out ways and means of eliminating war and crime insofar as possible, and thus to reduce the negative or police functions in the narrower meaning of that term.
President Ivins was strong in support of the positive functions of government. His was an enlightened, forward looking citizenship in the interest of the well being of all the people. In this, too, he was in harmony with the views and the political aims of Abraham Lincoln.
Anthony W. Ivins
MILTON BENNION
Those readers who have followed the series of biographical sketches of Anthony W, Ivins published in this magazine last November to July, inclusive, will doubtless have very definite impressions of his nobility of character and his great service to the Church and to the communities with which he was affiliated.
President Ivins was always ready to subordinate his financial interests, his prospects for political advancement, and his preferences in personal and social life to the calls that came to him to render service to God and his fellowmen. This characteristic was strikingly manifest in the various missions he filled and in the assistance he later gave to the L. D. S. communities in Mexico in their dire distress.
His keen sense of justice was manifest in never ending devotion to the well being of the underprivileged, the disinherited—those deprived of the opportunity to share equally with their fellowmen in the benefits of the use of the natural resources of the earth which God created for the use of all, rather than something to be monopolized and exploited for the enrichment of a few to the ultimate deprivation of the masses of the people. This led him. to become an ardent defender of the poverty stricken Mexican people who had been reduced to practical serfdom by a medieval type of feudalism developed and supported by the dictatorial rule of both church and state.
This condition was challenged in President Ivins' time by the rise of a new type of government in Mexico which sought to restore to the people their natural and rightful belongings. These peaceable revolutionary reforms and so-called socialistic measures were defended by President Ivins as in line with the rights of man and the Christian conception of human brotherhood.
The political philosophy upon which the American governments are founded he conceived to be not merely the external forms of democracy but rather a guarantee of equal right to participate in the benefits of the natural resources and social values created by God and the collective activities of mankind through the ages.
This political philosophy and corresponding character qualities were manifest by President Ivins from his boyhood in his association with the Indian tribes of Southern Utah, and won for him their lasting gratitude. Fair and charitable treatment of these disinherited tribes was with him not based merely on the idea that it is better to feed than to fight them, but rather with the thought that they are our fellowmen, and that they had been deprived of some of their customary rights to the use of natural resources after their manner of life, and that we owe it to them to offer as a matter of justice whatever we can properly give by way of compensation. Their appreciation of his association with them on equal terms was impressively expressed in their funeral services for him described in the July issue of this magazine.
President Ivins' understanding of and sympathy with the problems with which his fellows struggled was also manifest in his kindly and helpful attitude toward those who disbelieved or doubted some of the theological principles which he advocated. This gained for him the friendship of all honest men with whom he associated and the unqualified confidence of the youth of the Church who were perplexed with doubts. The fact that he was able to understand their doubts and to sympathize with the doubters made it possible for him to help in a kindly spirit to solve their problems and to attain a rational faith. A person with this attitude brings these results far more effectively than could be done by one wedded to dogmatism and given to condemnation of the doubter. President Ivins' attitude was rather to say, "Come now, let us reason together." There is in this a valuable lesson for all teachers of religion.
On the side of applied religion President Ivins was ever ready to cooperate with all men of good will, irrespective of their religious affiliations, in any social betterment cause. This was in strict accord with the attitude and practice of his leader in the presidency. President Heber J. Grant was a leader of the Betterment League and other civic causes before he became President of the Church, and after he became President, an ardent supporter of the Social Welfare League, which brought together in one body representatives of all the churches, the parent-teacher associations, and other socially minded groups in a united effort to make the community a better place in which to live and to bring up a family. President Ivins gave whole hearted support to this movement, and with his vast experience in civic as well as religious affairs was a wise and sympathetic counselor to law enforcement officials who sought his advice and support.
On the general philosophy of government he was in full harmony with Abraham Lincoln's pronouncement "that government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth." He accepted the declaration of the Doctrine and Covenants: "We believe that governments were instituted of God for the benefit of man." They have provided public highways, public schools, and many other necessary services in a civilized community. It is an inexcusable misconception of the functions of government to call it "a necessary evil." This is to ignore its positive, constructive functions, one of which is to devise and carry out ways and means of eliminating war and crime insofar as possible, and thus to reduce the negative or police functions in the narrower meaning of that term.
President Ivins was strong in support of the positive functions of government. His was an enlightened, forward looking citizenship in the interest of the well being of all the people. In this, too, he was in harmony with the views and the political aims of Abraham Lincoln.
Anthony W. Ivins
“…the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the
desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.”
–Isaiah 35:1
desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.”
–Isaiah 35:1
Ordained: 6 October 1907 at age 55 by Joseph F. Smith
Biography
Anthony "Tony" Woodward Ivins was born 16 September 1852 in Toms River, New Jersey to Israel Ivins and Anna Lowrie Ivins (his father's second cousin). His parents had joined the Church before their marriage in 1844 having heard the gospel preached by Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon and Erastus Snow. Tony was also Heber J. Grant's first cousin. His mother and Heber J. Grant's mother, Rachel Ivins Grant, were sisters.
The Ivins family moved to Utah in 1853, when Tony was still an infant. The family settled initially in Salt Lake City where Tony's father worked on the city police force and also served in the Echo Canyon war of 1856-1857, also called the Utah War.
Of his early life, Elder Ivins wrote:
I distinctly remember watching my father mould bullets for the Echo war and his appearance when he returned, ragged and shoeless, with arms in his hands, and how it inspired me with a desire to bear arms and learn their use. When he went fishing and hunting I accompanied him, and thus became strongly imbued with the spirit of sportsman and greatly desired a dog and gun. (S. S. Ivins, Anthony W. Ivins I.--Boyhood 1943, 568)
Tony was baptized at the age of eight. Then, in 1861, when he was only 9 years old, the family was called to settle St. George, Utah.
As a boy, Tony was kept busy with the many chores that pioneer boys had to do. He chopped wood for the kitchen stove, milked the cows, drove the cows to the hills to graze and brought them home at night. For fun, he hunted rabbits and birds. His father wouldn't allow him to use a rifle, but he traded with the Native Americans for bows and arrows and learned how to use them with skill.
His experience with the priesthood was rather unusual. He was ordained a deacon and then a teacher, serving faithfully in both of these offices until the age of 13, when he was ordained an Elder.
Living so far away from “civilization” at a tender age, Tony didn’t have very many opportunities for formal education. He had a keen mind, however, and attributes his scholarly success to his parents. Tony and his father were very close. Israel Ivins, though not a graduate of medical school, had associated with the leading doctors while in Salt Lake City and read, studied and practiced medicine in St. George where there were no other doctors available. Tony said the example of his father awakened in him a fondness for books, a love for study and work, and stirred in his soul the very highest Christian ideals and standards, causing him to strive for humility and unselfishness. The two of them often went hunting and fishing together and Tony assisted him in his work as surveyor.
He explained the growth of his testimony as follows:
At the time of my birth, my parents were members of the Church and I was taught by them, by precept and example, principles that made for an upright and religious life; and if I failed, if I came short, it was not because of the teachings or example of my parents. When I grew older, when I came to think and investigate for myself, when I came to pray intelligently to my Father in Heaven for light, wisdom, and understanding—I became a thorough convert to the necessity, the divinity, and the efficacy of the mission of the Savior of the world. … I believe it with all my heart; and the experience of years of labor, years of investigation, years of study, have strengthened that testimony every day of my life. (Ivins 1908, 99)
The family of Apostle Erastus Snow lived nearby, and when still a youth, Tony met their daughter, Libby, then but seven years of age. He described that he never forgot her beautiful brown eyes.
Tony served several years in the Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Association (YMMIA). As a young man, he was ordained a Seventy and acted as a counselor in the first YMMIA of St. George.
In 1875, Tony was called to serve a mission to Arizona, New Mexico and Mexico. The missionaries were instructed to explore and report on the country with a view towards colonization, visit the Native American tribes and try to establish a good relationship with them, and preach the gospel to the people. Tony was able to fill this mission by selling all of his possessions, accepting financial support of his friends in St. George, and the donation of a horse and mule from the people in Pine Valley.
The missionaries visited the Navajo, Hopi, Apache, Pima, Maricopa and Papago tribes. They penetrated Mexico to the city of Chihuahua, went west into the Sierra Madre country and explored the Casas Grandes district where the Mormon Mexican colonies were later established.
