John S. Tanner (Mormon)

Last updated
John S. Tanner
10thPresident of BYU–Hawaii
In office
July 27, 2015 –June 30, 2020
Preceded by Steven C. Wheelwright
Succeeded by John S. K. Kauwe III
Personal details
Born (1950-07-27) July 27, 1950 (age 71)
Salt Lake City, Utah
Spouse(s) Susan W. Tanner
Alma mater Brigham Young University
University of California at Berkeley

John Sears Tanner (born July 27, 1950) [1] is a former president of Brigham Young University-Hawaii (BYU-Hawaii). He was the 10th president of BYU-Hawaii, serving from 2015 to 2020. [2] He previously served as first counselor in the General Sunday School Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) (2014 to 2015), as president of the church's Brazil São Paulo South Mission (2011 to 2014) and as Academic Vice President of Brigham Young University (BYU). Tanner is married to Susan W. Tanner, a former general president of the LDS Church's Young Women organization.

Contents

Biography

Tanner was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and grew up in South Pasadena, California, one of 13 children born to William and Athelia Tanner. [1] He served an LDS mission in Brazil. [3] In 1974, Tanner received a bachelor's degree from BYU. While at BYU he met Susan Winder. They married in the Salt Lake Temple in 1974. [4] He then began studies at the University of California at Berkeley where he received a Ph.D. in English in 1980. [3]

Tanner began his academic career as an assistant professor at Florida State University. He has also been a Fulbright Scholar in Brazil. [5] Bothered in Florida by the freedom that feminist and atheist colleagues had to speak about their beliefs, while he had to hold his tongue about his, as well as by his wife's homesickness for Utah, Tanner became a member of the BYU faculty in 1982. [6] Tanner has focused much of his study on John Milton. His book, Anxiety in Eden {Oxford University Press), received the Best Book Award from the Milton Society of America in 1992. [3] Tanner also contributed to the Encyclopedia of Mormonism .

Tanner is a former, two-term president of the Association for Mormon Letters.

From 1992 to 1998 Tanner was BYU's Associate Academic Vice President for Undergraduate and International Education. He developed the Freshman Academy program to better transition new freshmen into BYU, and helped write the current university policy on academic freedom. [3] Tanner also oversaw changes in BYU's General Education requirements, including a reduction in the Physical Education requirement. [7] In 2001, Paul Y. Hoskisson edited a volume entitled Historicity and the Latter-day Saint Scriptures which included a chapter by Tanner entitled "The World and the Word: History, Literature and Scripture". It was a scholarly attempt to deal with, among other things, issues surrounding archaeology study of ancient American societies portrayed in the Book of Mormon.

From 1998 to 2003, Tanner served as chair of the BYU English Department. [8] He was BYU's Academic Vice President from 2004 to 2011.

Tanner wrote BYU's Educational AIMs (Spiritually Strengthening, Intellectually Enlarging, Character Building, Lifelong Learning and Service).

Tanner has served in the LDS Church as a bishop and stake president. In 2011, Tanner was assigned to serve as president of the Brazil São Paulo South Mission. [9]

At the church's April 2014 General Conference, Tanner was accepted by the membership as first counselor to Tad R. Callister in the general presidency of the church's Sunday School. [10] Tanner completed his service in Brazil and officially began the Sunday School assignment in July 2014.

On May 12, 2015, Russell M. Nelson, chairman of the Executive Committee of the BYU-Hawaii Board of Trustees announced that effective July 27, 2015, Tanner would succeed Steven C. Wheelwright as the president of BYU-Hawaii. [2]

In June 2015, the LDS Church announced that Devin Durrant, who had been serving as the Second Counselor in the Sunday School General Presidency, would succeed Tanner as First Counselor. [11]

On May 12, 2020, Jeffrey R. Holland, chairman of the Executive Committee of the BYU-Hawaii Board of Trustees, announced that Tanner would be succeeded as the institution's president by John S. K. Kauwe III, effective July 1, 2020. [12]

Music and poetry

Tanner wrote the words to "Bless Our Fast We Pray", which is hymn #138 in the 1985 English-language edition of the LDS Church hymnal. Tanner also wrote a "Sacrament Sonnet" that was published in Ensign in 1981. [13]

