View source for John A. Widtsoe

{{Short description|Norwegian-American scientist, author and religious leader}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox Latter Day Saint biography
| name                = John A. Widtsoe
| image               = John A. Widtsoe2.jpg
| birth_name          = John Andreas Widtsoe
| birth_date          = {{birth date|1872|01|31}}
| birth_place         = [[Frøya Municipality|Frøya]], [[Sør-Trøndelag]], [[Norway]],<br>[[Union between Sweden and Norway|United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway]]
| death_date          = {{death date and age|1952|11|29|1872|01|31}}
| death_place         = [[Salt Lake City]], [[Utah]], United States
| resting_place       = [[Salt Lake City Cemetery]]
| resting_place_coordinates = {{Coord|40|46|37.92|N|111|51|28.8|W|type:landmark|display=inline|name=Salt Lake City Cemetery}}
| education           = [[Harvard University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|AB]])<br />[[University of Göttingen]] ([[Master of Arts|MA]], [[Doctor of Philosophy|PhD]])
| parents             = John and Anna Widtsoe
| spouse              = [[Leah Dunford]]
| position_or_quorum1 = [[Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church)|Quorum of the Twelve Apostles]]
| president1          = [[Heber J. Grant]]
| start_date1         = {{start date|1921|03|17}}
| end_date1           = {{end date|1952|11|29}}
| position_or_quorum2 = [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|LDS Church]] [[Apostle (Latter Day Saints)|Apostle]]
| president2          = Heber J. Grant
| start_date2         = {{start date|1921|03|17}}
| ordination_reason2  = Death of [[Anthon H. Lund]]; [[Anthony W. Ivins]] added to [[First Presidency (LDS Church)|First Presidency]]
| end_date2           = {{end date|1952|11|29}}
| reorganization2     = [[Adam S. Bennion]] ordained
| list_notes          = President of [[Utah State University]] (1907–16) and president of the [[University of Utah]] (1916–21).
| portals             = LDS
|position_or_quorum3=4th President of the [[University of Utah]]|predecessor3=[[George Thomas (educator)]]|successor3=[[LeRoy E. Cowles]]}}
'''John Andreas Widtsoe''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|w|ɪ|t|s|oʊ}}; January 31, 1872 – November 29, 1952) was a Norwegian-American scientist, author, and religious leader who was a member of the [[Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church)|Quorum of the Twelve Apostles]] of [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (LDS Church) from 1921 until his death in 1952.

==Early life==
Widtsoe was born on the island of [[Frøya (island)|Frøya]] in [[Sør-Trøndelag]] county, [[Norway]]. At birth his hand was attached to the side of his head, but he had an operation to correct this problem.<ref>Lawrence Cummins, [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/friend/1990/05/john-a-widtsoe-master-teacher?lang=eng “John A. Widtsoe—Master Teacher,”] ''[[The Friend (LDS magazine)|Friend]]'', May 1990, p. 48.</ref> When Widtsoe was two, his family moved to the Norwegian mainland city of [[Namsos (town)|Namsos]]. His father, also named John, died in February 1878. This left his mother, Anna, as a widow with two young sons to take care of: six-year-old John, and his younger brother [[Osborne Widtsoe]].<ref>[[Alan K. Parrish|Parrish, Alan K.]] ''John A. Widtsoe: A Biography.'' (Salt Lake City, Utah: [[Deseret Book]], 2003) p. 17.</ref> The family moved to [[Trondheim (city)|Trondheim]], where they were introduced to the LDS Church by a shoemaker.<ref>Parrish. ''Widtsoe''. pp. 20–23.</ref>

In 1883, Widtsoe immigrated to the United States with his mother and brother. They arrived in [[Utah Territory]] in mid-November.<ref>Parrish. ''Widtsoe''. p. 28.</ref> Widtsoe was baptized a member of the LDS Church the following April.<ref>Parrish. ''Widtsoe''. p. 38.</ref>

==Education==
Widtsoe graduated from [[Brigham Young College]] in [[Logan, Utah]]. He attended [[Harvard University]], graduating with honors in 1894.<ref>[[G. Homer Durham|Durham, G. Homer]]. "Foreword" to Widtsoe, John A. ''The Message of the Doctrine and Covenants''. (Salt Lake City, Utah: [[Bookcraft]], 1969) p. v.</ref>

