Heber Jeddy Grant
(November 22, 1856 – May 14, 1945) was an American religious leader who served as the
seventh
Seventh is the ordinal form of the number seven.
Seventh may refer to:
* Seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution
* A fraction (mathematics), , equal to one of seven equal parts
Film and television
*"The Seventh", a second-season e ...
president
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ch ...
(LDS Church). Grant worked as a bookkeeper and a cashier, then was called to be an
LDS apostle on October 16, 1882, at age 25. After the death of
Joseph F. Smith in late 1918, Grant served as LDS Church president until his death.
The first president born after the exodus to Utah, Grant was also the last LDS Church president to have practiced
plural marriage. He had three wives, though by the time he became church president in 1918 only his second wife, Augusta Winters, was still living.
In business, Grant helped develop
the Avenues neighborhood of Salt Lake City. In 1884, he served a term as a representative to the
Utah Territorial Legislature
The Utah State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Utah. It is a bicameral body, comprising the Utah House of Representatives, with 75 state representatives, and the Utah Senate, with 29 state senators. There are no term ...
.
Early life
![Heber J Grant with mother Rachel Ivins Grant](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/Heber_J_Grant_with_mother_Rachel_Ivins_Grant.PNG)
Grant was born in
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the capital and most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in Utah. With a population of 200,133 in 2020, th ...
,
Utah Territory
The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah, the 45th state ...
, the son of Rachel Ridgeway Ivins and
Jedediah Morgan Grant. His father was a counselor in the
First Presidency
Among many churches in the Latter Day Saint movement, the First Presidency (also known as the Quorum of the Presidency of the Church) is the highest presiding or governing body. Present-day denominations of the movement led by a First Presidency ...
to
Brigham Young
Brigham Young (; June 1, 1801August 29, 1877) was an American religious leader and politician. He was the second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), from 1847 until his death in 1877. During his time as ch ...
. Rachel Grant was a native of
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, where she had converted to the LDS Church at about 20. Her cousin and later brother-in-law (he married her older sister Anna), Israel Ivins, was the first person baptized a Latter-day Saint in
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
.
Jedediah Grant died when Heber J. Grant was nine days old. After Jedediah's death, Rachel married Jedediah's brother, George Grant, but he fell into alcoholism so she divorced him. Rachel became the dominant influence in Heber's life. She served for many years as president of the 13th
Ward
Ward may refer to:
Division or unit
* Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward
* Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...
Relief Society
The Relief Society is a philanthropic and educational women's organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It was founded in 1842 in Nauvoo, Illinois, United States, and has more than 7 million members in over 18 ...
in downtown Salt Lake City.
He was known for his determination to achieve goals that were seemingly beyond his reach. As a child, he wanted to join the baseball team that would win the Utah territorial championship, but others believed him to be too physically awkward to be successful. In response, he purchased a baseball and practiced throwing the ball for hours against his barn to improve. The team he joined later won the championship. In similar fashion, Grant expressed a desire to be a successful bookkeeper although many of his associates criticized his
penmanship
Penmanship is the technique of writing with the hand using a writing instrument. Today, this is most commonly done with a pen, or pencil, but throughout history has included many different implements. The various generic and formal hist ...
. He practiced his writing to the point that he was invited to teach penmanship at one of the local academies.
There were no free public schools in Salt Lake City when Grant was a child, but his mother kept him enrolled in various schools while he was growing up.
Business activities
After working as a bookkeeper in the insurance business in 1877, Grant became an assistant cashier with
Zion's Savings Bank and afterwards opened an insurance business with Nephi Clayton. Later, Grant became a partner with D. W. Jennings.
He later founded an additional insurance agency in Ogden and, for a time, owned the Ogden Vinegar Works.
In the late 1890s, Grant served as the business manager for the newly-formed official LDS magazine, the ''
Improvement Era
The ''Improvement Era'' (often shortened to ''The Era'') was an official magazine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) between 1897 and 1970.
History
The ''Improvement Era'' was first published in 1897 as a replacement t ...
''. Grant's insurance company advertised in the publication.