Tanner was also involved with putting to music "Nephi's Psalm," from a chapter in the Book of Mormon. [14] The first one, "I Love the Lord" was written to the tune of "Be Still My Soul" and has been sung at the Priesthood Session of both the October 1999 and April 2007 general conferences. His other adaption, "Sometimes My Soul," is based on the American folk tune "Poor Wayfaring Stranger." [15] Tanner also wrote an article in Ensign on the power of hymns. [16]

Tanner is also a published poet. [17]

Related Research Articles

Dallin H. Oaks

Dallin Harris Oaks is an American religious leader and former jurist and educator who since 2018 has been the first counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was called as a member of the church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1984. Currently, he is the second most senior apostle by years of service and is the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. However, consistent with long-established practice, due to Oaks serving in the First Presidency, M. Russell Ballard currently serves as the quorum's acting president.

Gordon B. Hinckley American religious leader and author

Gordon Bitner Hinckley was an American religious leader and author who served as the 15th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from March 1995 until his death in January 2008 at age 97. Considered a prophet, seer, and revelator by church members, Hinckley was the oldest person to preside over the church in its history.

Boyd K. Packer American religious leader in the LDS Church

Boyd Kenneth Packer was an American religious leader and former educator who served as president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 2008 until his death. He also served as the quorum's acting president from 1994 to 2008, and was an apostle and member of the Quorum of the Twelve from 1970 until his death. He served as a general authority of the church from 1961 until his death.

Brigham Young University–Hawaii

Brigham Young University–Hawaii (BYU-Hawaii) is a private university in Laie, Hawaii. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. BYU-Hawaii was founded in 1955, and became a satellite campus of Brigham Young University (BYU) in 1974. In 2004, it was made a separate institution. The university's sole focus is on undergraduate education.

Henry B. Eyring

Henry Bennion Eyring is an American educational administrator, author, and religious leader. Eyring has been the Second Counselor to Russell M. Nelson in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since January 14, 2018. Previously, Eyring was the First Counselor to Thomas S. Monson in the First Presidency from 2008 until Monson's death on January 2, 2018. Eyring was the Second Counselor to Gordon B. Hinckley in the First Presidency from October 6, 2007, until Hinckley's death on January 27, 2008.

Jeffrey R. Holland American educator and religious leader (born 1940)

Jeffrey Roy Holland is an American educator and religious leader. He served as the ninth President of Brigham Young University and is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Holland is accepted by the church as a prophet, seer, and revelator. Currently, he is the fourth most senior apostle in the church.

Dieter F. Uchtdorf German aviator, airline executive and religious leader

Dieter Friedrich Uchtdorf is a German aviator, airline executive and religious leader. He is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Called as an apostle in 2004, he served as Second Counselor to Thomas S. Monson in the church's First Presidency from 2008 until Monson's death on 2 January 2018. Currently, Uchtdorf is the sixth most senior apostle in the ranks of the church.

Devin George Durrant is an American retired professional basketball player. From 1984 to 1985 he played with the Indiana Pacers and with the Phoenix Suns. He later played in European basketball leagues until 1988. In a Deseret News poll in the year 2000, he was voted one of the top 10 college basketball players in the state of Utah over the previous 100 years. In 1999, Sports Illustrated listed him as one of the 50 greatest Utah sports figures.

Susan W. Tanner

Susan Winder Tanner was the twelfth General President of the Young Women organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 2002 to 2008.

Daniel K Judd

Daniel K Judd was the first counselor to A. Roger Merrill in the Sunday School General Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 2004 to 2009. Judd was also chair of the Ancient Scripture Department of Brigham Young University (BYU). In 2019, Judd was named the Dean of BYU's Department of Religious Education.

L. Whitney Clayton

Lyndon Whitney Clayton III has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 2001. He became a member of the church's Presidency of the Seventy in 2008 and was its senior president from 2015 until 2020.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Tonga Church in Tonga

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has had a presence in Tonga since 1891. The Tongan Mission was organized in 1916. However, due to anti-Mormon rumors and government policies, the LDS Church did not grow steadily in Tonga until 1924. Between 1946 and 1956, church leaders published Tongan translations of the scriptures and built a church-sponsored school known as the Liahona School. In 1968, Tonga's first LDS stake was organized and the Nuku'alofa Tonga Temple was dedicated in 1983.

