N. Eldon Tanner
Born: 9 May 1898
Called as Assistant to the Twelve: 8 October 1960
Called to Quorum of the Twelve: 11 October 1962
Called as Second Counselor in the First Presidency: 4 October 1963 (David O. McKay)
Called as Second Counselor in the First Presidency: 23 January 1970 (Joseph Fielding Smith)
Called as First Counselor in the First Presidency: 7 July 1972 (Harold B. Lee)
Called as First Counselor in the First Presidency: 30 December 1973 (Spencer W. Kimball)
Died: 27 November 1982
Called as Assistant to the Twelve: 8 October 1960
Called to Quorum of the Twelve: 11 October 1962
Called as Second Counselor in the First Presidency: 4 October 1963 (David O. McKay)
Called as Second Counselor in the First Presidency: 23 January 1970 (Joseph Fielding Smith)
Called as First Counselor in the First Presidency: 7 July 1972 (Harold B. Lee)
Called as First Counselor in the First Presidency: 30 December 1973 (Spencer W. Kimball)
Died: 27 November 1982
Biographical Articles
Relief Society Magazine, December 1960, Nathan Eldon Tanner Appointed Assistant to the Twelve
Improvement Era, January 1961, President Nathan Eldon Tanner, A Leader Among Men
Relief Society Magazine, December 1962, Nathan Eldon Tanner Appointed to the Council of the Twelve
Improvement Era, January 1963, Nathan Eldon Tanner of the Council of the Twelve
Relief Society Magazine, December 1963, President Nathan Eldon Tanner
Improvement Era, March 1970, President N. Eldon Tanner, Second Counselor in the First Presidency
Relief Society Magazine, April 1970, President Nathan Eldon Tanner Recalled as Second Counselor in the First Presidency
Ensign, November 1972, President N. Eldon Tanner: A Man of Integrity
Ensign, May 1978, President Tanner Turns Eighty
Ensign, January 1983, President N. Eldon Tanner Dies
Ensign, January 2010, Nathan Eldon Tanner
Improvement Era, January 1961, President Nathan Eldon Tanner, A Leader Among Men
Relief Society Magazine, December 1962, Nathan Eldon Tanner Appointed to the Council of the Twelve
Improvement Era, January 1963, Nathan Eldon Tanner of the Council of the Twelve
Relief Society Magazine, December 1963, President Nathan Eldon Tanner
Improvement Era, March 1970, President N. Eldon Tanner, Second Counselor in the First Presidency
Relief Society Magazine, April 1970, President Nathan Eldon Tanner Recalled as Second Counselor in the First Presidency
Ensign, November 1972, President N. Eldon Tanner: A Man of Integrity
Ensign, May 1978, President Tanner Turns Eighty
Ensign, January 1983, President N. Eldon Tanner Dies
Ensign, January 2010, Nathan Eldon Tanner
Brown, Hugh B. "Nathan Eldon Tanner Appointed Assistant to the Twelve." Relief Society Magazine. December 1960. pg. 801-803.
Nathan Eldon Tanner Appointed Assistant to the Council of the Twelve Elder Hugh B. Brown Of the Council of the Twelve FEW men are chosen for high office in the Church who have a richer heritage and more varied background of training and experience than Nathan Eldon Tanner, who was appointed Assistant to the Council of the Twelve during the last October conference. Elder Tanner represents the sixth generation of Latter-day Saints on both branches of his family tree. His paternal great-grandfather, John Tanner, was an associate of the Prophet Joseph Smith in Nauvoo and at Zion's Camp, and his maternal great-grandfather, James S. Brown, was a member of the Mormon Battalion. His parents went to Alberta, Canada, immediately after marriage in 1897, where their first home consisted of a side-hill dugout, with sod roof and dirt floor. His mother returned temporarily to Salt Lake City, where he was born May 9, 1898. He spent his childhood in Aetna, Alberta, Canada, where he learned the rugged frugality of pioneer life. He continued his education in high school at Cardston and obtained a teacher's certificate at Normal School, Calgary, in 1919. He taught school in Hill Spring, where he supplemented his meager income by operating a store, milking cows, and feeding pigs. After teaching in Hill Spring for sometime, he became principal of the Cardston Public School. On December 20, 1919, he married Sara Isabelle Merrill. They now have five lovely daughters and twenty- two grandchildren. The daughters are: Mrs. C. R. Walker, Calgary, Alberta (Ruth); Mrs. W. S. Jensen, Calgary, Alberta (Isabelle); Mrs. H. S. Rhodes, Calgary, Alberta (Zola); Mrs. G. L. Spackman, Regina, Saskatchewan (Beth): and Mrs. L. Williams, Calgary, Alberta (Helen). Sister Tanner has stood loyally by his side through all the vicissitudes of their lives, has been an ideal wife, mother, and grandmother, is dearly loved by all her in-laws, has been active throughout her life in ward and stake MIA and Relief Society and as a teacher in Sunday School. Elder Tanner was elected to the Alberta Provincial Parliament in 1935, and was re-elected four times. During the first session of the new Government, he was chosen as speaker of the House, but prior to the second session—in January 1937 —he became a member of the cabinet with the portfolio of Minister of Lands and Mines. Due to the development that was taking place in the resources of the province, the department was divided in April 1949, and he was named minister of the two new departments—Department of Lands and Forests and Department of Mines and Minerals. In addition he held the appointment of Chairman of the Alberta Research Council. During his administration, and under his sponsorship, the laws governing the development of mines and minerals (including gas and oil) were enacted and strictly enforced. The development of the natural resources under his direction was so successful that the Alberta laws and regulations have served as a guide to similar developments in other parts of Canada and the United States. IN September 1952, he resigned from Government service to take over the presidency of Merrill Petroleums Limited, and in March 1954, he resigned from that position to accept the presidency of Trans- Canada Pipe Lines Limited, a newly formed three hundred million dollar corporation which constructed a pipeline from Alberta to Quebec to take natural gas to Eastern Canada. He severed his official duties with Trans-Canada in March 1959, but retains his directorship in the company. In addition he is a director of: National Trust Company Limited; The Toronto-Dominion Bank; Consolidated Freightways, Inc.; Inland Cement Co., Ltd.; The Alberta Gas Trunk Line Co.; Waterous Equipment Limited; Jenkins Groceteria Limited; Merit Oil Limited. At present he is president of Merit Oil Limited; Provincial Products Pipeline Limited; Saratoga Processing Co., Ltd.; and Vice- President of Grizzly Petroleum, Ltd. He was president of the Canadian Gas Association in 1959-60 and is at present serving as past president. From 