Grant continued to be involved in business activities after his call as an apostle. He founded many new businesses, including a bank. He was a founder of the
Utah Sugar Company
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its we ...
and the main founder of the Salt Lake Theatre.
Grant lost a large amount of money in the
Panic of 1893 and never recovered from its adverse financial effects. He was also the main person to negotiate new financing to the LDS Church in New York at the time. His efforts kept the church going until
Lorenzo Snow
Lorenzo Snow (April 3, 1814 – October 10, 1901) was an American religious leader who served as the fifth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1898 until his death. Snow was the last president of the ...
's late-1890s call for tithing placed the church in a better financial situation.
Early LDS Church service
Grant was made a block teacher (similar to the modern position of
home teacher) when he was still a youth, which was rare at the time. He was ordained a
seventy
70 (seventy) is the natural number following 69 and preceding 71.
In mathematics
70 is:
* a sphenic number because it factors as 3 distinct primes.
* a Pell number.
* the seventh pentagonal number.
* the fourth tridecagonal number.
* the fif ...
at 15, which was also rare at the time.
In June 1875, when the first
Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association
The Young Men (often referred to as Young Men's) is a youth organization and official program of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Its purpose is to assist the church's Aaronic priesthood-aged young men in their growt ...
(YMMIA) was organized in the Salt Lake 13th Ward, Grant, then 19, was called to serve as a counselor to
Junius F. Wells in its presidency.
At 26, he served a mission to the Native Americans from 1883 to 1884.
Grant's early church assignments included service on the Church Salary Committee and the
Sunday School General Board. Grant was made Second Assistant in the Superintendency of the General YMMIA in 1898. When Joseph F. Smith became president of the church and head of the YMMIA, Grant was made First Assistant, where he served until he became church president.
In 1880, Grant became
president
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
of the Tooele Utah
Stake, moving there with his wife, Lucy, and their children. Around then, Lucy began to develop health problems.
![Heber J](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/Heber_J._Grant.PNG)
In 1882, Grant was called as a member of the
Quorum of the Twelve
In the Latter Day Saint movement, the Quorum of the Twelve (also known as the Council of the Twelve, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Council of the Twelve Apostles, or the Twelve) is one of the governing bodies or ( quorums) of the church hie ...
. Early in his service in the quorum, he made many trips to Arizona, earning the title "The Arizona Apostle".
Grant twice served missions among the
Yaqui
The Yaqui, Hiaki, or Yoeme, are a Native American people of the southwest, who speak a Uto-Aztecan language. Their homelands include the Río Yaqui valley in Sonora, Mexico, and the area below the Gila River in Arizona, Southwestern United Sta ...
in Mexico.
In 1901, Grant was sent to Japan to open the church's Japanese
Mission
Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to:
Organised activities Religion
*Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity
*Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...
. He served as the
mission president
Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). A mission president presides over a geographic area known as a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission. Depending o ...
until 1903, when he returned home but was almost immediately sent to preside over the British and other European missions of the church. He returned from the British mission in 1906.
During the ensuing decade and later, Grant oversaw church education programs, the
Genealogical Society of Utah
FamilySearch is a nonprofit organization and website offering genealogical records, education, and software. It is operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and is closely connected with the church's Family Histo ...
and the ''Improvement Era''.
Church president
Grant succeeded Joseph F. Smith as church president in November 1918. He was not
sustained in the position by the general church membership, however, until June 1919 because of the
influenza pandemic of 1918, which forced a delay of the church's traditional springtime
general conference.
![President Heber J](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/President_Heber_J._Grant%2C_1919.JPG)
During his tenure as church president, Grant enforced the
1890 Manifesto outlawing
plural marriage and gave guidance as the church's social structure evolved away from its early days of plural marriage. In 1927, he authorized the implementation of the church's
"Good Neighbor" policy, which was intended to reduce antagonism between Latter-day Saints and the US government. Grant dedicated the first
temples
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
outside of Utah since
Kirtland. The first was the
Hawaii Temple
Laie Hawaii Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) located on the northeast shore of the Hawaiian island of Oahu. The temple sits on a small hill, half a mile from the Pacific Ocean, in the town of ...
