Nathan Eldon Tanner

N. Eldon Tanner
First Counselor in the First Presidency
December 30, 1973 (1973-12-30) – November 27, 1982 (1982-11-27)
Called by	Spencer W. Kimball
Reason	Reorganization of First Presidency
First Counselor in the First Presidency
July 7, 1972 (1972-07-07) – December 26, 1973 (1973-12-26)
Called by	Harold B. Lee
Reason	Reorganization of First Presidency
End reason	Dissolution of First Presidency upon the death of Harold B. Lee
Second Counselor in the First Presidency
January 23, 1970 (1970-01-23) – July 2, 1972 (1972-07-02)
Called by	Joseph Fielding Smith
Reason	Reorganization of First Presidency
End reason	Dissolution of First Presidency upon the death of Joseph Fielding Smith
Second Counselor in the First Presidency
October 4, 1963 (1963-10-04) – January 18, 1970 (1970-01-18)
Called by	David O. McKay
Reason	Death of Henry D. Moyle
End reason	Dissolution of First Presidency upon the death of David O. McKay
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
October 11, 1962 (1962-10-11) – October 4, 1963 (1963-10-04)
Called by	David O. McKay
Reason	Death of George Q. Morris
LDS Church Apostle
October 11, 1962 (1962-10-11) – November 27, 1982 (1982-11-27)
Called by	David O. McKay
Reason	Death of George Q. Morris
Reorganization at end of term	No apostles ordained
Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
October 8, 1960 (1960-10-08) – October 11, 1962 (1962-10-11)
Called by	David O. McKay
End reason	Called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Cardston
In office
August 22, 1935 – August 5, 1952
Predecessor	George Stringam
Successor	Edgar Hinman
Speaker of the Alberta Legislative Assembly
In office
February 6, 1936 – January 4, 1937
Predecessor	George Johnston
Successor	Peter Dawson
Minister of Lands and Mines
In office
January 5, 1937 – April 1, 1949
Predecessor	Charles Ross
Premier	William Aberhart and Ernest Manning
Minister of Forestry, Lands and Wildlife
In office
April 1, 1949 – September 9, 1952
Predecessor	Ivan Casey
Premier	Ernest Manning
Minister of Mines and Minerals
In office
April 1, 1949 – September 9, 1952
Predecessor	Ernest Manning
Premier	Ernest Manning
Political party
Personal details
Born	(1898-05-09)May 9, 1898 Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
Died	November 27, 1982(1982-11-27) (aged 84) Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
Resting place	Salt Lake City Cemetery 40°46′37.92″N 111°51′28.8″W / 40.7772000°N 111.858000°W / 40.7772000; -111.858000
Occupation	Teacher, Politician, Religious Leader
Spouse(s)	Sara Isabelle Merrill ​ ​ (m. 1919)​
Children	5 daughters

Nathan Eldon Tanner (May 9, 1898 – November 27, 1982) was a Canadian politician and a leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He served in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1935 to 1952 as a member of the caucus in government. He served as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly from 1936 to 1937 and as a cabinet minister in the governments of William Aberhart and Ernest Manning from 1937 to 1952, in various portfolios related to resource industries.

Tanner was born on May 9, 1898, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Nathan William Tanner and Sarah Edna Brown Tanner. He had seven younger siblings.^[1] His family emigrated to Canada and had a farmstead in Aetna, south of Cardston, Alberta, where he grew up and attended grade school. He attended high school at Knight Academy in Raymond and received some postsecondary education at Calgary Normal School.^[2]

Tanner began his working life at a grocery store and butcher shop. He obtained a job teaching at a small school in Hill Spring in 1919. He met Sara Isabelle Merrill at the school and married her on December 20, 1919^[2] and they became the parents of five daughters.^[3]

Along with teaching, Tanner also established his own general store, which later also became the local post office, to supplement his family income. The store was successful enough that he left his first teaching job in Hill Spring to run the store full-time.^[2]

Tanner eventually became a high school teacher^[2] and school principal in Cardston.^[1] He got his start in politics as a councillor on the Cardston Town Council.^[2]

Tanner was drafted to run for a seat to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for the first time in the 1935 general election. He ran as a candidate in the electoral district of Cardston and defeated the incumbent United Farmers MLA George Stringam.^[4]

After the election and despite his complete lack of parliamentary experience, Tanner was chosen to be fifth-ever Speaker of the Alberta Legislature when the first session of the 8th Alberta Legislative Assembly began. He served in that role until January 5, 1937, when Premier William Aberhart appointed Tanner the Minister of Lands and Mines.^[5] His time in this capacity and as legislator spanned 16 years.^[1]

In the 1940 general election, Tanner defeated the independent candidate S.H. Nelson in a two-way race.^[6]

In the 1944 general election, Tanner won a three-way race.^[7]

In the 1948 Alberta general election, Tanner easily won a two-way race over the Liberal candidate Briant Stringam to hold his seat.^[8]

In 1949, Ernest Manning changed Tanner's ministerial portfolio from Lands and Mines to Lands and Forests. Tanner was also appointed Minister of Mines and Minerals and held both portfolios until his retirement from the Legislature at its dissolution in 1952.

In 1960, Tanner was called as an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, a full-time LDS Church general authority. He had previous experience in church leadership, having served as a bishop, branch president, and stake president in Canada.^[1] In the church, he preferred to be referred to as "N. Eldon Tanner." In 1962, the death of George Q. Morris created a vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles,^{[citation needed]} which Tanner was called to fill in October 1962.^[1] He was still the quorum's junior member one year later when he was called into the First Presidency as second counselor to church president David O. McKay. Tanner remained in that position for the church presidency of Joseph Fielding Smith (1970–1972) and then became first counselor to Smith's successor, Harold B. Lee and later to Spencer W. Kimball until Tanner's death.^{[citation needed]} He thus served as counselor to four church presidents. While Tanner was a member of the First Presidency, the membership numbers of the church grew from 1.7 million to 5 million.^[1]

Tanner was presented with the American Academy of Achievement’s Golden Plate Award at a ceremony in 1972 at Salt Lake City.^[9]

As the First Presidency, Kimball, Tanner, and Marion G. Romney announced the reception of the Revelation on Priesthood in June 1978, which established that being of black African descent would no longer be a barrier to ordination to the church's priesthood. The announcement was canonized as "Official Declaration 2" in the church's Doctrine and Covenants. Tanner formally presented the announcement for acceptance by the church at a general conference in October 1978.^[10]

Not long afterward, Tanner's health deteriorated, and it became impossible for him to continue the duties of his office. Kimball and Romney were also ailing, and the decision was made to add Gordon B. Hinckley as an additional counselor to the First Presidency on July 23, 1981, with Neal A. Maxwell ordained to take Hinckley's seat in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Tanner remained first counselor until his death on November 27, 1982, at the age of 84. Because of the appointments of Maxwell and Hinckley the prior year, no additional individuals were added to the First Presidency and no apostles were ordained as a result of his death.

• 
  Grave marker of N. Eldon Tanner

• "President N. Eldon Tanner Dies", Ensign, January 1983.

• Legislative Assembly of Alberta Members Listing
• General Authorities and General Officers: Elder Nathan Eldon Tanner
• BYU: Nathan Eldon Tanner