1932-35 Elder Tanner was bishop of the Cardston First Ward and prior to that he served as a counselor. He also served on the high council of the Alberta Stake. On moving to Edmonton he was made president of the Edmonton Branch in 1938 and served in that position until 1952. During that time the first chapel in Edmonton was erected and the seminary established at the University of Alberta. He has been president of the Calgary Stake since its organization in 1953 and, until a month ago (when there was a division of the stake), there were twelve wards and branches; at present there are nine. During his presidency the $450,000 Calgary Stake Center was built. He was Commissioner of the Boy Scouts Association for the province of Alberta from 1945 to 1953. He is a life member of the association and has been awarded the Silver Wolf. He is also a member of the Board of Governors of the University of Alberta. He received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Brigham Young University in 1956. He is a member of the following clubs: Rotary; Petroleum; Ranchmen's; Calgary Golf and Country Club; Toronto Club; Canadian Club, New York; Calgary Chamber of Commerce. He is a man of outstanding executive ability, unquestioned integrity, and throughout his public career has been known, even by his political opponents, for his rugged and undeviating honesty. He is a humble man of great faith, courage, and constancy, an ideal husband and father, and a devoted and capable Church leader. Elder and Sister Tanner intend to move to Salt Lake City as soon as they can be relieved of their responsibilities in Canada. He will be welcomed as one of the General Authorities by all members of the Church and will be a distinct asset in the presiding councils of the Church. We, his associates, are proud to welcome him and his lovely wife into the official family of the General Authorities of the Church. |
ELDER NATHAN ELDON TANNER
ELDER NATHAN ELDON TANNER AND FAMILY
Seated in front: Sara Isabelle Merrill Tanner; Elder Nathan Eldon Tanner. Back row, standing, left to right: Mrs. W. S. Jensen (Isabelle); Mrs. C. R. Walker (Ruth); Mrs. H. S. Rhodes (Zola); Mrs. G. L. Spackman (Beth); Mrs. L. Williams (Helen). |
Kinnear, John G. "Fishers of Men... President Nathan Eldon Tanner, A Leader Among Men." Improvement Era. January 1961. pg. 20-21, 47.
Fishers of Men PRESIDENT NATHAN ELDON TANNER A LEADER AMONG MEN BY JOHN G. KINNEAR EDITORIAL ASSOCIATE The Savior's call to the early disciples on the shores of Galilee to "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matt. 4:19) is, in essence, that same call given to all who would follow him. As of old, those hearing best the call to become fishers of men are those who become leaders of men in the Church and in their personal accomplishments. Such a man is Elder Nathan Eldon Tanner, called as Assistant to the Council of the Twelve at the morning session of the semiannual general conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, October 8, 1960. That Elder Tanner's life, both in and out of the Church, has been a success is seen by his phenomenal record. Rising from the position of a high school teacher to that of president of the $300,000,000 Trans-Canada Pipe Lines Limited is only a part of his story of energy and drive. That he originally refused the offer to establish himself in Toronto as head of this company, on the grounds that it would take him away from his Church responsibility as stake president, is evidence enough of his loyalty, devotion, and love for the gospel and the Lord's work. Elder Tanner was born in Salt Lake City, May 9, 1898, the son of Nathan William Tanner and Edna Brown Tanner who went from Utah to Southern Alberta by covered wagon in 1897. His mother returned to Salt Lake City where he was born. She returned to Canada with her baby when he was just a few weeks old. He has lived there ever since. In 1935 he gave up his position as principal of a Cardston, Alberta, school to represent the Cardston constituency in the Alberta legislature. He was named Speaker of the House and, one year later, he was appointed to be Minister of Lands and Mines. In 1949 he was appointed minister of two newly created departments, the Department of Lands and Forests and the Department of Mines and Minerals. In addition, he held the position of Chairman of the Alberta Research Council. After his resignation from government service in 1952, Elder Tanner took over the presidency of Merrill Petroleums Limited. In 1954 he resigned from this position to become president of the Trans-Canada Pipe Lines Limited, a company which was formed to build a natural gas line some 2,200 miles from Alberta to Quebec. Although he gave up this position in 1959, he is still on the board of directors. In addition, he is director of the National Trust Company Limited, the Toronto-Dominion Bank, Consolidated Freightways, Inc., Inland Cement Company Limited, and Merit Oil Limited. He is also president of Merit Oil Limited and Provincial Products Pipeline Limited. He was president of the Canadian Gas Association in 1959-60. As to Elder Tanner's Church and civic service, he has been equally effective and has an even more admirable record as that made career-wise. Among other positions, he served as bishop of the Cardston First Ward for three years (1932-35); president of the Edmonton Branch, Western Canadian Mission, for twelve years (1938-52); and president of Calgary Stake for seven years (1953-60). When Elder and Sister Tanner moved to Edmonton with their five children in 1937, they "swelled" the number of Church members in the Edmonton Branch from fifteen to twenty-two members. By the time he moved to Calgary, the branch had developed a membership of well over five hundred, and the first Edmonton LDS chapel had been built. Also the University of Alberta LDS Institute was established. During his leadership of the Calgary Stake, the membership of the stake grew from a little more than 2,000 in 1953 to almost 4,000 in 1960. Elder Tanner's talent for accomplishing those things he sets out to do is reflected in his private life. On seeing Sara Isabelle Merrill for the very first time, and before having actually met her, he turned to a companion and told him, "Someday, I am going to marry that girl!" In 1919, Elder Tanner took Sara to be his cherished wife, and they were sealed in the Alberta Temple in 1923. They have five lovely daughters, all of whom are married, and twenty-two grandchildren. All of Elder Tanner's immediate family are living in Canada although he has three sisters and two brothers living in Salt Lake City. In addition to belonging to seven clubs and service organizations, including Botary, Elder Tanner is an enthusiastic golfer and member of the