, followed by the
Alberta Temple, the first outside the United States, and the
Arizona Temple. The church also began the
Idaho Falls Temple
The Idaho Falls Idaho Temple (formerly the Idaho Falls Temple) is the tenth constructed and eighth operating temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Located in the city of Idaho Falls, Idaho, it was the church's first temple b ...
, which was not completed until after his death.
Also under Grant, the first stakes outside the
Intermountain West
The Intermountain West, or Intermountain Region, is a geographic and geological region of the Western United States. It is located between the front ranges of the Rocky Mountains on the east and the Cascade Range and Sierra Nevada on the wes ...
were organized. The first stake in Los Angeles was organized in the 1920s. Grant still operated on old methods, such as personally asking
LeGrand Richards
LeGrand Richards (February 6, 1886 – January 11, 1983) was a prominent missionary and leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He served as the seventh presiding bishop of the LDS Church from 1938 to 1952, and ...
to move to California with the intention of calling him as a stake president there. He also personally negotiated the purchase of the land on which the
Los Angeles Temple would be built.
In the 1930s, stakes were organized in New York and Chicago and in the 1940s in Portland, Oregon, and Washington, DC. Grant presided at the dedication of an LDS chapel in Washington, DC, in 1933, which was seen to mark a new phase of nationwide expansion in the church.
In 1935, Grant excommunicated members of the church in
Short Creek,
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
, who refused to sign the loyalty pledge to the church that included a renunciation of plural marriage. That signaled the formal beginning of the
Mormon fundamentalist
Mormon fundamentalism (also called fundamentalist Mormonism) is a belief in the validity of selected fundamental aspects of Mormonism as taught and practiced in the nineteenth century, particularly during the administrations of Joseph Smith, ...
movement, and some of the excommunicated members went on to found the
Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS Church) is a religious sect of the fundamentalist Mormon denominations whose members practice polygamy. The fundamentalist Mormon movement emerged in the early 20th century, ...
.
One of Grant's greatest legacies as president is the church's welfare program, which he instituted in 1936: "our primary purpose was to set up, insofar as it might be possible, a system under which the curse of idleness would be done away with, the evils of a dole abolished, and independence, industry, thrift and self-respect be once more established amongst our people. The aim of the Church is to help the people help themselves." Grant also placed strong emphasis on the importance of sacrament meeting attendance and oversaw expansion of the
seminary
A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy ...
program and the creation of the
institute of religion
An Institute of Religion is a local organization that provides religious education for young adults (ages 18–30) who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Local institutes may function in church meetinghous ...
.
His administration also emphasized the practice of the LDS health code known as the
Word of Wisdom
The "Word of Wisdom" is the common name of an 1833 section of the Doctrine and Covenants, a book considered by many churches within the Latter Day Saint movement to be a sacred text. The section defines beliefs regarding certain drugs, nutritious ...
. During the early 1900s, general authorities differed in their observance of the proscription against beer, wine, tobacco, coffee and tea, but among the apostles, Grant was one of the most vocal in opposing such substances. In 1921, Grant's administration made adherence to the health code compulsory for advancement in the priesthood or for entrance to temples. Grant also spoke out in favor of Utah's Prohibition movement, which occurred around the same time.
Despite being a
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
, Grant was opposed to the election of U.S. President
Franklin Roosevelt and wrote a front-page editorial for the ''
Deseret News'' urging church members not to vote for him during the
1936 election.
Grant shared the view of
J. Reuben Clark and
David O. McKay that the
New Deal was socialism, which they all despised.
Roosevelt greatly alienated Grant also for opposing Prohibition, another subject.
Roosevelt still won Utah in each of his four presidential elections. Grant regarded that as "one of the most serious conditions that has confronted me since I became President of the Church."
Later, when Utah voters agreed by plebiscite to become the 36th state to ratify the
Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Twenty-first Amendment (Amendment XXI) to the United States Constitution repealed the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which had mandated nationwide prohibition on alcohol. The Twenty-first Amendment was proposed by ...