In 1898, Widtsoe was ordained to the office of [[Seventy (LDS Church)|seventy]] and [[Setting apart|set apart]] to do missionary work in connection with his studies in [[Europe]]. He entered the [[University of Göttingen]], [[Germany]], and graduated with the degrees of AM and [[PhD]] in 1899. For part of his time in Europe, Widtsoe lived in Switzerland. The police wanted proof that he and his wife were married, and since they had neglected to bring their American wedding certificate with them, they were married a second time.<ref>Widtsoe, John A. "In A Sunlight Land".</ref>

==Academic career==
[[File:John A. Widtsoe.jpg|left|100px|thumb|{{center|Widtsoe ca. 1920}}]]
In August 1900, Widtsoe became the director of the Agricultural Experiment Station at [[Utah State Agricultural College]].<ref>Parrish. ''Widtsoe''. p. 121.</ref> While in this position, he founded ''The Deseret Farmer'' with Lewis A. Merrill and J. Edward Taylor. Their goal was to have it be a popular magazine that would be read and used by farmers.<ref>Parrish. ''Widtsoe''.  p. 547.</ref>

In 1905, Widtsoe was dismissed from the agricultural college as a result of political debates about its future and feelings of [[William Jasper Kerr]], the university's president, that Widtsoe was insufficiently supporting him.<ref>Parrish. ''Widtsoe''. p. 135.</ref>

For a short time, Widtsoe was a professor of agriculture at [[Brigham Young University]] (BYU), and is arguably the founding father of BYU's college of biology and agriculture. (Previously on the BYU campus, the John A. Widtsoe Building was the home of the College of Biology and Agriculture. A new building, the Life Sciences Building, took its place in 2014). Soon, however, he returned to Logan and succeeded Kerr as president of Utah State Agricultural College; he served in this position from 1907 to 1916. He also served as the president of the [[University of Utah]] from 1916 until his call as a member of the LDS Church's Quorum of the Twelve in 1921. Widtsoe was the fifth [[Commissioner of Church Education]] from 1921 to 1924 and was the seventh commissioner from 1934 to 1936.

During his time as an [[apostle (Latter Day Saints)|apostle]], Widtsoe taught a religion class at the [[University of Southern California]].<ref>Parrish. ''Widtsoe''. p. 535–45.</ref>

==Federal government work==
For two years in the 1920s, Widtsoe lived in [[Washington, D.C.]], where he supervised the reorganization of the [[United States Bureau of Reclamation|Federal Bureau of Reclamation]].<ref name="Garr">Parrish, Alan K. "John A. Widtsoe" in [[Arnold K. Garr|Garr, Arnold K]], [[Donald Q. Cannon]] and [[Richard O. Cowan]], ed. ''Encyclopedia of Latter-day Saint History'' (Salt Lake City, Utah: [[Deseret Book]], 2000) p. 1343.</ref>

==Service in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles==
Widtsoe was closely associated with the ''[[Improvement Era]]'' even before he became an apostle. He was associate editor of the magazine from 1935 until 1952.<ref name = Garr/><ref>Parrish. ''Widtsoe'', p. 548.</ref>  As editor of the ''Improvement Era'', Widtsoe "directed its growth from a magazine primarily for the youth to the voice of the whole Church".<ref name=Garr/> One of Widtsoe's employees while at the magazine was [[Hugh Nibley]], who Widtsoe convinced to become a professor at BYU.<ref>[[Boyd Petersen|Peterson, Boyd]]. ''Hugh Nibley: A Consecrated Life''. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Greg Kofford Books, 2002).</ref>

Widtsoe was also a member of the church's Genealogy Committee, where he pushed for creation and adoption of the Temple Index Bureau.<ref>[[James B. Allen (historian)|Allen, James B.]], Jessie L. Embry and Kahlile B. Mehr. ''Hearts Turned to the Fathers: A History of the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1894-1994'' (Provo, Utah: [[BYU Studies]], 1995)  p. 98.</ref>