Calgary Golf Club and the Calgary Chamber of Commerce. He has served as commissioner of the Alberta Boy Scouts Association for eight years (1945-53) and is a life member and was awarded Silver Wolf in this organization. He wears his Scout button to show his support of this great organization. He is a member of the board of governors of the University of Alberta and was awarded the degree of honorary Doctor of Laws at Brigham Young University in 1956. The success of Elder Tanner's life in the Church and in his own private undertakings is based upon absolute integrity, honesty, and fearlessness. His own philosophy of success is that "Anything that is worth doing is worth doing well." While he never dreamed that he would be called to serve as Assistant to the Council of the Twelve, his service to the Church has been ". . . the balance wheel and governor" in his life. Indicative of his humility and attitude toward Church service are those comments made in his first address in his newly appointed position. Humbly, to thousands of assembled conference visitors, he said: "I wish to express my sincere appreciation of the confidence shown by the General Authorities, President McKay, and those associated with him, in calling one so unprepared to hold such a high office in this Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints. No one with less ability could be called to this position. ... I wish to say that I love the Lord with all my heart, and I pledge at this time that I will serve him and you [President McKay] with all my might, mind, and strength. . . ." |
Elder Nathan Eldon Tanner
With Elder Nathan Eldon Tanner and his wife, Sara, are their five daughters, Isabelle, Ruth, Zola, Beth, and Helen.
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"Nathan Eldon Tanner Appointed to the Council of the Twelve." Relief Society Magazine. December 1962. pg. 882-884.
Nathan Eldon Tanner Appointed to the Council of the Twelve ELDER Nathan Eldon Tanner was sustained as an apostle and member of the Council of the Twelve of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Saturday afternoon session of the 132d Semi-Annual Conference, October 6, 1962. This appointment fills the vacancy in the Council occasioned by the death, in May 1962, of Elder George Q. Morris. Elder Tanner brings to his new and sacred calling humility and a sense of purpose, as well as competency and inspiration that mark him as an outstanding servant of the Church. Two years ago he was called to be an Assistant to the Council of the Twelve, and for the past eighteen months he has presided over all the missions of Western Europe, with headquarters near London, England. “Few men are chosen for high office in the Church who have a richer heritage and more varied background of training and experience than Nathan Eldon Tanner'' — so wrote President Hugh B. Brown for The Relief Society Magazine, when Elder Tanner was appointed an Assistant to the Twelve. He is of the sixth generation of Latter-day Saints on both sides of his family inheritance. His great grandfather John Tanner was an associate of the Prophet Joseph Smith in Zion's Camp and in Nauvoo, Illinois. His great-grandfather on his mother's side of the family, James S. Brown, was a soldier in the Mormon Battalion and a noble and honored pioneer. Elder Tanner was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, May 9, 1898, and three years later went to Canada with his parents, Nathan W. and Sarah Edna Brown Tanner. In 1919 he was graduated from the Alberta Normal School. Later in the same year he married Sara Isabelle Merrill of Hill Spring, Alberta, in the temple at Cardston. They are the parents of five lovely daughters: Ruth (Mrs. C. R. Walker); Isabelle (Mrs. W. S. Jensen); Zola (Mrs. H. S. Rhodes); Beth (Mrs. G. L. Spackman); and Helen (Mrs. L. Williams). There are twenty-three living grandchildren and two deceased. Elder Tanner's distinguished career in the field of education began with his appointment as a teacher in Hill Spring, where he added to his small teaching income by operating a store and doing farm chores. Later, he became principal of the Cardston Public School. He was elected to the Alberta Legislature in 1935. After serving as speaker in the legislature, he became a member of the provincial cabinet as Minister of Lands and Mines. In this capacity he was influential in determining the provincial policy for regulating and encouraging oil and gas production in Alberta. He was appointed chairman of the Alberta Research Council in 1942, and became provincial Boy Scout Commissioner in 1946. He has been president of the Merrill Petroleums Ltd., a director of the Toronto Dominion Bank, and many other business organizations. In 1956 Elder Tanner was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws from the Brigham Young University. At the time of his call to be an Assistant to the Council of the Twelve, he was serving as a member of the Board of Governors of the University of Alberta. ELDER Tanner's Church activity began in his early years, and after serving as an officer in various auxiliaries, he became bishop of the Cardston First Ward in 1932, where he had previously served as a counselor. He also served as a member of the High Council of Alberta Stake. In 1938, after moving to Edmonton, he became president of that branch, where he was instrumental in building the first chapel in Edmonton, and the seminary building at the University of Alberta. At the organization of Calgary Stake in 1953, he became president and served in that position until the time of his call to be an Assistant to the Council of the Twelve in 1960. During his presidency the commodious and impressive Calgary Stake Center was built. In accepting his call as a member of the Council of the Twelve, Elder Tanner fervently expressed his testimony of the gospel: I want to bear you my testimony, my brethren and sisters, that if every member of the Church would accept the call of our prophet today and live the gospel and keep the commandments of our Heavenly Father and become missionaries in very deed, we could contribute more to the cause of peace than all the power that might be gathered together by all the governments and all the men in uniform. May we prove worthy of our membership in the Church and Kingdom of God is my prayer. |
ELDER NATHAN ELDON TANNER
ELDER AND SISTER NATHAN ELDON TANNER AND FAMILY
Seated in front: Sara Isabelle Merrill Tanner; Elder Nathan Eldon Tanner. Back row, standing, left to right: Mrs. W. S. Jensen (Isabelle); Mrs. C. R. Walker (Roth); Mrs. H. S. Rhodes (Zola); Mrs. G. L. Spackman (Beth); Mrs. L. Williams (Helen). |
Evans, Richard L. "Nathan Eldon Tanner of the Council of the Twelve." Improvement Era. January 1963. pg. 16-21, 39-40.