, thus completing the process of ratification and repealing prohibition, Grant was devastated. In a general conference, he told the Latter-day Saints, "I have never felt so humiliated in my life over anything as that the State of Utah voted for the repeal of Prohibition."
Under Grant's administration, the position of
Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, commonly shortened to Assistant to the Twelve or Assistant to the Twelve Apostles, was a priesthood calling in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1941 and 1976. As the title of t ...
was created.
Death
Grant died in
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
at age 88, from cardiac failure as a result of
arteriosclerosis
Arteriosclerosis is the thickening, hardening, and loss of elasticity of the walls of arteries. This process gradually restricts the blood flow to one's organs and tissues and can lead to severe health risks brought on by atherosclerosis, which ...
.
As the final surviving member of the church's
Council of Fifty
"The Council of Fifty" (also known as "the Living Constitution", "the Kingdom of God", or its name by revelation, "The Kingdom of God and His Laws with the Keys and Power thereof, and Judgment in the Hands of His Servants, Ahman Christ") was a La ...
, his death marked the formal end of the organization. He was buried at
Salt Lake City Cemetery
The Salt Lake City Cemetery is a cemetery in northeastern Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, that is one of the largest city-operated cemeteries in the United States.
Description
The cemetery is located above 4th Avenue and east of N Street in ...
.
Legacy
Grant's
teachings as an apostle were the 2004 course of study in the LDS Church's Sunday
Relief Society
The Relief Society is a philanthropic and educational women's organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It was founded in 1842 in Nauvoo, Illinois, United States, and has more than 7 million members in over 18 ...
and
Melchizedek priesthood
The priesthood of Melchizedek is a role in Abrahamic religions, modelled on Melchizedek, combining the dual position of king and priest.
Hebrew Bible
Melchizedek is a king and priest appearing in the Book of Genesis. The name means "King of Rig ...
classes.
Wives
Grant was the last LDS Church president to practice plural marriage. He married a first time in 1877 and then twice more in 1884. However, by the time he became church president, only one of his wives, Augusta, was still alive.
One of his grandchildren was longtime
CBS News producer Leslie Midgley, last husband of
Betty Furness
Elizabeth Mary Furness (January 3, 1916 – April 2, 1994) was an American actress, consumer advocate, and current affairs commentator.
Early years
Furness was born in Manhattan, the daughter of wealthy business executive George Choate Furness ...
.
Lucy Stringham
Grant married Lucy Stringham (1858–1893) on November 1, 1877. She was a daughter of Briant Stringham, who came to the Salt Lake Valley with Brigham Young in 1847.
Lucy had been closely associated with Grant essentially from her birth, and they attended Mary Cook's school together. Like Grant, she was a member of the 13th Ward.
It was not until Grant broke off his courtship with Emily H. Wells (see below) that he started actively courting Lucy.
Lucy was initially reticent to fully accept Grant's advances, seeing herself as just a temporary replacement for Emily, but after he regularly walked her home from church services for several weeks without being invited into the Stringham home, she gave up and invited him in. They married a few months later.
For a time, Lucy was a school teacher.
Grant felt very close to Lucy. On an early assignment as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve in Arizona, he surprised his traveling companion,
Brigham Young Jr., with how many letters he wrote to Lucy.
Lucy and Grant would become the parents of six children. He praised her "business foresight and judgment" and credited her with much of his business success. She died in 1893, after a long illness during which he gave constant, tender devotion to her, as he had throughout their marriage.
Augusta Winters
Grant married Hulda Augusta Winters (1856–1952) on May 26, 1884. She was a school teacher for a time and was described as the ablest school teacher in Utah Territory.
In the late 1880s, Augusta took up residence in New York City to try and prevent Grant's arrest on polygamy charges. Augusta bore one daughter. She accompanied Grant to Japan when he was sent to open the Japanese mission in 1901. She would often travel with him when he was president of the church, especially when he went to address non-Mormon audiences. She died in 1952.