Upon his return, he was elected to the office of Constable of St. George. This was a position, although interrupted several times to allow him to serve missions, that he held for the following 18 years.
In October 1877, he was called again on a short mission to New Mexico to the Navajo and Pueblo tribes in company with Erastus B. Snow.
In November 1878 he married Elizabeth “Libby” Ashby Snow, daughter of Erastus Snow. Together they had nine children.
The following year, he was called as his ward YMMIA president, where he had previously served as counselor. Then, when four wards in St. George merged into one, Tony was called to serve as the YMMIA president of the new ward. Afterwards, he served as Stake YMMIA President.
In 1881, he was called into the St. George Stake High Council and was elected to the office of prosecuting attorney for Washington County as well as member of the City Council.
Then in April of 1882, he was called to serve another mission to Mexico City to preach to the Mexican people. This time his mission was funded by the St. George community putting on a benefit theatrical performance as well as contributions by friends and selling some of his property. He fulfilled a two-year mission, having presided over the Mexican Mission for one of those years. It was during this mission that Tony Ivins learned fluent Spanish, which would serve him so well in his life.
Immediately following his return from this latest mission, he was sworn in as City Attorney for St. George, as well as being re-elected as County Attorney and Assessor and Collector, declining the nomination as Sheriff.
Tony had a great deal of varied interests. He loved dogs, horses and cattle and liked to hunt and fish. He was a farmer, a rancher, and an employer. He took an interest in law, which was also his profession, and was also fascinated with geology. He knew a great deal about history, economics, and politics. It was said of him that he was a student at heart. He worked well with his hands and once said, “I defy any man to follow my trail from childhood and find anything I have ever built that has fallen down.” (Lyman 1934, 651) These wide and varied interests helped him to relate to everyone he spoke with.
In 1888, he was called to serve as a counselor in the Stake Presidency of the St. George Stake. Around this time, he became concerned about the difficulties of the settlers with the Shebit Native American tribe and secured government appropriation to move them from the Shebit Mountains and he helped established them on the Santa Clara River. He was the first government agent to this Native American tribe, serving two years in this capacity.
In 1890, he began the first of two terms as Mayor of St. George. He also served as a Representative to the Territorial Legislature in 1894 and as a member of the constitutional convention in 1895.
In all of his political dealings, it was said of him that "When called upon to decide how he should vote upon a measure, whether important or not, he cared not for politics or friendships, but viewed it the same as he would a business transaction and voted accordingly." (S. S. Ivins, Anthony W. Ivins IV. In Politics 1944, 64) Subjects he advocated were women's suffrage, prohibition and the consolidation of the state's educational institutions.
In business, Tony was successful in both farming and stock, privately and as manager of the Mojave Land & Cattle Company and the Kaibab Cattle Company in southern Utah and northern Arizona. He also took an interest in certain water enterprises, taking a leading role in the Enterprise Reservoir and Canal Company, which built a reservoir at the head of Shoal Creek in Washington County, Utah.
He was still serving as counselor in the St. George Stake presidency in August of 1895, when he was called by President Wilford Woodruff to go to Mexico and take charge of the interests of the Church in that region. Although reluctant to leave his aged parents and many friends in St. George, he at once accepted the call and began making preparations to leave for Mexico. He moved to Mexico with his family a few months later and served as Stake President of the Juarez Stake. He acted as vice president and general manager of the Mexican Colonization and Agricultural Company under which the Mormon Mexican colonies were established. He was also the president of the Dublan Mercantile Company, the largest mercantile house in that part of Mexico.
His duties as a community leader in Mexico were many and varied. One of the many things he was called upon to do was to oversee the burial of Elder Abraham O. Woodruff and his wife following their deaths of smallpox in Mexico (See chapter on Abraham O. Woodruff). He often became so frustrated in attempting to deal with Mexican government officials of the day, that he wrote in his journal, "I feel that … anything in a free country, would be preferable to life in Mexico." (S. S. Ivins, Anthony W. Ivins V. His Fourth Mission 1944, 110)
Despite his opinion of the government, he thought very highly of the people living in the colonies. Of the Mexican colonies, he said:
Since I was installed by President Lyman as President of the Juarez Stake of Zion, eight years ago, the population of the Stake has increased seventy-five per cent. During the same period the tithes of the people have increased three hundred and twenty-five per cent. Our relations with the Mexican government are exceedingly satisfactory. We keep entirely out of politics; we mind our own business, and are left in peace—thank heaven for that! We cannot offer homes to our brethren and sisters, notwithstanding the fact that we would be very much pleased indeed to have additions to the colonies, because of the very limited resources we have. That is to say, we cannot offer inducements of a financial character; but I do believe that the moral atmosphere of our colonies compensates us to a very great degree for the lack of this world's goods which we so much feel. During the eight years I have been in Mexico I have never heard the name of Deity profaned by a Latter-day Saint, I have never seen a member of the Church with a cigarette in his mouth, and I have never seen a member of the Church under the influence of liquor. There may have been isolated cases, but they have never come under my observation. I do not say this boastingly, for there are many reforms that we can yet make to advantage, and whatever we have been able to accomplish, God alone has the credit for it, since we have depended entirely upon Him. (Ivins 1904, 54)
While still serving as Stake President in Mexico, Anthony W. Ivins was surprised to hear his own named called as Apostle. He was ordained the day of his call on 6 October 1907 by President Joseph F. Smith.
His activities as a general authority were similar to the duties that he had always had throughout his life, simply on a larger scale. Elder Ivins served as general superintendent of the YMMIA for the Church, president of the Board of Trustees of the Utah Agricultural College, vice president of Zion’s Saving Bank & Trust Company, and director in the Deseret Savings Bank and Utah State National Bank. He was also a national committeeman from Utah for the Boy Scouts of America.
In his early apostleship, Elder Ivins traveled a great deal.
Since the last general conference of the Church, in April, I have visited many of the organized stakes of Zion. I have been in Canada on the north, and to the extreme limits of this state in the south, and it affords me great pleasure and sincere satisfaction to testify before this large congregation of Latter-day Saints to the faith, the devotion and good works of the great majority of the Latter-day Saints wherever I have been. (Ivins 1917, 63)
He helped to mediate conflicts between the Mormon colonies in Mexico and the Mexican government. He also oversaw their evacuation during the Mexican Revolution in 1912.
Then, in 1921, Elder Ivins was chosen to fill a vacancy in the First Presidency, serving as second counselor to President Heber J. Grant, his own first cousin. Following the death of Elder Penrose in 1925, President Ivins became first counselor in the First Presidency.
At the time of his calling into the First Presidency, he made this comment:
I do not remember, my brethren and sisters, a period in my life's experience in the Church when I felt my dependence upon the Lord to a degree greater than I do this morning. Should I follow my own inclinations, I would not attempt to make remarks at all, but to gain wisdom and knowledge and understanding by listening to the remarks of my brethren and communing with the Spirit of the Lord which is here this morning. I feel the necessity of wisdom, of sound judgment, of the help of the Lord in expounding the scriptures, and teaching the Latter-day Saints, and in discharging the responsibility which has come to me, as I have never felt it before. (Ivins 1921, 18)
President Ivins served as vice president of the Genealogical Society of Utah from 1921 to 1925, at which time he became president of the organization until his death.
This time of his life was the busiest that he had ever experienced. He tried to write a book about his life and began it twice, but never got past the first chapter or two because he was so busy with his varied responsibilities. He wasn't even able to keep up with his daily journal. There were years where he didn't write more than four or five times the entire year.
President Ivins had the joy of seeing his oldest son, Antoine R. Ivins, called and ordained to the First Council of the Seventy in 1931.
In October of 1932, President Grant had to undergo surgery and was unable to attend general conference. As his first counselor, President Ivins was called upon to report on President Grant’s condition and give the conference address regarding the state of the Church as a whole, the only time he was called upon to do this during his tenure.
President Ivins received an honorary Doctor of Laws from the Utah State Agricultural College in June of 1934.
He then died suddenly and unexpectedly 23 September of that year in Salt Lake City, Utah at the age of 82 of heart failure. Two days earlier, he had transacted business at the bank of which he was director just like always and spoke of a planned fishing trip. He had recently celebrated a birthday and had received many gifts and greetings from member of the Church the world over. On that occasion he said, “I hope the Lord will overlook my weakness, and with His help I will try to carry on for another year if I can.” (Richards 1934, 646)
The Paiute Native American tribe in particular mourned his passing and performed their own funeral services with a picture of Elder Ivins on the floor, all of the tribe gathered around the imaginary corpse and cried for him. The Paiute people voted him an honorary member of the tribe.