Nathan Eldon Tanner of the Council of the Twelve "We can only stretch time by stretching ourselves.” BY RICHARD L. EVANS OF THE COUNCIL OF THE TWELVE AND DOYLE L. GREEN, MANAGING EDITOR The above sentence—"We can only stretch time by stretching ourselves" was written for a Sunday morning broadcast of the Tabernacle Choir some weeks ago. We recall it here in context with the life of Nathan Eldon Tanner because of a feeling he has expressed concerning himself:— that his life has been largely a series of assignments for which he didn't feel fully prepared—each one of which has caused him to reach beyond himself. It is by such reaching that we grow—by having to exceed our past selves. It would seem that we are not always chosen only for what we are, but partly for what others know or believe we can become. And this man who has received the most recent call to the Council of the Twelve, and who began life in what today would be considered poverty, and under primitive pioneering conditions, has reached—and reached— with the help of loved ones, friends, and his Father in heaven, and by his own earnest efforts also, to become increasingly what he has reached for. This, in some essentials, characterizes the life of Eldon Tanner, and what follows from it is largely biographical detail. Eldon Tanner would have succeeded wherever he was born, wherever he went. His family has produced staunch members of the Church for six generations. John Tanner, his paternal great-grandfather, was a close associate of the Prophet Joseph Smith. James S. Brown, his maternal great-grandfather, was a member of the Mormon Battalion and one of the very first settlers of Ogden, Utah. Brother Tanner himself well knows through firsthand experience the rigors of pioneer life. His mother and father, Edna Brown and Nathan William Tanner, soon after they were married in the Salt Lake Temple, migrated to a small Latter-day Saint colony in southern Alberta, Canada. This was a six weeks' journey by covered wagon, and when they arrived, they were so short on funds that they were forced to sell their team of horses in order to buy necessities. In partnership with a brother, Eldon's father took up a homestead and made a one-room dugout in the side of a hill. This became their home. Logs were used for the side walls and front. One wall was the hill. The roof was of sod, and the floor was dirt. It was in this home where the family was living when the time drew near for their first child to be born. But because there were no doctors in the area, and because she wanted her son to be born "back home," Eldon's mother returned to Salt Lake City by wagon and train, where Eldon was born May 9, 1898. The mother returned to Canada when young Eldon was six weeks old, and the family continued to live in the dugout until they were able to build a two-room house with an attic. Eldon's childhood was happy but filled with innumerable responsibilities. Ranch life, especially in those days, was hard, and boys early became men. He learned to ride a horse while still very young, and being the oldest boy in the family, he was charged with much responsibility for his younger brothers and sisters. When Eldon was but a small lad, smallpox afflicted the entire family except Eldon and one younger brother. No help came from the neighbors, as they were afraid of this fearful disease. Young Eldon cared for the family, night and day, until all recovered. By the time Eldon was twelve, he was driving a four-horse team, hauling grain to the elevators over deeply rutted roads, often through rain and snow, and not infrequently finding his wagon mired in the mud. He has always been known to tackle forthrightly whatever job was at hand no matter how difficult. Grain harvesting and other farm work frequently interrupted his schooling. But despite the fact that his services were sorely needed on the farm, Eldon and his parents were determined that he should have an education, so, after finishing nine grades in the little town of Etna, he first attended high school in Cardston and then went to the Knight Academy in Raymond and later to the Calgary Normal School. To help earn his way he batched part of the time, worked in a butcher shop, a slaughter yard, and did other tasks. When he was graduated at twenty years of age from Normal School in 1919, he was offered two teaching jobs: one at Hill Spring and the other at Rocky Ford. Even though the other paid a higher salary, he made his decision on church considerations, and so without experience, he became principal of a three - room school at Hill Spring. It was at Hill Spring where he fell in love with one of the teachers, Sara Merrill, who later became his wife—a fortunate day for him and for her. They were married December 20, 1919. During the dedication services of the Alberta Temple, Canada, which were held from August 26 through August 29, 1923, among those who received their endowments were Nathan Eldon and Sarah Isabelle Merrill Tanner. There was no high school when he arrived in Hill Spring, so he added a year of high school each year until a full high school course was established. And each year all of his class passed the government examinations. He introduced boxing, wrestling, and basketball as extracurricular activities, and his services were sought in counseling on the problems of young people. He became scoutmaster, trained cadets, acted as dance director, and was called upon to use his talents in many ways. While at Hill Spring he also served as health officer and constable and took a most active part in public affairs. He also continued his own education at summer school, and he engaged in many "off-hour" activities to help finance his young family, including the operation of a small farm. Some of these early teaching years were depression years, and schoolteachers were poorly paid, hence one year they received notes instead of money. It was at this time that Brother Tanner began running a general store in Hill Spring, making his down payment with their only "negotiable" possession, a fairly new Ford car. This store handled a general line from farm machinery to pins. Finally Brother Tanner gave up teaching and ran the store and the post office, during which time he did his own freighting by night from Lethbridge, sixty miles away, and from Cardston, twenty miles. The store made the family a living but didn't give them the opportunities for service and growth that they desired, so they sold out with the idea of his going to the university to study law. However, after all debts were paid, his funds were very limited, therefore, the family moved to Cardston, where Elder Tanner accepted a position as a high school teacher beginning in January 1929. The following year he became principal of the public school, which position he held until 1935. During these years he had to supplement his teaching salary by selling suits and