Emily H. Wells
Grant married Emily Harris Wells (1857–1908) on May 27, 1884. She was a daughter of
Daniel H. Wells.
Emily and Grant were five months apart in age and from Emily's birth she had been Grant's next-door neighbor. They were among the most prominent young orators in Salt Lake society in the 1870s, both connected with the Wasatch Literary Association and Grant was a counselor to Emily's brother in the 13th Ward YMMIA presidency. The marriage of Grant and Emily was expected by all who knew them. However, Emily then announced publicly her opposition to polygamy, which caused a falling out between Grant and Emily.
Emily was a full sister of
Briant H. Wells, who was a Major General in the United States Army. Another of her brothers,
Heber M. Wells, later the first governor of the state of Utah, stayed with her for part of the time of her exile in
Manassa.
Emily attended the
University of Deseret
The University of Utah (U of U, UofU, or simply The U) is a public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the flagship institution of the Utah System of Higher Education. The university was established in 1850 as the University of D ...
. For a time, she was a school teacher. In 1883, Grant asked Emily to marry him. Since she had not renounced her dislike for polygamy and he was already married to Lucy, that was in many ways a very daring move on his part, and she initially declined his request. Emily then had a change of heart and she and Grant married on May 27, 1884. Since the
Edmunds Act
The Edmunds Act, also known as the Edmunds Anti-Polygamy Act of 1882,U.S.History.com is a United States federal statute, signed into law on March 23, 1882 by President Chester A. Arthur, declaring polygamy a felony in federal territories. The act ...
had been enacted in 1882, the situation of Mormon polygamists was far worse than it had been a decade earlier when Emily had first renounced polygamy. To avoid Grant having to go to prison on charges of unlawful cohabitation, Emily went to England to live at the LDS mission home to have her first child. She returned to the United States 16 months later and moved between multiple locations in Utah Territory and Idaho to avoid capture.
In 1889, to avoid being forced to testify in pending unlawful cohabitation charges against her husband, Emily went to Manassa, Colorado, where she stayed for a year and a half. Grant accompanied her on the train-ride from
Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo () is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 111,876 at the 2020 United States Census, making Pueblo the ninth most populo ...
, to Manassa, having been on a different train on the previous part of the journey to avoid arrest. Grant stayed two weeks, setting up for Emily the most comfortable house in the town, and leaving his mother to help Emily.
She remained in Manassa until March 1891, when she returned to Salt Lake City.
Emily and Grant were the parents of four daughters and a son. The son, Daniel Wells Grant, died while he was still a child.
Emily's last child was born in 1899, when she was 42, the same year Grant pleaded guilty to
unlawful cohabitation and paid a $100 fine.
Emily accompanied Grant when he served as mission president in England, bringing her four daughters and two of Lucy's daughters. Because of their daughters' presence, the Grants relocated the mission home to a more respectable part of Liverpool.
Emily developed stomach cancer in 1907, which caused her death in 1908. At the time of her death, she was considered one of the most prominent women in Salt Lake City.
Image:HeberJGrantLower.jpg, Grave monument of Heber J. Grant
Image:HeberJGrantMonument.jpg
Image:HeberJGrantHeadstone.jpg
Ancestry
Works
*
*
*
See also
*
Second Manifesto
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
External links
*
Grampa Bill's G.A. Pages: Heber J. Grant
Heber J. Grant Papers, MSS 433a
L. Tom Perry Special Collections Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-d ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grant, Heber J.
1856 births
1945 deaths
20th-century Mormon missionaries
American general authorities (LDS Church)
American Mormon missionaries in England
American Mormon missionaries in Japan
American people convicted of bigamy
American temperance activists
Apostles (LDS Church)
Businesspeople in the sugar industry
Burials at Salt Lake City Cemetery
Counselors in the General Presidency of the Young Men (organization)
Members of the Utah Territorial Legislature
19th-century American politicians
Mission presidents (LDS Church)
Mormon missionaries in Europe
Politicians from Salt Lake City
Presidents of the Church (LDS Church)
Presidents of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church)
Utah Democrats
People from Salt Lake City
American members of the clergy convicted of crimes