Quotes
Elder Anthony W. Ivins gave a great many general conference talks in his day. Most of them took the greater part of half an hour. He was a powerful public speaker and used examples to make his point. He often made notes that he used in his talks, underlining his subject with scriptures and historical facts. He loved history and often spoke of the history of various regions and peoples to support the doctrines of the Church.
He particularly loved to speak about Christopher Columbus, who he felt had been inspired to discover the American continent. He also spoke several times of the pyramids of Egypt and the Lamanite people of Mexico. He magnified his calling as a member of the First Presidency many times in directly addressing the assumptions and conclusions of authors of anti-Mormon literature. He used facts to show that their conclusions were not sound. Having lived so long in a scarcely populated region, he also had a great many stories to share from his experiences in the desert.
He had a strong testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel.
I love to advocate the doctrines of the Gospel of Christ, because I believe in them with all my heart. I love to teach the way of redemption, which the Savior of mankind taught, because I know it to be the power of God unto salvation; and I do not believe that there is any other way under heaven by which men and women can be saved, or by which power is given them over the sins of the world except through obedience to the Gospel. I love to speak of and to think of the good that exists in the world. This is a good world which the Lord has given us; there are abundance of good things, in it—everything, in fact, that we could desire, to make us happy, if only utilized as our Father designed that they should be. (Ivins 1910, 111-112)
In his final conference address, he expressed his gratitude for the Church.
Before commencing my remarks, my brethren and sisters, I desire as President Clark has done to express the gratitude I feel that the Lord has lengthened out my days to be present at this general conference of the Church. The things which have occurred here could not have occurred in any other place in the world. The music to which we have listened, the mothers' chorus which so splendidly rendered their parts, and the young men and young women representing the Mutual Improvement Associations of the Church, could not have been found in any other place. This Tabernacle choir, and this organ cannot be found in any other place in the world.
The doctrines which have been expounded here you would not hear in any other congregation of people outside of the Church. These are the things which have impressed me, the things for which I feel grateful to my Father which is in heaven. (Ivins 1934, 95-96)
He also had a strong testimony of the divine calling of the Presidents of the Church, having been personally acquainted with many of them through family relationships. He knew Brigham Young through his cousin, Heber J. Grant, and the Snow family through his wife's father, Erastus Snow. These relationships brought him into the company of other general authorities as well.
I bear this same testimony to you, my brethren and sisters, regarding the administration of the affairs of the Church under the direction of the First Presidency. I have known personally every man who has presided over the Church since the days of the prophet, not, of course, acquainted with him, but I knew President Young, I knew President Taylor, I knew President Woodruff, intimately, every one of them, and President Snow—and I believe that I intimately know our brethren who preside over the Church today. I bear testimony to you that the affairs of the Church were never administered with greater care, they never were administered in greater humility, they were never administered by men possessing greater faith as to the destiny of this work, the, accomplishment of God's purposes, than those men who preside at present over its affairs. (Ivins 1916, 63-64)
He described his own character as one who was more comfortable alone in the wilderness than in a crowded city.
Almost my entire life has been spent with nature. I have learned to love it; I have learned to feel at home with it; to appreciate the works of God, and to adapt myself to them as He created and left them long ago. … I have traveled, for weeks together, over barren, trackless desolate plains, seeing the face of no man of my own kind except my companions, and felt entirely happy and at home. I have been lonesome, and lost, and fearful in the crowded cities of the world; I have slept by the camp-fire, with wicked and marauding men all around me, with no sound but the cries of the wild things of nature, and felt as perfectly secure, and rested as soundly as it would be possible for man to do; and have lain awake, anxious, nervous, unsettled in my mind, in the great hostleries of the large cities I have visited. I have prayed to the Lord upon the tops of mountain peaks, and in the shades of deep canyons, and felt Him as near to me as I ever have in temples erected by human hands. (Ivins 1908, 98-99)
Later in life, he wrote a series of articles for the Improvement Era about his experiences in the deserts of Utah, Arizona, California, New Mexico and Mexico, mostly focused on the trails and his own personal experiences of them.
After spending so much time there, Elder Ivins described Mexico as follows:
Mexico is a peculiar country. It is a country of great extremes—of intense sunshine and terrific showers, of vast unproductive plains and of valleys which are among the most productive in the world, with great, ranges of treeless mountains, and plains that are covered with forests of most beautiful timber. (Ivins 1906, 45)
Elder Ivins loved to tell stories which illustrated his point, most of which were related to his experiences in the deserts of Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Mexico. The first story illustrates the need to keep our children away from hidden dangers.
Down upon the table-lands of northern Mexico, where I have lived, scattered here and there among the luxurious grasses which grow, there is a noxious weed, a weed which, ordinarily, a horse will not touch. At first he shuns it, but after a while, having grazed near it, having rubbed his nose against it and become better acquainted with it, he tastes it. Later he acquires an appetite for it, and it saps his strength; it affects his intellect; it makes him crazy—we say in Spanish "loco;" he becomes a locoed horse. Well, we found out that by keeping our horses in the stable all the time, we could keep them away from that weed; they did not get it; but it is a very difficult and inconvenient thing to always keep horses in the stable. They want the open air; they want the green grass which grows upon the hills; and we had to deprive them of all this, just simply because here and there on the hill, grew this noxious weed. We found a remedy; we turned out with hoes. We traveled over the hills, and we dug up the weed by the roots; then we turned out our horses and they grazed, and no harm came to them.
I am strongly of the opinion, my brethren and sisters, that we may talk of home and home influence; we may throw protection around our children, which we know to be proper; but the moment they go out of the house, evil is staring them in the face. So long as, under the law, men and women are permitted to desecrate the Sabbath day; so long as places of amusement and pleasure are wide open before them; so long as saloons throw open their doors, and music and pleasure invite them to come in; so long as houses of ill fame stand upon the corners of our streets,—just so long the evil will exist. Just as long as the horses continue to get out of the barn and on to the plains, they will eat the noxious weed that at first they refused and resented. After the appetite becomes acquired, the only way you can get rid of it is to go out and hoe up the weeds. (Ivins 1909, 99-100)
The next story shows that it is best not to give up on wayward children.
This homely story may illustrate my thought as well as anything I could tell. When I was a boy, I had close friends, as all boys have, neighbors with whom I was chummy, and among them was a boy about my own age. We lived near together; we went to school together. This boy had two older brothers. His parents were devoted Latter-day Saints. The country at that time was wild and lawless along the frontier. Those older brothers became freighters; they loved horses and mules, and they delighted in putting together splendid teams, and drove those teams into Montana, and west into Nevada, and down to the coast in California, freighting back merchandise which in those days was needed for the use of the people. They became two of the most profane men I ever knew, indifferent to the faith of their fathers, and intemperate. One day the body of the elder of those two boys was brought into our town, and his funeral services were held there. He had been killed in a difficulty with another man. The other, the next older, brother drifted away, and I lost sight of him. But this boy, who was my chum, I grew up with, and pretty soon he obtained a team and he went off to Silver Reef to freight, and learned to swear, and he was following the very road that his older brothers had followed. About that time I lost track of him. I went to Mexico. I came back after fifteen or twenty years, and had occasion to go up into Idaho to visit one of the stakes of the Church. I found this man there, presiding as bishop of one of the wards! I found one of his sons the bishop of another ward. I found another son president of the Mutual Improvement Association; and one or two of the boys had been on missions. He had a splendid home there, presided over in dignity by his good wife.
I looked at it all with wonder, and he smiled and said, "I know what you are thinking about."
I said, "Tell me how it all happened."
"Well," he said, "you know that I was going just the way my brothers went."
"Yes," I said, "that is what surprises me."
"My parents had always taught me a better way," he said; "they had urged me to read the scriptures, and finally I decided that I would read the Book of Mormon, and I did while I was freighting. I read it through, and when I came to certain words in the last chapter of Moroni, I was very deeply impressed with them." These are the words to which he referred:
And I seal up these records, after I have spoken a few words by way of exhortation unto you.
Behold I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam, even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.
And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
He said, "When I read those words, I thought I would put the Lord to the test, and I stopped my team, wrapped the lines around the brake, and got down from that high seat, on one of those old-fashioned California wagons that were common in early days, and I turned off from the road; and, you remember that piece of straight road," he said, "just below the twist ?"
