Anthony W. Ivins

Anthony W. Ivins

1852–1934 (82 years)

Hometown: Toms River, New Jersey

Biography

Anthony W. Ivins was an apostle from 1907 until his death in 1934 and served in the First Presidency. He played a significant role in the church’s colonization efforts in Mexico.

Ivins served as president of the church’s Mexican colonies and was involved in performing plural marriages in Mexico after the 1890 Manifesto, when such marriages were still permitted outside the United States. This period remains controversial in church history.

He later served as First Counselor to Heber J. Grant. His Mexican mission experience and colonization work made him an expert on the church’s complex relationship with polygamy during the transition period.

Served Under

Church presidents during this leader's apostolic service:

Joseph F. Smith Joseph F. Smith 1838–1918 (80 years) Heber J. Grant Heber J. Grant 1856–1945 (88 years)

Wives (1)

#NameMarriage DateHer AgeHis AgeAge DiffChildren
1 Elizabeth Ashby Snow Nov 9, 1878 232639

Children (9)

With Elizabeth Ashby Snow (9 children)

  1. Anthony W. Ivins Jr. (b. Nov 9, 1879)
  2. Antoine Ridgeway Ivins (b. May 11, 1881)
  3. Anna Lowrie Ivins (b. Oct 20, 1882)
  4. Florence Ivins (b. Jun 4, 1885)
  5. Leah Ivins (b. Aug 18, 1887)
  6. Heber Grant Ivins (b. Sep 2, 1889)
  7. Stanley Snow Ivins (b. Jul 27, 1891)
  8. Augusta Caroline Ivins (b. Oct 23, 1893)
  9. Fulvia Snow Ivins (b. Jul 18, 1897)

Related Images

“Furthermore, insofar as the authorities of the Church are concerned, since this pretended revelation, if ever given, was never presented to and adopted by the Church or by any council of the Church, and since to the contrary, an inspired rule of action, the Manifesto, was (subsequently to the pretended revelation) presented to and adopted by the Church, which inspired rule in its term, purport, and effect was directly opposite to the interpretation given to the pretended revelation, the said pretended revelation could have no validity and no binding effect and force upon Church members, and action under it would be unauthorized, illegal, and void.” - Official Statement from the First Presidency (Heber J. Grant, Anthony W. Ivins, J. Reuben Clark) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Deseret News, June 17, 1933. | wasmormon.org “The First Presidency have recently received letters making inquiry concerning the position of the Church regarding the contracting of polygamous or plural marriages. It is evident these letters, a well as from certain published material—some of it distributed during our last General Conference—that a secret and, according to reputation, an oath-bound organization of misguided individuals is seeking to lead the people to adopt adulterous relations under the guise of a pretended and false polygamous or plural marriage ceremony.” - Official Statement from the First Presidency (Heber J. Grant, Anthony W. Ivins, J. Reuben Clark) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Deseret News, June 17, 1933. | wasmormon.org “While the position of Church since 1893 has been repeatedly set forth, namely that polygamous or plural marriages are not and cannot now be performed, yet in order that there may be no excuse for any Church member to be misled by the false representations or the corrupt, adulterous practices of the members of this secret and (by reputation) oath-bound organisation (of which the history of the Nephites and Lamanites show so many counterparts), it is deemed wise again to set out the position of the Church on this matter, at the same time tracing the outlines of the historical facts lying behind the Church's position, of which many young Church members might not be fully aware.” - Official Statement from the First Presidency (Heber J. Grant, Anthony W. Ivins, J. Reuben Clark) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Deseret News, June 17, 1933. | wasmormon.org “As to this pretended revelation it should be said that the archives of the Church contain no such revelation; the archives contain no record of any such revelation, nor any evidence justifying a belief that any such revelation was ever given. From the personal knowledge of some of us, from the uniform and common recollection of the presiding quorums of the Church, from the absence in the Church archives of any evidence whatsoever justifying any belief that such a revelation was given, we are justified in affirming that no such revelation exists.” - Official Statement from the First Presidency (Heber J. Grant, Anthony W. Ivins, J. Reuben Clark) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Deseret News, June 17, 1933. | wasmormon.org