insurance and engaging in other activities. In 1935 a new political party was gaining momentum in the Province of Alberta. Brother Tanner had no interest in running for political office but, after much persuasion, became a candidate and was elected to the legislature on the social credit party ticket in September 1935, was named speaker of the legislature. and served in that position beginning in 1936. Inasmuch as he had never attended a session of the legislature, he spent some exceedingly busy weeks acquainting himself with parliamentary procedure. During this period, as has been true on many other occasions in his life, he was forced to reach far beyond his past experience to prepare for the challenging responsibility that had come to him. In December of that same year the provincial premier, Mr. Aberhart, called him at 10:30 one night and asked him to become a member of the provincial government cabinet. He advised the premier that he was happy where he was and had no ambition to be in the cabinet, but after repeated requests, and being encouraged by trusted friends. Elder Tanner accepted the cabinet assignment and became minister of lands and mines, to administer the natural resources of the vast mineral and oil rich province of Alberta— again in a field for which he had little or no prior preparation. And so following the bringing in of Alberta's first oil well, Brother Tanner started immediately to organize a conservation program. He visited the oil states of the United States, studied their systems, and spent uncounted hours and days in conference with trained men as well as in travel, and later introduced legislation which has become the pattern for other Canadian provinces and other countries also, and which helped to make Alberta the only Canadian province free of public debt. In 1949, he was invited by the government of Barbados to go to that country and help it prepare oil and gas legislation, which invitation he accepted. He spent a full month in that country helping with their legislative program. In Alberta he also introduced new grazing regulations, and under his administration the general forest policies were greatly improved. He spent eight years of strenuous work in getting the Eastern Rockies Forest Conservation Board established. He also served as chairman of the Postwar Rehabilitation Committee and chairman of the research council for the Province of Alberta, and he was chosen to head a committee representing the dominion and provincial governments to go to Great Britain in the interest of the oil and natural gas developments in Canada. He served in this position until September of 1952 when, feeling that the work he had been asked to do was completed, he resigned. His rapid rise in public office and in private opportunities resulted not only from his ability but because of the quality of integrity that became synonymous with his name. He was active in scouting many years, becoming a member of the provincial Scout committee and finally provincial Scout commissioner. As a result of his long and faithful service and the responsible positions he held, he was awarded the Silver Acorn and Silver Wolf awards, the latter being the highest honor that can be given a scouter in Canada. Through these many activities Elder Tanner became acquainted with and earned the respect of influential men and women of Canada and of England. He and Sister Tanner on one occasion were invited to dine with King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in Edmonton. On another occasion they had the pleasure of dining with Queen Elizabeth. They had previously met Princess Elizabeth before she became queen and had reviewed the Scouts in southern Alberta with her. Lord Row Allen, head of all scouting in the British commonwealth, also spent several days with Elder Tanner in Alberta. While on the government assignment in England, he spent some time with the Duke of Windsor. He has met on a number of occasions with Lord Beaverbrook and other high government officials. After leaving government service. Brother Tanner moved his family to Calgary to become president of Merrill Petroleums of Canada, a newly formed oil company which, under his leadership, became an impressively successful venture. It was while he was serving as president of this company that he was invited to head Trans-Canada Pipeline Limited, a company formed by a merger of two opposing companies to build a pipeline across Canada from Alberta to Montreal. He had no desire to leave his young and prospering oil company, and so at first refused, but after being approached by the Premier of the Province, E. C. Manning, and by Mr. C. D. Howe, a leading minister of Canada, he accepted. Knowing that this project would be most difficult, and that it would again thrust him conspicuously into the public scene, he requested a five-year termination clause in his contract. One of the first problems came up when he was asked to move to Toronto, as the company felt its headquarters should be near one of the large financial and population centers. But inasmuch as he had been recently appointed president of the Calgary Stake, he felt he should not leave his church position, He also preferred to live in the West. So the company acceded to his wishes and left the headquarters of the pipeline company in Calgary. This enormous undertaking involved raising $300,000,000 and building two thousand miles of pipeline through five provinces, and thereby having to negotiate with that many governments, buying the gas from many companies and selling it throughout Canada and in some areas of the United States. He began this grueling job, meeting unexpected as well as expected opposition from many sources. The task was so discouraging the first year that many of the personnel, thinking it was hopeless, left the company. There were also serious political repercussions, but finally construction started, and the stupendous job of finishing the line was accomplished in less than four years. By the time Brother Tanner's contract had terminated in 1959, the company was an operating success. On December 6, 1958, The Albertan in a newspaper editorial said of him: "As architect of Alberta's eminently successful government oil and gas policy, Mr. Nathan E. Tanner won the respect and appreciation of the people of this province many years ago. As minister of mines he worked out a system combining maximum returns to the public treasury with adequate incentive for the industry. Such a policy created both the vast development of the industry and the return of hundreds of millions of dollars to the government coffers. One has only to look around him to see the network of paid-for roads, the public buildings, and the new schools, and many other projects financed directly or indirectly by this oil revenue, to appreciate the results of the policy evolved by Mr. Tanner during his years in