"Yes," I said, "I remember every rock there is on it, because I have freighted over it."
"Well, I went out there," he said, "under those high cliffs to the east of the road, went around behind some rocks where no one could see me, kneeled down there, and thought I would pray, and I couldn't say a word."
Have any of you boys and girls ever tried to pray for the first time and found it difficult to say a word? There is always someone right there near you telling you cannot pray, and it would not do any good if you did. That is one of the devices of the enemy of truth to prevent you from placing yourself in harmony with the Lord. "But," he said, "by making a great effort I managed to appeal to the Lord, told him that I wanted to know the truth, and I want to tell you that those fellows on the day of Pentecost never received a stronger testimony than I did; I felt that I was surrounded by consuming fire, and I got up on my feet knowing just as well that the Lord lived, that Christ was the Redeemer of the world, that the gospel had been restored through the prophet Joseph Smith, and that the Book of Mormon is a divine record, as I knew that I was there ; and I got on to my wagon, drove home, left the road and came up here, located on this quarter section of land, and you can see the rest." (Ivins 1919, 175-177)
The last story shows the importance of prayer to conversion.
Shortly after that, I was back at my old home, and met another friend of mine, with whom I had been more familiar than with the other. He was an entirely different kind of boy. There was nothing wild nor rough in his character. His father and mother were very refined people. We grew up together. As we got older, our interests became identical. We traveled together, we rode the range together; we went out for days and sometimes weeks together, sleeping under the same blankets. All this time my faith was developing, I was reading the scriptures, I was praying to the Lord, and I was full of desire to convert this boy companion of mine; but for some reason I never could make any impression upon him.
So in after years, when I went back there and found him, his hair whiter than mine, I talked with him. I called him by name. I said, "We are getting old, we ought to be doing something, we ought to be thinking of the future." He had never married. A more industrious man I never knew. I never heard him speak an improper word. But he had never married. I said, "For my sake, if not for your own, I want to urge that you study the word of the Lord; read the Book of Mormon,"
"Why," he said, "I have just finished reading it, and the Doctrine and Covenants, too."
I said, "What did you find in them?"
"Why, I found lots of good things, and nothing that was bad."
"Did it impress you particularly, did it change your religious view, did it add to your faith?"
"No, not specially."
I said, "Did you ask the Lord to help you, as you read those books, to make you understand them, comprehend their meaning and their importance to you?"
He looked up at me and said, "Toney, I never prayed a word in my life."
I knew then why he lacked faith; I knew then why testimony of the truth never came to him, and I knew that it mattered not how long he lived, unless he went to the Lord, pleading with him for grace to understand, that he never would comprehend his word and will as he might otherwise have done. (Ivins 1919, 177-178)
After debunking one of several anti-Mormon tracts, Elder Ivins said this about the author of such a work.
I am not referring to these facts so much to strengthen your faith and mine, as I am to bring into question the right of any man, to discuss things which he does not understand, to publish untruths. He can not excuse himself because of lack of knowledge. Men are not expected to discuss things of which they are ignorant, when the facts are easily obtainable. So, I believe that the Lord will hold us responsible, I believe that He will hold all men responsible for the things they say that are untrue. One thought that came to me, as I read this book, was that I myself ought to be very careful how I judge the faith, how I judge the doctrine, how I judge the lives of other people until I become thoroughly acquainted with them. I believe this man thought the Book of Mormon was a delusion, just as he said it was. I believe he thought it was, but I do not believe that he ever took the pains to find out whether it was a delusion or whether it was true; this he might have done. (Ivins 1909, 61)
Elder Ivins said this about his experiences he had through his reading:
I have, among other things been a great traveler. I have been with Bartlett and Perry to the North Pole, with Scott and those who were with him to the South Pole, and again with Amundsen and Byrd to the same place. I have been around Cape Horn with Magellan, and around the Cape of Good Hope with that wonderful navigator, Vasco de Cama. I have been over the long Labrador trail with Dillon Wallace, up the Amazon and down the Orinoco with Caspar Whitney. I have been through the intermountain country with Kit Carson, Jim Bridger, and others of the explorers who have left history behind them. I have been in every country in the world. I have sailed on its seas and down its rivers. I have become acquainted with the politics in a way, of all countries. All of this I have done in books. (A. W. Ivins, The Long, Winding Trail 1934, 723)
Another topic Elder Ivins loved was the role of the Church versus the role of the State in the lives of the people.
I never have been able to conceive that it is possible for me to be an acceptable member of the Church in the sight of God, my Father, except that I am a devoted supporter of my country and its institutions, honoring, obeying, and sustaining its laws, and just as I labor for the spread of the truth, just as I seek to bring people to a knowledge of it, so is it my duty to labor for the establishment of righteous government in the land in which I live. The Church and the State are so intimately associated that in my mind I cannot separate them, for I believe that without the State the Church could accomplish little, and that without the influence of religion, those restraining influences which come through faith in God, and acknowledgement of our Redeemer as the Savior of the world, it is at least an exceedingly difficult thing that good government may be established and maintained in the world. So I must labor for better citizenship. Isn't that true? Justice, temperance, and truth are the fundamental doctrines of all good government; and if I see those doctrines threatened, is it not my duty to oppose their enemies? It seems to me that it is. (Ivins 1915, 113-114)
Elder Ivins’ extensive historical knowledge supported his belief in the nearness of the millennium and the need to learn from the mistakes of the past.
My brethren and sisters, I have studied the history of the past. I know the story of the rise and fall of Rome, of Babylon, of Egypt, and of other great nations, and the one outstanding thing that brought that about was the corruption of the officials who were placed in charge of affairs of state. I do not wish to continue to quote scripture in order to demonstrate that we are living in a time when the Lord has said that these very things shall exist. But he has warned us against them. He has declared the destiny of this nation and of all other nations. I wish simply to say that if they are to persist, if they continue, it will be when the people return to the Lord God of heaven and in justice and righteousness serve him, both in civil and ecclesiastical affairs. And if this shall fail these very elements that have resulted in the destruction of the civilizations of the past, if they shall be permitted by us to persist, will eventually bring to us perplexity, confusion and final chaos. (Ivins 1930, 124)
The Improvement Era published several articles about Elder Ivins. The first was published shortly after his call to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
He can lasso and brand a steer with the roughest cowboy; or hold his own side by side with the hardiest sons of toil; yet as a father under the refining influences of home as a member of society, an able minister in the house of worship, or a counselor and leader among the people, he commands the attention and admiration of all classes. (Anderson 1907, 75)
Following his death, another article appeared in the Improvement Era.
He was a financier, philosopher, statesman, scholar, teacher and preacher of righteousness. He was also a cowboy, a prospector, an assayer, a farmer, a baseball fan, a hunter and a fisherman. It is no wonder that touching life at so many points he touched also the hearts of so many people. The breadth of his interests, his knowledge and experiences, enlarged his sympathies and his understanding of men gave him tolerance as understanding always does, and endeared him to the multitudes, for each one felt that in him he had a friend who understood him.
Circumstances which I have recited also serve to show something of the simplicity of his nature. His reasoning was direct, not involved and abstruse. He was given to reach a conclusion on new problems by the application of old rules and principles which he had long tried and not found wanting. Many a time he has won his point in financial discussions with the recital of a cowboy experience.
His language was simple and beautiful. I have known but few men with a gift of pure English such as he possessed. He seldom used big words. He seemed always able to clothe his thoughts in the shorter, simpler words of the language.
He was almost a slave to duty and would let nothing interfere with his performance of it. Many times I am sure he has suffered in health because of unwillingness to care for himself at the expense of his assignment. But I believe he enjoyed his work so it was not so much of a sacrifice for him to respond to duty as it might otherwise have been. (Richards 1934, 648)
Conclusion
What kind of man was Anthony W. Ivins? He was a cowboy. He was accustomed to hard work in the desert and felt most comfortable in those surroundings. However, he was also a perpetual learner. He loved to read and never stopped learning about the various subjects which interested him. He used his extensive knowledge to support his testimony and loved to share what he discovered with others.
He never shied away from responsibility and was someone who could always be depended upon. He had a great love of people and wanted to see everyone making correct decisions. He fulfilled his great responsibilities with dispatch and efficiency.
1931. One-Hundred and Second Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Anderson, Edward H. 1907. "Events and Comments." The Improvement Era, November, 11 ed.: 74-75.