===Missions to Europe===
In 1923, Widtsoe accompanied fellow apostle, [[Reed Smoot]], on a journey to [[Great Britain]] and the Scandinavian countries, during which they secured recognition and opened the way for missionaries of the church to return to these lands.<ref name=Garr/>

From 1926 until 1932, Widtsoe served as [[mission president|president]] of the European [[Mission (LDS Church)|Mission]]. While in this office, he convinced the [[First Presidency (LDS Church)|First Presidency]] to call a separate president of the British Mission, so that the president of the European Mission could focus on supervising the missions in continental Europe. While president of the European Mission, Widtsoe dedicated [[Czechoslovakia]] for the preaching of the gospel, and worked closely with [[Arthur Gaeth]] in starting the mission there.

==Marriage and writings==
Widtsoe married [[Leah Dunford]], a daughter of [[Susa Young Gates]], who was a daughter of LDS Church [[President of the Church (LDS Church)|president]] [[Brigham Young]]. Their first child, Ann Gaarden Widtsoe, was born in Germany. The couple had eight children, but only three lived to adulthood.<ref>Finding aid author: Ann Hinckley (1976). "The Widtsoe Family Papers, 1866-1966". Prepared for the Utah State Historical Society, Salt Lake City, UT. Retrieved May 4, 2016.</ref> Widtsoe worked closely with his wife and mother-in-law on a biography of Young. Widtsoe also edited a book containing Young's significant teachings. Widtsoe was also the lead compiler of ''Gospel Doctrine'', a collection of sermons and teachings of LDS Church president [[Joseph F. Smith]].

Widtsoe and his wife authored ''The Word of Wisdom: A Modern Interpretation'', a book which advocates the incorporation of healthy eating habits into the [[Word of Wisdom]].

Widtsoe wrote ''A Rational Theology as Taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints'', which has been cited by later LDS authors such as [[J. Reuben Clark]].<ref>Clark, J. Reuben. ''Behold the Lamb of God''. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Company, 1962).</ref> He also wrote ''[[Evidences and Reconciliations]]'', which was a compilation of his ''Improvement Era'' writings, answering common questions on matters of faith.<ref>See [[Richard L. Evans|Evans, Richard L.]] "Introduction" to Widtsoe, John A. (arranged by [[G. Homer Durham]]) ''[[Evidences and Reconciliations]]''. (Salt Lake City, Utah: [[Bookcraft]], 1960).</ref> In this work, Widtsoe acknowledges that there are multiple interpretations that Latter-day Saints can hold on certain issues. One example is his explanation of the time involved in the creation of the earth: he indicated that faithful Latter-day Saints could hold the "six-day", "six-thousand-years", or the "undefined-period" interpretations of the creation. Although Widtsoe focused on explaining the rationale for the "undefined-period" interpretation, he did not belittle the other two or state that they were unorthodox.

In 1939, Widtsoe published ''Priesthood and Church Government''. His work, ''The Message of the Doctrine and Covenants'', was edited by son-in-law [[G. Homer Durham]], and published after Widtsoe's death. Widtsoe wrote ''Seven Claims of the Book of Mormon: A Collection of Evidences'' with Franklin S. Harris, Jr.

Widtsoe wrote a biography of [[Joseph Smith]] entitled ''Joseph Smith: Seeker After Truth Prophet of God''. It was published in 1951, and reprinted by [[Bookcraft]] in 1957. Widtsoe also wrote ''Joseph Smith as Scientist: A Contribution to Mormon Philosophy'', published by the [[Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association]] in 1908. In 1944, his essay, "The Divine Mission of Joseph Smith", was included in ''Handbook of the Restoration'' published by Zion's Printing and Publishing Company in [[Independence, Missouri]].

Non-religious books by Widtsoe include ''Dry-Farming: A System of Agriculture for Countries Under a Low Rainfall'' (New York: MacMillan, 1920) and ''Dodge's Geography of Utah''.

Widtsoe wrote two autobiographies. The first, ''In the Gospel Net'', largely focused on his mother's conversion to the LDS Church. The second, ''In a Sunlit Land'', told the story of his later life, and included explanations of his educational philosophy.