the provincial cabinet, and followed ever since. In the eyes of other governments it is perhaps the world's most successful oil and gas policy. "When a gas pipeline across Canada was being proposed and negotiated the project was bogged down for a time by confusion and rivalry and by difficult federal government conditions. It was agreed at that time that one man in all Canada who could bring the various interests together and build a line conforming to government policy was Mr. Tanner. He was made the first president of Trans-Canada Pipelines, and it was largely under his business statesmanship that the line was built. There were troubles along the way, caused mainly by the difficulty of complying with government conditions, but the line has been built and is now in operation. It is a national institution, a major force in the economy of the country. And again the chief architect has been Mr. Tanner. "He has now retired as chairman of the company. We move a vote of thanks for the work he has done for Canada." Each decision he has made in life, great or small, has been made only after careful consideration, and with the Church in mind. In all of his important positions he has been proud to identify himself as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and has engaged in unnumbered gospel conversations and has had the satisfaction of seeing some of his business acquaintances join the Church. He has been unswerving in his loyalty and devotion to the principles of the gospel. From his early youth there was never a time when Nathan Eldon Tanner was not active in the Church, beginning with being president of the deacons quorum. In Cardston, he became counselor to the bishop in 1932, and two years later was made bishop of the Cardston First Ward. On moving to Edmonton, he became president of the Edmonton Branch in 1938, which position he held until September 1952. When the family moved to Edmonton in 1937, the seven members of their family swelled the membership of the branch to 22 members. The group was meeting in a small, rented, second-story hall. During the time he was president of the branch, the first chapel in Edmonton was erected, and in addition, an institute building was built for members of the Church who were attending the university. Upon moving to Calgary, Elder Tanner became a ward teacher, and has often said he enjoyed this assignment as much as any job he has had in the Church. Later he was called to the high council in the Lethbridge Stake, and on November 15, 1953 was made first president of the Calgary Stake, which position he held until called to become an Assistant to the Council of the Twelve, being set apart on October 9, 1960. Moving to Salt Lake City on February 1, the Tanners bought a new home and were making plans to furnish it, when on February 12, he was asked to accompany President McKay and President Brown to London to attend the dedication of the new Hyde Park Chapel and to assist in the organization of new stakes in Great Britain and the Netherlands. Four days later, he was , asked to prepare to stay in London as president of the West European Mission to be made up from the missions in the British Isles, two missions in France, and the Netherlands. So immediately the Tanners again changed their plans and canceled their orders for furniture, rugs, and draperies. In this European assignment Brother Tanner has seen a great upsurge in missionary work and conversions, the four missions in Britain grow to eight, and with additional stakes established. He is chairman of the London Temple committee, is responsible for passing on all building programs and proposals, is chairman and president of the board of the Deseret Enterprises, Ltd., and editor of the Millennial Star. His gracious and devoted companion, whom lovingly he calls "Sally," in character and competence has wonderfully and remarkably complemented the promising young man she married. They have five devoted daughters—Mrs. C. R. Walker, Calgary, Alberta (Ruth); Mrs. W. S. Jenson, Calgary, Alberta (Isabelle), Mrs. H. S. Rhodes, Calgary, Alberta (Zola); Mrs. G. L. Spackman, Regina, Saskatchewan (Beth); and Mrs. L. Williams, Calgary, Alberta (Helen); and twenty-two grandchildren. Sister Tanner has helpfully stood by her husband throughout the years and has always been active in the Church, serving in the Sunday School, Mutual, and Relief Society organizations, and more recently in the West European Mission. President Tanner was a member of the board of directors of the Toronto Dominion Bank; director of Consolidated Freightways, Inc., Inland Cement Company, Ltd., the Alberta Gas Trunk Line Company, Waterous Equipment, Ltd., Jenkins Groceteria, Ltd., and was president of Merit Oil, and vice-president of Grisley Petroleums, Ltd. He has resigned from all these positions to devote his full time to his church callings. He also served as president of the Canadian Gas Association in 1959-60, and was for a time a member of the board of governors of the University of Alberta. He received an honorary Doctor of Law degree from Brigham Young University in 1956. We offer in closing a personal impression of Eldon Tanner and his beloved "Sally":—Picture a beautiful new home on a 300 acre farm, on the outskirts of Calgary, overlooking the Canadian Rockies, a home near members of the family, a result of long dreaming and planning. Then the call came to become an Assistant to the Council of the Twelve—and out they walked—almost before the loose nap had been vacuumed from the deep new carpets—almost without looking back—with the comment —"It's just a home—we'll go where the call requires." This is Eldon Tanner—and this also is his "Sally." He would have done well wherever he was born—wherever he went— and so would she. President Hugh B. Brown has said of him: "He is a man of outstanding executive ability, unquestioned integrity, and throughout his public career he has been known, even by his political opponents, for his rugged and undeviating honesty. . . . He is a humble man of great faith, courage, and constancy, a devoted husband and father, and a devoted and capable church leader. Few men are chosen for high office in the Church who have a richer heritage and more varied background of training and experience than Nathan Eldon Tanner. . . ." |
Nathan Eldon Tanner as president of the Trans-Canada Pipelines, Ltd., speaking at the trunkline opening ceremonies, July 23, 1957.
Edna Broum Tanner and infant son, Nathan Eldon.
Nathan at the age of four.
As a young man of eighteen.
N. E. Tanner, left, being sworn in as Minister of Lands and Forests and Minister of Mines and Minerals in the Alberta government, midnight, March 31, 194-9. Observing are, left to right, Mr. E. C. Manning, Premier of Alberta, Mr. J. C. Bowen, Lt. Governor: Mr. R. A. Andison, clerk of the legislative assembly and of the executive council is administering the oath.