2003. Church History in the Fulness of Times, Student Manual. Salt Lake City: Church Educational System Curriculum.
Ivins, Anthony W. 1904. Seventy-Fourth Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Deseret News. 53-56.
—. 1906. 76th Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: the Deseret News. 45-47.
—. 1908. Seventy-Eighth Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Deseret News. 98-108.
—. 1909. 79th Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Deseret News. 57-62.
—. 1910. Eightieth Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Deseret News. 13-17, 110-115.
—. 1915. Eighty-Fifth Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Deseret News. 110-115.
—. 1921. Ninety-First Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Deseret Book Company. 18-21, 190-193.
—. 1934. One Hundred Fourth Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 95-102.
—. 1909. Eightieth Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Deseret News. 95-101.
—. 1916. Eighty-Seventh Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Deseret News. 62-67.
—. 1917. Eighty-eighth Semi-annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Deseret News. 63-68.
—. 1919. Ninetieth Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Deseret News. 80-85, 173-178.
—. 1930. One-Hundred and First Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 117-124.
—. 1934. "The Long, Winding Trail." The Improvement Era, December: 722-723, 763-764.
—. 1916. "Traveling Over Forgotten Trails." The Improvement Era, February: 350-356.
Ivins, Stanley Snow. 1943. "Anthony W. Ivins I.--Boyhood." The Instructor, November: 568-569.
—. 1943. "Anthony W. Ivins II.--His First Mission." The Instructor, December: 619-623.
—. 1944. "Anthony W. Ivins III. His Third Mission." The Instructor, January: 12-16.
—. 1944. "Anthony W. Ivins IV. In Politics." The Instructor, February: 62-65.
—. 1944. "Anthony W. Ivins V. His Fourth Mission." The Instructor, March: 106-112.
—. 1944. "Anthony W. Ivins VI. The Apostle." The Instructor, April: 164-168.
—. 1944. "Anthony W. Ivins VII. In The First Presidency." The Instructor, May: 201-205, 223.
Jenson, Andrew. 1920. Latter-Day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia. Vol. 3. Salt Lake City: The Andrew Jenson History Company.
Lyman, Richard R. 1934. "President Anthony W. Ivins." The Relief Society Magazine, November, 21 ed.: 647-652.
Palmer, William R. 1944. "Anthony W. Ivins IX Indian Memorial Service for President Anthony W. Ivins." The Instructor, July: 311-314.
Richards, Stephen L. 1934. "In Memory of Pres. A. W. Ivins." The Improvement Era, November: 644-648.
The Instructor. 1934. "President Anthony W. Ivins." October: 433.
Biography
Anthony "Tony" Woodward Ivins was born 16 September 1852 in Toms River, New Jersey to Israel Ivins and Anna Lowrie Ivins (his father's second cousin). His parents had joined the Church before their marriage in 1844 having heard the gospel preached by Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon and Erastus Snow. Tony was also Heber J. Grant's first cousin. His mother and Heber J. Grant's mother, Rachel Ivins Grant, were sisters.
The Ivins family moved to Utah in 1853, when Tony was still an infant. The family settled initially in Salt Lake City where Tony's father worked on the city police force and also served in the Echo Canyon war of 1856-1857, also called the Utah War.
Of his early life, Elder Ivins wrote:
I distinctly remember watching my father mould bullets for the Echo war and his appearance when he returned, ragged and shoeless, with arms in his hands, and how it inspired me with a desire to bear arms and learn their use. When he went fishing and hunting I accompanied him, and thus became strongly imbued with the spirit of sportsman and greatly desired a dog and gun. (S. S. Ivins, Anthony W. Ivins I.--Boyhood 1943, 568)
Tony was baptized at the age of eight. Then, in 1861, when he was only 9 years old, the family was called to settle St. George, Utah.
As a boy, Tony was kept busy with the many chores that pioneer boys had to do. He chopped wood for the kitchen stove, milked the cows, drove the cows to the hills to graze and brought them home at night. For fun, he hunted rabbits and birds. His father wouldn't allow him to use a rifle, but he traded with the Native Americans for bows and arrows and learned how to use them with skill.
His experience with the priesthood was rather unusual. He was ordained a deacon and then a teacher, serving faithfully in both of these offices until the age of 13, when he was ordained an Elder.
Living so far away from “civilization” at a tender age, Tony didn’t have very many opportunities for formal education. He had a keen mind, however, and attributes his scholarly success to his parents. Tony and his father were very close. Israel Ivins, though not a graduate of medical school, had associated with the leading doctors while in Salt Lake City and read, studied and practiced medicine in St. George where there were no other doctors available. Tony said the example of his father awakened in him a fondness for books, a love for study and work, and stirred in his soul the very highest Christian ideals and standards, causing him to strive for humility and unselfishness. The two of them often went hunting and fishing together and Tony assisted him in his work as surveyor.
He explained the growth of his testimony as follows:
At the time of my birth, my parents were members of the Church and I was taught by them, by precept and example, principles that made for an upright and religious life; and if I failed, if I came short, it was not because of the teachings or example of my parents. When I grew older, when I came to think and investigate for myself, when I came to pray intelligently to my Father in Heaven for light, wisdom, and understanding—I became a thorough convert to the necessity, the divinity, and the efficacy of the mission of the Savior of the world. … I believe it with all my heart; and the experience of years of labor, years of investigation, years of study, have strengthened that testimony every day of my life. (Ivins 1908, 99)
The family of Apostle Erastus Snow lived nearby, and when still a youth, Tony met their daughter, Libby, then but seven years of age. He described that he never forgot her beautiful brown eyes.
Tony served several years in the Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Association (YMMIA). As a young man, he was ordained a Seventy and acted as a counselor in the first YMMIA of St. George.
In 1875, Tony was called to serve a mission to Arizona, New Mexico and Mexico. The missionaries were instructed to explore and report on the country with a view towards colonization, visit the Native American tribes and try to establish a good relationship with them, and preach the gospel to the people. Tony was able to fill this mission by selling all of his possessions, accepting financial support of his friends in St. George, and the donation of a horse and mule from the people in Pine Valley.
The missionaries visited the Navajo, Hopi, Apache, Pima, Maricopa and Papago tribes. They penetrated Mexico to the city of Chihuahua, went west into the Sierra Madre country and explored the Casas Grandes district where the Mormon Mexican colonies were later established.
Upon his return, he was elected to the office of Constable of St. George. This was a position, although interrupted several times to allow him to serve missions, that he held for the following 18 years.
In October 1877, he was called again on a short mission to New Mexico to the Navajo and Pueblo tribes in company with Erastus B. Snow.
In November 1878 he married Elizabeth “Libby” Ashby Snow, daughter of Erastus Snow. Together they had nine children.
The following year, he was called as his ward YMMIA president, where he had previously served as counselor. Then, when four wards in St. George merged into one, Tony was called to serve as the YMMIA president of the new ward. Afterwards, he served as Stake YMMIA President.
In 1881, he was called into the St. George Stake High Council and was elected to the office of prosecuting attorney for Washington County as well as member of the City Council.
Then in April of 1882, he was called to serve another mission to Mexico City to preach to the Mexican people. This time his mission was funded by the St. George community putting on a benefit theatrical performance as well as contributions by friends and selling some of his property. He fulfilled a two-year mission, having presided over the Mexican Mission for one of those years. It was during this mission that Tony Ivins learned fluent Spanish, which would serve him so well in his life.
Immediately following his return from this latest mission, he was sworn in as City Attorney for St. George, as well as being re-elected as County Attorney and Assessor and Collector, declining the nomination as Sheriff.
Tony had a great deal of varied interests. He loved dogs, horses and cattle and liked to hunt and fish. He was a farmer, a rancher, and an employer. He took an interest in law, which was also his profession, and was also fascinated with geology. He knew a great deal about history, economics, and politics. It was said of him that he was a student at heart. He worked well with his hands and once said, “I defy any man to follow my trail from childhood and find anything I have ever built that has fallen down.” (Lyman 1934, 651) These wide and varied interests helped him to relate to everyone he spoke with.
In 1888, he was called to serve as a counselor in the Stake Presidency of the St. George Stake. Around this time, he became concerned about the difficulties of the settlers with the Shebit Native American tribe and secured government appropriation to move them from the Shebit Mountains and he helped established them on the Santa Clara River. He was the first government agent to this Native American tribe, serving two years in this capacity.
In 1890, he began the first of two terms as Mayor of St. George. He also served as a Representative to the Territorial Legislature in 1894 and as a member of the constitutional convention in 1895.
