N. Eldon Tanner

N. Eldon Tanner was born in Salt Lake City but grew up in Canada, where his parents helped settle the town of Aetna, near Cardston, Alberta. Their first home was a one-room dugout cut from a hillside. The hard farm life developed a strong work ethic in Nathan.

He became principal of a three-room school where he met teacher Sara Isabelle Merrill, whom he married. They had five daughters.

Tanner’s reputation for hard work and integrity led to many leadership responsibilities. He was Speaker of the Alberta Legislature, a provincial cabinet minister, president of a petroleum company, and head of the company that built the 2,000-mile Trans-Canada Pipeline.

He was called as an Assistant to the Twelve in October 1960, ordained an Apostle in October 1962, and served as a counselor in the First Presidency for 19 years under four church presidents: David O. McKay (Second Counselor), Joseph Fielding Smith, Harold B. Lee, and Spencer W. Kimball (First Counselor to each).

President Ezra Taft Benson said of him: “Nathan Eldon Tanner was one of the great and noble men of our time… In the annals of Church history he will be remembered as one of the influential counselors in the First Presidency of the Church.”