Elder Tanner with three of his grandsons, Merrill Walker, Jack Walker, and Jim Jenson, 1960.
With Mr. E. C. Manning, Premier of Alberta, Elder Tanner and others inspect drilling rig in the Turner Valley.
Elder Tanner, second from the left, as president of the Trans-Canada Pipelines, Ltd., accepts a check for more than $81,000,000 representing monies invested by Canadians in the pipeline, from Mr. A. D. Nesbitt. This is reported to be the largest check ever issued in Canada.
Elder Tanner and Princess Elizabeth on the occasion of her visit to Calgary in November 1951.
Elder and Sister Tanner and their young daughters in 1927. From left to right the children are, Ruth, Beth, Zola, and Isabel.
The most recent picture of the Nathan Eldon Tanner family. The daughters are standing, left to right, Mrs. W. S. Jenson (Isabel); Mrs. C. R. Walker (Ruth); Mrs. H. S. Rhodes (Zola); Mrs. G. L. Spackman (Beth); and Mrs. L. Williams (Helen).
By 1943 the Tanner girls were young women. Here are shown, left to right, Zola, Helen, Sister Tanner, Brother Tanner, Beth, Isabel, and Ruth.
Nathan E. Tanner as speaker of the Alberta Legislative Assembly.
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"President Nathan Eldon Tanner." Relief Society Magazine. December 1963. pg. 887-889.
President Nathan Eldon Tanner Elder Nathan Eldon Tanner, a member of the Council of the Twelve, was appointed and sustained as Second Counselor to President David O. McKay at the first session of the General Conference of the Church, October 4, 1963. He has been a General Authority since October 1960, when he became an Assistant to the Council of the Twelve. In October 1962 he was sustained as a member of the Council of the Twelve. Having a rich heritage of religious training, spiritual insight and devotion, and a wide experience in both Church and civic affairs, President Tanner brings to the highest council of the Church great ability and a humble, cooperative spirit. President Tanner was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, May 9, 1898, a son of Nathan William and Edna Brown Tanner. Shortly before his birth his parents migrated to Canada. His mother returned to Salt Lake City for the birth, and when the son was only six weeks old, made the return trip to Canada. After finishing nine grades of school in the small community of Etna, Alberta, President Tanner attended high school in Cardston, and later became a student at the Knight Academy in Raymond, and then prepared himself for a teaching career at the Calgary Normal School from which he was graduated in 1919. He taught school in Hill Spring, where he met another member of the faculty—Sarah Isabelle Merrill—whom he married December 20, 1919. While living at Hill Spring, Elder Tanner served as a health officer and participated actively in community affairs and established a general store. In 1929 the family moved to Cardston and Elder Tanner became principal of the high school. In 1935 he was elected to the Alberta Legislature and became the speaker of that house. Later, he became minister of lands and mines in the provincial cabinet. In 1942 he was asked to serve as chairman of the Alberta Research Council and acted as commissioner of the Boy Scouts Association in 1946. He had faithfully served in scouting activities for many years, and was awarded the Silver Acorn and the Silver Wolf awards. The Silver Acorn is the highest scouting award given in Canada. During the years 1952-1958 Elder Tanner was engaged in many industrial and commercial enterprises and became president of Merrill Petroleum Company and a director of the Toronto-Dominion Bank of Canada. His devoted service to the Church, since early manhood, has included positions as branch president, bishop, stake president, and mission president. At the time of his call to the First Presidency, he was a member of the Council of the Twelve and President of the Genealogical Society of the Church. President and Sister Tanner have five lovely daughters, all married and living in Canada. They have twenty-four grandchildren. The sisters of Relief Society join with Church members worldwide in appreciation and gratitude for the dynamic, dedicated leadership of President Tanner, and the inspiration, counsel, and testimony which he bears of the gospel message. Sister Tanner is an ideal wife, mother, grandmother, and homemaker, dearly loved by a large circle of friends, relatives, and associates. She has been active in the Auxiliaries of the Church and has served in many capacities in Relief Society, among them as a stake counselor in Calgary Stake. In addressing the saints following the announcement of his appointment to the First Presidency, President Tanner spoke of his desire for the faith and prayers of the members of the Church, and said, ‘I can humbly say, as did Nephi of old, that I will go and do the things which the Lord has commanded.' " |
"President N. Eldon Tanner, Second Counselor in the First Presidency." Improvement Era. March 1970. pg. 11-12.