In all of his political dealings, it was said of him that "When called upon to decide how he should vote upon a measure, whether important or not, he cared not for politics or friendships, but viewed it the same as he would a business transaction and voted accordingly." (S. S. Ivins, Anthony W. Ivins IV. In Politics 1944, 64) Subjects he advocated were women's suffrage, prohibition and the consolidation of the state's educational institutions.
In business, Tony was successful in both farming and stock, privately and as manager of the Mojave Land & Cattle Company and the Kaibab Cattle Company in southern Utah and northern Arizona. He also took an interest in certain water enterprises, taking a leading role in the Enterprise Reservoir and Canal Company, which built a reservoir at the head of Shoal Creek in Washington County, Utah.
He was still serving as counselor in the St. George Stake presidency in August of 1895, when he was called by President Wilford Woodruff to go to Mexico and take charge of the interests of the Church in that region. Although reluctant to leave his aged parents and many friends in St. George, he at once accepted the call and began making preparations to leave for Mexico. He moved to Mexico with his family a few months later and served as Stake President of the Juarez Stake. He acted as vice president and general manager of the Mexican Colonization and Agricultural Company under which the Mormon Mexican colonies were established. He was also the president of the Dublan Mercantile Company, the largest mercantile house in that part of Mexico.
His duties as a community leader in Mexico were many and varied. One of the many things he was called upon to do was to oversee the burial of Elder Abraham O. Woodruff and his wife following their deaths of smallpox in Mexico (See chapter on Abraham O. Woodruff). He often became so frustrated in attempting to deal with Mexican government officials of the day, that he wrote in his journal, "I feel that … anything in a free country, would be preferable to life in Mexico." (S. S. Ivins, Anthony W. Ivins V. His Fourth Mission 1944, 110)
Despite his opinion of the government, he thought very highly of the people living in the colonies. Of the Mexican colonies, he said:
Since I was installed by President Lyman as President of the Juarez Stake of Zion, eight years ago, the population of the Stake has increased seventy-five per cent. During the same period the tithes of the people have increased three hundred and twenty-five per cent. Our relations with the Mexican government are exceedingly satisfactory. We keep entirely out of politics; we mind our own business, and are left in peace—thank heaven for that! We cannot offer homes to our brethren and sisters, notwithstanding the fact that we would be very much pleased indeed to have additions to the colonies, because of the very limited resources we have. That is to say, we cannot offer inducements of a financial character; but I do believe that the moral atmosphere of our colonies compensates us to a very great degree for the lack of this world's goods which we so much feel. During the eight years I have been in Mexico I have never heard the name of Deity profaned by a Latter-day Saint, I have never seen a member of the Church with a cigarette in his mouth, and I have never seen a member of the Church under the influence of liquor. There may have been isolated cases, but they have never come under my observation. I do not say this boastingly, for there are many reforms that we can yet make to advantage, and whatever we have been able to accomplish, God alone has the credit for it, since we have depended entirely upon Him. (Ivins 1904, 54)
While still serving as Stake President in Mexico, Anthony W. Ivins was surprised to hear his own named called as Apostle. He was ordained the day of his call on 6 October 1907 by President Joseph F. Smith.
His activities as a general authority were similar to the duties that he had always had throughout his life, simply on a larger scale. Elder Ivins served as general superintendent of the YMMIA for the Church, president of the Board of Trustees of the Utah Agricultural College, vice president of Zion’s Saving Bank & Trust Company, and director in the Deseret Savings Bank and Utah State National Bank. He was also a national committeeman from Utah for the Boy Scouts of America.
In his early apostleship, Elder Ivins traveled a great deal.
Since the last general conference of the Church, in April, I have visited many of the organized stakes of Zion. I have been in Canada on the north, and to the extreme limits of this state in the south, and it affords me great pleasure and sincere satisfaction to testify before this large congregation of Latter-day Saints to the faith, the devotion and good works of the great majority of the Latter-day Saints wherever I have been. (Ivins 1917, 63)
He helped to mediate conflicts between the Mormon colonies in Mexico and the Mexican government. He also oversaw their evacuation during the Mexican Revolution in 1912.
Then, in 1921, Elder Ivins was chosen to fill a vacancy in the First Presidency, serving as second counselor to President Heber J. Grant, his own first cousin. Following the death of Elder Penrose in 1925, President Ivins became first counselor in the First Presidency.
At the time of his calling into the First Presidency, he made this comment:
I do not remember, my brethren and sisters, a period in my life's experience in the Church when I felt my dependence upon the Lord to a degree greater than I do this morning. Should I follow my own inclinations, I would not attempt to make remarks at all, but to gain wisdom and knowledge and understanding by listening to the remarks of my brethren and communing with the Spirit of the Lord which is here this morning. I feel the necessity of wisdom, of sound judgment, of the help of the Lord in expounding the scriptures, and teaching the Latter-day Saints, and in discharging the responsibility which has come to me, as I have never felt it before. (Ivins 1921, 18)
President Ivins served as vice president of the Genealogical Society of Utah from 1921 to 1925, at which time he became president of the organization until his death.
This time of his life was the busiest that he had ever experienced. He tried to write a book about his life and began it twice, but never got past the first chapter or two because he was so busy with his varied responsibilities. He wasn't even able to keep up with his daily journal. There were years where he didn't write more than four or five times the entire year.
President Ivins had the joy of seeing his oldest son, Antoine R. Ivins, called and ordained to the First Council of the Seventy in 1931.
In October of 1932, President Grant had to undergo surgery and was unable to attend general conference. As his first counselor, President Ivins was called upon to report on President Grant’s condition and give the conference address regarding the state of the Church as a whole, the only time he was called upon to do this during his tenure.
President Ivins received an honorary Doctor of Laws from the Utah State Agricultural College in June of 1934.
He then died suddenly and unexpectedly 23 September of that year in Salt Lake City, Utah at the age of 82 of heart failure. Two days earlier, he had transacted business at the bank of which he was director just like always and spoke of a planned fishing trip. He had recently celebrated a birthday and had received many gifts and greetings from member of the Church the world over. On that occasion he said, “I hope the Lord will overlook my weakness, and with His help I will try to carry on for another year if I can.” (Richards 1934, 646)
The Paiute Native American tribe in particular mourned his passing and performed their own funeral services with a picture of Elder Ivins on the floor, all of the tribe gathered around the imaginary corpse and cried for him. The Paiute people voted him an honorary member of the tribe.
Quotes
Elder Anthony W. Ivins gave a great many general conference talks in his day. Most of them took the greater part of half an hour. He was a powerful public speaker and used examples to make his point. He often made notes that he used in his talks, underlining his subject with scriptures and historical facts. He loved history and often spoke of the history of various regions and peoples to support the doctrines of the Church.
He particularly loved to speak about Christopher Columbus, who he felt had been inspired to discover the American continent. He also spoke several times of the pyramids of Egypt and the Lamanite people of Mexico. He magnified his calling as a member of the First Presidency many times in directly addressing the assumptions and conclusions of authors of anti-Mormon literature. He used facts to show that their conclusions were not sound. Having lived so long in a scarcely populated region, he also had a great many stories to share from his experiences in the desert.
He had a strong testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel.
I love to advocate the doctrines of the Gospel of Christ, because I believe in them with all my heart. I love to teach the way of redemption, which the Savior of mankind taught, because I know it to be the power of God unto salvation; and I do not believe that there is any other way under heaven by which men and women can be saved, or by which power is given them over the sins of the world except through obedience to the Gospel. I love to speak of and to think of the good that exists in the world. This is a good world which the Lord has given us; there are abundance of good things, in it—everything, in fact, that we could desire, to make us happy, if only utilized as our Father designed that they should be. (Ivins 1910, 111-112)
In his final conference address, he expressed his gratitude for the Church.
Before commencing my remarks, my brethren and sisters, I desire as President Clark has done to express the gratitude I feel that the Lord has lengthened out my days to be present at this general conference of the Church. The things which have occurred here could not have occurred in any other place in the world. The music to which we have listened, the mothers' chorus which so splendidly rendered their parts, and the young men and young women representing the Mutual Improvement Associations of the Church, could not have been found in any other place. This Tabernacle choir, and this organ cannot be found in any other place in the world.