==Hymns==
Widtsoe wrote the texts to the hymns "Lead Me into Life Eternal" and "How Long, O Lord Most Holy and True," which appear as numbers 45 and 126 respectively in the 1985 [[Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1985 book)|LDS hymnal]].

==Death==
[[Image:JohnAWidtsoeGrave.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Grave marker of John A. Widtsoe]]
Widtsoe died in [[Salt Lake City]], of [[uremia]]; he also had [[prostate]] cancer for several years before his death.<ref>[http://images.archives.utah.gov/data/81448/4093491/4093491_0119.jpg State of Utah Death Certificate] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110818100006/http://images.archives.utah.gov/data/81448/4093491/4093491_0119.jpg |date=August 18, 2011}}.</ref> He was buried at [[Salt Lake City Cemetery]].

[[Adam S. Bennion]] filled the vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve following Widtsoe's death.

== Published works ==
*{{Cite book |last=Widtsoe |first=John A. |url=https://archive.org/details/concordancetoboo00widt |title=A Concordance to the Book of Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |publisher=Deseret Sunday School Union |year=1906 |location=Salt Lake City UT}}
*{{Cite book |last=Widtsoe |first=John A. |url=http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/34362 |title=Joseph Smith as Scientist: A Contribution to Mormon Philosophy |publisher=General Board Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association |year=1908 |location=Salt Lake City UT |author-mask=2}}
*{{Cite book |last=Widtsoe |first=John A. |url=https://archive.org/stream/dodgesgeographyo00wi#page/n3/mode/2up |title=Dodge's Geography of Utah |last2=William Peterson |publisher=[[Rand McNally|Rand, McNally & Co]] |year=1908 |location=Chicago IL |author-mask=2}}
*{{Cite book |last=Widtsoe |first=John A. |url=http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4924 |title=Dry-Farming: A System of Agriculture for Countries Under a Low Rainfall |publisher=Macmillan |year=1911 |location=New York NY |author-mask=2}}
*{{Cite book |last=Widtsoe |first=John A. |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.259 |title=The Principles of Irrigation Practice |publisher=Macmillan |year=1914 |location=New York NY |author-mask=2}}
*{{Cite book |last=Widtsoe |first=John A. |url=http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/35562 |title=Rational Theology: As Taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |publisher=General Priesthood Committee of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |year=1915 |location=Salt Lake City UT |author-mask=2}}
*{{Cite book |last=Widtsoe |first=John A. |url=https://archive.org/details/westernagricultu00widt |title=Western Agriculture |publisher=Webb Publishing Co. |year=1918 |location=St. Paul MN |author-mask=2}}
*{{Cite book |last=Widtsoe |first=John A. |url=https://archive.org/details/gospeldoctrinese00smitrich |title=Gospel Doctrine |last2=Joseph F. Smith |author-link2=Joseph F. Smith |publisher=Deseret News |year=1919 |location=Salt Lake City UT |author-mask=2}}
*{{Cite book |last=Widtsoe |first=John A. |url=https://archive.org/details/discoursesofbrig028407mbp |title=Discourses of Brigham Young |publisher=Deseret Book Co. |year=1925 |location=Salt Lake City UT |author-mask=2}}
*{{Cite book |last=Widtsoe |first=John A. |title=Success on Irrigation Projects |publisher=John Wiley & Sons, Inc. |year=1928 |location=New York NY |author-mask=2}}
*{{Cite book |last=Widtsoe |first=John A. |title=In Search of Truth: Comments on the Gospel and Modern Thought |publisher=Deseret Book |year=1930 |location=Salt Lake City UT |author-mask=2}}
*{{Cite book |last=Widtsoe |first=John A. |title=Seven Claims of the Book of Mormon: A Collection of Evidences |last2=Franklin S. Harris |author-link2=Franklin S. Harris |publisher=Zion's Printing and Publishing Co. |year=1935 |location=Independence MO |author-mask=2}}