President N. Eldon Tanner Second Counselor in the First Presidency "Few men are chosen for high office in the Church who have a richer heritage and more varied background of training and experience than Nathan Eldon Tanner. This description of President Tanner, who has been called to serve as second counselor in the First Presidency under President Joseph Fielding Smith, is as true today as it was several years ago when it was first uttered by one who has long been associated with him, Elder Hugh B. Brown. For some nine and a half years, since he was first called to sit in the general councils of the Church, first as an Assistant to the Council of the Twelve, then as an apostle, and more recently as second counselor to President David O. McKay, members of the Church worldwide have come to know and to appreciate President Tanner's honesty and integrity, his administrative know-how, and his broadly based sympathy for fairness and the right. His counsel and addresses have shown him to be a man to whom youth draws near as he discusses with feeling his thoughts about the simple yet all-important rules of conduct for a happy and productive life. Nathan Eldon Tanner was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, May 9, 1898. His parents, Nathan William and Sarah Edna Brown Tanner, had gone to Canada as a young married couple, but she returned to Salt Lake City for the arrival of her firstborn in her parents' home. When Eldon was six weeks old, his mother and her new baby, traveling by train and wagon, returned to the dugout home on their homestead amid the Latter-day Saint colonists of southern Alberta, Canada. There he grew strong in mind, body, and spirit in the rugged environment of that sparsely settled nation. He was reared in wheatlands and often guided a plow behind plodding oxen. He learned to love all of God's creations, especially his fellowmen. Opportunities for education were meager at the time; but upon completion of the eighth grade he found that if he could convince four others to enroll for grade nine, the principal would teach it. He found the four, but farm responsibilities kept him away from school until after Christmas. He later borrowed money and went away to school for two years, before returning home to teach. Some of his students, feeling the inspiration of his teaching, desired grade 12, which he himself had never taken. Arrangements were made for the Alberta Provincial Department of Education to prepare the lesson materials, and he and his advanced students would complete their lessons and mail them to the department for grading. It was an unusual class, with teacher and students graduating from grade 12 together. After graduation from Normal School in 1919, he accepted a position as principal of a three-room school at Hill Spring, Alberta. There he met and fell in love with one of the teachers, Sara Isabelle Merrill. They were married on December 20, 1919, and their home was later blessed with five daughters. (President and Sister Tanner recently celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in the Hawaiian Islands with 38 members of their family.) From his early youth there was never a time when Nathan Eldon Tanner was not active in the Church, beginning with his service as president of his deacons quorum. In Cardston, Alberta, he served first as counselor in the bishopric and then as bishop of the Cardston First Ward. In 1938, when the family moved to Edmonton, he was named branch president, a position he held until September 1952. In 1953 he became the first president of the Calgary Stake, in which position he was serving when he was called to be an Assistant to the Council of the Twelve in 1960. At the October 1962 general conference he was sustained as a member of the Council of the Twelve, and a year later as second counselor in the First Presidency. In his professional life, President Tanner has also served willingly and with distinction. He was in the field of education in Hill Spring and then Cardston until 1935, when he was persuaded to become a candidate for the Alberta Provincial legislature. He was elected and subsequently became speaker of the legislature. In December 1936 he was asked to join the Alberta Provincial government cabinet. After much personal reflection and urging by his associates, he accepted the assignment of Minister of Lands and Mines, to administer the natural resources of the vast mineral- and oil-rich province of Alberta. The conservation program that he organized during his tenure has become the pattern for other Canadian provinces and other lands as well. Canada was a growing, expanding economic giant when in 1952 President Tanner left his government post to accept a position in the growing petroleum industry, as president first of Merrill Petroleums of Canada and then of the vast Canadian Pipe Line Company, stretching from Alberta to Quebec. Despite almost insurmountable obstacles—financial as well as political—he successfully raised the $300,000,000 necessary to build the 2,000-mile pipeline through five provinces. At the completion of this project, when his contract terminated in 1959, a newspaper in Alberta said in an editorial: "When a gas pipeline across Canada was being proposed ... it was agreed . . . that the one man in all Canada who could bring the various interests together and build a line conforming to government policy was Mr. Tanner. . . . It is now a national institution, a major force in the economy of the country. . . . We move a vote of thanks for the work he has done for Canada." Today, as he assumes his responsibilities in the First Presidency under a new Prophet and President, the worldwide interests of the Church are truly blessed because of the broad background and experience, the executive capacities and business acumen, the deep spirituality and devotion to the Lord of President N. Eldon Tanner. |
President Tanner has greatly encouraged the growth of the Genealogical Society's fanned microfilming program.
Below: To celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary, President and Sister Tanner took their children and grandchildren to Hawaii.
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"President Nathan Eldon Tanner Recalled as Second Counselor in the First Presidency." Relief Society Magazine. April 1970. pg. 250-251.
President Nathan Eldon Tanner Recalled As Second Counselor in The First Presidency January 23, 1970 Relief Society members worldwide honor President Nathan Eldon Tanner as he continues as the Second Counselor in the First Presidency of the Church. He was first called to this position by President David O. McKay in October 1963, and has now been given this same responsibility by President Joseph Fielding Smith. Elder Tanner has served as a General Authority since October 1960 when he was sustained as an Assistant to the Council of the Twelve. In October 1962 he became a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, where he served until his call to the First Presidency. President Tanner was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on May 9, 1898, a son of Nathan William and Edna Brown Tanner. Although his parents were living in Southern Alberta, Canada, his mother returned to Salt Lake City for the occasion of his birth. When he was three weeks old she returned with him to her home in Aetna, where he received his early education. He attended high school in Cardston, the Knight Academy in Raymond, and the Calgary Normal School, from which he was graduated in 1919. He secured a teaching position in Hill Spring, near Calgary, and in December of 1919 married another member of the faculty, Sara Isabelle Merrill. They are the parents of five daughters, Mrs. C. R. (Ruth) Walker, Mrs. W. S. (Isabelle) Jensen, Mrs. H. S. (Zola) Rhodes, Mrs. G. L. (Beth) Spackman, and Mrs. L. (Helen) Williams. In 1929 the Tanners moved to Cardston and Elder Tanner became principal of the high school. He was always active in civic and community affairs and was eventually elected to the Alberta Legislature, and became Speaker of the House. Elder Tanner is an active Scouter and holds the highest awards in Canada and the United States. He is devoted to the youth of the Church. President Tanner became the first president of the Calgary Stake, and it was while holding this position that he was called to be a General Authority. His first assignment was an appointment as president of the West European Mission. His administration was marked by great and rapid growth of the Church in the missions of that area. Sister Tanner has been a loving and beloved helpmeet to President Tanner throughout their fifty years of marriage. She has served devotedly in Relief Society, including service as a counselor in a stake Relief Society presidency. Relief Society sisters throughout the world will be gratified to have President Tanner's continued influence and guidance as he serves in this high position. |
President and Sister Tanner have recently celebrated
their Golden Wedding Anniversary. |