The doctrines which have been expounded here you would not hear in any other congregation of people outside of the Church. These are the things which have impressed me, the things for which I feel grateful to my Father which is in heaven. (Ivins 1934, 95-96)
He also had a strong testimony of the divine calling of the Presidents of the Church, having been personally acquainted with many of them through family relationships. He knew Brigham Young through his cousin, Heber J. Grant, and the Snow family through his wife's father, Erastus Snow. These relationships brought him into the company of other general authorities as well.
I bear this same testimony to you, my brethren and sisters, regarding the administration of the affairs of the Church under the direction of the First Presidency. I have known personally every man who has presided over the Church since the days of the prophet, not, of course, acquainted with him, but I knew President Young, I knew President Taylor, I knew President Woodruff, intimately, every one of them, and President Snow—and I believe that I intimately know our brethren who preside over the Church today. I bear testimony to you that the affairs of the Church were never administered with greater care, they never were administered in greater humility, they were never administered by men possessing greater faith as to the destiny of this work, the, accomplishment of God's purposes, than those men who preside at present over its affairs. (Ivins 1916, 63-64)
He described his own character as one who was more comfortable alone in the wilderness than in a crowded city.
Almost my entire life has been spent with nature. I have learned to love it; I have learned to feel at home with it; to appreciate the works of God, and to adapt myself to them as He created and left them long ago. … I have traveled, for weeks together, over barren, trackless desolate plains, seeing the face of no man of my own kind except my companions, and felt entirely happy and at home. I have been lonesome, and lost, and fearful in the crowded cities of the world; I have slept by the camp-fire, with wicked and marauding men all around me, with no sound but the cries of the wild things of nature, and felt as perfectly secure, and rested as soundly as it would be possible for man to do; and have lain awake, anxious, nervous, unsettled in my mind, in the great hostleries of the large cities I have visited. I have prayed to the Lord upon the tops of mountain peaks, and in the shades of deep canyons, and felt Him as near to me as I ever have in temples erected by human hands. (Ivins 1908, 98-99)
Later in life, he wrote a series of articles for the Improvement Era about his experiences in the deserts of Utah, Arizona, California, New Mexico and Mexico, mostly focused on the trails and his own personal experiences of them.
After spending so much time there, Elder Ivins described Mexico as follows:
Mexico is a peculiar country. It is a country of great extremes—of intense sunshine and terrific showers, of vast unproductive plains and of valleys which are among the most productive in the world, with great, ranges of treeless mountains, and plains that are covered with forests of most beautiful timber. (Ivins 1906, 45)
Elder Ivins loved to tell stories which illustrated his point, most of which were related to his experiences in the deserts of Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Mexico. The first story illustrates the need to keep our children away from hidden dangers.
Down upon the table-lands of northern Mexico, where I have lived, scattered here and there among the luxurious grasses which grow, there is a noxious weed, a weed which, ordinarily, a horse will not touch. At first he shuns it, but after a while, having grazed near it, having rubbed his nose against it and become better acquainted with it, he tastes it. Later he acquires an appetite for it, and it saps his strength; it affects his intellect; it makes him crazy—we say in Spanish "loco;" he becomes a locoed horse. Well, we found out that by keeping our horses in the stable all the time, we could keep them away from that weed; they did not get it; but it is a very difficult and inconvenient thing to always keep horses in the stable. They want the open air; they want the green grass which grows upon the hills; and we had to deprive them of all this, just simply because here and there on the hill, grew this noxious weed. We found a remedy; we turned out with hoes. We traveled over the hills, and we dug up the weed by the roots; then we turned out our horses and they grazed, and no harm came to them.
I am strongly of the opinion, my brethren and sisters, that we may talk of home and home influence; we may throw protection around our children, which we know to be proper; but the moment they go out of the house, evil is staring them in the face. So long as, under the law, men and women are permitted to desecrate the Sabbath day; so long as places of amusement and pleasure are wide open before them; so long as saloons throw open their doors, and music and pleasure invite them to come in; so long as houses of ill fame stand upon the corners of our streets,—just so long the evil will exist. Just as long as the horses continue to get out of the barn and on to the plains, they will eat the noxious weed that at first they refused and resented. After the appetite becomes acquired, the only way you can get rid of it is to go out and hoe up the weeds. (Ivins 1909, 99-100)
The next story shows that it is best not to give up on wayward children.
This homely story may illustrate my thought as well as anything I could tell. When I was a boy, I had close friends, as all boys have, neighbors with whom I was chummy, and among them was a boy about my own age. We lived near together; we went to school together. This boy had two older brothers. His parents were devoted Latter-day Saints. The country at that time was wild and lawless along the frontier. Those older brothers became freighters; they loved horses and mules, and they delighted in putting together splendid teams, and drove those teams into Montana, and west into Nevada, and down to the coast in California, freighting back merchandise which in those days was needed for the use of the people. They became two of the most profane men I ever knew, indifferent to the faith of their fathers, and intemperate. One day the body of the elder of those two boys was brought into our town, and his funeral services were held there. He had been killed in a difficulty with another man. The other, the next older, brother drifted away, and I lost sight of him. But this boy, who was my chum, I grew up with, and pretty soon he obtained a team and he went off to Silver Reef to freight, and learned to swear, and he was following the very road that his older brothers had followed. About that time I lost track of him. I went to Mexico. I came back after fifteen or twenty years, and had occasion to go up into Idaho to visit one of the stakes of the Church. I found this man there, presiding as bishop of one of the wards! I found one of his sons the bishop of another ward. I found another son president of the Mutual Improvement Association; and one or two of the boys had been on missions. He had a splendid home there, presided over in dignity by his good wife.
I looked at it all with wonder, and he smiled and said, "I know what you are thinking about."
I said, "Tell me how it all happened."
"Well," he said, "you know that I was going just the way my brothers went."
"Yes," I said, "that is what surprises me."
"My parents had always taught me a better way," he said; "they had urged me to read the scriptures, and finally I decided that I would read the Book of Mormon, and I did while I was freighting. I read it through, and when I came to certain words in the last chapter of Moroni, I was very deeply impressed with them." These are the words to which he referred:
And I seal up these records, after I have spoken a few words by way of exhortation unto you.
Behold I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam, even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.
And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
He said, "When I read those words, I thought I would put the Lord to the test, and I stopped my team, wrapped the lines around the brake, and got down from that high seat, on one of those old-fashioned California wagons that were common in early days, and I turned off from the road; and, you remember that piece of straight road," he said, "just below the twist ?"
"Yes," I said, "I remember every rock there is on it, because I have freighted over it."
"Well, I went out there," he said, "under those high cliffs to the east of the road, went around behind some rocks where no one could see me, kneeled down there, and thought I would pray, and I couldn't say a word."
Have any of you boys and girls ever tried to pray for the first time and found it difficult to say a word? There is always someone right there near you telling you cannot pray, and it would not do any good if you did. That is one of the devices of the enemy of truth to prevent you from placing yourself in harmony with the Lord. "But," he said, "by making a great effort I managed to appeal to the Lord, told him that I wanted to know the truth, and I want to tell you that those fellows on the day of Pentecost never received a stronger testimony than I did; I felt that I was surrounded by consuming fire, and I got up on my feet knowing just as well that the Lord lived, that Christ was the Redeemer of the world, that the gospel had been restored through the prophet Joseph Smith, and that the Book of Mormon is a divine record, as I knew that I was there ; and I got on to my wagon, drove home, left the road and came up here, located on this quarter section of land, and you can see the rest." (Ivins 1919, 175-177)
The last story shows the importance of prayer to conversion.
Shortly after that, I was back at my old home, and met another friend of mine, with whom I had been more familiar than with the other. He was an entirely different kind of boy. There was nothing wild nor rough in his character. His father and mother were very refined people. We grew up together. As we got older, our interests became identical. We traveled together, we rode the range together; we went out for days and sometimes weeks together, sleeping under the same blankets. All this time my faith was developing, I was reading the scriptures, I was praying to the Lord, and I was full of desire to convert this boy companion of mine; but for some reason I never could make any impression upon him.
So in after years, when I went back there and found him, his hair whiter than mine, I talked with him. I called him by name. I said, "We are getting old, we ought to be doing something, we ought to be thinking of the future." He had never married. A more industrious man I never knew. I never heard him speak an improper word. But he had never married. I said, "For my sake, if not for your own, I want to urge that you study the word of the Lord; read the Book of Mormon,"
"Why," he said, "I have just finished reading it, and the Doctrine and Covenants, too."
I said, "What did you find in them?"
"Why, I found lots of good things, and nothing that was bad."