Emanuel Abu Kissi is a Ghanaian medical doctor, founder of a medical clinic, and leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He is one of only a few black Africans to have served as an area seventy in the church. He was the official head of the LDS Church in Ghana during its "freeze" in 1989–90, and has worked extensively to increase interfaith relationships in Ghana.

Gerrit W. Gong Leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, first leader of Asian descent

Gerrit Walter Gong is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has been a general authority since 2010 and served as a member of the church's Presidency of the Seventy from October 2015 until his calling to the Quorum of the Twelve in March 2018. He is the LDS Church's first apostle of Asian descent. Prior to becoming a general authority, he served as Assistant to the President of Brigham Young University (BYU) for Planning and Assessment. As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Gong is accepted by the church as a prophet, seer, and revelator. Currently, he is the fourteenth most senior apostle in the church.

Bradley R. Wilcox

Bradley Ray Wilcox is a professor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University (BYU) and has been the second counselor in the Young Men general presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since April 2020.

Tad Richards Callister was the 21st Sunday School General President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 2014 to 2019. He served previously in the church as a general authority from 2008 to 2014, including as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy from 2011 to 2014.

Outline of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Overview of and topical guide to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The following outline is provided as an overview of and a topical guide to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

David O. McKay School of Education

The David O. McKay School of Education (SOE) at Brigham Young University (BYU) specializes in teaching, administration, communication disorders, and educational inquiry. It is located in three buildings on BYU's campus in Provo, Utah, the David O. McKay Building, the John Taylor Building, and the George Albert Smith Fieldhouse. It was ranked number 78 in the United States for best education schools for 2020.

General Conference (LDS Church) Bi-annual conference in Salt Lake City

General Conference is a gathering of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, held biannually every April and October at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. During each conference, members of the church gather in a series of two-hour sessions to listen to sermons from church leaders. It consists of four general sessions. Since April 2018, the priesthood session is held during the April conference, with a General Women's Session held during October's conference. The conference also generally includes training sessions for general and area leaders. Although each general conference originates from Salt Lake City, the conference is considered an international event for the church. The sessions are broadcast worldwide in over 90 languages, primarily through local and international media outlets, and over the Internet.

References

  1. 1 2 "John S. Tanner", Liahona , May 2014.
  2. 1 2 "BYU–Hawaii's Board of Trustees Announces New President", Newsroom, LDS Church, 2013-05-12
  3. 1 2 3 4 Academic Vice President Biographical Sketch: John S. Tanner Archived 2008-03-01 at the Wayback Machine , byu.edu, accessed 2008-02-22.
  4. ↑ LDS Church News, May 31, 2014 bio of Tanner
  5. ↑ “Susan Winder Tanner Young Women General President”, Liahona , November 2002, p. 123.
  6. ↑ Mormon Literature & Creative Arts: John S. Tanner, byu.edu, accessed 2008-02-22.
  7. ↑ Church News , May 13, 1995.[ full citation needed ]
  8. ↑ Church News bio
  9. ↑ Church News , February 19, 2011.[ full citation needed ]
  10. ↑ "Leadership Change, New General Authorities and New Sunday School General Presidency Announced". 5 April 2014.
  11. ↑ "Church Calls New Member of Sunday School General Presidency", Newsroom, LDS Church, 2015-06-12
  12. ↑ "Church Names Native Hawaiian as New President of Brigham Young University–Hawaii: John "Keoni" Kauwe and his wife, Monica, begin service on July 1", Newsroom, LDS Church, May 12, 2020
  13. ↑ "Sacramental Sonnet", Ensign , September 1981, p. 5.
  14. ↑ 2 Nephi 4:15–35.
  15. ↑ http://farms.byu.edu/publications/jbms/?vol=10&num=2&id=253 Two Hymns Based on Nephi's Psalm
  16. ↑ Blessings upon Our Heads Ensign , February 2004, p. 16.
  17. ↑ Mormon Scholars testify bio of Tanner
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.