*{{Cite book |last=Widtsoe |first=John A. |title=Program of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |publisher=Department of Education of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |year=1936 |location=Salt Lake City UT |author-mask=2}}
*{{Cite book |last=Widtsoe |first=John A. |title=The Word of Wisdom: A Modern Interpretation |last2=Leah D. Widtsoe |publisher=Deseret Book |year=1937 |location=Salt Lake City UT |author-mask=2}}
*{{Cite book |last=Widtsoe |first=John A. |title=Priesthood and Church Government in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |publisher=Deseret Book |year=1939 |location=Salt Lake City UT |author-mask=2}}
*{{Cite book |last=Widtsoe |first=John A. |title=Current Gospel Questions |publisher=General Boards of the Mutual Improvement Associations |year=1939 |location=Salt Lake City UT |author-mask=2}}
*{{Cite book |last=Widtsoe |first=John A. |title=In the Gospel Net: The Story of Anna Karine Gaarden Widtsoe |publisher=Zion's Printing and Publishing Co. |year=1941 |location=Independence, Missouri |author-mask=2}}
*{{Cite book |last=Widtsoe |first=John A. |title=Your Questions Answered |publisher=General Boards of the Mutual Improvement Associations |year=1943 |location=Salt Lake City UT |author-mask=2}}
*{{Cite book |last=Widtsoe |first=John A. |url=http://www.cumorah.com/etexts/evidencesreconciliations.txt |title=Evidences and Reconciliations: Aids to Faith in a Modern Day |publisher=[[Bookcraft]] |year=1943 |location=Salt Lake City UT |author-mask=2}}
*{{Cite book |last=Widtsoe |first=John A. |title=Man and the Dragon and Other Essays |publisher=Bookcraft |year=1945 |location=Salt Lake City UT |author-mask=2}}
*{{Cite book |last=Widtsoe |first=John A. |title=Gospel Interpretations: More Evidences and Reconciliations |publisher=Bookcraft |year=1947 |location=Salt Lake City UT |author-mask=2}}
*{{Cite book |last=Widtsoe |first=John A. |title=How the Desert was Tamed; A Lesson for Today and Tomorrow |publisher=Deseret Book |year=1947 |location=Salt Lake City UT |author-mask=2}}
*{{Cite book |last=Widtsoe |first=John A. |title=The Articles of Faith in Everyday Life |publisher=Young Men's and Young Women's Mutual Improvement Associations |year=1949 |location=Salt Lake City UT |author-mask=2}}
*{{Cite book |last=Widtsoe |first=John A. |title=Joseph Smith: Seeker After Truth, Prophet of God |publisher=Bookcraft |year=1951 |location=Salt Lake City UT |author-mask=2}}
*{{Cite book |last=Widtsoe |first=John A. |title=In a Sunlit Land: The Autobiography of John A. Widtsoe |publisher=Deseret News Press |year=1952 |location=Salt Lake City UT |author-mask=2}}
*{{Cite book |last=Widtsoe |first=John A. |title=The Message of the Doctrine and Covenants |last2=G. Homer Durham |author-link2=G. Homer Durham |publisher=Bookcraft |year=1969 |location=Salt Lake City UT |author-mask=2}}
*{{Cite book |last=Skanchy, Anthon L. |url=https://archive.org/stream/anthonlskanchybr00skan#page/n3/mode/2up |title=Anthon L. Skanchy: A Brief Autobiographical Sketch |year=1915 |editor-last=John A. Widtsoe |editor-mask=2 |location=Salt Lake City UT}}

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
* {{Gutenberg author |id=1593}}
* {{Internet Archive author |sname=John Andreas Widtsoe}}
* {{Librivox author |id=15018}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-rel|mo}}
{{succession box
| title= [[Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church)|Quorum of the Twelve Apostles]]
| years=March 17, 1921 &ndash; November 29, 1952
| before=[[Melvin J. Ballard]]
| after= [[Joseph F. Merrill]]
|}}
{{s-aca}}
{{succession box
| title=President of [[Utah State University]]
| before=[[William Jasper Kerr]]
| after=Elmer George Peterson
| years=1907-1916 
}}{{succession box
| title=President of the [[University of Utah]]
| before=[[Joseph T. Kingsbury]]
| after=[[George Thomas (educator)|George Thomas]]
| years=1916 – 1921 
}}
{{s-end}}

{{LDSApostles}}
{{CEScommissioners}}
{{Utah State University presidents}}
{{University of Utah presidents}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Widtsoe, John Andreas}}
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