"Did it impress you particularly, did it change your religious view, did it add to your faith?"
"No, not specially."
I said, "Did you ask the Lord to help you, as you read those books, to make you understand them, comprehend their meaning and their importance to you?"
He looked up at me and said, "Toney, I never prayed a word in my life."
I knew then why he lacked faith; I knew then why testimony of the truth never came to him, and I knew that it mattered not how long he lived, unless he went to the Lord, pleading with him for grace to understand, that he never would comprehend his word and will as he might otherwise have done. (Ivins 1919, 177-178)
After debunking one of several anti-Mormon tracts, Elder Ivins said this about the author of such a work.
I am not referring to these facts so much to strengthen your faith and mine, as I am to bring into question the right of any man, to discuss things which he does not understand, to publish untruths. He can not excuse himself because of lack of knowledge. Men are not expected to discuss things of which they are ignorant, when the facts are easily obtainable. So, I believe that the Lord will hold us responsible, I believe that He will hold all men responsible for the things they say that are untrue. One thought that came to me, as I read this book, was that I myself ought to be very careful how I judge the faith, how I judge the doctrine, how I judge the lives of other people until I become thoroughly acquainted with them. I believe this man thought the Book of Mormon was a delusion, just as he said it was. I believe he thought it was, but I do not believe that he ever took the pains to find out whether it was a delusion or whether it was true; this he might have done. (Ivins 1909, 61)
Elder Ivins said this about his experiences he had through his reading:
I have, among other things been a great traveler. I have been with Bartlett and Perry to the North Pole, with Scott and those who were with him to the South Pole, and again with Amundsen and Byrd to the same place. I have been around Cape Horn with Magellan, and around the Cape of Good Hope with that wonderful navigator, Vasco de Cama. I have been over the long Labrador trail with Dillon Wallace, up the Amazon and down the Orinoco with Caspar Whitney. I have been through the intermountain country with Kit Carson, Jim Bridger, and others of the explorers who have left history behind them. I have been in every country in the world. I have sailed on its seas and down its rivers. I have become acquainted with the politics in a way, of all countries. All of this I have done in books. (A. W. Ivins, The Long, Winding Trail 1934, 723)
Another topic Elder Ivins loved was the role of the Church versus the role of the State in the lives of the people.
I never have been able to conceive that it is possible for me to be an acceptable member of the Church in the sight of God, my Father, except that I am a devoted supporter of my country and its institutions, honoring, obeying, and sustaining its laws, and just as I labor for the spread of the truth, just as I seek to bring people to a knowledge of it, so is it my duty to labor for the establishment of righteous government in the land in which I live. The Church and the State are so intimately associated that in my mind I cannot separate them, for I believe that without the State the Church could accomplish little, and that without the influence of religion, those restraining influences which come through faith in God, and acknowledgement of our Redeemer as the Savior of the world, it is at least an exceedingly difficult thing that good government may be established and maintained in the world. So I must labor for better citizenship. Isn't that true? Justice, temperance, and truth are the fundamental doctrines of all good government; and if I see those doctrines threatened, is it not my duty to oppose their enemies? It seems to me that it is. (Ivins 1915, 113-114)
Elder Ivins’ extensive historical knowledge supported his belief in the nearness of the millennium and the need to learn from the mistakes of the past.
My brethren and sisters, I have studied the history of the past. I know the story of the rise and fall of Rome, of Babylon, of Egypt, and of other great nations, and the one outstanding thing that brought that about was the corruption of the officials who were placed in charge of affairs of state. I do not wish to continue to quote scripture in order to demonstrate that we are living in a time when the Lord has said that these very things shall exist. But he has warned us against them. He has declared the destiny of this nation and of all other nations. I wish simply to say that if they are to persist, if they continue, it will be when the people return to the Lord God of heaven and in justice and righteousness serve him, both in civil and ecclesiastical affairs. And if this shall fail these very elements that have resulted in the destruction of the civilizations of the past, if they shall be permitted by us to persist, will eventually bring to us perplexity, confusion and final chaos. (Ivins 1930, 124)
The Improvement Era published several articles about Elder Ivins. The first was published shortly after his call to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
He can lasso and brand a steer with the roughest cowboy; or hold his own side by side with the hardiest sons of toil; yet as a father under the refining influences of home as a member of society, an able minister in the house of worship, or a counselor and leader among the people, he commands the attention and admiration of all classes. (Anderson 1907, 75)
Following his death, another article appeared in the Improvement Era.
He was a financier, philosopher, statesman, scholar, teacher and preacher of righteousness. He was also a cowboy, a prospector, an assayer, a farmer, a baseball fan, a hunter and a fisherman. It is no wonder that touching life at so many points he touched also the hearts of so many people. The breadth of his interests, his knowledge and experiences, enlarged his sympathies and his understanding of men gave him tolerance as understanding always does, and endeared him to the multitudes, for each one felt that in him he had a friend who understood him.
Circumstances which I have recited also serve to show something of the simplicity of his nature. His reasoning was direct, not involved and abstruse. He was given to reach a conclusion on new problems by the application of old rules and principles which he had long tried and not found wanting. Many a time he has won his point in financial discussions with the recital of a cowboy experience.
His language was simple and beautiful. I have known but few men with a gift of pure English such as he possessed. He seldom used big words. He seemed always able to clothe his thoughts in the shorter, simpler words of the language.
He was almost a slave to duty and would let nothing interfere with his performance of it. Many times I am sure he has suffered in health because of unwillingness to care for himself at the expense of his assignment. But I believe he enjoyed his work so it was not so much of a sacrifice for him to respond to duty as it might otherwise have been. (Richards 1934, 648)
Conclusion
What kind of man was Anthony W. Ivins? He was a cowboy. He was accustomed to hard work in the desert and felt most comfortable in those surroundings. However, he was also a perpetual learner. He loved to read and never stopped learning about the various subjects which interested him. He used his extensive knowledge to support his testimony and loved to share what he discovered with others.
He never shied away from responsibility and was someone who could always be depended upon. He had a great love of people and wanted to see everyone making correct decisions. He fulfilled his great responsibilities with dispatch and efficiency.
1931. One-Hundred and Second Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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—. 1906. 76th Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: the Deseret News. 45-47.
—. 1908. Seventy-Eighth Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Deseret News. 98-108.
—. 1909. 79th Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Deseret News. 57-62.
—. 1910. Eightieth Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Deseret News. 13-17, 110-115.
—. 1915. Eighty-Fifth Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Deseret News. 110-115.
—. 1921. Ninety-First Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Deseret Book Company. 18-21, 190-193.
—. 1934. One Hundred Fourth Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 95-102.
—. 1909. Eightieth Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Deseret News. 95-101.
—. 1916. Eighty-Seventh Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Deseret News. 62-67.
—. 1917. Eighty-eighth Semi-annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Deseret News. 63-68.
—. 1919. Ninetieth Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Deseret News. 80-85, 173-178.
—. 1930. One-Hundred and First Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 117-124.
—. 1934. "The Long, Winding Trail." The Improvement Era, December: 722-723, 763-764.
—. 1916. "Traveling Over Forgotten Trails." The Improvement Era, February: 350-356.
Ivins, Stanley Snow. 1943. "Anthony W. Ivins I.--Boyhood." The Instructor, November: 568-569.
—. 1943. "Anthony W. Ivins II.--His First Mission." The Instructor, December: 619-623.
—. 1944. "Anthony W. Ivins III. His Third Mission." The Instructor, January: 12-16.
—. 1944. "Anthony W. Ivins IV. In Politics." The Instructor, February: 62-65.
—. 1944. "Anthony W. Ivins V. His Fourth Mission." The Instructor, March: 106-112.
—. 1944. "Anthony W. Ivins VI. The Apostle." The Instructor, April: 164-168.
—. 1944. "Anthony W. Ivins VII. In The First Presidency." The Instructor, May: 201-205, 223.
Jenson, Andrew. 1920. Latter-Day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia. Vol. 3. Salt Lake City: The Andrew Jenson History Company.
Lyman, Richard R. 1934. "President Anthony W. Ivins." The Relief Society Magazine, November, 21 ed.: 647-652.
Palmer, William R. 1944. "Anthony W. Ivins IX Indian Memorial Service for President Anthony W. Ivins." The Instructor, July: 311-314.
Richards, Stephen L. 1934. "In Memory of Pres. A. W. Ivins." The Improvement Era, November: 644-648.
The Instructor. 1934. "President Anthony W. Ivins." October: 433.